Authentication Problems with Electronic Evidence

(10-5-04) Trial by computer: Digital evidence not always as reliable as it seems. Computer forensic analysts admit that not even they can unequivocally determine a computer's true user. "You can tell a lot about a person from his or her computer hard drive, toll-booth pass, or TiVo account. More difficult to ascertain from a computer forensic analyst's perspective, however, is the reliability of the information that's revealed. Prosecutors trying Alejandro Avila for the rape and murder of 6-year-old Samantha Runnion in California hope to bolster their case by introducing evidence of child pornography allegedly found on his computer . . ."

Electronic Discovery and Electronic Evidence