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Specialized Data Recovery and Analysis Services
Information Technology
In going beyond typical forensic file recovery and analysis services, NEIC's Electronic Data Analysis Team (EDAT) has acquired specialized knowledge and experience to provide forensic examination of various environmental measurement systems. These systems are becoming more complex and highly computerized and consist of various types of devices and software systems. A thorough and complete understanding of how these systems operate and how to forensically examine the data is becoming a necessity in many environmental investigations.
Among the various systems that the EDAT encounters are the ever increasing supervisory control and data acquistion (SCADA) systems. These systems are highly complex and integrated and are found in a variety of areas where environmental monitoring is being used. SCADA systems collect environmental data, using various types of sensors, in many locations. The data are usually transmitted to a central computer for management and control. In many instances these systems consist of various hardware and software components such as programmable logic controllers (PLCs) or other hardware devices, and various specialized software packages used for data analysis and reporting. Understanding and analyzing these systems is part of the assistance the NEIC EDAT provides to environmental investigations.
Another area of specialized computer forensic services is the forensic examination of email systems. Email is becoming an ever increasing source of evidence in many environmental investigations. As email systems become more complex, a higher level of expertise is needed in order to ensure a proper forensic examination can be performed. In many cases, it requires entire email systems be reconstructed in order to examine their contents.