In the digital world, role of technology in criminal investigations has grown exorbitantly. Digital Forensics has become a key tool in the justice system. It is the process of recovering, analyzing and presenting digital evidence from the electronic devices.
Digital Forensics helps in the law enforcement agencies, legal professionals and investigators in uncovering key information that can ascertain the outcome of criminal and civil cases. 
What is the role of Digital Forensics in Criminal Investigations?

Digital Forensics has revolutionized criminal investigations by enabling the collection of key evidences from the electronic devices such as computers, smart phones, and tablets. It has provided many break-through required to solve complex cases, including cyber crimes, financial fraud and murder investigations.

Here’s how the digital forensics experts help in availing justice-
1.    Recovering of Critical Evidence: One of the primary functions of digital forensics is to recover data that may have been hidden or encrypted. The professional forensics experts retrieve files from various devices including hard disks, phones, cloud storage and more. 

2.    Supporting Criminal Investigations: The digital forensic experts gather digital evidence that can help solve crimes ranging from cyber fraud to serious offences like murder, terrorism and more. Location of mobile phone, surveillance footage and online communications provide important links to crimes leading the law enforcement agencies to the suspect. 

3.    Ensure Fair Trails: Digital Forensics play a key role in ensuring legal proceedings are based on factual and verifiable evidence. Digital data is irrefutable and can be verified independently. This makes digital forensics a reliable tool in court, helping both prosecutors and defense attorneys build stronger cases. 

4.    Combating crimes: The rise of cybercrime has made digital forensics indispensible in pursuit of justice. From data breaches, identification theft to ransomware attacks and cyber bullying, the digital world is filled with criminal activity. Digital forensics helps law enforcement track down cybercriminals by analyzing data trail they leave behind. They are capable of tracing the origins of cyber attacks, identify compromised systems and recover lost data. They help identify anonymous perpetrators in case of cyber bullying or online harassment by tracking the IP address, analyzing social media activity and recovering incriminating messages.

5.    Investigate Fraud: Digital Forensics is used in civil cases, in matters involving corporate fraud, intellectual property theft and internal investigations. Businesses facing issues like data breaches or employee misconduct can turn digital forensics to uncover the truth. For instance if an employee is suspected of leaking confidential information of the company, digital forensic experts can analyze their email logs, data transfers, and computer usage to determine if the sensitive data was mishandled. 

Digital forensic is the pillar of modern justice, providing investigators and law enforcement agencies with tools required to uncover truth in the today’s increasing digital world.

Also Read : A detailed guide on digital forensics?