Intellectual property theft is the expression used to describe a situation where someone steals an idea or invention from a company or individual. It also refers to cyber criminals stealing a firm’s trade secrets, trademarks, copyrights, and patents. Unfortunately, identifying IP theft can be challenging in a world where a few clicks can compromise a company’s trade secrets.
Digital forensic experts play a critical role in handling potential IP theft cases effectively. Here’s how cyber forensics are used in IP theft investigations:
Using Forensics to Identify IP Theft
Most IP theft perpetrators are the company’s employees. Thus, asking your IT team to track evidence may raise conflicts of interest or bias. Furthermore, your IT team might not have the right skills and knowledge required to track down the intangible assets. Thus, companies must rely on professional digital forensic engineers to trace and preserve the collected evidence. Here are some effective methods of digital forensics used for handling IP theft cases:
- Use of Devices – a reliable digital forensic team will preserve any crime-related electronic devicesfor the authorities to inspect. They will shut down the access to all related devices upon suspecting an IP theft. The investigation will proceed to identify and harvest data that might help experts determine the crime.
- An In-depth Analysis of Data – a successful digital forensic investigation goes beyond analyzing communication contents and user movement. A detailed examination will show exactly what happened during the cybercrime. Digital forensics addresses the following concerns during an IP theft investigation:
- Did the criminals copy data onto CDs or USBs?
- Was any mass data deleted?
- Where was the USB flash drive used?
- Did they use a wiping program to cover their crime?
- Are there any email communications that indicate a potential IP theft?
- Which devices were used to perform file transfers?
Proving IP Theft
To prove an IP theft, you need digital forensics data from social media platforms, mobile apps, and other digital platforms. While the data drawn from these devices may be diverse, it can allow cyber forensics experts to detect the breach’s time, date, and location. By hiring forensic experts to present your case in a court of law, you’ll better understand the significance of digital forensics in identifying IP theft.
If you’re looking for professional digital forensics consultants in Florida, we can help! At Eclipse Forensics, we handle audio, video, and court-certified forensics at affordable rates. Contact us today to avail our services.