Question

Identify and discuss at least three (3) ways how email can be used to commit and/or cover up a crime. Include how forensics analysis can be used to uncover this evidence.

150 words or more.

Answer 1

Emails are the formal way of communication throughout the world. Everyday each person recieves on an avarage 50 emails. Hence it's being missused to commit and/or cover up a crime. Email related crimes comes under the broad branch of Cyber Crime. The three ways this email can be used for crime are:

1. Email spoofing

2. Sending malicious codes through email

3. Email frauds

1. Email spoofing : This is where an email is generated from somewhere else but shows other source. They falsifying the name and / or email address of the originator of the email and they usually do it to get information from the reciever.

2. Sending malicious codes through email : To send malicious codes over internet , emails are the fastest way to do it. They send viruses to corrupt host system or somtimes to collect information too. These work are done by Hackers who often bind Trojans, viruses, worms and send to many via emails to corrupt the system.

3. Email frauds : This is done for financial frauding. They get the identity and banking information of the person and commites financial crime over internet.

Forensics analysis can be used to uncover this evidence, this is specificaly called Computer Forensics.

Computer Forensic investigation includes the following steps:

• Collection – search and seizing of digital evidence, and data acquisition
• Examination – applying some techniques to identify and extract the criminal data
• Analysis – using data , resources and some software tools to prove a case
• Reporting – presenting the information gathered (e.g., written case report)

Comprehensive forensic software tools that are used by crime scene investigators such as :

1. Encase Forensic Edition,

2.X-Ways Forensic Addition,

3.Paraben,

4. Forensic ToolKit (FTK),

5. Linux DD, etc.

These are used to provide their collection, indexing and detailed analysis for email crime.