Cyber Crime Investigations: Bridging the Gaps Between Security Professionals, Law Enforcement, and Prosecutors

Written by a former NYPD cyber cop, this is the only book available that discusses the hard questions cyber crime investigators are asking.

The book begins with the chapter “What is Cyber Crime?” This introductory chapter describes the most common challenges faced by cyber investigators today. The following chapters discuss the methodologies behind cyber investigations; and frequently encountered pitfalls. Issues relating to cyber crime definitions, the electronic crime scene, computer forensics, and preparing and presenting a cyber crime investigation in court will be examined. Not only will these topics be generally be discussed and explained for the novice, but the hard questions ―the questions that have the power to divide this community― will also be examined in a comprehensive and thoughtful manner.

This book will serve as a foundational text for the cyber crime community to begin to move past current difficulties into its next evolution.

• This book has been written by a retired NYPD cyber cop, who has worked many high-profile computer crime cases
• Discusses the complex relationship between the public and private sector with regards to cyber crime
• Provides essential information for IT security professionals and first responders on maintaining chain of evidence

James “Jim” Steele (CISSP, MCSE: Security, Security+) has a career rich with experience in the security, computer forensics, network development, and management fields. For over 15 years he has played integral roles regarding project management, systems administration, network administration, and enterprise security management in public safety and mission-critical systems. As a Senior Technical Consultant assigned to the NYPD E-911 Center, he designed and managed implementation of multiple systems for enterprise security; he also performed supporting operations on-site during September 11, 2001, and the blackout of 2003. Jim has also participated in foreign projects such as the development of the London Metropolitan Police C3i Project, for which he was a member of the Design and Proposal Team. Jim’s career as a Technical Consultant also includes time with the University of Pennsylvania and the FDNY. His time working in the diverse network security field and expert knowledge of operating systems and network products and technologies has prepared him for his current position as Manager of Digital Forensics with a large wireless carrier. His responsibilities include performing workstation, server, PDA, cell phone, and network forensics as well as acting as a liaison to multiple law enforcement agencies, including the United States Secret Service and the FBI. On a daily basis he investigates cases of fraud, employee integrity, and compromised systems. Jim is a member of HTCC, NYECTF, InfraGard, CTIN and the HTCIA.

Anthony Reyes is a retired Detective with the New York City Police Department’s Computer Crimes Squad. During his assignment with the Computer Crimes Squad, he investigated computer intrusion, fraud, identity theft, child exploitation, and software piracy. Detective Reyes previously sat as an alternate member of New York Governor George E. Pataki's Cyber-Security Task Force. Mr. Reyes is a member of the New York State Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce. He is also a member of the National Institute of Justice Electronic Crime Partnership Initiative (ECPI). Additionally, he is a member of the High Technology Crime Investigation Association (HTCIA), and served as the President in 2005 of the Association’s Northeast Chapter.

Kevin O’Shea is a Homeland Security and Intelligence Specialist for the Technical Analysis Group in the Justiceworks program at the University of New Hampshire. Kevin assisted in the development of the NH Strategic Plan to Combat Cyber Crime and currently supports the implementation of the Strategic Plan. Kevin has authored and coauthored a number of high-tech training programs for the law enforcement community and has assisted in the development of a new digital forensics paradigm in use in N.H.

Prior to working at the University of New Hampshire, he was a Research Associate for Project Management within the Technical Analysis Group in the Institute for Security Technology Studies at Dartmouth College. He was a member of the research team and substantive author of three critical national reports to document and present the most pressing impediments facing the law-enforcement community when investigating and responding to cyber attacks: Law Enforcement Tools and Technologies for Investigating Cyber Attacks: A National Needs Assessment, Gap Analysis, and the Research and Development Agenda.