THE EVIDENTIAL VALUE OF EMAIL – DataSec release White Paper

DataSec Ltd, one of the UK’s leading computer forensic consultancies, today releases its White Paper on the evidential value of email in court.

At Canterbury Crown Court, in February of this year, DataSec showed the UK’s first ‘live’ demonstration, to the judge and jury, on how electronic mail can be manipulated in real time. DataSec, who also provided the network infrastructure in court, showed how easy it was to make an email ‘appear’ to have been sent to someone when in fact it had been forged.  When the email was opened in Microsoft Outlook it appeared no different to the paper emails that had been offered by the prosecution as evidence.  This was despite the fact that the paper copies had been introduced without any digital audit trail to support their authenticity.

Philip Bowles, DataSec’s expert witness acting on behalf of the defence explained, “This case involved an allegation that certain emails had been forged to look as if they were send from someone that totally denied having done so.  In the circumstances, the live demonstration showed how any person with a degree of technical knowledge can forge an email.  An email will leave an extensive trail on its journey between sender and recipient. This case highlighted the need to produce this evidence.  In my opinion, a printout of an email alone is far from sufficient evidence to prove it was sent or received by any particular party.”

With courts using technology more and more it is essential that all parties involved are able to understand and appreciate the technical aspects of electronic evidence.  Leading professionals in both the legal and technical sectors must take responsibility for this if ‘best’ electronic evidence is to be presented, understood and relied upon in court.

Adrian Reid, Managing Director of DataSec Ltd said, “The most effective way to explain the difference between physical and electronic evidence to twelve jury members, who may not necessarily be technically conversant, is to literally show them how it can be done”.

The DataSec White Paper documents the differences between physical and electronic evidence, the mechanics of electronic mail and the technical processes involved in retrieving the digital audit trail required to support email evidence.

DataSec Ltd are one of the UK’s leading, independent provider of computer forensic services and training and as such are accredited with the Law Society as expert witnesses

For further information: a full technical, version of the white paper and a brief, non-technical overview can be found on www.datasec.co.uk

Contact: Sarah Hawkins
DataSec Limited
Phone:   +44 (0)1279 313007
Fax:        +44 (0)1279 313130
Email:    sarah.hawkins@datasec.co.uk
Web:       www.datasec.co.uk