Investigative Computer Forensics: The Practical Guide for Lawyers, Accountants, Investigators, and Business Executives

CHAPTER 9

The Future

Investigative computer forensics has a bright future, in so far as, in many cases, computer forensic practitioners are the last line of defense and the final arbiters of truth, privacy, and fact as it relates to digital evidence, which is often nowadays at the center of most human disputes. As the global networks continue to coalesce and expand and while new technologies continue to develop in order to harness electronic communications and data, the need for investigative computer forensics will continue to grow. New technologies, tools, systems, and processes will evolve as there is ample opportunity for innovation and development in the field, and professionals within the space will continue to assist in its maturing as a professional vocation. See Exhibit 9.1.

EXHIBIT 9.1 Moore's Law in Action

An illustration of a computer hard drive from the 1980s that had a capacity of 10 MB, a hard drive from the 1990s with a capacity of 500 MB, and a thumb drive from the 2000s with a capacity of 64 GB. In the future we may wear our data storage as a thin-film adhesive painted onto our clothing or our body.

The future is fraught with numerous risks related to evolving technologies, but age-old risks will continue to apply and most fundamental among them will be those that relate to interpersonal communication between relevant parties. As we move farther away from our ...