Re: Hard Drive Forensics Question

[Larry Offley <lucullus () shaw ca>]

You are correct that it can't prove that he didn't copy the files. Truth 
is if you want to check someones computer to see if they copied files, 
They know that you want to check it, and They  have time/knowledge to 
erase evidence that They did copy it you will not be able to tell if 
They did or didn't copy the files.

The only thing they could prove would be that he did copy the files, if 
he did, never deleted the files, and the area of the drive the files 
were written to had also never been written over in the six months since 
then.

You could also ask of the forensics list. I'm sure the answer is going 
to be close to the same maybe more technical but the same idea.

Larry Offley



Matt Perry wrote:
> I'm trying to answer a question for a customer regarding historical 
> file copying on his personal Mac computer. I'm not sure if this is the 
> right list to post this to; please redirect me if I should be asking 
> this elsewhere.
>
> Equipment Details:
> Powerbook G4 with a 75 GB hard drive - purchased 3 or 4 years ago.
> Samsung Pleomax USB power drive.
>
> Background:
> His former employer believes that documents on this external device 
> might have been copied to his personal Powerbook. They are demanding 
> that he allow them to have the drive imaged so that they can determine 
> prove whether he did or did not copy these files to his home computer.
>
> The weekend before he left his former employer he opened several 
> documents on this external device using MS Office and maneuvered 
> others using Finder.  According to my customer all files opened were 
> on USB drive and then saved back to it.
>
> He left the company six months ago. When he left his former employer 
> six months ago he returned the Pleomax drive to them.
>
> Question:
> My opinion is that looking at an image of his personal computer's hard 
> drive will not prove conclusively whether or not he saved files from 
> the company's Pleomax to his personal computer. Can someone either 
> validate that or indicate why the image would provide that information?
>
> He is prepared to allow his personal computer's hard drive to be 
> imaged. I am concerned that doing so will breach his own privacy since 
> he stores personal finance, correspondence, etc. on it.
>
> Thanks so much.
>
> Matt
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> Internal Virus Database is out of date.
> Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com 
> Version: 8.0.169 / Virus Database: 270.7.3/1693 - Release Date: 9/26/2008 7:35 AM
>
>