Just three years ago, the majority of the questions we fieldedcame from insurance professionals trying to contain their panic asthey learned that computer data can be retrieved, even though ithas been deleted. Our clients were haunted by visions of themselvessquirming on witness stands, with opposing counsel triumphantlydisplaying off-color e-mail jokes or web pages from e-bay thoughtto have been deleted.

As the field of computer forensics has evolved, the morbid fearof newer technology has yielded to practical curiosity. This istrue especially among special investigators, adjusters, and counselinvolved in the evaluation of potentially fraudulent claims.

Now, the most common question that we hear is, “Why use computerforensics?” More often than not, we have little time to answer thequestion before being challenged by the inevitable follow-up: “Whatcan computer forensics do for me?” Technical answers might be bothcomplete and accurate, but nothing is more illustrative than a fewreal-life examples.