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Fight cybercrime with cutting-edge digital tools

The police and the judiciary require continuous and specialised knowledge of cybercrime and digital forensics in order to distinguish among the different roles that computer can play in information technology crimes

Criminal investigations and evidence-gathering are among the most important and sensitive criminal justice procedures. They are key to securing justice, protecting rights, and combating and preventing crime.
Above all, they are the benchmarks to measure the efficiency of the agencies entrusted with the responsibility, and the social satisfaction with such agencies that cost nations huge sums of money.
In the late 20th century, computer technology emerged as a tool of crime, requiring the use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence to detect crimes and collect forensic evidence from the same high-tech environment. The result was the creation of digital evidence laboratories, the development of computer forensics, and the use of videoconferencing to manage investigations remotely.
As crime is a social phenomenon, its patterns and methods of commission will continue to change with the movement of societies and the ways in which individuals engage in daily activities. In the future, more and more activities are expected to be automatised and there will be high use of technology in day to day life. Yet, it is likely that some known criminal investigative techniques would remain the same. Attested expertise, talent, and personal skill of investigators will remain as crucial as it is now.
Emerging crimes require technological means and aids to investigate them, but that does not mean abolishing the general traditional rules of investigation. Some of the general rules remain critical for investigators in all cases, whether for conventional or new crimes. They are permanent and inherent in all types of criminal investigations.
These general rules include procedures relating to the integrity of legal formalities. There are general rules that enhance the role of investigators' expertise, professional skills, and natural talents that serve to identify people and objects and discover facts. There are also certain parameters related to professional ethics, the conditions for investigators, and the legal restrictions that the investigator must adhere to.
In conclusion, the police and the judiciary require continuous and specialised knowledge of cybercrime and digital forensics in order to distinguish among the different roles that computer can play in information technology crimes. Such accurate knowledge is necessary to develop a deeper understanding of how computers contribute to committing a cybercrime. With the rapid spread of computer crimes, there is a need for the police and judiciary to understand how to differentiate among the various types of web crimes that began to branch out and become complex with time. Only accurate knowledge of cybercrime and digital forensics can help law enforcement professionals dig into investigation strategies and digital forensic collection.
Adel Abdullah Humaid is an Emirati writer and academic researcher in the legal, police, and security field, and Member of the UAE Authors and Writers Union.