Also, in some cases the multimedia forensic experts are provided thousands of samples to investigate, and are asked to go through each and every sample, identify the region of interest in which they feel they can extract some information and then analyze it, this process requires lot of time and patience. The quality of the samples for the investigation is so poor that extracting information from these evidences becomes a challenging task for multimedia experts. Many at times the experts are provided with audio and video samples that have disturbances, and are not clear. Thus, to ensure that the digital evidences that are submitted to the court are true to its nature, Multimedia forensic experts provide the authentication certificate that determines the legal admissibility of these evidences in the court of law.ĬHALLENGES FACED BY THE MULTIMEDIA FORENSIC EXPERTSĪ number of challenges are faced by the multimedia forensic experts while examining the digital evidences. The need for the same has been felt, with the rising concern of the integrity of the evidences that are submitted to the court these days. Multimedia forensics involves the use of tools that bring about in the examination, authentication and enhancement of the digital evidences. It is thus an important prerequisite procedure to verify and validate the evidences that are provided. It is a scary fact that not always the digital evidences like an image, or audio /video recording provided for the investigation of a crime is authenticate, a lot of times these evidences are subjected to various type of modifications to alter the content of the original source by the criminals to mislead an investigation. Multimedia forensics deals with the prevention and detection of crime by extracting and examining the digital fingerprints on the digital evidences with the use of novel software’s that aid in authentication and scientific analysis of the same. Surbhi Mathur a leading multimedia Forensic scientist from National Forensic Sciences University, describes technology “ to be a medicine of the curious mind that strives change”, and preaches that technology can be used for the prevention and detection of crime. We need our phones, laptops and cannot go a day without using them.ĭr. Technology is an integral part of who we are today, we humans are surrounded by technology. The analysis includes scientific evaluation of the digital evidence, to maintain the integrity of evidence, to find the source of the digital evidence and to authenticate the same. Multimedia forensics on the other hand, deals with analyzing the extracted evidence. While Computer forensics can be defined as the branch of forensics that deals with the application of investigative techniques to extract and preserve evidences from a digital device submitted to the court of law. Multimedia forensics is a branch of forensics that works hand in hand with computer forensics. The branch of forensics that deal with the scientific evaluation and analysis of multimedia evidences (audio, video, images) is called Multimedia Forensics. The future of forensic investigation now relies on countering the so called “new age” crimes with modern solutions to keep up with the fast-paced change in the nature of crimes that are being committed today. Around 60% of evidences include the analysis and examination of digital evidences that include CCTV footages, audio samples, image and metadata analysis, which require the use of skill and expertise in advanced non-conventional technologies.
The changing trends in the pattern and types of crimes committed can also be depicted by the types of evidences that are recovered these days for solving an investigation. The criminals today are very calculative and strategic to plan a crime unlike the traditional crimes, and thus, there is a need to change the investigation technique adopted, to achieve the effective investigation of such types of crimes. With the advent of technology, the criminals have adopted a modern approach of operating a crime that does not involve physical harm like the conventional blue-collar crimes. The effect of technology on crimes today is evident with the types and the patterns of crime that are being committed today.