Digital Forensic Case Studies
Explore real-world applications of our forensic methodologies. These anonymised case studies highlight how we uncover, preserve, and present digital evidence in complex legal and corporate matters.
15+
Years Experience
2000+
Cases Examined
6
Specialist Services
CCTV Footage
Disputed Timing & Identification in Alleged Assault
Issue
Prosecution relied on exported CCTV footage to place the accused at the scene at a specific time. The defence disputed the timestamp accuracy and the identification due to poor lighting.
Examination
Frame-by-frame analysis of the proprietary DVR format rather than the standard video export. We verified the system’s time offset and conducted enhancement techniques within strict forensic limits to clarify facial features without introducing artifacts.
Our expert report demonstrated a 14-minute discrepancy in the CCTV timestamp, proving the accused could not have been present at the time of the offense. The prosecution subsequently withdrew the charges.
Mobile Phone & Cloud
Intellectual Property Theft by Departing Executive
Issue
A senior executive abruptly resigned to join a competitor. The company suspected confidential client lists and proprietary schematics were taken, but initial internal IT checks showed no mass USB transfers.
Examination
Forensic acquisition of the executive’s company-issued iPhone and laptop. Analysis focused on cloud-synchronised data, deleted application artifacts, and browser cache analysis which revealed unauthorised access to a personal cloud storage account.
Recovered deleted SQLite databases proving the executive uploaded 4GB of sensitive data to a personal Dropbox via the mobile app minutes before returning the device. The evidence facilitated an immediate injunction.
Digital Images & Metadata
Authentication of Disputed Photographic Evidence
Issue
In a high-stakes civil litigation matter, one party submitted a photograph as proof of a pre-existing structural defect. The opposing side alleged the image was digitally altered and the timestamp was fabricated.
Examination
Comprehensive EXIF metadata analysis, JPEG quantization table inspection, and Error Level Analysis (ELA) to detect manipulation. We also cross-referenced weather data with the image’s embedded GPS coordinates and shadows.
Our analysis definitively proved the image was opened and re-saved in Adobe Photoshop. Furthermore, metadata inconsistencies revealed the creation date had been manually modified by 14 months.
Computer Forensics
Employee Misconduct & Deletion of Records
Issue
An employee accused of serious policy breaches formatted their company laptop prior to handing it over to HR, claiming it was a “routine reset” to clear personal data.
Examination
We performed a physical forensic image of the SSD. Despite the format, we conducted file-carving techniques and recovered the Master File Table (MFT) remnants, revealing a timeline of purposeful deletion software being run.
We successfully recovered numerous deleted emails and chat logs proving the misconduct. The timeline analysis also demonstrated the data destruction was intentional and occurred minutes after the HR meeting notification.