January 1, 2026 “ It’s (Not) Just A Text Message! ” " The aspects of things that are most important for us are hidden because of their simplicity and familiarity.” -Ludwig Wittgenstein Author’s Note:   This article deals with a recently adjudicated case.   The names and titles of the persons involved have been changed for discretion. Text Messages: The Forensic Landscape Of all the digital forensic bits and bytes we deal with on a routine basis, text messages top the list, surpassing even emails or documents.   To be clear, all of us deal with a large amount of all three (as well as photos/videos), but the ubiquity of mobile devices, their consistent use in business and personal applications, the ease of text message communication and the cross-over between digital forensics and e-discovery involvement with text messages in particular make texts a huge part of what we deal with daily.   One issue that is common, albeit nuanced is, what is a “text message”? ...

  December 1, 2025 A Major Flaw In The System " The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. ” -Edmund Burke AUTHOR’S NOTE:   This edition has less to do with DF/IR than it does with the criminal justice system as a whole.   I’ve become aware of the hole in the system through work as a Digital Forensic Expert, both for the prosecution and independently. When The Puzzle Is Incomplete Recently, I was watching an HBO documentary about a Colorado murder of a well-loved mortician.   Very long story short, the ultimate murderer was never prosecuted, only an alleged accomplice was, and that person was offered a plea bargain with no jail time.   At the end of the 3-part series, the Chief Prosecutor (District Attorney) – who was interviewed throughout the program – stated the following:   “ There’s so many rabbit holes in this case to chase down that I suspect if we were to re-open the case, there’s additional evidence that we woul...