...Fought High-Tech Crime...
“Digital forensics is a critical investigative tool for law enforcement. This grant increases the 3CFL’s capabilities by securing a broad range of hardware and software tools that bolsters the District Attorney’s Office ability to aggressively prosecute crime in our County,” said 3CFL Manager Rob Swift.
The digital forensics field is leading investigators to discover crimes that would have gone undetected before.
These cases range from human trafficking, child pornography, homicide, narcotics, and criminal threats to weapons violations, among others. Cases involving computers and other electronic devices have no borders. As a result, multiple agencies in various jurisdictions may be involved in a criminal investigation of cyber-related crimes.
In FY 2018-19, the Central Coast Cyber Forensic Lab (3CFL) enhanced collaboration and communication for investigations of cyber or cyber-related criminal activities, and to establish consistent digital forensic standards, across all county law enforcement agencies.
The 3CFL opened in March 2017 and has helped various law enforcement agencies in San Luis Obispo County combat cyber-related criminal activity since then.
Due to the number of devices connected, almost all crimes now have a digital footprint. The 3CFL is there to discover, collect, and preserve digital evidence for the prosecution.
This additional resource of facilities, equipment, and cyber forensic specialists helps law enforcement to collect and analyze digital information, understand new kinds of potential case-solving evidence, and tap into new methods of prosecution.
Press releases regarding these cases can be found on the District Attorney’s website under latest news:
These cases range from human trafficking, child pornography, homicide, narcotics, and criminal threats to weapons violations, among others. Cases involving computers and other electronic devices have no borders. As a result, multiple agencies in various jurisdictions may be involved in a criminal investigation of cyber-related crimes.
In FY 2018-19, the Central Coast Cyber Forensic Lab (3CFL) enhanced collaboration and communication for investigations of cyber or cyber-related criminal activities, and to establish consistent digital forensic standards, across all county law enforcement agencies.
The 3CFL opened in March 2017 and has helped various law enforcement agencies in San Luis Obispo County combat cyber-related criminal activity since then.
Due to the number of devices connected, almost all crimes now have a digital footprint. The 3CFL is there to discover, collect, and preserve digital evidence for the prosecution.
This additional resource of facilities, equipment, and cyber forensic specialists helps law enforcement to collect and analyze digital information, understand new kinds of potential case-solving evidence, and tap into new methods of prosecution.
Press releases regarding these cases can be found on the District Attorney’s website under latest news:
- People v. Carlo Fuentes Flores
- People v. Chris Berdol
- People v. Levente Lazar
- People v. Beau Brigham (case concluded in FY 2019-20; more info below)
"48 Hours" Click for a Killer: Part 2
Aired on Sept. 29, 2018: CBS News featured a "48 Hours" investigation into the Beau Brigham case mentioned above. Watch the episode below.
In order to stay with or ahead of industry trends, digital forensic examiners depend on collaboration in the workplace. Several investigators from the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office and the San Luis Obispo Police Department work collaboratively at the lab.
The 3CFL fosters collaboration using shared software, systems and resident specialists and the multi-agency effort helps law enforcement across the county and beyond to meet rising demands and collect digital evidence in criminal cases. The 3CFL staff examined over 400 devices during FY 2018-2019. These ever-increasing numbers would not be possible if each department were to do it alone.
In October 2018, the County District Attorney’s 3CFL was awarded $148,946 from the Privacy and Piracy Grant of the California Department of Justice, which is being used to purchase additional state-of-the-art digital forensic equipment necessary for law enforcement investigations.
The grant also funds additional training for staff and improvements to the lab operations that will ensure that digital evidence is collected and preserved for admission in court by dynamically adapting to changing technology.
In order to stay with or ahead of industry trends, digital forensic examiners depend on collaboration in the workplace. Several investigators from the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office and the San Luis Obispo Police Department work collaboratively at the lab.
The 3CFL fosters collaboration using shared software, systems and resident specialists and the multi-agency effort helps law enforcement across the county and beyond to meet rising demands and collect digital evidence in criminal cases. The 3CFL staff examined over 400 devices during FY 2018-2019. These ever-increasing numbers would not be possible if each department were to do it alone.
In October 2018, the County District Attorney’s 3CFL was awarded $148,946 from the Privacy and Piracy Grant of the California Department of Justice, which is being used to purchase additional state-of-the-art digital forensic equipment necessary for law enforcement investigations.
The grant also funds additional training for staff and improvements to the lab operations that will ensure that digital evidence is collected and preserved for admission in court by dynamically adapting to changing technology.
