When is computer forensics appropriate?

• A. If copyright and intellectual property theft/misuse has occurred
• B. If employees do not care for their boss/management techniques
• C. If sales drop off for no apparent reason for an extended period of time
• D. If a financial institution is burglarized by robbers

Answer: (A)

Computer forensics is used when there is digital evidence tied to a crime or policy violation involving computers or networks. This is most applicable for cases of copyright or intellectual property theft or misuse, because such wrongdoing leaves electronic traces—like copied or shared files, system logs, email or chat records, file metadata, and data exfiltration—that investigators can collect, preserve, and analyze to prove what happened and who was involved. The other scenarios describe business performance issues or a physical crime, which don’t inherently involve digital evidence or computer-based wrongdoing, so they aren’t the typical context for computer forensics.