[Author’s note: The author of this article is a technician, not a lawyer. Although several jurists have been consulted to corroborate that no legal barbarity has been said, it is strongly recommended to consult with a trusted legal professional if necessary].
[Author’s note 2: I would like to thank the ideas and comments offered by the Forensic Computing Telegram group: https://t.me/forense, whose activity has fostered and promoted this article].
Let’s imagine that Mary is a forensic analyst who is working on a case of corporate espionage. While analyzing some compressed files with strange names, she discovers with horror that they are full of images of child pornography.
Imagine that Pete is a pentester whose objective is to take control of a mail server, having to submit as evidence a half dozen high-level emails. Once he has achieved his objective, he extracts several mails at random from the mail accounts, but verifies with indignation that they contain information about a civil servant being bribed for the granting of an important public contract.
Both Mary and Pete have signed a strict confidentiality agreement with the company in which they work, which clearly states that “all the information they have knowledge of during their working activity must be kept in the strictest secrecy.” [Read more…]