Forensic, in a general sense, means "related to or used in courts of law" or

"used for formal public debate or discussion."" The word is used in several
ways in information technology, including:

network forensics : the capture, recording, and analysis of network

events in order to discover the source of security attacks or other

problem incidents.
computer forensics : (also called cyberforensics) the application of

computer investigation and analysis techniques to gather evidence

suitable for presentation in a court of law
forensic animation : the use of full-motion computer graphics to

recreate an event such as an automobile accident, the collapse of a

building, an assault, or the workings of a mechanical device from a
variety of perspectives
forensic watermark : (also called a digital watermark) a sequence of

characters or code embedded in a digital document, image, video or

computer program to uniquely identify its originator and authorized
user.
Forensic is defined as using technology or science to prove something legally.

Forensic science is a scientific method of gathering and examining evidence. Crimes are
solved with the use of pathological examinations that gather fingerprints, palm prints,
footprints, tooth bite prints, blood, hair and fiber samples.
Handwriting and typewriting samples are studied, including all ink, paper, and typography.
Ballistics techniques are used to identify weapons as well as voice identification techniques
are used to identify criminals.

History of Forensic Science

The first recorded application of medical knowledge to the solution of crime. In the
1248 Chinese book Hsi DuanYu or the Washing Away of Wrongs, ways to distinguish
between death by drowning or death by strangulation were described.
Italian doctor, Fortunatus Fidelis is recognized as being the first person to practice
modern forensic medicine, beginning in 1598. Forensic medicine is the "application
of medical knowledge to legal questions." It became a recognized branch of
medicine in the early 19th century.
An earlier and less successful lie detector or polygraph machine was invented by
James Mackenzie in 1902. However, the modern polygraph machine was invented by
John Larson in 1921.
John Larson, a University of California medical student, invented the modern lie
detector (polygraph) in 1921.
Used in police interrogation and investigation since 1924, the lie detector is still
controversial among psychologists, and is not always judicially acceptable. The name
polygraph comes from the fact that the machine records several different body
responses simultaneously as the individual is questioned.
The theory is that when a person lies, the lying causes a certain amount of stress
that produces changes in several involuntary physiological reactions. A series of
different sensors are attached to the body, and as the polygraph measures changes
in breathing, blood pressure, pulse and perspiration, pens record the data on graph
paper. During a lie detector test, the operator asks a series of control questions that
set the pattern of how an individual responds when giving true and false answers.
Then the actual questions are asked, mixed in with filler questions. The examination
lasts about 2 hours, after which the expert interprets the data.

Fingerprinting
In the 19th century it was observed that contact between someone's hands and a
surface left barely visible and marks called fingerprints. Fine powder (dusting) was
used to make the marks more visible.
Modern fingerprint identification dates from 1880, when the British scientific journal
Nature published letters by the Englishmen Henry Faulds and William James
Herschel describing the uniqueness and permanence of fingerprints.
Their observations were verified by the English scientist Sir Francis Galton, who
designed the first elementary system for classifying fingerprints based on grouping
the patterns into arches, loops, and whorls. Galton's system was improved upon by
London police commissioner, Sir Edward R. Henry. The Galton-Henry system of
fingerprint classification, was published in June 1900, and officially introduced at
Scotland Yard in 1901. It is the most widely used method of fingerprinting to date.

Police Cars
In 1899, the first police car was used in Akron, Ohio. Police cars became the basis of
police transportation in the 20th century.

1850s

The first multi-shot pistol, introduced by Samuel Colt, goes into mass production. The
weapon is adopted by the Texas Rangers and, thereafter, by police departments
nationwide.

1854-59
San Francisco is the site of one of the earliest uses of systematic photography for
criminal identification.

1862
On june 17 1862 inventor WV. Adams patented handcuffs that used adjustable ratchets - the
first modern handcuffs

1877
The use of the telegraph by fire and police departments begins in Albany, New York
in 1877.

1878
The telephone comes into use in police precinct houses in Washington, D.C.

1888
Chicago is the first U.S. city to adopt the Bertillon system of identification. Alphonse
Bertillon, a French criminologist, applies techniques of human body measurement
used in anthropological classification to the identification of criminals. His system
remains in vogue in North America and Europe until it is replaced at the turn of the
century by the fingerprint method of identification.

1901
Scotland Yard adopts a fingerprint classification system devised by Sir Edward
Richard Henry. Subsequent fingerprint classification systems are generally
extensions of Henry's system.

1910
Edmund Locard establishes the first police department crime laboratory in Lyon,
France.

1923
The Los Angeles Police Department establishes the first police department crime
laboratory in the United States.

1923
The use of the teletype is inaugurated by the Pennsylvania State Police.

1928
Detroit police begin using the one-way radio.

1934
Boston Police begin using the two-way radio.

1930s
American police begin the widespread use of the automobile.

1930
The prototype of the present-day polygraph is developed for use in police stations.

1932
The FBI inaugurates its crime laboratory which, over the years, comes to be world
renowned.

1948
Radar is introduced to traffic law enforcement.

1948
The American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) meets for the first time.

1955
The New Orleans Police Department installs an electronic data processing
machine, possibly the first department in the country to do so. The machine is not a

computer, but a vacuum-tube operated calculator with a punch-card sorter and

collator. It summarizes arrests and warrants.

1958
A former marine invents the side-handle baton, a baton with a handle attached at a
90-degree angle near the gripping end. Its versatility and effectiveness eventually
make the side-handle baton standard issue in many U.S. police agencies.

1960s
The first computer-assisted dispatching system is installed in the St. Louis police
department.

1966
The National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System, a message-switching
facility linking all state police computers except Hawaii, comes into being.

1967
The President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice
concludes that the "police, with crime laboratories and radio networks, made early
use of technology, but most police departments could have been equipped 30 or 40
years ago as well as they are today."

1967
The FBI inaugurates the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), the first national
law enforcement computing center. NCIC is a computerized national filing system on
wanted persons and stolen vehicles, weapons, and other items of value. One
observer notes NCIC was "the first contact most smaller departments had with
computers."

1968
AT&T announces it will establish a special number -- 911 -- for emergency calls to
the police, fire and other emergency services. Within several years, 911 systems are
in widespread use in large urban areas.

1960s
Beginning in the late 1960s, there are many attempts to develop riot control
technologies and use-of-force alternatives to the police service revolver and baton.
Tried and abandoned or not widely adopted are wooden, rubber and plastic bullets;
dart guns adapted from the veterinarian's tranquilizer gun that inject a drug when
fired; an electrified water jet; a baton that carries a 6,000-volt shock; chemicals that
make streets extremely slippery; strobe lights that cause giddiness, fainting and
nausea; and the stun gun that, when pressed to the body, delivers a 50,000-volt
shock that disables its victim for several minutes.
One of the few technologies to successfully emerge is the TASER which shoots two
wire-controlled, tiny darts into its victim or the victim's clothes and delivers a 50,000volt shock. By 1985, police in every state have used the TASER, but its popularity is
restricted owing to its limited range and limitations in affecting the drug- and alcoholintoxicated. Some agencies adopt bean bag rounds for crowd control purposes.

1970s
The large-scale computerization of U.S. police departments begins. Major computerbased applications in the 1970s include computer-assisted dispatch (CAD),
management information systems, centralized call collection using three-digit phone
numbers (911), and centralized integrated dispatching of police, fire, and medical
services for large metropolitan areas.

1972
The National Institute of Justice initiates a project that leads to the development of
lightweight, flexible, and comfortable protective body armor for the police. The body
armor is made from Kevlar, a fabric originally developed to replace steel belting for
radial tires. The soft body armor introduced by the Institute is credited with saving the
lives of more than 2,000 police officers since its inception into the law enforcement
community.

Mid-1970s
The National Institute of Justice funds the Newton, Massachusetts, Police
Department to assess the suitability of six models of night vision devices for law
enforcement use. The study leads to the widespread use of night vision gear by
today's police agencies.

1975
Rockwell International installs the first fingerprint reader at the FBI. In 1979, the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police implements the first actual automatic fingerprint
identification system (AFIS).

1980
Police departments begin implementing "enhanced" 911, which allows dispatchers to
see on their computer screens the addresses and telephone numbers from which
911 emergency calls originated.

1982
Pepper spray, widely used by the police as a force alternative, is first developed.
Pepper spray is Oleoresin Capsicum (OC), which is synthesized from capsaicin, a
colorless, crystalline, bitter compound present in hot peppers.

1993
More than 90 percent of U.S. police departments serving a population of 50,000 or
more are using computers. Many are using them for such relatively sophisticated
applications as criminal investigations, budgeting, dispatch, and manpower
allocation.

1990s
Departments in New York, Chicago, and elsewhere increasingly use sophisticated
computer programs to map and analyze crime patterns.

1996
The National Academy of Sciences announces that there is no longer any reason to
question the reliability of DNA evidence.
http://inventors.about.com/od/fstartinventions/a/forensic_5.htm

TYPES OF FORENSIC Technology used

10 MODERN FORENSIC
SCIENCE
TECHNOLOGIES
1. Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry
(LA-ICP-MS) : When broken glass is involved in a crime, putting
together even tiny pieces can be key to finding important
clues like the direction of bullets, the force of impact or the
type of weapon used in a crime. Through its highly sensitive
isotopic recognition ability, the LA-ICP-MS machine breaks
glass samples of almost any size down to their atomic
structure. Then, forensic scientists are able to match even the
smallest shard of glass found on clothing to a glass sample
from a crime scene. In order to work with this type of
equipment in conjunction with forensic investigation, a
Bachelors Degree in Forensic Science is usually necessary.

Alternative Light Photography

For a forensic nurse, being able to quickly ascertain how much
physical damage a patient has suffered can be the difference
between life and death. Although they have many tools at their

disposal to help make these calls quickly and accurately,

Alternative Light Photography is one of the coolest tools to help
see damage even before it is visible on the skin. A camera such
as the Omnichrome uses blue light and orange filters to clearly
show bruising below the skins surface. In order to use this
equipment, you would need a MSN in Forensic Nursing.

High-Speed Ballistics Photography : You might not think of it right

away as a tool for forensic scientists, but ballistics specialists
often use high-speed cameras in order to understand how bullet
holes, gunshot wounds and glass shatters are created. Virtually
anyone, from a crime scene investigator to a firearms examiner,
can operate a high-speed camera without any additional
education or training. Being able to identify and match bullet
trajectories, impact marks and exit wounds must be done by
someone with at least a Bachelors of Science in Forensic Science.

Video Spectral Comparator 2000 : For crime scene investigators

and forensic scientists, this is one of the most valuable forensic
technologies available anywhere. With this machine, scientists
and investigators can look at a piece of paper and see obscured
or hidden writing, determine quality of paper and origin and lift
indented writing. It is sometimes possible to complete these
analyses even after a piece of paper has been so damaged by
water or fire that it looks unintelligible to the naked eye. In order
to run this equipment, at least a Bachelors degree in Forensic
Science or a Masters Degree in Document Analysis is usually
required.
4. Video

Spectral

Comparator

2000 :

For

crime

scene

investigators and forensic scientists, this is one of the most

valuable forensic technologies available anywhere. With this
machine, scientists and investigators can look at a piece of paper
and see obscured or hidden writing, determine quality of paper
and origin and lift indented writing. It is sometimes possible to
complete these analyses even after a piece of paper has been so
damaged by water or fire that it looks unintelligible to the naked
eye. In order to run this equipment, at least a Bachelors degree in
Forensic Science or a Masters Degree in Document Analysis is
usually required.
5. Digital Surveillance For Xbox (XFT Device) : Most people
dont consider a gaming system a potential place for hiding illicit
data, which is why criminals have come to use them so much. In
one of the most ground-breaking forensic technologies for digital
forensic

specialists,

the

XFT

is being

developed

to

allow

authorities visual access to hidden files on the Xbox hard drive.

The XFT is also set up to record access sessions to be replayed in

real time during court hearings. In order to be able to access and
interpret this device, a Bachelors Degree in Computer Forensics
is necessary.
6. 3D Forensic Facial Reconstruction : Although this forensic
technology is not considered the most reliable, it is definitely one
of the most interesting available to forensic pathologists, forensic
anthropologists and forensic scientists. In this technique, 3D facial
reconstruction software takes a real-life human remains and
extrapolates a possible physical appearance. In order to run this
type of program, you should have a Bachelors Degree in Forensic
Science, a Masters Degree in Forensic Anthropology or a Medical
Degree with an emphasis on Forensic Examination and Pathology.
7. DNA Sequencer : Most people are familiar with the
importance of DNA testing in the forensic science lab. Still, most
people dont know exactly what DNA sequencers are and how
they may be used. Most forensic scientists and crime lab
technicians use whats called DNA profiling to identify criminals
and victims using trace evidence like hair or skin samples. In
cases where those samples are highly degraded, however, they
often turn to the more powerful DNA sequencer, which allows
them to analyze old bones or teeth to determine the specific
ordering of a persons DNA nucleobases, and generate a read or
a unique DNA pattern that can help identify that person as a
possible suspect or criminal.
8. Forensic Carbon-14 Dating : Carbon dating has long been
used to identify the age of unknown remains for anthropological
and archaeological findings. Since the amount of radiocarbon
(which is calculated in a Carbon-14 dating) has increased and

decreased to distinct levels over the past 50 years, it is now

possible to use this technique to identify forensic remains using
this same tool. The only people in the forensic science field that
have ready access to Carbon-14 Dating equipment are forensic
scientists,

usually

with

Masters

Degree

in

Forensic

Anthropology or Forensic Archaeology.

9. Magnetic Fingerprinting and Automated Fingerprint
Identification (AFIS) : With these forensic technologies, crime
scene investigators, forensic scientists and police officers can
quickly and easily compare a fingerprint at a crime scene with an
extensive virtual database. In addition, the incorporation of
magnetic

fingerprinting

dust

and

no-touch

wanding

allows

investigators to get a perfect impression of fingerprints at a crime

scene without contamination. While using AFIS requires only an
Associates Degree in Law Enforcement, magnetic fingerprinting
usually requires a Bachelors Degree in Forensic Science or Crime
Scene Investigation.
10. Link Analysis Software for Forensic Accountants : When a
forensic accountant is trying to track illicit funds through a sea of
paperwork, link analysis software is an invaluable tool to help
highlight strange financial activity. This software combines
observations of unusual digital financial transactions, customer
profiling and statistics to generate probabilities of illegal behavior.
In order to accurately understand and interpret findings with this
forensic technology, a Masters Degree in Forensic Accounting is
necessary.

METHODOLOGY FOR
THE FEATURED
FORENSIC SCIENCE
TECHNOLOGIES
When deciding which technologies to include on this list, a
number of factors were taken into consideration.
1.

Relevance to the Topic of Forensic Technology: The

said technology must be actively used in the field of Forensic
Science and can be taught at the college level. Widely regarded
technologies were considered first, while more experimental
technologies were included only on the basis of reputable peerreviewed documentation.
2.
Novelty in the Field of Forensic Science: More
experimental technologies were given higher priority based on
whether the technology gave advanced information that is not
readily available by using other technologies. These cuttingedge technologies were thoroughly vetted to ensure that they
have become accepted techniques by leaders in the field.
3.
Reliability of Technology: Finally, only techniques used
with more than 80% reliability were included in this list. Factors
that affect reliability included case closure rate, successful
conviction rate and correct identification rate.