Released: Jun 29, 1998
BOLLING AIR FORCE BASE, D.C. (AFNS) - The Air Force Office of Special Investigations' Computer Forensic Laboratory will become a Department of Defense level lab July 1 when it officially becomes the Defense Computer Forensics Laboratory.
According to Lt. Col. Anne Burtt, director of the lab, OSI was selected by a joint working group to be the executive agency because of its acknowledged expertise in forensic media analysis and its willingness to take the lead role for the new lab effort.
The deputy secretary of defense signed a defense reform initiative directive Feb. 10 ordering the Air Force to provide program management for the new DOD lab.
The mission of the lab is to provide counterintelligence, criminal and fraud computer evidence processing, analysis and diagnosis.
Some of the key responsibilities of the lab will be to provide media analysis (i.e. analysis of computer disks and hard drives) in support of investigations, provide on-site assistance for computer search and seizure upon request and provide consultation on investigations or activities in which media analysis is anticipated.
Burtt said the lab plays a vital role in today's Air Force.
"As the use of computers and networks have grown, so has the use of computers by criminals," she said. "With this growth has come an increased need to cope with the likelihood of deriving evidence from computers found at the scene of the crime."
According to Special Agent Karen Matthews, the lab's deputy director, people will also see a few other changes within the operational structure of the lab.
"We started bringing in contract people in early May," she said. "Once they complete their training to become computer forensic examiners, they will also receive training in evidence handling and attend law and court testimony classes."
Matthews added that the lab could expect people from the other services as well as other defense criminal investigative organizations to arrive during the next fiscal year. She said the conversion to DOD-level would change the operations of the former OSI lab.
"The new lab will increase our capability to do computer forensic analysis for more cases," she said. "We have established a phase-in plan for cases that we support for DOD. At the beginning, we will be able to do a variety of cases, including death investigations, foreign computer intrusions, espionage and significant counterintelligence activities."
She said that once the lab is at full operational capability, it will be able to handle other cases as well."
"We feel very fortunate to be at the forefront in DOD's fight to combat threats to our critical infrastructure," said Burtt. "This laboratory will house some of DOD's smartest young computer professionals who will work in concert with DOD investigators to identify those threats."
RELATED SITES
* Air Force Office of Special Investigations
* Bolling Air Force Base, D.C.