U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Introduction to Internet Investigations

NCJ Number
212408
Date Published
2004
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This instructional program introduces the user to Internet basics and the fundamental tools and techniques law enforcement officers should understand before investigating crimes that involve the Internet.
Abstract
The module on "Internet Basics" provides instruction in the nature of the Internet and how it works. The knowledge and skills gained will enable users to complete simple and complex searches on the Internet and to differentiate between basic and popular Internet tools such as e-mail, ftp, telnet, and chat. The user will also learn to complete fundamental aspects of an e-mail investigation. The next module provides an overview of the most common crimes committed via the Internet and suggests ways Internet users can protect themselves from Internet predators. The types of Internet crimes profiled are the use of chat rooms to cultivate young victims for sexual exploitation, the viewing and transmitting of child pornography, the fraudulent obtaining of personal information that can be used to commit theft and fraud, and online auction frauds. A module on "Tools and Techniques" covers techniques for using the Internet to investigate crimes and descriptions of software tools that can be used to conduct investigations of Internet crime. This module also covers the basics of computer-related investigations. Topics addressed include precautions for handling electronic and computer evidence, obtaining assistance from victims of Internet-related crimes, setting up for and going online for an investigation, online sources of information, online obstacles to investigations, and finding the computer used to commit a crime and the user responsible. Test questions accompany each module and the course as a whole.