Preserving online communications
Did an investigation happen if you conducted the investigation and failed to document your efforts? Your ability to record your investigative efforts is as critical as the investigative states themselves. You have to document your efforts in the results. You must include those results which are positive as well as negative. When the online investigator is performing investigative activities, there must be documentation. This requirement requires you to either capture your efforts retroactively or in real time as it occurs.
Screen captures are an effective method of capturing what is viewed on the display. However, the screenshot must focus on the artifact or behavior you capture for screen capture to be effective. What I mean is that when a screen capture is taken, the capture needs to focus on what is important. For example, capturing a desktop with six or seven windows open does not effectively communicate to a third party what is pertinent....
