Page 22 - Coespu 2018-3

PEACEKEEPING 2.0 – POSSIBLE ROLE OF DIGITAL

TECHNOLOGYES AND DIGITAL FORENSIC ACTIVITIES

By Luigi NICOTERA.

The “Digital Forensic”, acknowledged as a
st
Science only in the beginning of the 21
century, mainly focuses on the recovery and
investigation of data stored in digital devices.
According to the different kind of storage
technologies involved in the Forensic
analysis, it is divided in several sub-branches
such as “Computer”, “Network”, “Data” and
“Mobile Devices” Forensics. In any case, the
standard process of this kind of technical
investigation involves acquisition and
analysis of digital media and the production
of a final report.
The Digital Forensics Science has a direct
impact in computer crime (now a branch of the so called cyber Crime), in both criminal and civil
Courts, if focusing on penal violation or, for instance, dealing with protecting the rights and
property of individuals. Nowadays, it is frequently used in the private sector, for internal corporate
investigations, mainly to face network intrusions.

Could the Digital Forensic Science be useful for peacekeepers? Definitely yes.

First and foremost, the constant monitoring, provided by intelligence Agencies, of data flows, could
be crucial for prevention in not-friendly crisis areas. The advanced technological tools needed to
achieve a total cover, have to be
shared with peacekeepers on the
field, to allow them to analyze the
local population, to detect in
advance possible hostilities and to
prevent struggles. In the past, this
kind of technical devices obtained
good goals in the field of
preventing and discovering human
trafficking. As a matter of fact,
these technological resources are
not common used, so far.

20