How Digital Forensics Can Help With Cheating Spouse Investigations

Nowadays sexual misconduct is on everyone’s lips. The past few years have been characterized by news coverage of high-profile sex scandals, and it seems that infidelity has never been more pervasive than it is today.

Making things worse is the fact that we live in a bright and fast-paced digital world.  The infidelities of today are nothing like the infidelities of a decade ago, and we can no longer rely on the tools of the past to protect ourselves against cheating spouses. Thankfully, we have the ultra-modern field of digital forensics for that!

The Rise of The Digital Era

Over the years, the inexorable pace of technological advancement has led to a multitude of social revolutions. One of the most impactful ways in which technology has changed society is by transforming how we communicate with one another.
The first of these transformations occurred when the levels of literacy around the world became high enough for people to begin writing each other notes and love letters.
The second transformation came with the invention of the telephone. Phone calls ushered a new era of intimacy among individuals who were now able to hold private conversations free of prying eyes and ears.

Without a doubt, the third and most impactful transformation took place during the advent of the internet. The worldwide web provided humanity with a 24-hour network of interconnection that made establishing relationships easier than ever before.

The internet has allowed people to communicate with anyone, anywhere in the world, at any time. That means that now it is easier than ever before to have a clandestine and illicit extramarital affair.

New Situations Require New Tools

The forensic sciences have been around for a very long time. In fact, the first account of someone using scientific principles to solve a crime dates back to the year 1248. Since then, forensics has developed into a robust discipline which makes use of high-tech tools to gather physical evidence and solve crimes.

But what happens when there is no physical evidence? What happens when the only evidence that exists is in the form of digital bytes and bits. This is often the case when the crime in question is an illicit, extramarital affair. Cheating spouses meet their prospective lovers online, they maintain inappropriate conversations on their personal computers, and send sexually explicit photos and videos on their phones, all the while buying gifts without leaving a proper “paper” trail. To combat these types of situations, some members of the forensic sciences have specialized in the field of digital forensics.

Digital forensics specializes in the recovery and analysis of evidence from digital devices, i.e., tablets, phones, laptops, and desktops. So how exactly can a digital forensics investigation help you catch your cheating spouse?

Digital Forensics and Cheating Spouse Investigations

The definition of infidelity has never been more fluid because people are more accessible than ever before. The opportunities people have to flirt and engage in various levels of sexual activity have multiplied exponentially with the rise of social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Having said that, the basic signals that your spouse may be acting up have not changed much, so keep an eye out for them.

The most obvious signs that you might be the victim of a cheating spouse include:
Your partner is working an abnormal number of late nights
Your partner is spending an unusual amount of time hanging out with friends
Your partner is receiving calls or messages late at night or early in the morning.
Your partner is unusually emotionally withdrawn.
Your partner avoids physical intimacy.

However, these signs cannot be taken as absolute proof that an extramarital affair is taking place, and often, the most crucial evidence will be hidden from you.
If you suspect your partner is stepping out on you and is acting abnormally possessive of their phone, tablet or computer, it may be time to consult with a cyber forensics agency.

How Exactly Can Digital Forensics Help Me?

A digital forensics technician can help you collect and analyze any potential evidence that may save you a lot of headaches down in case a divorce occurs
Quick note: It is essential that you rely on the services of a knowledgeable digital forensics technician and not attempt to collect any evidence yourself, because in doing so you may tip off the cheating spouse and give them the opportunity to delete it. Although a competent digital forensics team may be able to recover evidence that has been removed, it is never worth the risk.

Once you have contracted a digital forensics agency, their first step will be to assign a technician to collect any existing evidence. He or she will do this by accessing and examining hard-drives and social media accounts.

The types of evidence that a knowledgeable digital forensics technician will look for include:

Email correspondence
Text messages and other forms of online chat logs
Voice messages and other forms of audio logs
Social Media account activity
Calendar history
Browser history
Online purchase receipts
Cell phone GPS location history

Conclusion

The evidence is gathered using specialized software that can efficiently identify and copy any pertinent information. In case some files are corrupted, deleted, or encrypted, the technician should be able to partially or entirely restore them by using specialized tools of the trade.

Digital Forensics is a science, and as such, it is beholden to strict practices and guidelines. For example, digital forensics technicians are expected to respect data trails and the chain of custody. Therefore, an infidelity investigation handled by a professional digital forensics team will yield substantial evidence.

What you choose to do with that evidence is entirely up to you. You may want to arm yourself with the newfound evidence and confront your spouse, or you may choose to bypass that conversation and contact a divorce attorney directly. In either case, having reliable and verifiable evidence will give you the upper hand.

A suspicion, if left to grow, will do just that. It will grow and grow and turn until it has become something wholly toxic. If you suspect your spouse is being unfaithful, don’t hesitate to contact a Digital Forensics agency.