Forensic Pursuit
Delivering Expert Digital Forensic Services

With technology playing an integral role in our daily lives, digital devices are increasingly becoming pertinent to criminal investigation or civil litigation today. The digital traces, including file fragments, activity logs, timestamps, metadata, and more, are deemed valuable as they serve as evidence in determining the activities of the parties involved in a legal case. Data extracted from digital devices in a way that preserves the integrity of the evidence has forged a new means of scientific investigation. This new realm of digital forensics is opening doors to unprecedented insights into the world of evidence and discovery.

In the digital era, almost all data is stored on electronic devices, and the amount of evidence is burgeoning by the day. A piece of digital evidence proposed for admission in the courtroom must be derived by a scientific method and supported by appropriate validation. This further highlights the need for an expert who understands what to recover, where to find the relevant data, and how to preserve it as a piece of evidence admissible in the court of law. Enter Forensic Pursuit, a leader in emerging forensic technology that sets the standards of excellence at every level. The company provides expert computer forensic investigation, preventative forensic, e-discovery, expert-witness testimony, and educational services to attorneys and businesses nationwide.

In an interview with the editorial team of CIO Applications, Sara McDermott, Senior Forensic Analyst at Forensic Pursuit, discusses at length how the company’s certified digital forensic investigators help clients win their case in a court of law.

Could you provide a brief overview of Forensic Pursuit?

Founded in 2006, Forensic Pursuit is a digital forensics company working on civil as well as criminal cases all over the world, including State and Federal courts. We forensically collect, acquire, preserve, and analyze digital evidence items, which can include computers, mobile phones, external hard drives, surveillance, and gaming systems, and even drones.

As technology is constantly changing, we always have to stay on top of what we do. To this end, we do a lot of research and testing on different applications, platforms, and items, to ensure that we are using the best methods possible to acquire the devices.

When it comes to the most common types of litigation cases, where each party wants the evidence to be collected and maintained over the course of the litigation, we majorly focus on collecting evidence to preserve it.

Please shed light on the services you offer.
We pride ourselves on being flexible and “ready to go” at any moment. We can arrive onsite and collect a client's data anywhere in the country, either on the same day or the next day, depending on the location. We always use industry-standard technology and stay abreast of the emerging technology with our training to accommodate for anything that we may encounter.

What is the approach you follow while delivering services to customers?

Once we understand and go over the case information, in terms of the devices involved and collections and preservations, we go ahead and assist our clients. We let them know what tools we can use to deliver the required services in the best possible way. Be it civil litigation, intellectual property theft, or even criminal/homicide cases, technology plays a vital role. However, most attorneys are still learning how digital forensics experts can be of help in their cases. It is important to inform our clients of the latest in the industry to help them become aware of the exceptional benefits digital forensics can offer. Additionally, we provide clients with multiple case examples in order to map out the best path for them.

Could you cite a customer success story?

In 2019, we were retained on a case—Yoseph Yadessa Kenno v. Colorado Governor’s Office of Information Technology, Lyubov Logacheva, Bob McIntyre, and Don Wisdom. The case was brought on by Kenno, who alleged discrimination in the workplace by his supervisors and a lawsuit was brought on in both State and Federal court. We were retained by the Colorado Governor’s Office of Information Technology to analyze the evidence in this matter. We received forensic images of Kenno’s personal laptop, cell phone, and various files, including emails, audio and video files, as well as documents that he disclosed during the discovery process. At this juncture, we examined the different versions of emails, which all appeared to be the same. These versions varied slightly in terms of the header information, the body of the email, and the recipients. By comparing all the versions forensically, we proved that the emails were fabricated. In addition, we analyzed some of the media files associated with the case and proved that they were fabricated too.

Recently, we won both the State and Federal cases. Based on our findings, United States Judge Michael E. Hegarty granted Defendants’ Motion for Sanctions, dismissed the case, and awarded Defendants’ costs and fees on June 30, 2021.

What, according to you, steers you ahead of the market competition?

We are deeply passionate about what we do, and we are always ready for action. If there's a situation where our clients need us, we can get there right away. We are squarely focused on assisting our clients or potential clients in every possible way to help them win their cases. More than a company, we are a family. In fact, some of our clients have long-standing partnerships with us, and we intend to maintain those relationships.

How does the future look like for Forensic Pursuit?

We are growing fast and looking to grow even more. We’re expanding our nation-wide collections and analysis business to serve additional cities. We are continually hiring new analysts to continue serving our clients and ensure that we are on top of what they need. We are constantly adding the latest tools or software to our forensic toolkit. All in all, we are relentless in our pursuit to assist our clients better.