Purpose. It is unlikely you will perform a digital analysis of a computer in the field. However, you may need to document and process a computer. An important part of that process is labeling cords, description the cords in depth, and describing what port they were plugged in. Why? Because you are going to have to unplug all those cords and the way they are plugged in may be important for the analysis of the computer. At the very least, a detailed description of the computer will be an important part of your crime scene notes.
Skills. The purpose of this assignment is to help you practice the following skills:
- Document a computer.
Knowledge. In addition, this assignment will help you:
- Practice one of the three pillars of crime scene documentation (note taking).
Instructions. Be sure to follow the instructions below. Failure to follow all instructions will result in a low score. See the rubric for this lab for how you will be graded.
How should I submit this assignment?
After you have completed the assignment, simply submit it to this assignment page.
Can I work in a group?
Collaboration is strictly prohibited. You need to do your own work. Working in a group and submitting identical (or near identical) papers will be considered cheating and EVERYONE involved will receive an academic complaint.
I need some extra help!
Check out the items in the Lab Help section for this module.
Task:
- Look at the picture below.
- In a word document, fill out the following information for each cord.
- Cord label:
- If you know what the cord is (e.g. power cord, USB, speaker cable, etc.) label it as such. You are not expected to know what each cord is (but it’s great if you do!) because you may not recognize every cord you see out in the field. That’s OK. However, be sure you give a really good description in the ‘Description’ field of the cable so you (or someone else) can easily pick out what cord you are referring to.
- If you do not know the cord name, list it as unknown.
- Description:
- Even if you are able to name the cord, you still need to describe it in detail. This includes color(s), shape (e.g. square, round, rectangle, etc.), and size (e.g. is it bigger than the other cords? Smaller? etc.). Imagine if you disconnected all these cords and threw them into a pile. Your description should be detailed enough for you to find the exact cord you are describing.
- Port label:
- If you know what the port is called, label it as such (e.g. USB port). If you do not, label it as an unknown port.
- Describe the general location (e.g. the second USB port, the second down and left-most port).
- Describe any identifying features (e.g. color, shape, size, etc). Once again, your description should be detailed enough for you to find the exact port you are describing.
