SYNTAX TECHNICAL COMPUTER FORENSICS
Discerning Truth in Data

Electronic evidence and the need for digital forensics continue to be a crucial element in virtually every aspect of corporate governance and litigation. Unfortunately, not all service providers are created equal and our assessment of myriad vendors is that there is a general overreliance on tools such as Cellebrite and Axiom. Forensic tools, while certainly beneficial, cannot be used entirely as a substitute for thorough investigative work. At best, they should be a starting point.

“While automated forensic tools and parsers are widely available for data processing, they can easily limit an examiner's ability to answer nuanced questions and more importantly explain to an attorney or a jury how the data came to reveal what is being presented,” says Samuel Plainfield, a Forensic Investigator at Syntax Technical Computer Forensics based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The best approach in a case involving electronic evidence is a method that seeks to solve immensely complex problems by breaking them down into a series of focused questions. “This iterative and recursive process involves asking the right questions – having the wisdom to know what those are – and using the answers to inform the next set of questions until we have a clear idea of what the evidence tells us.”

Syntax Technical under the auspices of Samuel Plainfield specializes in the deep analysis and presentation of electronic evidence, expert witness services, data recovery as well as intense time-sensitive matters like breach investigations involving corporate data exfiltration. The company has served an extremely diverse clientele, spanning from legal practitioners specializing in civil and criminal law – contentious divorces, murders, narcotics and trafficking – to various governmental bodies and private entities across multiple industry verticals.

“All electronic evidence tells a story and has a limit; the ability to know what the limitations of the data are as well as tying it together into an accurate cohesive narrative is a marriage of both science and art. Too technical, the jury is unable to follow along; too simple and at best the data may not be accurate or complete and at worst, may even be disingenuous or misleading.”

The combination of expertise and flexibility enables Syntax Technical to provide tailored solutions and solve seemingly insurmountable digital forensic challenges. The last two decades have shown a massive increase in the volume of electronic data and resulting evidence in civil and criminal matters. Tools that involve pattern recognition and AI continue to be an increasing part of evidence review; given the volume of data in an average case, it is infeasible to begin a review without an initial triage and having some focus in mind. Questions are what guide the focus and ensure that examiners are not wasting resources looking for evidence in all the wrong places.

The most demanding cases require not only a mastery of technical skill, but a vast knowledge of law and computer history to put everything in the appropriate context

“Where are the keys to the puzzle?” the examiners at Syntax Technical ask of every investigation in an effort to keep clients focused on what they hope to know. With this question in mind throughout every investigation – what to look for and precisely where to find it, the answers are often found in the most minute of details. It is in all those details where a cohesive narrative can be formed and a fundamental truth is revealed.

The most demanding cases require not only a mastery of technical skill, but a vast knowledge of law and computer history. This powerful combination is the key to discerning truth in data.