Vistaman fights crime

30 Apr 2008 | 14:50 BST

By Sylvie Barak

THE VOLE SO DESPERATELY want to be seen as one of the good guys, that it's decided to come up with a digital forensic analysis tookit in USB format, to help police hunt down the baddies.

The Computer Online Forensic Evidence Extractor, COFEE (what, no doughnuts?), was unveiled publicly at a security conference yesterday. The tiny device purportedly lets the Boys in Blue carry out about 150 different digital crime fighting actions, including password cracking, analysis of internet history and activity, incriminating file searches and more. COFEE is especially useful in allowing investigators on the scene of a crime to gather on-the-spot computer evidence, which could be lost if the system is turned off or transported.

The diminutive crime fighting device will, apparently, help to lessen the burden on overworked digital analysts, and make the process of sifting through thousands of random files a little easier and hopefully quicker, although it doesn’t replace an eventual thorough system search.

Redmond is being a tad secretive about the full scope of the device’s abilities but, then again, we wouldn’t want criminals knowing how to cover their tracks. Or let rival companies come up with a better version.

The Seattle Times reckons that the device has been around since last June already, having already been tested by some 2,000 coppers in 15 different countries.

The Mighty Vole is currently offering COFEE for free, but it probably won't be long until Microsoft goes back to its evil ways and starts charging criminal prices. µ

L’Inq
Ars Technica

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