Undercover Officer
AnOnymOUs
forensics tools, skulking around in offices at night and figuring things out for ourselves, our investigations have settled into a careful, deliberate rhythm. Today, we assume that every investigation might lead to litigation. It’s one thing to capture evidence for your own purposes, and another when the courts get involved. We expect attorneys to challenge our evidence-gathering procedures, so we take extra care to ensure those procedures are sound. We use the same software as most law enforcement agencies and follow industry-accepted procedures. We use digital cameras to photograph the work areas we target and use checklists to document every step. Our goal is to provide solid evidence to our lawyers so that their cases hold up in court. Documenting your work is the least exciting part of most investigations, but it may be the most important part. When it comes time to go to court, an
investigator’s best friend may be her case log book and associated documentation. Without carefully gathered evidence, most cases will fall apart under attack by knowledgeable attorneys. Furthermore, a poorly run investigation may not even serve the purposes of the internal organization. Management should err on the side of ensuring that the reputations of innocent people aren’t tarnished by bungling investigators. There should be checks and balances in place to ensure that rogue investigators aren’t poking into people’s business without proper cause. Requests for investigatory activities should be made in writing. Not only does this level of formality help guard against inappropriate snooping but it also helps protect the investigators from accusations of the same. Similar to law enforcement investigators who must apply for a warrant before
conducting searches, corporate security personnel should loop in legal or HR representatives to corroborate the need for the investigation. Companies have few restrictions placed on them when it comes to searching the systems they own. Although employees may not have a reasonable expectation of privacy, they should be treated with respect. Investigative work can be intriguing, but it’s also serious business. People’s lives can be significantly affected by the outcome of investigations. I always keep that thought in mind as we plan and conduct our investigations, and try above all else to treat others the way I too would want to be treated. CIO
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