FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK... Carol Henderson

2010 is well underway and the NCSTL staff has been very busy, but that is nothing new. My column is a synopsis of what we have accomplished during the first quarter and highlights some of what is new. This issue of It's Evident features articles related to "Terrorism and the Evolving Intel-Driven Society".

• www.ncstl.org’s “one-stop-shop” database currently holds almost 100,000 records, and over 3000 of those are multimedia records. We continue to develop and consolidate forensic-based information including the addition of webcasts, podcasts, vodcasts, blog links, and training materials which focus on science, technology and law topics;
  
  
• The new NCSTL website has increased traffic by 42%; many thousands of people search the growing database, read most current forensic-related news in the SPOTLIGHT section and It's Evident, locate events on the NCSTL Calendar, explore Education & Training resources, listen to talks given by forensic experts featured in the Multimedia area of the homepage, and subscribe to NCSTL's RSS Feeds. The new NCSTL website improved the searchable, free, forensic database and features three search options for research flexibility and an easier, more user-friendly search experience. Novice searchers and those looking for a quick answer can take advantage of our Keyword Search option (basic search), while more experienced researchers can use Quick Search and Expert Search to manipulate search queries and obtain more precise results. Of note, the Stetson Law Library houses a special NCSTL collection of hardcopy material, which includes 2290 book and journal titles. These materials are available to all through interlibrary loan.
  
  
• To inform NCSTL's constituency, which includes law enforcement, legal professionals, scientists, engineers, educators, and technologists, NCSTL representatives make presentations and offer training on a multitude of topics. On January 5, 2010, I presented "INTERNATIONAL ISSUES FACING DIGITAL AND MULTIMEDIA SCIENCES” at the Sixth Annual IFIP WG 11.9 International Conference on Digital Forensics at the University of Hong Kong and on January 7, 2010, I presented "PRESENTING EXPERT EVIDENCE" to the Hong Kong Forensic Society at the University of Hong Kong. On April 7, 2010, I had the pleasure of returning to my alma mater, the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL, to present "THE CSI EFFECT IN JURY TRIALS" to attendees of the Caleb and Michele Grimes Conference on Liberal Arts and Public Affairs for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The theme of the conference was “Tracking Citizens and Subjects: Evolving Technologies of Identity”.
  
  Anjali Swienton, Director of Outreach, presented "FORENSIC DNA" to practitioners at CAILAW in Plano, TX on March 8 and 9, 2010. On February 23, 2010, she presented "FORENSIC FASHION FAUX PAS" to the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) to AAFS Young Forensic Scientists Forum in Seattle, WA. On February 25, 2010, Ms. Swienton presented “CSI EFFECT” to the forensic students at AAFS Young Forensic Scientists Forum in Seattle, WA. On February 26, 2010, Susan Zucker, Director of Technology & Distance Education, represented NCSTL at the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) in San Diego, CA. Dr. Zucker just submitted a proposal to present a poster on NCSTL’s work at the NIJ Grantee Poster Session being held in Washington, D.C. on June 15, 2010.
  
  NCSTL looks forward to the annual Advisory Council meeting which is being held in May in Washington, D.C. The next issue of It's Evident will be published in July, 2010. The theme will be “Forensic Accounting and Ponzi Schemes: An American Challenge”.
  
  Wishing you all the best,
  Carol

RESEARCH FOCUS
Digital Forensics and Terrorism
Mark M. Pollitt, Professor, Visiting Faculty, National Center of Forensic Science, University of Central Florida

Terrorism has a long and bloody history ... its goals and techniques have evolved with the political and technological history of human society and the fear invoked in the community are unchanged. The history of computers is much shorter. The Internet, as we know it today, has existed for about fifteen years, and ubiquitous computing, where everyone is connected to the network all of the time, has already become reality in many places. Arguably, no technology has had as much impact on humankind in so short a period. Just as quickly, the legal, law enforcement and forensic communities have had to evolve ways in which to locate and document “information of probative value, stored or transmitted in binary form.” This quest is commonly called “digital forensics.” The relationship between this discipline and terrorism is explored in this article. Full paper

REFELECTION ON INTEL & TERRORISM
Intel: A Key Component to Fighting Terrorism
William Berger, Chief of Police, Palm Bay, FL

Before September 11, 2001, the prominent focus of law enforcement was community policing which featured inclusiveness, transparency, and trust; it worked by removing barriers between the public and law enforcement. Intelligence operations and units concentrated on narcotics, organized crime, or simple crime analysis. Intelligence and intelligence gathering emphasized crime analysis and the identification of criminals or criminal patterns. The attack on American soil changed all that. Now, the term “intelligence” focuses solely on the threat of international terrorism. Full paper

SPOTLIGHT ON TECHNOLOGY
Let's Take A Hard Look At Cyberterrorism
Susan Zucker, Ph.D., NCSTL Director of Technology & Distance Learning

Cyberterrorism is premeditated terrorism implemented via cyberspace and constitutes unlawful attacks and threats of attack against computers, networks, and the information stored therein when done to intimidate or coerce a government or its people in furtherance of political or social objectives.¹ Cyberterrorist attacks result in violence against persons or property, or at least cause enough harm to generate fear. Examples include: attacks that lead to death or bodily injury, explosions, plane crashes, water contamination, serious attacks against critical infrastructures such as the power grid, or severe economic loss.² Attacks that disrupt nonessential services or that are mainly a costly nuisance would not.³ Full paper

FROM THE RESEARCH DESK...
Diana Botluk, Director of Research

What is forensic entomology? Where can you learn more about questioned documents? Just what exactly is in the forensic psychology topic in NCSTL's forensic database?

These questions can be answered in the document entitled Database Topics Defined (http://www.ncstl.org/database/Database%20Topics%20Defined), located in the Forensic Database (http://www.ncstl.org/database) informational section of the NCSTL website. More

Visit the NCSTL's Selected Books Added to the NCSTL Collection in the Stetson Library and the NCSTL's Special Collections. Borrow from the collections.

TECHNOLOGY AND DISTANCE EDUCATION NEWS
Dr. Susan Zucker, Director Technology & Distance Education and Publisher and Editor of It's Evident

Many new pages continue to be added; check out the Digging Up Dirt feature in the Education & Training section. NCSTL’s social media presence on Facebook and Twitter is growing. NCSTL invites you to become a fan on Facebook and a follower on Twitter ... See what people are saying about NCSTL on Facebook ... More