Private detective companies offer expert assistance on a wide range of problems. From marital infidelity to fraud investigations, private investigators are beneficial to both corporations and private individuals.
As private investigators deal with sensitive information and data, it is important that you choose the right company.
Here is a guide to choosing a digital forensics private detective in Birmingham.
What is a digital forensics private detective?
Digital forensics is a branch of forensic science that focuses on identifying, preserving, recording, analysing and presenting facts found on digital devices, like:
- Computers
- Memory cards
- External hard drives
- Smartphones
- Servers
They are responsible for recovering evidence from a variety of sources. This evidence can be captured from many devices including Computers, Laptops, Hard Drives, Removable Media, Tablets, Mobile Phones and Games Consoles.
How to choose a personal detective in Birmingham
When you are faced with the prospect of having to choose a private investigator, it can be hard to decide which company to choose to help you resolve your issue. Here are some important things to consider when choosing a private detective company.
Training
Working in digital forensics requires extensive training. Digital forensic investigators must be knowledgeable about all legal and forensic principles, and they must be able to work both quickly and effectively.
You can do a degree or postgraduate qualification in subjects such as forensic computing and security, computer science and cyber security. These degrees will provide you with a foundation in investigation and computer use, emerging technologies, and techniques used in the industry.
Certifications
Digital forensics companies should employ personnel who have current industry-standard certifications. This will improve the likelihood that they will be able to qualify as a digital forensics expert in courts. Relevant certifications include, but are not limited to:
- Certified Computer Forensic Examiner
- Certified Cyber Forensics Professional
- EnCase Certified Examiner
- Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) Forensic Analyst Certification
- GIAC Forensic Examiner Certification
- GIAC Advanced Smartphone Forensics Certification
- GIAC Network Forensic Analyst Certification
- PCI Forensic Investigators (PFIs)
Reputation
The reputation of a company should be a big influence on your choice. If a company is generally regarded as reputable and known for using professional practices, they will more likely provide a good service for you too.
Good digital forensic companies are well-known in the business and legal communities. They are actively involved in relevant industry associations. Check references. And, for high-stakes cases, consider asking the company about its claims and litigation history.
Services
One of the biggest factors you need to consider when choosing a digital forensics private detective company is the services they offer.
As digital forensics is the process of recovering evidence from a variety of sources, you may require the company for other services such as forensic accounting, corporate data recovery etc.
This is why it’s important to choose a company with a wide range of services.
At P E L Consultancy Services, we offer an extensive range of expert services. Our varied range includes marital affair investigation, surveillance, security close protection, background checks, credit checking services and more so you have access to all the services you need to come to a suitable solution.
Customer service
When dealing with sensitive information, it is important that you feel as though you can trust the private detectives you are working with. If a private detective company shows poor customer service, this could be a sign that the private detectives you are working with are not trustworthy or professional.
You can always call the company and have a chat with them about the services you would be looking for to gauge how they deal with their customers.
Agreement and fees
Reputable and experienced digital forensic companies usually give proposals and contracts before accepting cases. Therefore, if a digital forensic company doesn’t provide one, you need to ask for a budget estimate. It’s quite common for many of these companies to ask for a retainer before the start of the case. But it’s also fine to request the firm for references before you make any payment.
What is involved in the digital forensic process?
Digital forensics entails the following steps:
- Identification – This is where the purpose of the investigation and the resources required are identified
- Preservation – Next, isolate, secure and preserve the data
- Analysis – This is where fragments of data are reconstructed and conclusions are drawn on the evidence found
- Documentation – Following that, create a record of all the data to recreate the crime scene
- Presentation – Lastly, a conclusion and summary are made
Reasons for hiring a private investigator
Aside from providing assistance in digital forensics, private investigators can offer a number of other useful services. Private investigators can be used in a variety of situations to find out information that would otherwise stay hidden.
They can be used to trace people, catch out a cheating partner, gather evidence of fraud and more.
Here are some reasons for hiring a private investigator:
Fraud investigations
Private investigators can help individuals in cases where fraud may have occurred. A private investigator can review documents, and conduct surveillance to see if any type of fraud is occurring such as auto insurance, healthcare fraud and homeowners fraud.
For businesses, a CEO may look to retain a private investigation firm to conduct background checks on employees to stop the business from hiring someone who has been sued for fraud in the past.
Tracking a person
Private investigators can also be hired to track a person to make sure they are safe, or to investigate a partner to see if they are being faithful.
They will use tracking devices to monitor the activity of the person and identify their location. These services must only be carried out by professionals.
Background checks
Background checks help businesses verify candidates during the hiring process.
Although most people leave a trail online these days that can be found through a google search, the information that can’t be found this way is often the information a person or company would want to uncover.
For businesses hiring the wrong person who may have criminal convictions can have detrimental impacts on their business, both from a reputation point of view and a monetary one.
It can also create a hostile environment for existing employees and impact the working environment.
For individuals who are hiring a person to look after a vulnerable person such as a child or grandparent, background checks could give you troubling information about that person which could keep your family safe. On the other hand, a background check may not show any flags and can give you a piece of mind that your family members are in capable hands.
Sweeping for bugs
Individuals and businesses are often targeted for espionage and private investigators can conduct bug sweeps to keep your information safe.
A competitor or unsavoury person may try to get access to your private information to either get a competitive advantage over your company or to use this information to blackmail you at a later date.
You may think that bugs are planted only in movies but it’s more common than you may realise. Quite often bugs are found in hotel rooms and boardrooms up and down the country. By hiring a private investigator to sweep for bugs you have a better chance of keeping your information private.
From bug sweeps to event security, private detectives have the expertise to anticipate scenarios, defuse situations and ensure personal safety in any setting. Specialised training and professionalism make all the difference for spot-on security. Some private eyes may also work as bodyguards or provide discreet executive security, both armed and unarmed.
Child custody
When parents are unable to reach an amicable solution to child custody, they may become secretive, vindictive, or irrational. A private eye can get to the bottom of asset searches or conduct surveillance to ensure that each child’s safety and best interests are protected.
P E L Consultancy Services LTD: Private detective agency
If you are looking for a professional private detective agency in the UK to assist you with a wide range of problems, then look no further than P E L Consultancy Services LTD.
At P E L Consultancy Services LTD, we pride ourselves on being synonymous with first-class detective hire and private investigation services, offering expertise to both individuals and corporations.
Our range of services includes data recover services, IT security, surveillance, marital affair investigation, background checks, digital forensics and more.
We always demonstrate a commitment to finding the facts you need to make informed decisions based on the evidence our private investigators present to you.
If you are interested in the wide range of high-quality services we offer, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with a member of our friendly team here today.