New Regional Computer Forensics Lab Announced - in Boston Massachusetts Area.
The FBI's Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory in the North East will be housed in the Chelsea MA offices of the FBI.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) supports local law enforcement agencies by providing a shared facility in which digital forensics investigations can be conducted.
Chelsea MA is located just 5 miles north and east of Boston, MA. The Regional Computer Forensics Lab (RCFL), like the rest of the RCFLs throughout the united states, will provide facilities for both local, regional and federal law enforcement agencies to use. Each of the Regional Computer Forensics Labs provides facilities which may be used by participating law enforcement agencies to investigate Cyber Crimes. Each of the labs has the technology to perform cell phone forensics, computer forensics as well as examine all kinds of other digital evidence. These computer forensics labs are devoted to investigating evidence in support of criminal investigations. Types of investigations include:
- Internet crimes
- Trade secret theft
- Terrorism
- Crimes of Violence
- Theft or destruction to intellectual property
- Financial crime
- Property crime
- Fraud
- Child Pornography
The Regional Computer Forensics Labs support local law enforcement. Counties in Massachusetts which are likely to benefit from this north east location include: Barnstable County
- Berkshire County
- Bristol County
- Dukes County
- Essex County
- Franklin County
- Hampden County
- Hampshire County
- Middlesex County
- Nantucket County
- Norfolk County
- Plymouth County
- Suffolk County
- Worcester County
Participating Agencies will be announced, but the list is expected to include:
- Boston, MA
- Worchester, MA
- Springfield, MA
- Lowell, MA
The FBI's Regional Computer Forensics Labs bring together law enforcement officers from Federal, State, County and City agencies. Most of the Regional Computer Forensics Labs employ approximately 15 people. Three of those employees are support staff and 12 are digital evidence investigators. Duties of the electronic evidence forensic investigators include:
- Seizing and collecting digital evidence from crime scenes
- Examination and reporting of submitted electronic evidence
- Testifying in court as required