IT and computer judicial expert

• For general information, see "General Information".

• For information on the types of judicial cases, see "Types of Cases".

• For information about the phases of the computer expert service, see "Phases".

• For information about the expert report (or expert opinion), see "Expert Report".

• For information on ratification of the expert report/opinion, see "Ratification."

• For information on computer expertise, see our "Guide On Computer Expertise".

• For information on Spain and EU basic legislation, see "Laws".

• For multimedia resources, see "Multimedia Resources".

• For information on available CCAA and Provinces, see "Territorial Scope".

• For information about our rates, see "Professional Fee".

• For information on current news related to real cases, see "News" [Spanish].

Type Case - 1. Generic Case: Provision of Digital Evidence

• Are you currently immersed in a judicial procedure and need to provide digital evidence?

• "Local" files: from a computer/device, PC, laptop, tablet, smartphone, camera, IoT, etc.

• “Cloud” files: from the digital service provider's server.

• Emails: from the mail server.

• Messages/posts on social networks: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Tik Tok, etc.

• Messages in IM apps: WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, Slack, etc.

• Online platforms, online tools, online applications, online stores (e-commerce), etc.

• Documents, Files, Archives, Reports, Databases, Audios, Images, Photos, Videos, etc.

• Etc.

Type Case - 2. Company: Computer Damage

• Do you have a company and have you suffered computer damage, a computer attack, etc.?

• Do you suspect that your PCs, laptops, tablets, smartphones, etc. have been “hacked”?

• Maybe you are a victim of ransomware?

• Maybe your company email accounts have been “hacked”?

• Perhaps your company website, or your online store, your professional blog, etc. have been “hacked”?

• Or any of your company accounts on social networks, platforms...?

Type Case - 3. Company: Corporate Espionage, Impersonation and Fakes

• Do you have a company and have you been a victim of corporate espionage?

• Have you had business information about your projects, products, services, clients, etc. stolen?

• Maybe you are a victim of spyware or ransomware?

• Are they impersonating your brand (name, logo, website, etc.) on the internet?

• Are they causing damage to your brand, the image of your company, etc., by spreading "fakes" (false information) on the internet (websites, social networks, blogs, IM applications, etc.)?

• In reality, Corporate Espionage, Impersonation and Fakes would be three types of independent cases, which can also occur in practice, either in isolation or jointly (with each other and/or in combination with Computer Damage).

Type Case - 4. Cyber ​​Scam and Bank Data Theft

• Have you been a victim of a cyber scam?

• Have you made a purchase online and have not received what you bought?

• Have your debit or credit card details been stolen?

• Perhaps you have entered a website that seemed legitimate but was not and your PC, laptop, tablet, smartphone, etc. has been infected with a virus, trojan, worm, ransomware, spyware, etc.?

• This type of case is very common and can occur both at the business level and at the individual level.

• In this type of case, cybercriminals usually use the "phishing" technique ("social engineering"), gaining the trust of the victim before the attack, caused by human error (overconfidence, naivety, lack of training/experience in cybersecurity, etc.).

Type Case - 5. Cyberbullying (Children and Adolescents)

• Has your child been a victim of cyberbullying?

• Do you have digital proof?

• Calls

• Messages/posts on social networks: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Tik Tok, etc.

• Messages in IM apps: WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, Slack, etc.

• Emails, Images, Photos, Videos, etc.

• Cyberbullying is harassment through electronic/digital means.

• In reality, cyberbullying can affect anyone, of any age, gender, social background, profession, etc. although it is especially common among adolescents.

Type Case - 6. Cyberbullying (Work and Sexual)

• Are you receiving inappropriate calls and/or messages?

• Are you being a victim of workplace harassment by your boss, a colleague, etc.?

• Are you being a victim of sexual harassment by your ex-partner, a family member, friend, acquaintance, stranger, etc.?

• Do you have digital proof?

• Calls

• Messages/posts on social networks: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Tik Tok, etc.

• Messages in IM apps: WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, Slack, etc.

• Emails, Images, Photos, Videos, etc.

• In this case, we would be facing a situation of cyberbullying either in the workplace (company, etc.) or of a sexual nature. Sexual cyberbullying may (or may not) take place in the workplace.

• Additionally, there could be harassment (workplace and/or sexual) perpetrated without electronic/digital means (so it would not be considered "cyberbullying", but merely "harassment") but the victim could collect evidence of a digital nature.

Type Case - 7. Espionage (Devices and Communications)

• Do you suspect that your computer (PC or laptop), tablet, smartphone, email account or perhaps one of your profiles or accounts on social networks, IM apps, cloud, etc. have been “hacked”?

• Are you a victim of ransomware?

• Do you think your smartphone has malware or spyware and they are spying on you?

• This type of case consists of espionage on a personal level.

• A person (usually a partner, ex-partner, family member, co-worker, boss, acquaintance) installs spyware on the victim's device (usually a smartphone), or gets the victim to install spyware unknowingly.

• The cybercriminal will have access to the victim's information (real-time location, contact list, IM messages, activity on social networks, photos, videos, etc.).

• Indications of the existence of spyware on a device are increased energy consumption (in the case of a smartphone, the battery runs out sooner than normal), slower app execution, etc.

Type Case - 8. Espionage (Vehicle GPS Tracking and Location)

• Do you suspect that they have put a GPS tracker in your car, motorcycle, etc.? and are they following your steps?

• Do you suspect that your computer (PC or laptop), tablet, smartphone, email account or perhaps one of your profiles or accounts on social networks, IM apps, cloud, etc. have been “hacked”?

• Do you think your smartphone has malware or spyware and they are spying on you?

• This type of case consists of espionage at a personal level, although GPS tracking installed in the victim's vehicle is also common in the field of corporate espionage.

• This type of spying can be complementary to spying (devices and communications).

• Once the "GPS tracker" (GPS locator) is installed, the cybercriminal will have real-time access to the location of the victim's vehicle.

• The GPS tracker is practically undetectable. In order to detect it, it is necessary to carry out an intervention with an RF (radio frequency) detector on the vehicle in a controlled environment at an electromagnetic level (laboratory, etc.).

Areas of Action of U2 lab™ ‘Computer Expert’ Service

• Industrial/intellectual property.

• Espionage.

• Revelation of secrets.

• Access or copy of company files, plans, formulas, costs, etc.

• Information leaks through digital media.

• Unfair competition from an employee.

• Violation of privacy.

• Telecommunications interception.

• Illegal reading of emails, social networks, etc.

• Illegal wiretapping of telephone conversations.

• Dismissal for technological reasons.

• Valuations and appraisals of IT assets (equipment, devices, software, etc.).

• Protection of personal data and reserved data of legal entities.

• Empowerment and distribution of private data.

• Manipulation of data or programs.

• Hardware, networks and components (all systems).

• Turnkey installations and developments.

• Infringement of contractual good faith.

• False advertising, unfair competition.

• Economic, monetary and corporate crimes.

• Crimes against the market or against consumers.

• Crimes against intellectual property.

• Use of unlicensed software.

• Piracy.

• Unauthorized copying and distribution of computer programs.

• Sabotage: damage through the destruction or alteration of data.

• Scams, fraud, conspiracy to alter the price of things, etc.

• Improper use of computer equipment: damage or abusive use.

• Artificial intelligence (AI) crimes: generation of images, audios, videos, identity theft, etc.

• Cyberbullying.

• Violence against women (workplace harassment, sexual harassment, etc.).

• Child pornography: creation, editing, access, possession, dissemination, etc.

Most Frequent Types of Cybercrimes

• Below, we indicate the most frequent types of cybercrimes, including a brief description.

• The typology of cybercrimes is very diverse, so the list must be considered purely for illustrative purposes.

• On the other hand, it is common for more than one type of cybercrime to have taken place in a given court case, that is, a combination of two or more criminal techniques.

• In relation to the prosecution/defense strategy, it is essential to determine whether the different criminal techniques used will be considered individually or jointly, as well as their fit (individual or joint) in the Penal Code.

1. Phishing

• This technique deceives us, above all, through fraudulent emails, but also through false web pages or even phone calls that request personal data that cybercriminals will copy and use to steal from us.

• This type of scam is based on the so-called “social engineering”, based on which cybercriminals try to gain our trust, as a prior step to the attack.

• It is a widely used technique since it is easier to carry out than other malicious techniques.

• Human failures (overconfidence, naivety, lack of training, etc.) are the weakest “link” in the cybersecurity chain.

2. Malware

• Malware (malicious programs) aims to infect and/or damage electronic devices.

• The consequences of a malware infection range from the theft of private information, espionage or complete blocking of access to our infected device.

• Malware can come in various forms, such as viruses, trojans, spyware or worms.

3. Virus

• Viruses usually come in formats that we would not usually suspect: pdf files, image files, video files, programs, links, etc., which once we open, infect the device and render it useless.

4. Worms

• The danger of worms is that from the same network, they can move to other devices and infect them.

• Unlike viruses, worms are autonomous, so they do not require human intervention to operate.

5. Trojans

• This type of malware is used by cybercriminals to access devices.

• Normally they will come camouflaged in the form of applications or programs that we would not suspect but that when executed would release the malware and allow access to hackers, who would have free rein to review all our files, use the resources of our computer or device, etc.

6. Denial of Service - DoS

• The denial of service (DoS) attack aims to block systems, equipment, devices, websites, e-commerce sites, online platforms, online tools, applications, etc.

• Its purpose is to block the activity or service for which it is intended.

• Basically, it consists of "saturating" the server.

• What happens with this type of cyber attack is that, with the simultaneous connection of several users, the server collapses, slows down and even crashes, ceasing to respond or disconnecting from the network.

7. Spyware

• By sending spyware, cybercriminals seek to gain access to confidential information, whether banking details, passwords, confidential files, etc.

• The characteristic of this malware is that while it is secretly recording information, our devices do not detect it and it remains hidden.

• Meanwhile, the cybercriminal can be found recording everything we write, (s)he can take screenshots of our screen, record audio or videos, control our device remotely, etc.

8. Cyberbulling

• Cyberbullying seeks intimidation, humiliation, and the feeling of constant threat in its victims.

• This type of cybercrime psychologically harasses the people who suffer from it.

• The most common types of cyberbullying suffered by victims of this type of cybercrime are the spread of lies and hoaxes about themselves, the spread of compromised photographs or videos online, the continued receipt of threats or hurtful messages through social networks. or instant messaging applications.

9. Ransomware

• In this type of extortion, the victim receives malware that infects their computer, leaving it unusable.

• Subsequently, the cybercriminal will ask the victim for a ransom (sum of money) so that they can recover all their files.

• We can also call cyberextortion the blackmail that victims receive by threatening to use their private information, compromised photos or videos if a sum of money is not paid.