Google Earth Forensics
Using Google Earth Geo-Location in Digital Forensic Investigations

Google Earth Forensics is the first book to explain how to use Google Earth in digital forensic investigations. This book teaches you how to leverage Google's free tool to craft compelling location-based evidence for use in investigations and in the courtroom. It shows how to extract location-based data that can be used to display evidence in compelling audiovisual manners that explain and inform the data in contextual, meaningful, and easy-to-understand ways.

As mobile computing devices become more and more prevalent and powerful, they are becoming more and more useful in the field of law enforcement investigations and forensics. Of all the widely used mobile applications, none have more potential for helping solve crimes than those with geo-location tools.

Written for investigators and forensic practitioners, Google Earth Forensics is written by an investigator and trainer with more than 13 years of experience in law enforcement who will show you how to use this valuable tool anywhere at the crime scene, in the lab, or in the courtroom.

Chapter 1: GPS Basics

Chapter 2: KML/XML 101

Chapter 3: Google Earth Basics

Chapter 4: Organizing a Case

Chapter 5: Annotating

Chapter 6: Feature Baloons

Chapter 7: Adding Images

Chapter 8: Polygons

Chapter 9: Measuring Distances

Chapter 10: Perspectives

Chapter 11: Legends and Logos

Chapter 12: Creating a Tour

Chapter 13: Distributing Cases

Chapter 14: Extras

Appendices

Michael Cross is a SharePoint Administrator and Developer, and has worked in the areas of software development, Web design, hardware installation/repairs, database administration, graphic design, and network administration. Working for law enforcement, he is part of an Information Technology team that provides support to over 1,000 civilian and uniformed users. His theory is that when the users carry guns, you tend to be more motivated in solving their problems.

Michael has a diverse background in technology. He was the first computer forensic analyst for a local police service, and performed digital forensic examinations on computers involved in criminal investigations. Over five years, he recovered and examined evidence involved in a wide range of crimes, inclusive to homicides, fraud, and possession of child pornography. In addition to this, he successfully tracked numerous individuals electronically, as in cases involving threatening e-mail. He has consulted and assisted in numerous cases dealing with computer-related/Internet crimes and served as an expert witness on computers for criminal trials. In 2007, he was awarded a Police Commendation for work he did in developing a system to track local high-risk offenders and sexual offenders.

With extensive experience in Web design and Internet-related technologies, Michael has created and maintained numerous Web sites and implementations of Microsoft SharePoint. This has included public Web sites, private ones on corporate intranets, and solutions that integrate them. In doing so, he has in

• Learn how to extract location-based evidence using the Google Earth program or app on computers and mobile devices
• Covers the basics of GPS systems, the usage of Google Earth, and helps sort through data imported from external evidence sources
• Includes tips on presenting evidence in compelling, easy-to-understand formats