DALLAS, TX -
As people bustle about in the busy area known as the West End in Downtown Dallas, they may not realize that nearby highly-trained crime fighters are working to catch crooks, murderers and terrorists.
Very few people get to peak inside the North Texas Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory, operated by the Dallas FBI, along with officers from various police departments. Employees, who all have top security clearance, use cyber evidence to turn the tables on criminals.
"This is the wave of the future in crime fighting," according to Dallas Special Agent in Charge, Bob Casey.
Casey says criminals rely on technology to carry out sinister deeds and often, he says the crooks or terrorists don't realize they are leaving behind digital clues.
"I am not sure the average criminal understands the footprint they can leave behind. We have had suspects attempt to destroy a cell phone or obliterate a security tape and our experts are able to restore the data."
The digital evidence includes everything most people use in their everyday lives. Floppy disks, lab tops, GPS, home computers and cell phones.
At the lab, forensic examiners are able to retrieve most evidence. Senior forensic examiner, Don Wills, built a case against a notorious band of bank robbers.
"The scarecrow bandits robbed 21 banks in North Texas," according to Wills.
The gang of robbers covered their faces and left no physical evidence, but officials say on the digital side they were sloppy. After one job, they tossed a cell phone in a toilet, which yielded text messages, pictures and more.
Seven of the bandits are behind bars and several of them are serving life terms. In part, they were done in by a cell phone that helped prove their guilt.
Since opening a decade ago, the NTRCFL, has earned international acclaim. Lab officials say they have trained officers from a handful of countries.
The lab's director, Mike Morris, has been there from the humble beginnings. He says it got it's start with just $400 dollars and a lot of confiscated equipment.
"The space had ripped up carpet and all the walls needed to be repainted," Morris said.
Morris, who got his start targeting computer hackers, says it was the country's darkest day that launched the lab. When terrorists struck on 911, examiners were processing digital data from a raid at the Holy Land Foundation in Richardson, which was found guilty of funneling money to the terrorist group, Hamas.
"All of a sudden that data became dramatically important because the location we went was the largest internet service provider for the middle east."
Since then, the lab has processed a tremendous amount of digital data, 203 terabytes last year. To put that in perspective, if it was printed and stacked end to end it would equal 31 trips to the moon.
"I like to say that we take more trips than NASA," Morris jokes.
But, most of the work that goes on inside the laboratory is no laughing matter and much of it may never be known to the public.
"There are national security successes done in this lab that the public will never find out about that have been critical for protecting our country," Special Agent in Charge, Casey said.
Very few people get to peak inside the North Texas Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory, operated by the Dallas FBI, along with officers from various police departments. Employees, who all have top security clearance, use cyber evidence to turn the tables on criminals.
"This is the wave of the future in crime fighting," according to Dallas Special Agent in Charge, Bob Casey.
Casey says criminals rely on technology to carry out sinister deeds and often, he says the crooks or terrorists don't realize they are leaving behind digital clues.
"I am not sure the average criminal understands the footprint they can leave behind. We have had suspects attempt to destroy a cell phone or obliterate a security tape and our experts are able to restore the data."
The digital evidence includes everything most people use in their everyday lives. Floppy disks, lab tops, GPS, home computers and cell phones.
At the lab, forensic examiners are able to retrieve most evidence. Senior forensic examiner, Don Wills, built a case against a notorious band of bank robbers.
"The scarecrow bandits robbed 21 banks in North Texas," according to Wills.
The gang of robbers covered their faces and left no physical evidence, but officials say on the digital side they were sloppy. After one job, they tossed a cell phone in a toilet, which yielded text messages, pictures and more.
Seven of the bandits are behind bars and several of them are serving life terms. In part, they were done in by a cell phone that helped prove their guilt.
Since opening a decade ago, the NTRCFL, has earned international acclaim. Lab officials say they have trained officers from a handful of countries.
The lab's director, Mike Morris, has been there from the humble beginnings. He says it got it's start with just $400 dollars and a lot of confiscated equipment.
"The space had ripped up carpet and all the walls needed to be repainted," Morris said.
Morris, who got his start targeting computer hackers, says it was the country's darkest day that launched the lab. When terrorists struck on 911, examiners were processing digital data from a raid at the Holy Land Foundation in Richardson, which was found guilty of funneling money to the terrorist group, Hamas.
"All of a sudden that data became dramatically important because the location we went was the largest internet service provider for the middle east."
Since then, the lab has processed a tremendous amount of digital data, 203 terabytes last year. To put that in perspective, if it was printed and stacked end to end it would equal 31 trips to the moon.
"I like to say that we take more trips than NASA," Morris jokes.
But, most of the work that goes on inside the laboratory is no laughing matter and much of it may never be known to the public.
"There are national security successes done in this lab that the public will never find out about that have been critical for protecting our country," Special Agent in Charge, Casey said.
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