Forensic Field Kit

WiebeTech's forensic kits tackle two very specific points of pain for forensic investigators: conducting field acquisition and transporting data safely (to prevent damage and ensure the chain of evidence is unchallengeable).

Supplied in a hefty black case lined with foam, the components look absurdly over-packed, but in a world of worst-case scenarios and defense attorneys with endless "what ifs", there cannot really be too much protection.

The case itself is a Pelican 1600, described as watertight, airtight, dustproof and crushproof. So rather than resort to driving trucks over it and dropping it in a pool, we took their word for it: the thing is built like a tank.

Once inside the container, the components comprise a collection of adapters which allow a field investigator to retrieve data off hard disks and image them onto his own media. WiebeTech provides a number of these, including SATA connectors, IDE ports, and laptop drive connectors.

The most important piece is the WiebeTech Forensic ComboDock, which provides a secure, write-blocking connector to retrieve data from a connected drive. A SATA extender plugs into this to image serial ATA drives, which worked flawlessly.

The components are modular and sport FireWire connectors, which can then be connected to the included PCMCIA FireWire/ USB adapter.

Thoughtfully, WiebeTech includes plenty of cables for the job, along with baseplates and fastening screws to fasten drives securely while data is transferred.

We only have one criticism for a product that clearly shows a lot of effort on the part of WiebeTech to include everything you might need in the field – there are no tools, nor any space in the box to put your own.

And while it is unthinkable for a forensic technician to find himself on site without a screwdriver to remove and fasten drives in place, we still would have liked to see this most basic piece of kit included in the box for completeness.

Although the price of the kit might look steep, you are getting a lot of engineering for your dollar, and WiebeTech also supplies smaller and more specifically tailored kits.

Your forensic team will definitely thank you for it.