About UsWhat is a digital forensic analyst?
My name is Larry Jones, and I am a retired FBI Agent and Computer Forensic Analyst / Investigator. My company is LJONES CFA (Computer Forensic Analyst), and I offer a variety of services related to the preservation, processing, analysis and reporting of digital data from physical devices such as computers and smart phones, or tablets, as well as online data stored in the cloud.
The goal of my services is to assist my clients to resolve the issues they may encounter with digital evidence. I have assisted both plaintiffs and defendants in civil litigation, defendants in criminal prosecutions, and businesses with internal investigations.
LJONES CFA is a Louisiana licensed private investigative firm LJONES CFA specializes in investigations involving all types of digital evidence including both physical devices and online accounts. Since 2018, when I retired from the FBI, LJONES CFA has been retained to assist in a variety of investigations involving digital evidence.
The goal of my services is to assist my clients to resolve the issues they may encounter with digital evidence. I have assisted both plaintiffs and defendants in civil litigation, defendants in criminal prosecutions, and businesses with internal investigations.
LJONES CFA is a Louisiana licensed private investigative firm LJONES CFA specializes in investigations involving all types of digital evidence including both physical devices and online accounts. Since 2018, when I retired from the FBI, LJONES CFA has been retained to assist in a variety of investigations involving digital evidence.
Digital Forensics ServicesLJONES CFA offers the full range of services included in the digital forensics process.
Our ServicesDigital Forensics Processes
Below is a list of phases included in the digital forensics process. LJONES CFA offers the full range of services included in the phases identified below.
Evidence Preservation & Data Acquisition
Evidence preservation includes efforts to maintain evidence in it original, unaltered state. The use of write-blockers are often used to prevent the unintentional alteration of the original data. Data acquisition includes generating an exact copy of the data to be used in the processing and analysis phases. Where the collection of 'live' data is necessary and warranted, steps are taken to limit any unintentional alteration of the data while it is being acquired.
Data Recovery & Data Processing
Data recovery and processing includes the use of recognized forensic software applications to recover and extract data from the exact copy of the evidence. Processing is also used to categorize data types (i.e. email, text messages, pictures, etc.) to assist and expedite the analysis phase. By categorizing the data, analysis can focus on the data types relevant to the investigation.
Data Analysis
Analysis is the process of reviewing categorized data types relevant to the investigation to identify useful information. The goal of data analysis is to identify useful information which can be used to make informed decisions.
Reporting
Data reporting is the process of collecting and presenting data in a way that's easy to understand. It's a key part of data analysis and decision-making. Reporting helps the client make informed decisions. Reporting can be provided in the form of written analysis reports or verbally such as court-room testimony.
About QualificationsLarry Jones Qualifications
Larry Jones, the owner and forensic analyst at LJONES CFA, retired from the FBI after a 30 year career. For the first 20 years of his FBI career, Larry served as the primary investigator in a wide range of cases. These investigations included bank fraud, governmental contract fraud, corruption by public officials, crimes of violence, and Internet crime investigations. During the last 10 years of his FBI career, Larry served as a full-time FBI certified computer and smartphone forensic analyst. In this role, Larry assisted case agents in the preservation and analysis of digital evidence in support of their investigation. Larry has continued to maintain his training in digital forensics after retirement. Larry has also performed research and published articles in the field of digital forensics.
Larry has achieved a number of industry recognized certifications in the digital forensics field. Some of those current certifications include:
GIAC Certified Forensic Examiner , GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst , GIAC Penetration Tester
LJONES CFA owns and maintains licenses for some of the most trusted digital forensics tools.
LJONES CFA has the training, knowledge and experience to meet customer's digital forensic investigation needs.
Larry has achieved a number of industry recognized certifications in the digital forensics field. Some of those current certifications include:
GIAC Certified Forensic Examiner , GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst , GIAC Penetration Tester
LJONES CFA owns and maintains licenses for some of the most trusted digital forensics tools.
LJONES CFA has the training, knowledge and experience to meet customer's digital forensic investigation needs.
Example Investigations
Fraud Criminal Defense
Assisted a doctor in a health care fraud case where the prosecution alleged improper Medicare billing without patient examinations. The doctor was a victim of a computer virus that encrypted most patient files. A forensic analysis of the computer uncovered references to patient records and successfully recovered examination notes. As a result, the charges against the doctor were dropped.
Theft of Trade Secret Information
Conducted a forensic analysis of a former employee's computer following their resignation to join a competitor. The analysis revealed that the employee had copied the client’s proprietary data, including several formula mixing instructions, onto an external hard drive, which remained in the employee’s possession after their departure.
Theft of Employee Information Defense
Conducted an analysis of a client’s emails following their arrest for allegedly stealing employee data using a forged email account. The analysis confirmed the client was not responsible for the forged account and did not steal the data. As a result, criminal charges were dismissed, and the client received a monetary settlement for the improper arrest.
Preserve and Extract Mobile Phone Data
LJONES CFA has been retained in both criminal and civil cases to preserve and extract data from the client’s personal mobile phone, including text messages, call logs, photos, and audio recordings.
Data Theft Defense
LJONES CFA was retained as a neutral third-party expert to analyze a former employee’s personal laptop and smartphone for company data. Any company information found was deleted by mutual agreement, successfully avoiding civil litigation.
Picture Metadata Analysis
In family law cases, LJONES CFA analyzed embedded metadata from photographs, verifying the date and time the pictures were taken and confirming the pictures were unaltered.
Our BlogDigital Forensics Blog
This blog was started to simplify issues, methods and terminology associated with Digital Forensics. I hope you find these posts informative.
Help! I Deleted a Text on My iPhone—Can I Get It Back?
Ah, the panic of accidentally deleting a crucial text—whether it’s a heartfelt message from a loved one or that one time your boss finally admitted you were right. So, can you recover it? The answer: Maybe. (I know, not the comforting answer you were hoping for.) Let’s take a quick dive into the mysterious world...
Importance of Evidence Integrity
We’ve all seen courtroom dramas—whether it’s 12 Angry Men, To Kill a Mockingbird, or The Lincoln Lawyer—and let’s be real, the best part is usually when someone catches a witness in a lie or convinces a juror to change their vote. But you know what they don’t show? The thrilling, nail-biting process of introducing evidence...
Why is an iPhone Passcode so Important?
So, why is knowing the passcode to an iPhone a big deal in digital forensics? Well, because without it, you’re basically locked out of the data like it’s a super exclusive club—and guess what? You’re not on the guest list. To get the full picture, let’s take a quick dive into how iPhone security works,...
News and Publications
Below are links to published research papers in the areas of digital forensics written by Larry Jones.
Validation of X-Ways Forensics Evidence File Containers – 2021
Windows 10 Jump List and Link File Artifacts - 2020.
contact UsContact For More Information
Please use the form below to contact me if you would like more information about the digital forensic investigations offered by LJONES CFA. You may contact me via email or the listed phone number. You can also view my professional profile on the FBI Retired website at https://fbiretired.com/agent/larry-jones/.
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