Six ways digital investigations will change in 2024

For as long as they have existed, law enforcement agencies around the world have faced an ever-evolving criminal landscape. While the digital age has presented investigators with a number of powerful tools to address evolving crime, it has also introduced intricate new challenges that demand expert navigation.

Looking ahead, technology will continue to reshape and modernize law enforcement strategies to prevent ongoing threats, fight crime, and ultimately deliver justice. Emerging advancements will equip officers with the intelligence and information needed to combat the next generation of criminals.

From funding priorities to new ways to discover evidence, here's a look at six ways digital investigations will change in 2024 and beyond:

• Investment in technology to support current criminal investigations:Law enforcement agencies will dedicate more budget to technology that can not only proactively prevent crimes but also help solve existing investigations. As the criminal investigation landscape evolves, local governments will invest more resources in research and implementing technology to support investigations. According to the Police Executive Research Forum, agencies are losing officers faster than they can hire new ones. As agencies address these staffing shortages, introducing technology that can help scale investigations will be critical to the success of their operations. As local governments focus on rehiring efforts, we are sure to see significant investment in digital resources to aid relief operations.

• GenAI integration for accelerated case resolution:While hunters and professionals in many sectors explore the appropriate utilization of GenAI, the law enforcement search community is also exploiting potential. During the course of the annual chain, researchers seek out stakeholders interested in emerging technologies to accelerate consultations. Additionally, GenAI advances queries, allowing télécharger users to automatically make probable donations instead of making them manually. By automatically translating and transcribing historical content collected live, GenAI makes it possible to analyze data faster and help fight criminals who exploit the technology for illegal purposes.

• Collaborative crime solving and information sharing:In 2024, information sharing between federal and local jurisdictions and agencies will gain strength. By eliminating data conflicts, researchers can improve information sharing between agencies and “work smarter, not harder.” Adopting cutting-edge technology to accelerate information sharing will be essential to remain competitive in today's complex research landscape. Leveraging existing data can help resolve investigations more quickly and identify repeat offenders across networks and systems. The exchange of information will be vital to combat and prevent future criminal activities.

• Rise of AI to alleviate employee burnout:The rise of emerging technologies promises greater productivity, but comes at a critical time. According to Microsoft's Work Trend report, 48% of employees are dealing with burnout in the workplace. Combine this with the current staff shortages we have seen in recent years and it is clear that supporting employees is essential. That's where AI comes in: over the next year we will see departments investing in technology to support their staff. Teams will use AI to supplement staff shortages by taking on time-consuming tasks such as collecting and analyzing data and reviewing sensitive images more quickly. This change will not only help speed up investigations, but will also improve staff experience and help reduce burnout on the job.

• The emergence of OSINT as a vital investigative tool:Open source intelligence (OSINT) will make waves in criminal investigations in 2024. The sheer volume of data available poses a challenge for analysts, making it difficult for them to determine what they can cite. This is where OSINT will become essential, as it will provide a tool that law enforcement can work with to quickly uncover intelligence on potential leads to support their evidentiary data. In the coming years, we will continue to see more and more departments using OSINT to uncover illegal activity or behavior, helping to uncover critical evidence for investigations.

• New forms of data will take center stage:According to recent data, Americans look at their phones more than 160 times a day. With people spending an exorbitant amount of time on their phones, criminals are no doubt looking for ways to use this to their advantage. As criminals evolve to use social platforms to conduct illicit activities, data from emerging social media platforms will provide a wealth of insights to researchers. For example, data from ride-sharing platforms to financial apps can help determine where criminal activity occurs. It will be essential for investigators to be well-versed in the latest social media platforms to innovatively uncover illegal activities, such as tracking illegal contraband being shipped and tracked through popular delivery services or using Netflix search history to track criminal behavior. In 2024, researchers will identify new forms of data from emerging platforms to track critical evidence.

While certain aspects of the future remain uncertain, an agency's commitment to protecting communities from crime must remain unwavering. The current state of digital investigations shows that investing time and resources in emerging technology will be critical to expanding criminal investigations. From OSINT to AI, various forms of emerging technology will prove to be the linchpin to efficiently solving future research, so it is essential to focus the necessary time and resources on these new forms of technology.

As we move into the new year, proactively anticipating the evolving requirements of the intelligence and law enforcement communities will be critical to successful investigations and ensuring safer communities.

by Kevin Pope, CEO of PenLink forforensicmag.com