As all modern life’s aspects increasingly move into the digital realm, criminal investigations have been adapting fast to respond to this new reality. Smartphones, surveillance cameras, messaging apps, GPS data, bodycams, and cloud storage have fundamentally transformed how investigators reconstruct events, identify suspects, and uncover evidence.
Few people understand this transformation better than Matt Goeckel who brings with him a wealth of experience having worked in law enforcement for nearly two decades, including 12 years as Detective and Mobile Device Forensic Investigator with the Gainesville Police Department in Florida.
Today, Mr Goeckel is Global Technical Marketing Director at Cellebrite, a global provider of digital investigation solutions for law enforcement and corporate investigations. Together with Andy Martin and Daniel Oxley, he will be leading a Capture the Flag event in Malta, on 28 May, aimed at Maltese Chief Information Security Officers who will have the unique opportunity to try Cellebrite’s digital forensics tools first hand.
Through his experience in the field, Mr Goeckel bridges the gap between the tech and law enforcement. “Digital evidence has transformed the work of criminal investigators completely,” Mr Goeckel declares from the outset. “While the basic scaffolding of investigation is still there, pretty much everything else has changed. It’s like revisiting your childhood neighbourhood, where the foundations may still be familiar, but everything is very different indeed at the same time.”
The same with criminal investigations, which still follow the same fundamental principles, yet at the centre of most processes is a profound transformation driven by digital evidence.
“Today, investigators increasingly rely on digital witnesses which can be found everywhere,” Mr Goeckel explains. “Phones, cameras, apps, connected devices. All this technology and the data it generates, can be the clinching factor to close in on a perpetrator, and bring them to justice. Outside of a direct confession by a criminal, digital data is perhaps the most effective piece of evidence investigators can obtain in today’s environment,” he says.
Modern smartphones, Mr Goeckel continues, contain enormous insights into people’s lives, often documenting whereabouts, relationships, communications, and even intent.
“Data can tell us things that go beyond the surface,” he says. “For example, when someone googles something, researching how to do something, it signifies premeditation and intent to do it. On the other hand, ironically, overly zealous attempts to avoid leaving digital traces can sometimes also become evidence in themselves. Our phones are constantly generating data, so, if a large conspicuous gap in the data becomes apparent, that itself can become an indicator pointing investigators in a certain direction rather than another. That is not to say that a gap in the data is an automatic indictment to crime, but it can help paint a wider picture and help investigations further. Naturally, every investigation is different, and the professional compilation of the evidence, according to all legal norms becomes a key part of understanding what really happened.”
However, while investigative capabilities have advanced dramatically, so too have the challenges. The sheer volume of digital data now confronting investigators is immense.
“Phones today often contain terabytes of data, that’s more storage than computers did not that long ago,” Mr Goeckel reflects. “And then you add bodycams, licence plate readers, CCTV footage, cloud backups and other sources. We’re talking about gargantuan volumes of information.”
Managing and analysing that data efficiently has become one of the biggest pressures facing investigative teams globally. “The inefficiencies only compound as the volume increases,” Mr explains. “If you don’t have the right systems in place, either investigations take far too long or important evidence risks being missed.”
This is where artificial intelligence is beginning to play an increasingly important role. “AI is changing investigations in the same way it’s changing everything else,” he says. “Obviously, AI is not replacing investigators but rather enhancing their capabilities. It’s a force multiplier. The human investigator still makes the call. The charges are still levelled by a human investigator, but AI helps point them toward the right evidence far more quickly. It’s like looking for a needle in an enormous haystack – AI will make it more likely to find the needle before”.
Still, despite the growing sophistication of forensic technology, digital investigation tools must always operate within legal frameworks. “These tools are used after a crime has been committed, under lawful authority such as court orders or search warrants. Ethical safeguards and accountability mechanisms must remain in place as they provide the necessary protection for both law operative as well as the citizen in general.”
“At Cellebrite, we are very strict that our customers, that is law operatives around the world using our technology, must adhere to strict usage policies, while internal ethics and integrity committees monitor compliance. Responsible use is considered critical and non-negotiable and if organisations violate the terms of use, they lose access to the technology,” Mr notes.
Asked about Cellebrite’s upcoming Capture the Flag event that is being organised in Malta by Micro Technology Consultancy Ltd, Mr Goeckel explains how it is a unique opportunity for participants to experience cutting-edge digital forensics tools, first hand.
“Unlike traditional classroom-based sessions, the Malta event will focus on hands-on investigative scenarios designed to replicate real-world pressures. The technology helps save lives, but practical experience is what helps investigators become truly proficient and efficient using these tools.”
The event is open to Malta-based Chief Information Security Officers operating in high security environments. During the event which will take place on 28th May at Avenue 77, Mrieħel, participants will work through mock investigations that gradually increase in complexity as more data becomes available throughout the scenario.
“Participants will have the opportunity to extract data, analyse it, and understand how various Cellebrite solutions work together in a realistic investigative environment,” he explains. “The goal is not to simply demonstrate the software, but to give investigators confidence in how these technologies function under real operational conditions.”
Capture the Flag is being organised by Micro Technology Consultancy Ltd, in collaboration with Cellebrite on 28th May at Avenue 77, Mrieħel. During the event, participants will have the opportunity to work through mock investigations using Cellebrite’s cutting-edge digital forensics tools, first hand. For more information and bookings, please click here.
