Encryption software

The increasing use of encryption software - such as Microsoft’s own BitLocker - by cyber-criminals has led Microsoft to develop a range of tools that law enforcement agents can use to get around the software, executives at the company said.

Microsoft published the first Toolset, the so-called on-line computer forensics Evidence Extractor (Café), to law enforcement authorities last June and it is now approximately 2,000 agents throughout the world, said Anthony Fung, Senior Regional Manager for Asia-Pacific in the Microsoft Internet Security and Anti-Counterfeiting Group. Microsoft offers the software free agents.

While Microsoft can have wide use of café, some experts are sceptical about using this kind of tool to restore data, and also the developer of the product at Microsoft admits that it is not accepted by some users.