Computer Evidence Glossary

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Icon: In a GUI, a picture or drawing that is activated by “clicking” a mouse to command the computer program to perform a predefined series of events.

ICR (Intelligent Character Recognition): The conversion of scanned images (bar codes or patterns of bits) to computer recognizable codes (ASCII characters and files) by means of software/programs that define the rules of and algorithms for conversion, helpful for interpreting handwritten text. See HRS and OCR.

IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics): An engineering standard for interfacing PCs and hard discs.

IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers): An international association that sponsors meetings, publishes a number of journals and establishes standards.

ILM: Information lifecycle management.

Image: (1) To image a hard drive is to make an identical copy of the hard drive, including empty sectors. Also known as creating a “mirror image” or “mirroring” the drive. See Bit Stream Backup. (2) An electronic or digital picture of a document (e.g. TIFF, PDF, etc.).

Image Copy, Imaged Copy: See Forensic Copy.

Image Enabling: A software function that creates links between existing applications and stored images.

Image File Format: See File Format and Format.

Image Key: The name of a file created when a page is scanned in a collection.

Image Processing Card (IPC): A board mounted in the computer, scanner or printer that facilitates the acquisition and display of images. The primary function of most IPCs is the rapid compression and decompression of image files.

Image Processing: To capture an image or representation, usually from electronic data in native format, enter it in a computer system, and process and manipulate it. See also Native Format.

Import: Data brought into an environment or application that has been exported from another environment or application.

Inactive Record: Inactive records are those Records related to closed, completed, or concluded activities. Inactive Records are no longer routinely referenced, but must be retained in order to fulfill reporting requirements or for purposes of audit or analysis. Inactive records generally reside in a long­term storage format remaining accessible for purposes of business processing only with restrictions on alteration. In some business circumstances inactive records may be re­activated.

Index/Coding Fields: Database fields used to categorize and organize documents. Often user­defined, these fields can be used for searches.

Index: The searchable catalog of documents created by search engine software. Also called “catalog.” Index is often used as a synonym for search engine.

Indexing: Universal term for Coding and Data Entry.

Information: For the purposes of this document, information is used to mean both documents and data.

Input device: Any peripheral that allows a user to communicate with a computer by entering information or issuing commands (e.g., keyboard).

Instant Messaging (“IM”): A form of electronic communication involving immediate correspondence between two or more online users. Peer­to­peer IM communications may not be stored on servers after receipt; logging of peer­to­peer IM messages is typically done on the client computer, if at all, and may be optionally enabled or disabled on each client.

Interlaced: TV & CRT pictures must constantly be “refreshed.” Interlace is to refresh every other line once/refresh cycle. Since only half the information displayed is updated each cycle, interlaced displays are less expensive than “non­interlaced.” However, interlaced displays are subject to jitters. The human eye/brain can usually detect displayed images that are completely refreshed less than 30 times per second.

Interleave: To arrange data in a noncontiguous way to increase performance. When used to describe disc drives, it refers to the way sectors on a disc are organized. In one­to­one interleaving, the sectors are placed sequentially around each track. In two­to­one interleaving, sectors are staggered so that consecutively numbered sectors are separated by an intervening sector. The purpose of interleaving is to make the disc drive more efficient. The disc drive can access only one sector at a time, and the disc is constantly spinning beneath.

International Telecommunication Union (ITU): An international organization under the UN, headquartered in Geneva, concerned with telecommunications that develops international data communications standards; known as CCITT prior to March 1, 1993. See http://www.itu.int.

Internet: A worldwide network of networks that all use the TCP/IP communications protocol and share a common address space. It supports services such as email, the World Wide Web, file transfer (FTP), and Internet Relay Chat (IRC). Also known as “the net,” “the information superhighway,” and “cyberspace.”

Internet Publishing Software: Specialized software that allows materials to be published on the Internet. The term Internet Publishing is sometimes used to refer to the industry of online digital publication as a whole.

Inter­Partition Space: Unused sectors on a track located between the start of the partition and the partition boot record. This space is important because it is possible for a user to hide information here. See Track and Partition.

Intranet: A private network that uses Internet­related technologies to provide services within an organization or defined infrastructure.

IP address (Internet Protocol address): A string of four numbers separated by periods used to represent a computer on the Internet ­a unique identifier for the physical location of the server containing the data. See TCP/IP (e.g., 128.24.62.1).

IPX/SPX: Communications protocol used by Novell networks.

IRC (Internet Relay Chat): System allowing internet users to chat in real time.

IS/IT Information Systems or Information Technology: Usually refers to the people who make computers and computer systems run.

ISA: Industry Standard Architecture.

ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network): An all digital network that can carry data, video and voice.

ISIS and TWAIN Scanner Drivers: Specialized applications used for communication between scanners and computers.

ISO (International Organization for Standards): A worldwide federation of national standards bodies, www.iso.org.

ISO 9660 CD Format: The ISO format for creating CD­ROMs that can be read worldwide.

ISO 15489­1: The ISO standard addressing standardization of international best practices in records management.

ISP (Internet Service Provider): A business that provides access to the Internet, usually for a monthly fee. ISPs may be a source of evidence through files (such as ISP email) stored on ISP servers.

IT (Information Technology) Infrastructure: The overall makeup of business­wide technology operations, including mainframe operations, standalone systems, email, networks (WAN and LAN), Internet access, customer databases, enterprise systems, application support, regardless of whether managed, utilized or provided locally, regionally, globally, etc., or whether performed or located internally or by outside providers (outsourced to vendors). The IT Infrastructure also includes applicable standard practices and procedures, such as backup procedures, versioning, resource sharing, retention practices, janitor program utilization, and the like.

Glossary - Courtesy of The Sedona Conference^®