Adam Lanza computer may be salvageable: Data ... - Kroll Ontrack
Adam Lanza computer may be salvageable: Data ... - Kroll Ontrack
Adam Lanza computer may be salvageable: Data ... - Kroll Ontrack
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<strong>Adam</strong> <strong>Lanza</strong> <strong>computer</strong> <strong>may</strong> <strong>be</strong> <strong>salvageable</strong>: <strong>Data</strong> retriveal experts<br />
Author: Michelle Miller<br />
Source: CBS News<br />
Date: Decem<strong>be</strong>r 19, 2012<br />
CBS News reported how <strong>Adam</strong> <strong>Lanza</strong> destroyed his <strong>computer</strong>s <strong>be</strong>fore he drove to Sandy Hook Elementary School<br />
on Friday. Investigators say the Newtown gunman did such a thorough job, the FBI has <strong>be</strong>en unable to retrieve any<br />
information from those <strong>computer</strong>s.<br />
But CBS News visited one company that might <strong>be</strong> able to help.<br />
When Hurricane Sandy washed through the Northeast, it soaked thousands of <strong>computer</strong>s. Some of their owners are<br />
looking for a miracle from Michael Diomidous. He runs <strong>Data</strong> Recovery Operations for <strong>Kroll</strong>, the company now trying<br />
to wring out information from those water-logged hard-drives.<br />
<strong>Kroll</strong> technicians recovered 99 percent of the data from another drive blown into the atmosphere after the Space<br />
Shuttle Columbia disaster. That nearly melted drive sat at the bottom of a Texas lake for six months. They were even<br />
successful after 9/11.<br />
CBS News was allowed inside <strong>Kroll</strong>'s operations in Secaucus, N.J., where <strong>be</strong>hind a secured door, that have what's<br />
called "The Clean Room." In this space, there are fly-paper floor mats to separate dirt from shoes and HEPA filters to<br />
sanitize the air while technicians work.<br />
Diomidous said of his workspace, "If (the hard drives) need to come into the clean room, that's basically the last<br />
resort."<br />
Hard drives contain disks or platters where information is stored and electronics that read that information. Diomidous<br />
explained, "The read and write heads will store the data on this magnetic platter. Imagine the old record players<br />
where the needle will go back and forth and read the songs that we have."<br />
Depending on the model, hard-drives hold on average five disks per cartridge and record data on both sides. Erik<br />
Venema, who runs the forensics side of <strong>Kroll</strong>'s operation, said, "It is like a cake. If the top one gets damaged, it <strong>may</strong><br />
<strong>be</strong> that we can see the data that the user created on the other platters, which <strong>may</strong> not <strong>be</strong> damaged."<br />
A former law enforcement officer, Venema and his team translate the data retrieved as a series of zeroes and ones<br />
into a format that most people can understand. They can even fill-in the missing pieces of the puzzle.<br />
Venema said, "So even if somebody deletes a file and it's spread on different places on the hard drive, <strong>Kroll</strong>'s<br />
proprietary software will find those bits and pieces and put them back together."<br />
Law enforcement officials examining the <strong>computer</strong> taken from <strong>Lanza</strong>'s home are hoping to find any clue that can<br />
explain his actions. Authorities will <strong>be</strong> looking for documents, emails, instant messages and any kind of chat or<br />
pictures that would involve plans or lists, Venema said.<br />
Asked about <strong>Lanza</strong>'s apparent intent to destroy those drives, Venema said they contain "obviously incriminating<br />
evidence, without question."<br />
Reports say the hard drive was smashed to bits, but Venema says there's still an outside chance of recovery. He<br />
said, "Even somebody that has the most heinous intent to destroy something might end up missing all the important<br />
parts of the drive, just by happenstance or the stress of the situation."
For Michelle Miller's full report, watch the video:<br />
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57559947/adam-lanza-<strong>computer</strong>-<strong>may</strong>-<strong>be</strong>-<strong>salvageable</strong>-data-retrievalexperts/?tag=socsh