On May 7th, Renan Cavalheiros, a partner at STWBrasil, participated in the Hoje em Dia program on Record TV, in a special report on digital forensics and the role of electronic devices in modern investigations. The report showed how smartphones, computers, and other devices have become central pieces in criminal investigations, storing information that helps reconstruct behaviors, relationships, movements, and entire contexts of an investigation. Conversations, location histories, transaction logs, image metadata, deleted files, and usage patterns are just part of the volume of information that can be technically analyzed when a device is subjected to digital forensics. During the report, Renan explained how forensic tools allow the extraction and analysis of this data, including information that is not visible to the user in everyday use, but which remains recorded in the system and may be relevant to investigations. The report also highlighted how digital forensics has been assisting police operations in cases of electronic fraud, money laundering, financial crimes, criminal organizations, and even investigations involving violence and crimes against life. More than just accessing data, forensic work requires methodology, preservation of the chain of custody, and technical capacity to transform information into valid evidence in the judicial context. The report reinforces a point that is already part of the reality of modern investigations: practically all human activity leaves digital traces, and understanding these traces has become essential for the production of evidence and for the advancement of investigations. Watch the full report by clicking here.
