Patent ID: 8464057

Claim:
In a data communications network including a server, client device, and target device, a method for remotely conducting forensic investigations of the target device, the method comprising: authenticating the client device by the server; establishing secure communication between the server and the client device over the data communications network; receiving from the client device over the data communications network, a request for conducting an investigation of the target device; establishing secure communication between the server and the target device over the data communications network; providing by the server to the client device, over the data communications network, data for conducting the forensic investigation of the target device in response to the request for conducting the investigation; establishing secure communication between the client device and the target device over the data communications network in response to the data provided by the server; generating and encrypting by the client device an investigation command; transmitting the encrypted investigation command to the target device over the data communications network; generating and encrypting by the target device an output responsive to the investigation command; and transmitting the encrypted output by the target device to the client device via the secure communication established between the client device and the target device, wherein the transmitting of the encrypted output by the target device to the client device bypasses the server.