Patent ID: 8892735

Claim:
In a data communications network including a server, an examining device, and a target device, a method for conducting forensic investigations of the target device over the data communications network, the method comprising: periodically receiving, by the server, from the target device, a request for connection, the request including identification information for the target device; establishing connection, by the server, with the target device, in response to the request; comparing, by the server, in response to establishing the connection with the target device, the identification information received from the target device with stored identification information for determining whether a request to investigate the target device is pending from the examining device; and providing data, by the server, for establishing a secure communication link between the examining device and the target device in response to a match of the identification information received from the target device with the stored identification information, the examining device being configured to receive an output from the target device via the secure communication link, wherein the request for connection is transmitted by the target device if the target device has not satisfied a maximum number of consecutive attempts to connect to the server without establishing the connection, and the request for connection is transmitted by the target device if the target device has not satisfied a maximum number of consecutive times a connection is made with the server without also connecting to the examining device.