Patent Document ID: 8417776
Application ID: 12197890
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. An automated method of collecting and preserving evidence developed during an on-line investigation of a suspect, the method comprising: with an online investigation and evidence collecting and preserving system: automated storing of evidence gathered on-line by an online investigator while investigating the suspect on-line; automated storing of files shared by the on-line investigator, a record of web pages accessed by the on-line investigator, and other data indicative of activities performed by the on-line investigator in the course of gathering evidence on-line; automatically obtaining a time stamp from an external source, wherein the time stamp is indicative of when the on-line investigator gathered the evidence on-line; automatically encoding the data indicative of activities performed by the on-line investigator in the course of gathering the evidence on-line and the evidence gathered on-line by the on-line investigator with the time stamp from the external source; and automatically generating a report that sets forth the data indicative of activities performed by the on-line investigator in the course of gathering the evidence on-line and the evidence gathered on-line by the on-line investigator and demonstrates the authenticity of the data indicative of activities performed by the on-line investigator in the course of gathering the evidence on-line and the evidence gathered on-line by the on-line investigator by reference to the time stamp from the external source.