Investigation techniques have become more and more complex in recent years. In order to keep up with the latest technology (which is available to the bad guys as well as the good guys), good investigators will assess and update their investigative techniques. Let's take a look at some of the methods currently being used by trained professionals.

High-Tech Investigation Techniques

Several members of my family happen to be in the private investigation field, and it seems like every time I go home they have a different gadget to show me. One of the latest ones I saw was a tiny camera mounted inside a plain-looking videocassette box. The camera can be hooked up to a tiny battery-powered hard drive that also fits into the box, and can be placed on a bookshelf for surveillance purposes.

Investigation techniques have, in the past few years, become increasingly dependent on computers and computer networks. Since a lot of crime takes place specifically on the Internet--and since the Internet itself is such a great informational resource--many investigators have come to specialize in this particular field. They use the Internet to find missing persons, to do background checks, and to communicate with fellow investigators.

Some of the most well-paid (and hard to find) private investigators are those who specialize in computer investigation techniques, also called computer forensics. These people know how to find information on an erased hard drive, even one that has been burned or physically smashed. They are also very good at tracking hackers and other criminals who base their operations on the Internet.