Digging deep: Digital forensics investigator tracks down data

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After selling a business that he ran successfully for 30 years, Rob Namowicz figured it was time to pursue a personal interest.

After working with a friend who owned a surveillance company that partnered with insurance companies, he decided to launch his own investigation business, but with a twist. He would focus on digital forensics and surveillance.

“I took a passion of mine and went for it,” said Namowicz, owner of Spindletop Investigations in Milwaukee. “I spent a lot of time studying and training and also investigating in technology before opening my business. I knew I needed something special to set me apart from other investigators and the digital work is definitely it.”

A certified computer examiner, Namowicz focuses on getting information and data off of digital devices, whether it’s a phone, tablet or laptop.

“With all the time we spend on our electronic devices, there’s a lot of information in there that can be used in investigations,” he said. “A forensic data search is necessary in a lot of lawsuits and investigations. It’s something that can’t be ignored.”

And despite hitting that delete button, information is “never really deleted,” Namowicz said. “With the right equipment, the right software and right training, you can get at it.”

Namowicz works with businesses, law firms and individuals. He said it’s rare to not find answers to his clients’ questions.

“With physical surveillance work, it’s hit or miss, but if you can get someone’s phone, you can pretty much get the answers you’re looking for,” he said. “What I uncover can be used in the courtroom; it’s all done to that specification.”

Getting into someone’s phone is exactly what the U.S. government wants to do in the San Bernadino, Calif., domestic terrorist case. Namowicz, who said he has accessed 50 to 60 iPhone 6s during his work and has yet to run across user encryption, is carefully watching the case between Apple and the FBI to see if the government will be allowed to hack into Syed Farook’s iPhone. He and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, killed 14 people during a Dec. 2 attack that was at least partly inspired by an Islamic State group. The couple died later in a gun battle with police.

“I don’t believe Apple would have an issue unlocking the phone and turning it back over,” he said. “I think the NSA wants the technology. The other underlying issue is what would constitute breaking into a phone and who gets to decide what those parameters are. So my opinion is that it’s not about this single phone, but about the bigger picture.”

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Wisconsin Law Journal: What makes your work important to you?
Rob Namowicz: It is always important for the aggrieved party to have all the answers so they may make an informed decision. Whether it is for personal or business, getting to the truth is rewarding.

WLJ: Do you have a hero in the legal field?
Namowicz: Tom Shannon of Fox, O’Neill & Shannon is always looking after his clients’ best interest and does not let anything get by him; aggressive and never intimidated.

WLJ: What do you do outside of work to deal with stress from the office?
Namowicz: Vacation, sports and travel to see the grandkids.

WLJ: What’s one thing many people get wrong about what you do?
Namowicz: Digital forensics is not like TV shows, we can’t just remotely hook into your home computer and blow it up. We cannot gather information in the ‘cloud’ from your partners’ cellphone. The practice of digital forensics requires us to have the digital device for a short period of time to make a forensic copy of the device.

WLJ: Do you have a favorite case or one that stands out to you?
Namowicz: I have many cases, but the ones that are satisfying are when I uncover unknown data. One that stands out is a former employee turned in his laptop, but not before researching how to factory reset the Apple laptop and then performing the reset. I was able to retrieve over 10,000 emails, and then using my forensic indexing I was able to pinpoint the 19 emails that the client wanted between the former employee and a customer in a matter of minutes versus having to look through all 10,000 emails. I was also able to provide the date and time that the employee Googled ‘factory resetting a laptop’ and found many Internet artifacts of questionable nature during working hours.