Most digital evidence produced in court is derived from artefacts the user cannot see. Prefetch files, shell bags, journal entries, message database identifiers, application caches, USB registry entries. Each is a fragment. Together they build a timeline that is very hard to fabricate.
Why examiners rely on them
- They record activity even when the user has cleared the visible record.
- They corroborate or contradict each other, which exposes tampering.
- They tie activity to accounts and devices with a specificity screenshots cannot match.
How they appear in a report
A well written report explains each artefact in ordinary language before relying on it. That is what allows a judge without a technical background to follow the reasoning and, if necessary, to prefer it to a competing account.