Forensic technology services

The KPMG forensic technology team leads and supports various forensic-based digital investigations. These include fraud, information leakage, cyber-attacks, malware incidents, unauthorized access and fraudulent accounting, among others. Digital forensics involves the securing, documentation and analysis of digital evidence from electronic devices and networks that can be presented in formal proceedings. This includes, but is not limited to laptops, workstations, servers, mobile devices, fax, printing machines and network traffic – in other words, all digitally-stored data. 

KPMG can assist with detecting and responding to internal and external cyber incidents by providing immediate response services. KPMG cybercrime professionals have experience in investigations, digital forensics and recovery, which can help organizations secure evidence, understand the context of the incident, mitigate risks and support internal, legal and/or law enforcement inquiries.

A fundamental problem faced by many companies is how to protect confidential data from theft and unauthorized access. Over time, the flow of proprietary, sensitive and confidential data has become very fluid, and information is frequently in transit. Working with clients, our insider threat assessment seeks to improve the level of cybersecurity and a business’s ability to respond to insider threats. We also help identify where the organization is exposed to insider threats and determine other potential risks. 

When an employee’s period of service is over, do they intend to leave with more than their personal effects? KPMG’s cyber investigation team can forensically image and analyze an employee’s business-related devices (laptops, file share folders, server mailboxes, external computer storage media, mobile phones, etc.) and provide a report detailing areas of concern for employers to review. The goal is to provide peace of mind in situations which could have financial, legal or reputational implications.

Is your firm prepared to respond to a cybercrime incident? Formulating a strategy involves more than preparing to react and requires support beyond an organization’s IT team. Proactive planning and inculcating efficient, effective and repeatable response mechanisms can enable businesses to protect critical assets. This includes preparing for evolving scenarios, as well as eradicating and recovering from complex threats and incidents. KPMG provides a cybercrime gap and impact assessment that helps our clients develop incident response, discovery and forensic data readiness capabilities so they are prepared to react to a crisis and emerge stronger.

The financial sector is one of the most highly regulated industries in the world. Clients in this space have unique data needs and concerns when considering:

• Mergers and acquisitions
• Restructuring activities
• Fraud and misconduct
• Regulatory demands

KPMG’s forensic technology services provide solutions to efficiently support our financial sector clients’ activities.

When facing pressure to identify, collect, review and disclose data quickly and effectively, perhaps to a regulator or in a dispute, KPMG’s eDiscovery team can assist. Our powerful tools can index, search and analyze large volumes of unstructured data such as emails, chats and documents, in multiple languages including Arabic and English. A client’s data is securely hosted locally and can support cross-border disputes, investigations or international litigation. We produce documents at a standard acceptable in a court of law.

KPMG offers data collection services across a wide range of data sources and devices. Our teams use industry standard forensic software and hardware to improve drive acquisition speed. Our services also utilize multiple options for write blocking to help maintain the integrity and authenticity of data for each collection. Our forensic professionals abide by the Association of UK Chief Police Officers (ACPO) guidelines for computer-based evidence, which includes the industry standard chain of custody (CoC) guidelines. The collection methodologies and CoC documentation are designed to meet requirements for acceptance in formal proceedings.

KPMG offers a cost-effective means to support review of email or documents with our small matter document hosting solution. With set costs, based on the size of the data provided, you can have a team of up to three users able to search, review and capture comments on your case data within 48 hours. The documents are safely stored in our secure data center in Dubai, and accessible from anywhere using multi-factor authentication.

Our dedicated document review team provides timely and efficient document review services in the most complex of cases, in Arabic and English. Our team includes qualified accountants and experienced investigators with extensive experience working in the Middle East and with international law firms.

KPMG has extensive experience providing expert witness services as part of litigation or dispute resolution across industries. Law firms use our expert witness services to evaluate the quantum of a particular claim and also to provide evidence in liability cases involving alleged or audit neglect. KPMG’s expert witnesses are effective at multiple stages of a dispute, from counselling clients in the introductory phases to delivering evidence for a court or tribunal.

A crucial part of litigation is the eDiscovery process, whereby each party delivers pertinent evidence to involved parties. Old-style eDiscovery presents a danger to litigants, and, if ineffectively managed, may impact the success and cost of the process. Electronic eDiscovery presents an opportunity for litigants to maximize their evidential and tactical lead. KPMG eDiscovery services are designed to manage bulk data during investigations – whether accessible in electronic format or in hard copy – as well as efficiently managing technical aspects. Our services include forensic collection, handling, retention and analysis of data with specialized tools and methodologies, in order to find intelligence and evidence applicable to the investigation.