Preview

Theory and Practice of Forensic Science

Advanced search

Criminalistic and Forensic Support for Investigation of Attacks on Digital Profile of an Individual

https://doi.org/10.30764/1819-2785-2026-2-101-109

Abstract

The article considers the issue of ensuring proper protection of a citizen’s digital profile, which is becoming increasingly important due to significant growth in number of unlawful acts committed using other people’s personal data. First of all these are the mercenary crimes theft, fraud, embezzlement of other people’s property. In addition stolen personal data of citizens are often used to conceal information about the identity of perpetrators of terrorist acts and other particularly serious crimes.

The author highlights the need to improve forensic support for the investigation (including judicial) of criminal cases under Article 272.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation in order to effectively identify and investigate criminal offences against other people’s personal data. As part of this improvement, the author proposes the development of forensic characteristics, technical-criminalistic and tactical-forensic support. The issues of appointment and performance of relevant forensic examinations are also considered.

About the Author

R. V. Sorokina
Russian Satellite Communications Company; Moscow State Institute of International Relations (University) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
Russian Federation

Sorokina Radika Valeryevna - Russian Satellite Communications Company; Directorate Deputy Director, Academic Degree Applicant of the MGIMO University, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia

Moscow 109004, Moscow 119454



References

1. Elin V.M., Zharova A.K. On the Allocation of Information Objects into an Independent Category of Crime Objects. Proceedings of the Institute of State and Law of the Russian Academy of Sciences. 2009. No. 5. P. 205–229. (In Russ.).

2. Zharova A.K. Issues of Ensuring the Security of a Person’s Digital Profile. Jurist. 2020. No. 3. P. 55–61. (In Russ.).

3. Zaitsev O.A., Pastukhov P.S. Digital Personal Profile as an Element of the Information and Technological Strategy of Crime Investigation. Bulletin of Perm University. Legal Sciences. 2022. No. 56. P. 281–308. (In Russ.).

4. Breckenridge K., Szreter S. (ed.). Registration and Recognition. Documenting the Person in World History. Oxford University Press, 2012. 532 p.

5. Khokhlova E.V. On the Features of Personal Data as the Subject and Means of Committing Crimes. Criminal Policy and Culture of Crime Prevention: Collection of Scientific Articles of the International Scientific and Practical Conference (Krasnodar, September 30, 2022). Krasnodar: Izd-vo Krasnodar. un-ta MVD Rossii, 2022. P. 423–432. (In Russ.).

6. Kiselev A.S., Gorbunova K.A. Features of the Forensic Characteristics of Crimes in the Sphere of Computer Information. Actual Problems of State and Law. 2023. Vol. 7. No. 3. P. 370–378. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.20310/2587-9340-2023-7-3-370-378

7. Zhizhina M.V., Zavyalova D.V. Personality of the Subject of Crimes in the field of Electronically Stored Information as a System Forming Element of Forensic Characteristics (Based on Russian and Foreign Sources). Current Problems of Russian Law. 2022. Vol. 17. No. 5. P. 149–158. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.17803/1994-1471.2022.138.5.149-158

8. Usov A.I., Khaziev Sh.N., Shtokhov A.N. Destruction of Digital Traces when Concealing a Crime as a Challenge to Forensic Science. Theory and Practice of Forensic Science. 2025. Vol. 20. No. 1. P. 11–22. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.30764/1819-2785-2025-1-11-22

9. Widhaningroem S., Widowaty Y. Digital Evidence Tracing in the Investigation of Identity Theft in the E-Commerce Era. Formosa Journal of Social Sciences. 2024. Vol. 3 No. 2. P. 287–300. https://doi.org/10.55927/fjss.v3i2.9797

10. Kondakov A.M., Kostyleva A.A. Digital Identity, Digital Self-Identification, Digital Profile: Problem Statement. Bulletin of Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia. Series: Informatization of Education. 2019. Vol. 16. No. 3. P. 207–218. (In Russ.). http://doi.org/10.22363/2312-8631-2019-16-3-207-218

11. Online Identity Theft. Paris: OECD Publishing, 2009. 137 p.

12. Anderson K.B., Durbin E., Salinger M.A. Identity Theft. Journal of Economic Perspectives. 2008. Vol. 22. No. 2. P. 171–192.

13. Archer N., Sproule S., Yuan Y., Guo K., Xiang J. Identity Theft and Fraud. Evaluating and Managing Risk. Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press, 2012.

14. Bartoli R. Identity Theft: A Comprehensive Guide to Prevention, Detection, and Recovery. Kindle Edition, 2026.

15. Identity Fraud Detection Playbook. Version 1.01.2026. 32 p. https://www.idmanagement.gov/playbooks/idfraud/

16. Zav’alova D.A. Current Capacities of Digital Forensics for Investigations of Different Types of Crime. Theory and Practice of Forensic Science. 2020. Vol. 15. No. 3. P. 89–97. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.30764/1819-2785-2020-3-89-97

17. A Digital Forensic Investigation of the Presence of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in Refurbished Hard Drives. Journal of Cybersecurity and Information Management. 2025. Vol. 15. No. 2. P. 244–259. https://doi.org/10.54216/JCIM.150219


Review

For citations:


Sorokina R.V. Criminalistic and Forensic Support for Investigation of Attacks on Digital Profile of an Individual. Theory and Practice of Forensic Science. 2026;21(2):101-109. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.30764/1819-2785-2026-2-101-109

Views: 185

JATS XML


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.


ISSN 1819-2785 (Print)
ISSN 2587-7275 (Online)