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Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau (CSTCB) has launched Project X-Swift in Kowloon West (KW) since January. The project enables frontline investigating officers to swiftly extract digital evidence from seized computers and removable storage devices, enhancing the officers’ capabilities to investigate and handle digital evidence. On January 27, a train-the-trainer workshop was conducted to brief 18 investigating officers from KW and other divisions, as well as members of Technology Crime Investigation and Response Cadre, on the standard operational procedures of X-Swift. Packages of the software have already been distributed to the districts in KW for trained investigating officers to use. It is expected that the project will be implemented Force-wide in the fourth quarter of this year.
In 2021, CSTCB collaborated with an internationally-renowned digital forensics company to develop a simplistic digital file searching programme and named it X-Swift. It is specially designed for non-technical investigating officers to quick-search, preview specific digital files (photos, videos or documents) from Windows-based computers or removable storage devices and instantly extract those relevant files as evidence for investigation or prosecution. Since then, the investigators can directly handle cases involving simple digital devices without the need to seek digital forensic examination service from CSTCB.
CSTCB launched a five-month pilot scheme between August and December in 2022. Digital forensics team of CSTCB identified suitable cases to be handled with X-Swift and directly coached the investigating officers on the operation of X-Swift. The time required for handling digital devices was significantly reduced from a few months to a few days, with the process of handling cases involving digital devices expedited greatly.
To support the Force’s Strategic Direction of “Embracing the use of technology for policing in the digital age”, CSTCB has been keeping abreast of the times to enhance the digital investigation capability of police officers in different areas, including software development, training on tool application and streamlining the procedures for capturing digital evidence, to cope with the ever-changing technology crimes.
