Videogames could aid the criminal justice system

Videogames could prevent someone from doing hard time. Conversely, they can also be used to sink someones alibi. This is what a security consultant named Brandon Nesbit is going to talk about during the DEFCON security conference on August 1, 2010. Nesbit will be explaining how consoles such as the PS3 and the PC can be used to help investigators who are looking to close a case.

Since consoles are connected to the internet constantly, it gives authorities the ability to double check potential alibis.

“For example, if someone is trying to prove that Suspect A was running an attack against a World of Warcraft server, there will be logs to indicate that fact within World of Warcraft,” Nesbit explained. “Or if someone wants to defend themselves, they can say, ‘whoa Mr. Investigator…check those logs, I was playing Team Fortress 2 at the time.”

The authorities would use your PSN ID, Xbox Live gamertag or Steam handle for fact checking purposes. Obtaining the logs would most likely involve contacting the company that runs a particular gaming server.

In addition to online gaming logs, Nesbit says data stored on consoles can be used by a forensics investigator. The PS3 and Xbox 360 can be linked to a home network to playback music, photos or videos that are stored on other devices on that same network. Consoles are becoming the central hub of entertainment in homes around the world. Traditionally authorities will check for evidence on computers, often passing up videogame consoles.

This goes to show that as technology advances, the greater the chance your online actions can be used for, or against you.

Via [Security Watch] Read [Kotaku]