Air Your Dirty Laundry… Or Hide a Crime in It?

Date: 2025-03-19

Difficulty: N/A

Delivered By: Sarah Morris

Overview

Professor Sarah Morris had dealt with all sorts of digital evidence in her time ... misbehaving hard drives, phones with secrets, even a car that thought it was smarter than it was. But she had never expected to find herself interrogating a washing machine.

This was no ordinary appliance. This was a machine with an alibi. Someone had tried to wash away the truth, using logs and time stamps to spin a perfect excuse. It might have worked, too ... if they hadn’t reckoned with a forensic investigator who knew exactly where to look.

Last year, Sarah Morris took Cyber Society on a whirlwind tour of digital forensics. This time, she’s focusing on one unforgettable case, full of deception, digital trickery, and the surprising ways everyday technology can betray its owner. Some details have been politely scrubbed for security reasons, but expect anti-forensic mischief, questionable decisions, and an investigation involving crime, bodily fluids, and dangerous behaviour. Consider yourself warned.