Peter Garza is a United States computer forensics

Computer forensics

Computer forensics is a branch of digital forensic science pertaining to legal evidence found in computers and digital storage media...

 expert and cybercrime

CyberCrime

CyberCrime was an innovative, weekly America television program on TechTV that focused on the dangers facing computer users. Filmed in San Francisco, California, the show was hosted by Alex Wellen and Jennifer London...

 investigator.

As a Special Agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service

Naval Criminal Investigative Service

The United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service is the primary security, counter-intelligence, counter-terrorism, and law enforcement agency of the United States Department of the Navy...

, Peter Garza conducted the first court-ordered Internet wiretap

Telephone tapping

Telephone tapping is the monitoring of telephone and Internet conversations by a third party, often by covert means. The wire tap received its name because, historically, the monitoring connection was an actual electrical tap on the telephone line...

 in the United States while investigating the Julio Cesar Ardita ("El Griton") hacking

Hacker (computer security)

In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...

 case. Ardita was charged by the U.S. Justice Department with using compromised user accounts at Harvard University

Harvard University

Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...

 to hack into government and university computer systems in the U.S. and abroad. Ardita pled guilty on May 19, 1998 in the United States District Court of Massachusetts to unlawfully intercepting electronic communications and damaging files on military computer systems.

Mr. Garza founded EvidentData, Inc., a private sector consulting firm specializing in computer forensics, electronic discovery

Electronic Discovery

Electronic discovery refers to discovery in civil litigation which deals with the exchange of information in electronic format . Usually a digital forensics analysis is performed to recover evidence...

, and expert consulting, in 1999. EvidentData was acquired by First Advantage which he left in 2009 to form Data Forté. Garza continues to be involved in many high-profile civil

Civil law (common law)

Civil law, as opposed to criminal law, is the branch of law dealing with disputes between individuals or organizations, in which compensation may be awarded to the victim...

 cases. He gave expert testimony regarding altered electronic documents in a case (Beckman Coulter Inc. v. Dovatron International Inc.) which resulted in a $934 million jury award and testified regarding critical deleted but recoverable data in a case (Steinberg, Moorad & Dunn, Inc. v. Dunn) brought by sports agent Leigh Steinberg

Leigh Steinberg

Leigh William Steinberg is an American sports agent and sports lawyer. His client list has included Steve Bartkowski, Steve Young, Troy Aikman, Warren Moon, Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas, Kordell Stewart, Jeff George, Ben Roethlisberger, Myron Rolle, Matt Leinart, Mark Brunell, Ricky Williams,...

 against former partner David Dunn which resulted in a $45 million jury award.

Peter Garza earned a Master of Science in Information Systems from Claremont Graduate University

Claremont Graduate University

Claremont Graduate University is a private, all-graduate research university located in Claremont, California, a city east of downtown Los Angeles...

 in 2001. He also developed and taught a graduate course in Computer Forensics at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, or Cal Poly Pomona, is a public university located in Pomona, California, United States...

.

External links

• Article regarding Ben Roethlisberger case
• Fortune Small Business article discussing Peter Garza's work
• Article regarding the Julio Cesar Ardita hacking case from Informit
  InformIT
  InformIT, a subsidiary of Pearson Education, is an online book vendor and an electronic publisher of technology and education content.InformIT.com is one of three flagship web sites of the Information Technology-focused Pearson Technology Group publishing imprints, and one of several sites in the...
  
  
• Department of Justice press release regarding first Internet wiretap
• Department of Justice press release regarding Julio Cesar Ardita guilty plea
• Article regarding Beckman Coulter Inc. v. Dovatron International Inc.
• Article regarding Steinberg, Moorad & Dunn, Inc. v. Dunn