Contributor: Stephanie Fikisz
Involving SMI Aware early in your case ensures you secure the digital evidence you need to support your legal strategy.
In today’s digital world, early case involvement is critical. About 90% of Americans actively use social media, and on average, they post to 8.5 different platforms. An abundance of information is available online — but capturing it requires both timeliness and skill. If you wait too long, key evidence could disappear.
Why Early Collection Matters
The earlier you act, the better your chances of preserving critical online evidence. Once a subject suspects their social media or online activity could be used against them, they may delete profiles or adjust privacy settings.
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Deleted accounts are often gone permanently.
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Private profiles require lengthy judicial approval to access.
By acting quickly, you can gather evidence discreetly and ethically without tipping off your subject.
Why You Need Skilled Investigators
Contrary to popular belief, finding reliable online evidence isn’t as simple as typing a name into a search bar. In fact, DIY searches can be:
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Inefficient – Missing key evidence.
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Risky – Accidentally alerting the subject or breaching ethical rules.
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Incomplete – Many users hide behind aliases or post anonymously in groups.
And when timing is critical, you need an expert to act right away. At SMI Aware, we employ expert analysts and train them to perform scope-driven, open-source investigations. Not only that, but our analysts have a deep understanding for finding public information hiding in plain site. Using proprietary software and advanced techniques, we locate:
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Public social media profiles
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Deep web data
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Public records
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Connections between accounts
Also, our proven process ensures secure, discreet, and ethical evidence collection.
How SMI Aware Protects Your Case
Involving SMI Aware early in your case protects the integrity of your case:
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We follow strict ethical and legal standards.
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We track and secure all evidence defensibly.
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We maintain a consistent, repeatable process for court admissibility.
Start Early with SMI Aware
Like physical evidence, open-source intelligence requires secure tools, accurate tracking, and ethical compliance.
Don’t risk losing valuable digital evidence. Involve SMI Aware early in your case to secure, protect, and preserve the online information that can make a difference.
Contact SMI Aware today to learn how we can help strengthen your case from the start.
Without proper handling, online evidence risks being challenged – or even thrown out – in court. With SMI Aware, you have a trusted partner ensuring evidence is collected properly from the start.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I involve SMI Aware early in my case?
Involving SMI Aware early ensures that critical online evidence is collected before it disappears. Acting quickly protects your case and strengthens your legal strategy.
What happens if social media profiles are deleted before I investigate?
If a subject deletes or hides their profiles, that information could be lost forever. Early action allows SMI Aware to capture and preserve data ethically and defensibly before it has a chance to disappear.
How does SMI Aware collect evidence securely?
SMI Aware uses certified analysts, proprietary software, and strict ethical guidelines to collect and preserve open-source intelligence without alerting the subject. Because of this, our process is repeatable and scalable for every case.
Is online evidence collected by SMI Aware admissible in court?
Yes. Our investigations follow consistent, defensible processes that comply with federal rules of evidence. Without this, evidence may not hold up in court.
