REAL RESULTS FROM REAL DMV CLIENTS

Case Studies

Anonymized examples of digital forensics work performed for families and small businesses across Washington DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland. Many of these clients received onsite response in under 90 minutes.

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We routinely respond onsite within 60 minutes in core DMV for critical matters.
MOBILE FORENSICS • ARLINGTON, VA
Onsite in < 90 min
4,000+ messages recovered

Recovering Deleted Messages in a High-Conflict Divorce

A client in Arlington needed deleted WhatsApp and text message history from an iPhone for an ongoing custody matter. We performed an onsite advanced extraction and recovered over 4,000 messages that had been deleted months earlier. The evidence helped their attorney build a stronger case.

“I was terrified the data was gone forever. DMVForensics came to my house the same day and found everything.” — Client (Arlington, VA)
RANSOMWARE RECOVERY • BETHESDA, MD
Onsite in 90 min
98% data recovered — no ransom paid

Small Business Ransomware — Files Restored Without Paying

A small law firm in Bethesda was hit with ransomware that encrypted client files. We responded onsite within 90 minutes, created proper forensic images, and used advanced decryption techniques to recover 98% of their data without paying the ransom. We also helped them implement better backups.

“They saved our practice. We were back up and running in two days instead of weeks.” — Managing Partner
DATA RECOVERY • FAIRFAX, VA

Water-Damaged Laptop — Family Photos Saved

After a basement flood, a family in Fairfax had a laptop with 12 years of irreplaceable family photos and videos. The drive was heavily water-damaged. Using chip-off techniques in our mobile lab, we recovered over 40,000 photos and videos.

UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS • ROCKVILLE, MD

Stalkerware on a Teen's Phone — Full Forensic Audit

Parents in Rockville discovered their teenager's phone was compromised with stalkerware. We performed a full mobile forensic analysis onsite, identified the hidden app, preserved evidence of when it was installed and who had access, and provided a detailed report for potential law enforcement involvement.

EMPLOYEE MISCONDUCT • ALEXANDRIA, VA (Small Business)

Data Theft Investigation on Company Laptop

A small tech startup in Alexandria suspected an employee of stealing client data before leaving. We conducted an onsite computer forensics examination of the company laptop, recovered deleted USB transfer logs, email evidence, and browser history showing large file exfiltration. Our report was used in the subsequent legal action.

CLOUD ACCOUNT COMPROMISE • SILVER SPRING, MD (Home)

Unauthorized Access to Family Cloud Accounts & Financial Records

A family in Silver Spring discovered that someone had been accessing their iCloud and Google accounts for weeks, downloading years of family photos and viewing banking documents. We performed a coordinated onsite and remote forensic review, identified the exact devices and IP addresses used for unauthorized access, recovered deleted login history, and produced a timeline suitable for both the bank’s fraud department and local law enforcement in Montgomery County.

“They explained everything clearly and gave us exactly what the police and our bank needed.” — Homeowner, Silver Spring
POINT-OF-SALE BREACH • TYSONS, VA (Small Retail Business)

Payment Terminal Compromise at a Local Retailer

A small specialty retailer in Tysons Corner noticed unusual credit card chargebacks and suspected their POS system had been breached. We responded the same day, created forensic images of the terminals and backend server, identified malware that had been skimming card data for over two months, and documented the full scope of the compromise for the business’s cyber insurance claim and PCI compliance reporting.

ESTATE & PROBATE • WASHINGTON, DC (Family)

Recovering Locked Phone Data from a Deceased Parent

Siblings in Northwest DC needed access to their late father’s iPhone for estate administration and to locate important financial and medical records. The device was locked with an unknown passcode and had never been backed up to iCloud. We performed an advanced physical extraction in our mobile lab and recovered the majority of messages, photos, notes, and health data while maintaining full chain-of-custody documentation for the probate attorney.

“This gave us closure and the documents we needed to settle his affairs without months of delays.” — Family representative
UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS • WASHINGTON, DC (Government Contractor)

Suspected Insider Threat on a Cleared Contractor’s Laptop

A small government contracting firm in the District suspected an employee with clearance access had accessed and copied sensitive proposal documents before resignation. We conducted an onsite computer forensics examination, recovered deleted email drafts, USB activity logs, and cloud sync records. The findings supported an internal investigation and were shared (under proper protective order) with the client’s outside counsel.

“The speed and professionalism gave leadership confidence we could respond appropriately to our client agency.” — Principal, DC contractor
RANSOMWARE • ROCKVILLE, MD (Healthcare Practice)

Ransomware at a Small Medical Office — Patient Data Protected

A two-physician specialty practice in Rockville was hit with ransomware that encrypted their EHR-adjacent systems on a weekend. We responded within the hour, created full forensic images of the affected servers and workstations, confirmed no patient data had been exfiltrated, and assisted with safe restoration from verified backups. Our documentation helped the practice meet HIPAA breach assessment requirements without notification to patients.

“They treated our situation with the urgency and confidentiality our patients deserve.” — Office Manager, Rockville
FAMILY DISPUTE • ARLINGTON, VA (Home)

Recovering Communications from a Shared Family Computer

In a contentious estate matter, siblings in Arlington needed to locate communications and financial documents from a shared family desktop that had been used by the deceased for several years. We performed an onsite logical and file-carving extraction, recovered years of deleted emails, browser history, and spreadsheet versions that proved critical to equitable distribution discussions with the probate attorney.

“We finally had answers that helped the whole family move forward.” — Client, Arlington
BUSINESS EMAIL COMPROMISE • FALLS CHURCH, VA (Small Accounting Firm)

BEC Wire Fraud Attempt at a Local CPA Practice

A small accounting firm in Falls Church received an urgent email appearing to come from a long-time client requesting an immediate wire transfer for a real estate closing. The bookkeeper caught the slight domain mismatch. We responded the same afternoon, forensically imaged the Microsoft 365 mailboxes of the affected users, recovered the full original phishing thread and deleted follow-ups, traced the attacker’s login IPs, and produced a detailed report used for the firm’s cyber insurance claim and FBI IC3 filing. No funds were lost.

“Their report made the insurance process painless and gave us language we could share with worried clients.” — Managing Partner, Falls Church
STALKERWARE & DELETED EVIDENCE • BETHESDA, MD (Family)

Hidden Tracking Apps Discovered During High-Conflict Separation

A parent in Bethesda suspected their estranged spouse had installed monitoring software on a shared family iPad and the teenager’s phone. We performed onsite advanced extractions on both devices, identified two commercial stalkerware packages with remote access enabled, recovered deleted location logs and screenshots that had been taken of private messages, and preserved a full timeline of installation and access. The report was provided directly to the family law attorney for use in protective order and custody proceedings in Montgomery County.

“They found things we never would have seen and explained exactly how to keep the kids safe.” — Client, Bethesda
CREDENTIAL STUFFING & DATA ACCESS • ALEXANDRIA, VA (Home-Based E-commerce)

Unauthorized Access to Small Online Retailer’s Shopify & Email

A home-based seller in Alexandria operating a successful Etsy and Shopify store noticed unusual order cancellations and password reset emails. We conducted remote and onsite forensics on the owner’s laptop and phone, recovered browser artifacts showing credential stuffing attacks originating from overseas IPs, identified which customer records and financial details had been viewed, and created a timeline and export for the client’s cyber insurer and for notifying affected customers under Virginia data breach rules.

“I run my business from my house — they treated it with the same seriousness as a big company.” — Owner, Alexandria
BUSINESS EMAIL COMPROMISE • WASHINGTON, DC (Law Firm)
Onsite in 75 min
$0 lost • Full timeline recovered

BEC Wire Fraud Attempt at a Mid-Size Law Firm

A 25-attorney firm in downtown DC received a sophisticated spoofed email appearing to come from a long-time client requesting an urgent $187,000 wire for a real estate closing. The bookkeeper noticed a slight domain mismatch and called us immediately. We responded onsite within 75 minutes, forensically imaged the affected Microsoft 365 mailboxes and workstations, recovered the full original phishing thread and deleted follow-up messages, traced the attacker’s login IPs across three countries, and produced a detailed report used for the firm’s cyber insurance claim and FBI IC3 filing. No funds were lost.

“Their report made the insurance process painless and gave us language we could share with worried clients.” — Managing Partner, Washington DC
DELETED EVIDENCE • ROCKVILLE, MD (Family Law)
Onsite same day
2,800+ messages & photos recovered

Recovering Deleted Communications in a High-Asset Divorce

A spouse in Rockville needed deleted text messages, WhatsApp chats, and photos from an iPhone that had been factory reset by the other party during separation proceedings. We performed an advanced physical extraction in our mobile lab the same day, recovered over 2,800 messages and photos (many from 8+ months prior), and produced a fully documented report with hash verification that was admitted as evidence in Montgomery County Circuit Court.

“Without their work we would have walked into court with almost nothing. The report was bulletproof.” — Family Law Attorney, Rockville
RANSOMWARE • ROCKVILLE, MD (Healthcare Practice)
Onsite in 65 min
No patient data exfiltrated

Ransomware at a Small Medical Office — Patient Data Protected

A two-physician specialty practice in Rockville was hit with ransomware that encrypted their EHR-adjacent systems on a weekend. We responded within the hour, created full forensic images of the affected servers and workstations, confirmed no patient data had been exfiltrated, and assisted with safe restoration from verified backups. Our documentation helped the practice meet HIPAA breach assessment requirements without notification to patients.

“They treated our situation with the urgency and confidentiality our patients deserve.” — Office Manager, Rockville

Proper evidence handling from the first minute is what makes these outcomes possible.

Whether you are dealing with a family law matter, a small business incident, or a personal crisis, we document everything correctly so the evidence stands up.

Tell Us About Your Situation
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THE HUMAN SIDE OF THESE CASES

See what clients say

The same families and small businesses behind the anonymized case studies above share how the speed, clarity, and discretion helped them move forward.

I was terrified the data was gone forever. DMVForensics came to my house the same day and found everything. The report was exactly what my attorney needed for the custody case.
— Arlington, VA (High-conflict divorce / mobile forensics)
Family Law
They responded within 90 minutes, recovered 98% of our files without paying ransom, and helped us set up better protections. Worth every penny. Professional from the first call.
— Bethesda, MD (Small law firm / ransomware recovery)
Ransomware
Professional, discreet, and explained every finding in plain English. The report was exactly what our attorney needed. They treated our small business like it mattered.
— Alexandria, VA (Tech startup / employee data theft)
Business
They found things we never would have seen and explained exactly how to keep the kids safe. The timeline they created was critical for our protective order.
— Bethesda, MD (Stalkerware / family matter)
Family Law
Many of the steps in these case studies are detailed in our free guides. Read the exact “First Hour” playbooks we use with clients →
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