Crime Fighters Go High-Tech with $50K Donation of Digital Forensics Kit

Modern-day law enforcement relies heavily on technology, and this week, local crimefighters got a new batch of toys and gadgets that will help them collect, store, and protect digital evidence, thanks to a Santa Barbara–based company that is pushing the needle with high-tech investigative equipment.

MOS equipment, also known as “Mission Darkness,” was founded in 2015 by CEO Ryan Judy, who has lived in Santa Barbara for the past 20 years and has helped grow the company to provide digital forensics equipment like faraday bags and radio-frequency-shielded lockers to law enforcement agencies across the world. The company now operates out of an office on Ortega Street and warehouse in Goleta, where MOS distributes its equipment to agencies such as the U.S Department of Justice and Secret Service.

This year, Judy wanted to start a new tradition of donating digital tools to local crime fighters, so MOS invited the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, Santa Maria Police Department, Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office, and Ventura County District Attorney’s Office to Mission Darkness headquarters on January 10 to receive more than $50,000 worth of high-end gear for their respective departments. MOS presented each office with an $11,000 kit featuring faraday bags, a “blocker locker,” and battery kits that will help bring them into the new age of digital forensics.

“Our mission is to support our crime fighters,” Judy said. “You are the unsung heroes that work behind the scenes.”

“Today, as we provide digital forensics equipment to law enforcement in the tri counties, we’re acknowledging the vital contribution of forensic investigators and detectives,” he continued. “Their expertise, often operating behind the scenes, plays a key role in ensuring our community’s safety. This donation is our commitment to supporting and reinforcing their essential work in crime fighting.”

Jeff Ellis, an investigator with the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office, said that digital evidence is now part of almost every criminal investigation, and new tools like the ones provided by MOS Equipment help investigators meet some of the newest challenges. Now, for instance, when an arrest is made, it’s highly likely that data on a suspect’s mobile phone can directly link them to the crime. And with phones faster and more powerful than ever, more data is being stored and recovered from each device. “Everything is so powerful,” Ellis said. There are terabyte phones now with enormous amounts of data.

But recovering that data can be tricky. Suspects have been known to remote wipe their data before law enforcement has a chance to scrub for evidence. Other times, a battery can be drained before a phone is cracked, leaving the device locked and even more difficult to access.

With MOS Equipment tools, such as faraday bags, law enforcement can rest easy knowing that evidence is safe from risks such as remote hacking, tracking, and unauthorized access. Visit the MOS website for a full slate of products, including faraday baby blankets, car tents, and laptop bags.