At its core, the system is a platform of application modules that manage tasks such as surveillance, data collection, pattern analysis and secure storage of digital evidence. A transparent "chameleon" client sits on the machines of key staffers, reporting back to a central command console as directed. Data is collected and analyzed on a central authentication server, while suspicious files—whether a single directory or an entire desktop image—can be saved to a dedicated storage area network. Proven pattern analysis and profiling algorithms drive the system's detective work—for example, red-flagging a user's sudden spike in the copying of sensitive files or noting modifications to an accounting application's log files.

Plan to use an outside consultant and systems integrator to do most of the project work, and hire a dedicated, independent firm or staffer to manage the system. After all, dependence on internal I.T. staff is among the biggest risk factors in corporate fraud, says Amber Schroader, CEO of Paraben Corp., a supplier of digital forensics hardware and software solutions based in Pleasant Grove, Utah.

A project bonus: Besides preventing costly losses before they happen, a digital detection system can also help meet today's more stringent corporate control and compliance demands by demonstrating an active effort to anticipate problems before they occur.