2024 Data Analytics for Law Enforcement Survey Report 10 Most Challenging Data Sources for Law Enforcement Investigations Given that data diversity and complexity tend to impede law enforcement investigations, we asked respondents which data sources they find most challenging to analyze in their intelligence operations and investigations. Their responses confirmed that the most challenging data sources to analyze are primarily unstructured, and include financial records (34%), external databases and cyber data (33% each), and digital forensics and crypto data (31% each). Notably, the fact that all the data source options provided for the respondents to select were mentioned by at least a quarter and in some cases a third of them, suggests that they are all challenging for law enforcement analysts at least on some level, especially if they have to be analyzed manually. Figure 4: Most Challenging Data Sources for Law Enforcement Investigations *Question allowed more than one answer and as a result, percentages will add up to more than 100% 34% 33% 33% 31% 31% 29% 24% 24% 24% 21% Financial records External databases Cyber data Crypto data Digital forensics Communication records CCTV feed/files Social media content Geospatial data Written reports