If the crime being investigated is identity theft, then the first thing the investigator should be looking for is __________.

In the context of investigating identity theft, the primary focus is on how the perpetrator gained unauthorized access to sensitive personal information. Spyware is malicious software designed to infiltrate systems and collect personal data without the user's knowledge. It is often used by cybercriminals to monitor a victim’s activities, capture keystrokes, and harvest sensitive information such as passwords, credit card numbers, and Social Security numbers.

When dealing with identity theft, identifying the presence of spyware on the victim's machine becomes paramount because it can provide direct evidence of how the identity thief accessed the victim's information. By detecting and analyzing spyware, investigators can uncover tactics used by the thief and perhaps even trace the origin of the spyware to a particular attack or malware distribution method, leading to further insights into the crime.

While other options like logic bombs, stolen files, or SQL injection attacks may have relevance in broader cybersecurity incidents, they do not directly correlate to the immediate concerns of investigating identity theft in this specific context. This is why focusing on spyware is particularly pertinent in identifying the sources and methods behind identity theft.