Digital forensics is the practice of finding digital evidence on computing devices, in a manner presentable to court as evidence. Clients can rest assured that the discovery and analysis are performed in a forensically sound manner, even if the digital evidence does not go to court. Additionally, the evidence can be court-ready at a moment’s notice, should the client ever request it. Digital evidence potentially exists everywhere – examples include cell phones, tablets (such as iPads), laptops, workstations, servers, external hard drives, USB thumb drives, GPS devices, and nearly any device capable of storing digital data. The practice of digital forensics is structured so evidence can be located methodically, secured, imaged, authenticated, analyzed and presented to the client.
In many countries, including the United States and Canada, digital evidence is now equivalent to what was once deemed “traditional evidence” or physical evidence. This digital evidence can help corroborate a plaintiff or defendant’s claim of guilt or innocence, potentially tipping the scales of justice. The primary concern for the digital forensics professional is the emphasis on providing clients with evidence that is deemed authentic and admissible to the court. Through methodology and technical solutions, such a claim can be made.
References:
U.S. Federal Rules of Evidence
Canada Evidence Act