The Need for Digital Evidence Standardisation

The Need for Digital Evidence Standardisation

Marthie Grobler
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-4006-1.ch016
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Abstract

Continuous developments in forensic processes and tools have aided in elevating the positioning of digital forensics within the legal system. The equally continuous developments in technology and electronic advances, however, are making it more difficult to match forensic processes and tools with the advanced technology. Therefore, it is necessary to create and maintain internationally accepted standards to control the use and application of digital forensic processes. This article addresses this need and touches on the motivation for such internationally recognised standards on digital evidence. It also looks at current work in and progress towards the establishment of digital evidence related documents addressing all phases of the digital forensic process.
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The Scope Of Digital Evidence

According to Garfinkle (2010), the Golden Age of digital forensics was the period from 1999 to 2007. Digital forensics was deemed as a mystical mechanism that could enable specialists to recover lost and deleted files and emails, find hidden information and give law enforcers insight into criminals’ minds at a push of a button. It was during this period that the emergence of the so-called CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) effect became widespread, mystifying many people with fancy gadgets and technical abilities that allowed digital evidence to be extracted in the process of fighting digital crime.

Traditionally, best practices for digital forensics was prevalent for doing investigations on machines running Microsoft Windows, searching for file formats such as Microsoft Office documents, JPEG, AVI, and WMV. Investigations were mostly restricted to a single, non-virtual computer system, and storage devices came with standard interfaces and were generally small enough to image during a single working day. Generally, best practices were accepted as the norm for digital forensics during this Golden Age. However, technological advances, changes in general business processes, and the modern tendency for over reliance on the Internet have changed the digital forensics playing field.

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