Quality Assurance in Digital Forensic Investigations: Optimal Strategies and Emerging Innovations

Review Article

Austin J Forensic Sci Criminol. 2023; 10(2): 1097.

Quality Assurance in Digital Forensic Investigations: Optimal Strategies and Emerging Innovations

Anwaar Iftikhar*; Rida Farooq; Mehvish Mumtaz; Sana Hussain; Mubeen Akhtar; Muhammad Ali; Ghulam Zahara Jahngir

Centre for Applied Molecular Biology, University of Punjab, Lahore, Pakisthan

*Corresponding author: Anwaar Iftikhar Centre for Applied Molecular Biology, University of Punjab, Lahore, Pakisthan. Email: anwaariftikhar33@gmail.com

Received: August 17, 2023 Accepted: September 29, 2023 Published: October 06, 2023

Abstract

Digital forensic investigations are critical in modern law enforcement, cybersecurity, and legal proceedings. Ensuring digital evidence’s accuracy, integrity, and reliability is paramount in these contexts. This review article explores the challenges and best practices associated with quality control in digital forensic investigations and the emerging technologies that are reshaping the field.

The article begins by discussing the foundational concepts of quality control in digital forensics, emphasizing the need for standardized procedures, documentation, and validation techniques. It delves into the potential sources of errors and bias that can arise during the acquisition, preservation, analysis, and presentation of digital evidence. It highlights the importance of continuous monitoring and review to mitigate these risks.

The review article further examines the evolving landscape of digital forensic tools and technologies advancing quality control efforts. It covers advancements in data acquisition methods, including live forensics and memory analysis, and discusses the role of artificial intelligence and machine learning in automating quality control processes. The integration of Blockchain and cryptographic techniques for ensuring the integrity of digital evidence is also explored. In addition, the article addresses the challenges and opportunities presented by cloud computing, IoT devices, and the proliferation of digital data sources. It emphasizes adaptability and agility in quality control approaches to accommodate the changing digital landscape.

Through a comprehensive analysis of established practices and emerging technologies, this review article offers practitioners, researchers, and policymakers’ insights into enhancing the reliability and trustworthiness of digital forensic investigations. By adopting robust quality control measures and embracing innovative technologies, the digital forensics community can ensure its findings hold up to scrutiny in the courtroom and beyond.

Introduction

In today's technology-driven world, digital forensic investigations are fundamental, while digital evidence is significant in settling legal disputes and investigating crimes. Politt refers to the period before 1985 as pre-history and characterizes the history of Digital Forensics (DF) as brief yet complicated [1]. Individual computer enthusiasts inside law enforcement and government organizations began sharing the information that could be gleaned from the new personal computers at the beginning of the 1980s. The DF field was initially known as computer forensics for a long time. Exams were performed at desks and other available locations instead in a lab setting during the beginning of the discipline, which instead began in offices and basements [2]. The discipline gradually changed due to the Internet, data carriers, and several other technical advancements. The demand for precise and trustworthy digital forensic investigations increases as our reliance on digital devices rises. To safeguard the ideals of justice and preserve the integrity and admissibility of the evidence, it is crucial to provide quality control in these investigations [3]. Digital forensic techniques usually involve assessing the strategy, selecting the tool(s), doing quality checks, and producing reports. It is not inherently controversial to ensure that digital forensics, like all other types of forensic science, is supplied to the proper degree of quality for its usage in a CJS [4]. A good and thorough Digital Forensics (DF) process depends on the consecutive DF phases, each of which depends on the sequential DF procedures, which depend on the tasks and subtasks that make up each procedure. The Forensic Science Regulator, a government-funded organization operating inside the judicial system in the UK, was founded in 2007 [5]. In digital forensic investigations, quality control refers to the systematic steps and techniques to ensure that the investigation procedures, methods, and findings are accurate, dependable, and consistent. Standard operating protocols, evidence management and preservation, documentation, validation and verification, peer review, and ongoing professional development are all used in the strategy [6]. DF quality control measures will cover new and established technologies, such as remote storage, computing, imaging, image comparison, video processing and enhancement (including CCTV), audio analysis, satellite navigation, and communications systems [7].

The Forensic Science Regulator ensures that a suitable regime of scientific quality standards is applied to the delivery of forensic science services across the criminal justice system to obtain accurate and trustworthy outcomes in digital forensics. The reliability of digital evidence may substantially influence how criminal and civil cases are resolved and how regulations are enforced [8]. Adherence to strict quality control measures strengthens the admissibility of digital evidence in court. In legal systems, evidence must adhere to particular criteria to be acceptable. Digital forensic professionals may show the dependability, validity, and chain of custody of digital evidence by putting quality control procedures in place, increasing the likelihood that courts will accept it as evidence [9]. Organizations and regulatory organizations emphasize the necessity of quality control in digital forensic investigations, including the Scientific Working Group on Digital Evidence (SWGDE) and the International Organization on Computer Evidence (IOCE). To ensure that investigations are carried out fairly, impartially, and without prejudice, it aids in the establishment of a clear and transparent approach [10].

Organizations may increase the reliability and trustworthiness of their investigative practices by putting quality control systems in place. The validity of digital forensic investigations directly impacts public trust in the legal system. Strong quality control procedures show a dedication to responsibility and openness [11]. It promotes trust in law enforcement organizations, forensic experts, and the legal system when the public trusts the validity of digital evidence and the investigation process [12]. Quality control is crucial for digital forensic investigations to provide accurate, trustworthy, and defendable results. Practitioners can protect professional standards, improve the admissibility of digital evidence, and preserve the public's trust in the objectivity of the investigation process by applying strict quality control methods [13]. The value of following best practices, standardizing procedures, and the function of accreditation and certification organizations in assuring the calibre of digital forensic investigations. The influence of cloud computing, encryption technology and the difficulties of network-based investigations will all be explored as new quality control concerns [14]. This review paper examines the present level of quality control in digital forensic investigations to offer useful information to practitioners, academics, policymakers, and legal experts who work in digital forensics [15]. It emphasizes how crucial it is to put strict quality control procedures in place to guarantee the precision, dependability, and integrity of digital evidence and increase the legitimacy of digital forensic techniques in the judicial system [16]. This in-depth analysis of quality control in digital forensic investigations will help to illuminate the difficulties, ideal procedures, and developments in this important area [17]. This article aims to contribute to the continued development and standardization of digital forensic practices, eventually boosting the usefulness and reliability of digital evidence in judicial proceedings by fostering a complete awareness of quality control processes. The ongoing development and standardization of quality control procedures in digital forensics facilitate the effective and trustworthy use of digital evidence in judicial proceedings.

Historical Perspective of Digital Forensic Investigations

Computer forensics, often digital forensics, was initially introduced in 1970 [18]. The initial inquiry uses the suspect's computer to demonstrate the financial fraud. In 1996, there was a report of the first computer crime to go to court. Computer crimes are those in which computer use facilitates and is the primary cause of the offence [19]. In 1996 [20], the first computer crime to be prosecuted in Texas, USA, led to a 5-year sentence. With the rise in popularity of computers and the Internet in 1990, digital crimes involving computers began to increase. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, computer forensics emerged independently. According to CSI polls, about 46% of respondents were victims of cyber crimes of some form [21]. According to a 2010 Gallup survey, 11% of American adults become victims of online or computer-related crimes in their homes. This ratio is 6-8% higher than seven years ago. According to a poll by "The Australian Company Crime Survey" [22], financial theft and data breaches cost A$ 2,000,000 in 2006. According to a company crime survey, financial theft and data breaches cost Australia an estimated A$ 2,000,000 in lost income. With new digital technologies' introduction and increasing use for investigative purposes, the phrase "digital forensic" is now utilized - Figure 1.

Citation: Iftikhar A, Farooq R, Mumtaz M, Hussain S, Akhtar M, et al. Quality Assurance in Digital Forensic Investigations: Optimal Strategies and Emerging Innovations. Austin J Forensic Sci Criminol. 2023; 10(2): 1097.