Digital forensics: Meeting the challenges of scientific evidence

Abstract

This paper explores three admissibility considerations for scientific evidence currently engaged in U.S. courts: reliability, peer review and acceptance within the relevant community. Any tool used in a computer forensic investigation may be compared against these considerations, and if found wanting, evidence derived using the tool may be restricted. The ability to demonstrate the reliability and validity of computer forensic tools based on scientific theory is an important requirement for digital evidence to be admissible. A trusted third party certification model is discussed as an approach for addressing this issue. © 2006 International Federation for Information Processing.