Building a Digital Forensic Laboratory

Chapter 9. Legislation, Regulation, and Standards

Introduction

This chapter will look at a range of international, national, and local legislation and regulations that must be addressed if the laboratory is to fulfill its role and be credible and efficient. The chapter will also look at issues such as data protection and human rights laws and the impact these may have on the resources and methods used to carry out investigations.

The Doctrine of Documentary Evidence

Arguably, the most important area for the manager of a digital forensics laboratory is the maintenance of the integrity and continuity of the evidential chain, sometimes called the chain of custody. If this is not maintained, or if it is compromised, then any evidence produced may ...