A Code of Conduct for Computer Forensic Investigators

Abstract

The amount of electronic data that is held about individuals and their activities is
 staggering. Tools enabling data recovery, believed deleted, vary in consistency and
 reliability of result. Data under review can be fed into investigative tools which also
 vary immensely in reliability, consistency, quality and indeed price.
 Conclusions and inferences drawn from the use of these tools can be morally, socially
 and commercially damaging for the individuals or entities being investigated. Often not
 purely because of the lack of experience of the investigator, but also because of the
 simplistic operation of the toolsets.
 Whilst prescriptive guidelines exist in the public sector for the proper handling, analysis
 and reporting of computer evidence, little commercially independent professional
 guidance exists in the private sector. This lack of guidance has led to a position whereby
 actors in the field of data forensics have few challenges as to their expertise or
 experience. Recent cases of incompetence and crossing ethical and professional
 boundaries provide strong support for a National, preferably International certification
 and training scheme for data forensic analysts, supported by clear ethical codes.
 This research in light of the above challenges, provides examples of failures in
 extrapolation, operator understanding and tool use; argues a proposal for a code of
 conduct to ensure correct and repeatable process is followed; along with a suggested
 outline for the creation of the supervision of conformity to that code in the private
 sector. The current forensics community and academic research body of knowledge,
 supported by the extensive experience of the researcher have been the major inputs to
 the work. The outputs of this work are intended to form a solid base for the furtherance
 of the Computer Forensics profession, and as such will represent a significant
 contribution to the advancement and knowledge base of that profession.