Accrediting digital forensics: What are the choices?

There are three apparent competing routes to providing re-assurance about the quality of digital forensics work: accredit the individual expert, accredit the laboratory and its processes, let the courts test via its procedures. The strengths and weaknesses of each are discussed against the variety of activities within forensic science. The particular problems of digital forensics, including its complexity and rate of change, are reviewed. It is argued that formal standards may not always be practical or value for money compared with advisory good practice guides. Crown Copyright (C) 2018 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.