Lack of Oversight and Credentialing Process for Digital Forensic Investigators

Abstract

Despite the phenomenal growth in the digital world and crimes committed using digital techniques and tools, there are literally no foundational requirements to perform digital forensic investigations. While there is a slew of private and mostly for-profit organizations that sell training and certifications in regard to digital forensic credentials, there seems to be nothing of the kind at the federal and state levels in the United States. To understand the gravity of this, consider if attorneys did not attend law schools and were not required to take the bar exam where they practice and instead could take some private certification from a nonprofit or for-profit organization and then practice law. This is the precise situation when it comes to digital forensics investigators.