Digital Forensics
The proper investigation and preservation of digital evidence and the maintenance of its integrity is vital to making cases that stand up to judicial challenges.
Like other evidence, there must be a protocol to establish how digital data is documented, collected, and preserved. Special tools must be utilized to extract information from the device on which it is stored without compromising its integrity. In addition, digtial evidence, like other evidence found at the scene, will usually require review by an expert, so care must be taken to capture the information and package the device properly so the digital examiner has the highest probability of gathering all of the potential evidence present.
Noting that digital devices may contain latent, trace, or biological evidence, the investigator should thoroughly document and preserve this potential evidence for processing before the digital evidence imaging has been done.