Hands typing on a laptop keyboard with a smartphone placed beside the laptop on the desk.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published Digital Investigation Techniques: A NIST Scientific Foundation Review. The draft report will be open for public comments through July 11, 2022.
The report reviews the methods that digital forensic experts use to analyze evidence from computers, mobile phones and other electronic devices.

According to a news release from NIST, the authors of the report examined peer-reviewed literature, documentation from software developers, test results on forensic tools, standards and best practices documents and other sources of information.

The news release also stated that the report discusses several challenges that digital forensic experts face, including the rapid pace of technological change, and recommends better methods for information-sharing among experts and a more structured approach to testing forensic tools.

NIST will host a webinar to discuss the draft report and its findings on June 1 from 1–3 p.m. EDT. For more information about the webinar and to register, visit www.nist.gov/news-events/events/2022/06/webinar-digital-investigation-techniques-nist-scientific-foundation.

Read the full news release on the report at www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2022/05/nist-publishes-review-digital-forensic-methods.

The Center for Statistics and Applications in Forensic Evidence (CSAFE), a NIST Center of Excellence, conducts research addressing the need for forensic tools and methods for digital evidence. Learn more about this research at forensicstats.org/digital-evidence.


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