Scientific underpinnings and background to standards and accreditation in digital forensics

With its use highlighted in many high profile court cases around the world, Digital forensics over the last decade has become an integral part of the modern legal system and corporate investigations. As the discipline grows and it use becomes widely accepted, there is a need to align it with traditional forensic sciences and move towards strengthening an accreditation regime for the discipline. This paper examines the origins of science and scientific method to form the core premises for establishing criteria to assess digital forensics as a science and hence justifying the basis for standards and accreditation.