The Future of Digital Evidence - Proceedings of a Strategic Conversation

The ubiquitous nature of personal electronic devices and the essential part that digital data and information, both public and private plays in the lives of almost everyone means that all aspects of society, including maters of civil and criminal dispute, now have a digital element. This is set to dramatically increase in the coming years with 50 billion devices predicted to be connected through the Internet of Things by 2020. Digital data, information, transactions, functionality and access have little in common with the physical world and when it comes to securing, protecting and analysing digital evidence the application of conventional policing and investigative strategies are severely hampered if not simply not fit for purpose. This poses significant concerns to undertaking criminal investigations in an increasingly digital world.