However compelling a piece of digital evidence seems, it is only as credible as the account of how it was obtained, stored and handled. The chain of custody, an unbroken, documented record from collection onward, is what allows evidence to be trusted and relied upon.
What the chain of custody records
- Who collected the evidence, when and how
- Everyone who handled it and why
- How it was stored and protected from alteration
- Every step, documented and verifiable
Why integrity matters so much
If it cannot be shown that evidence was not altered, its value collapses, however significant it might be. Maintaining and proving integrity, through careful handling and tamper-evident records, is therefore central to the whole forensic process.
Discipline from the first moment
The chain of custody begins the instant evidence is identified, not later. Sound procedure from that first moment, applied consistently, is what keeps evidence admissible and credible through to the end of an investigation.
Capabilities are shared confidentially, with authorised organisations only.