Media Forensics In India

Digital Forensics Solutions in India are assuming importance. Whether it is the Corporate World or Government Departments or Legal and Judicial Fraternity, the use of Digital Forensics is increasingly advocated for various purposes in India. However, India has still to cover a long gap before Digital Forensics can be effectively used for various purposes.

Today, Forensics field in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) related issues has developed many “Specialised Segments” like Digital Forensics, Cyber Forensics, Computer Forensics, Networking Forensics, Media Forensics, etc. These independent and specilaised segments have yet to be incorporated into Indian Laws and Judicial and Legal Proceedings.

Traditionally, Indian courts have dealt with digital or mechanical Evidence in the form of Tape Recorded or Video Evidences. This field has now transformed as Audio/Video Forensics and Media Forensics in India. Now the issue is no more just proving the “Admissibility” of such Tape/Video Recorded Evidence but their proving as a “Scientific Evidence” that requires additional efforts and expertise. Expert Opinions are now sought for matters of Audio and Video Evidences through their “Forensics Analysis”.

Even the Law Firms are now considering issues pertaining to Cyber Law, Cyber Security, Cyber Forensics, etc as potential source of legal assignments. This has changed the very equation of these Techno Legal fields and Law Firms are now playing an active role in the Development of Techno Legal Field.

The process of Media Forensics generally involves the following steps:

(1) Establishing the Legality of Audio/Video Recorded Evidence as per the Law of a Nation,

(2) Authentication and Certification of the Digital Evidence acquired by such Media, and

(3) Admissibility of such Digital Evidence in Courts.

It is very important to maintain a “Chain of Custody” and “Proper Documentation” of the Acquisition of such Digital Evidence and a Media Forensics Professionals must ensure that the Evidence Acquired by him is “Admissible” in a Court of Law.

Sooner or later Media Forensics would become an indispensable part of the Judicial Proceeding in India and establishing “Best Practices” in this regard is a sensible option. Perry4Law Techno Legal Base (PTLB) would come up with the “Best Practices” in this regard very soon.