An Overview of ISO/IEC Accreditation in the Field of Digital Forensics Karin Athanas A2LA 7th Annual Prescription for Criminal Justice Forensic Science Symposium June 3, 2016

Overview What is Accreditation? Is Accreditation available for digital forensics? Why choose Accreditation?

What is Accreditation? ‘ Independent evaluation of conformity assessment bodies against recognized standards to ensure their impartiality and competence to carry out specific activities, such as tests, calibrations, production of reference material, inspections and certifications.’

What is Accreditation? Certification Accreditation Registration Guarantee Product Specs Specific tasks ISO/IEC 17020:2012 Broad ISO 9001:2008

ILAC EA APLAC IAAC SADCA The International Picture ILACInternational Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation EAEuropean Cooperation for Accreditation APLACAsia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation IAACInter-American Accreditation Cooperation AFRACAfrican Regional Accreditation Cooperation SADCASouthern African Development Community Accreditation ILAC EA APLAC IAAC AFRAC ARAC ARAC Arab Accreditation Cooperation

Who “accredits” Accreditation Bodies? Evaluation team consists of experts from EA, APLAC, ILAC, IAAC  Peer evaluations - 4 year cycle Observed by US Government agencies Operates in accordance with  ISO/IEC  ILAC Requirements  Accreditation Body requirements

Accreditation Requirements Level I – ILAC Required Elements:  Applicable ISO/IEC standard(s) (e.g. ISO/EIC 17025, ISO/IEC 17020)  Applicable ILAC P-Series Requirements – P8 – Use of accredited symbol P9 – Participation in Proficiency Testing P10 – Traceability of Measurement Results

Accreditation Requirements Level II – Accreditation Body General Requirements  Proficiency testing requirements (ILAC P9)  Measurement traceability requirements (ILAC P10)  Advertising requirements (ILAC P8)  General Requirements

Accreditation Requirements Level III – Accreditation Body – Program Specific Requirements  Forensic Program requirements (ILAC G19 Modules in a Forensic Science Process) Testing Inspection (e.g. Crime Scene)

Accreditation Requirements Level IV – Regulatory or Customer Requirements  Regulatory examples: Maryland DHMH - COMAR, Title 10, Subtitle 51 Forensic Laboratories NDIS Procedures Board - FBI QAS  Customer requirements: internal procedures, policies, methodologies

Accreditation and Digital Forensics ILAC currently has 87 recognized accreditation bodies  51 organizations accredited to perform digital forensics 48 under an ISO/IEC program 2 under an ISO/IEC program

Accreditation Benefits... Applicants gain: Approval to offer services under government and trade programs where accreditation is required International recognition and acceptance Evidence of equivalency Evidence of continued compliance through regular, objective “check-ups” Improved performance

Accreditation Benefits... Users of accredited services gain: Confidence in the work performed A resource to find accredited providers for a given service Accredited organizations are listed on each accreditation body’s website (check out the A2LA.org easy Scope search feature) Reduced overhead when they rely on third-party accreditation to confirm the competency of potential vendors.

Contact Information Karin Athanas A2LA 5202 Presidents Court, Suite 220 Frederick, MD Direct line: Fax: