Digital Forensics Laboratories in Operation

This chapter looks at the operational side of digital forensics of multimedia data and devices in real-world digital forensics laboratories, especially those run by law enforcement. It provides insights about the operational aspect of digital forensic services and practices on multimedia data and devices. The chapter describes how multimedia data and devices are handled at the Met's Digital and Electronics Forensic Service (DEFS), with a particular focus on the DEFS's Audio-Video Laboratory (AV Lab) which is the main forensic laboratory handling multimedia data and devices. It describes different aspects of digital forensic practices on multimedia data and devices at the Digital Forensics Team of Surrey Police (UK) and at the Shanghai Stars Digital Forensic Center (China), respectively. It then talks about the three digital forensics laboratories, and compares digital forensics practices of the three laboratories to show common features and major differences.