Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Digital evidence

What is Digital Evidence Analysis?

Digital evidence analysis involves retrieving, analyzing and interpreting electronic data from computers, hard drives, mobile phones and other data storage devices. Investigators use digital footprints to determine the details of a crime.

What is NIST's role?

Our experts:

  • Test and evaluate digital forensics tools and methods.
  • Provide reference data to help investigators quickly find and sort through digital information.
  • Offer guidance and best practices for handling digital and multimedia evidence.

News and Updates

NIST Guidelines Can Help Organizations Detect Face Photo Morphs, Deter Identity Fraud

Step Inside the National Software Reference Library

Spotlight: An Honor From Abroad for the National Software Reference Library

Blog Posts

Software Library Helps Law Enforcement Catch Dangerous Criminals

Hurricane Maria Recollections, Software Nostalgia, The Brothers Engineering: A Sample of Stories on NIST Social Media

Answering the Call: How NIST Helps Crime Labs Recover Evidence from Mobile Devices

View digital evidence publications View digital evidence research projects
Was this page helpful?