Traditionally, a chain of custody is established between all parties when handling video forensic evidence. Most of the time, the chain of custody process is easily established and agreed upon when bringing in a forensic expert to authenticate or clarify and enhance the video evidence. This is a blog post about a new technology that is helping make this process easier and more convenient for all parties involved.
In an effort to provide good service while respecting the expectations of my clients, I have been using Cloud storage methods for sharing video evidence and work product.
Now that high-speed Internet has hit critical mass it is easy and safe to share video forensic evidence over the Internet without violating the evidence integrity.
One network I have been using very successfully is to upload clarified video evidence to Vimeo using a password protected video post. Only the persons privy to the password can view the video. Of course, this practice is not acceptable in cases that involve children or pornography.
The link to the video post is then emailed to the client. The password is provided to the client in a separate email.
Once the forensic video process is complete the video evidence is then burned onto a CD or DVD Rom and returned to the client for the litigation proceeding.
Other virtual methods for safely transferring video evidence are Dropbox and YouSendIt. As technology evolves, so does the forensic expert. Litigators are pleased with the convenience and forensic investigators are utilizing technological advancements to help speed up the forensic approval process.