Regulations and standards for the digital forensic field (I of III)

In the practice of digital forensic analysis, regulatory compliance and alignment with international standards represent a critical pillar to ensure the integrity, validity, and admissibility of evidence. It is not just about methodologies; it is about formal frameworks that ensure technical processes are properly structured, documented, and recognized in both judicial and organizational contexts. This series of 3 articles presents, with a technical approach, the main ISO/IEC and UNE standards, as well as national and European regulations, that frame the work of forensic analysis professionals in corporate, judicial, and public environments.

The ISO/IEC 27001 standard forms the basis for implementing an Information Security Management System (ISMS). Its purpose is to define a set of controls and processes that enable the management, protection, and continuous improvement of the security of IT assets, including those involved in forensic investigations. For the forensic expert, this standard provides structure and context: if the investigated organization has a certified ISMS, the traceability of events and the quality of information available for analysis are enhanced.

From an operational perspective, ISO/IEC 27001 also involves the existence of specific policies for handling security incidents, which may lead to forensic investigations. Additionally, it allows for assessing the organization's maturity in the face of an intrusion or security breach, which can be especially useful when identifying negligence or regulatory non-compliance resulting from poor security management.

Complementary to 27001, the ISO/IEC 27002 standard develops in depth the control measures that must be implemented to protect information. In the forensic field, this standard serves as a reference to validate whether an organization has applied the appropriate controls and whether they were effective against the investigated incident. That is, the investigator can compare the implemented controls against internationally recognized best practices.

This standard also provides a clear framework for evaluating the technical environment where an incident occurred. For example, in the analysis of compromised emails or information leaks, controls related to access management, activity logs, encryption, and endpoint protection become directly relevant and can constitute key evidence for an investigation.

ISO/IEC 27037 is an essential reference in the identification, collection, acquisition, and preservation of digital evidence. This standard establishes the set of principles and procedures that ensure evidence is not altered or contaminated during its acquisition. It is especially relevant in the early stages of an investigation, where the chain of custody and proper documentation of the acquisition procedure are critical to maintaining the legal validity of the evidence.

Additionally, 27037 defines the roles involved in the forensic process (such as the authorized investigator or evidence custodian), as well as the capabilities required by the tools used. In judicial contexts, referring to this standard in technical reports reinforces the reliability of the procedure followed, providing a basis of legitimacy recognized internationally.

The ISO/IEC 27040 standard provides guidelines for the secure protection of stored information. In the forensic context, it is useful for assessing whether an organization has properly managed the data lifecycle — including storage, access, encryption, and secure deletion. Poor application of these practices can lead to vulnerabilities that compromise the integrity of digital evidence or prevent its proper collection.

During incident analysis where unauthorized access to files, servers, or cloud storage systems is suspected, this standard allows validating whether the security mechanisms were proportional to the risk. It also facilitates identifying gaps in retention, replication, or traceability policies for sensitive files that may have been tampered with or stolen.

The next post in the series will cover other ISO and UNE standards related to the forensic field, such as ISO 27043 or UNE 71506.