The term "validation" in terms of digital evidence is poorly defined. I proffer the following definition of validation:
"The validation of digital evidence is a process of ensuring that the digital evidence presented in court cases is legally admissible in that it can be shown to have been lawfully obtained; is untainted, relevant, and, because of its circumstantial nature, corroborated; and that its probative value outweighs its prejudicial effect."
There are no current processes to guide digital forensic practitioners in the validation of digital evidence artifacts to ensure their admissibility in legal proceedings. My ongoing research and development of an enhanced validation model for digital forensic examinations is intended to enable forensic practitioners to input data in the form of questions about evidence artifacts and, through the calculations embedded in the model, yield a diagnosis of the validity of evidentiary admissibility. Embodied...