Details: Category: Investigative Tips

Digital Evidence Hygiene 101 — Preserving Screenshots, Chats, and Device Metadata So It Holds Up

A surprising number of investigations don’t fall apart because the underlying facts are weak—they fall apart because the evidence is fragile. A screenshot gets compressed by a messaging app. A chat export loses timestamps. A key photo is forwarded three times and stripped of metadata. Someone “cleans up” a folder and accidentally overwrites the only copy of a file. Weeks later, when counsel, compliance, or a court asks the simplest question—“How do we know this is authentic?”—the answer becomes uncomfortable.