Congratulations to our fantastic team! IntaForensics are proud to have passed the final hurdle towards receiving our ISO 17025 Accreditation from UKAS following our audit earlier this week. IntaForensics have received the UKAS Audit team’s recommendation for accreditation.
What this Means
For our clients this means that you can be assured that we operate to the highest levels of quality, following meticulous standards in the acquisition of data and how we manage all aspects of our cases. ISO 17025 is a vitally important indicator of the rigour applied to the forensic processes within a laboratory. ISO 17025 accredited laboratories around the world have demonstrated their technical competence against international standards, able to produce “precise and accurate test and/or calibration data”.
The award of this standard will not change the services we provide – we have been operating to this standard for a long time. It just provides assurance that the services our customers receive are of the highest competency and quality, and external verification of how we handle cases. This really does demonstrable evidence of the quality of our forensic service provision. We hope to receive the final Accreditation within the next few weeks.
Our Journey to ISO 17025
Thorough and meticulous preparation has proven key to achieving the ISO 17025 accreditation standard. As a process driven organisation, with strong case management disciplines and systems at the heart of our operation, IntaForensics has experienced the benefits of working with the a Quality Management System (QMS), Standard Operating Procedures and Policies that are in line with the core ISO standards that are applicable to the practice of digital forensics in a busy laboratory environment.
Our approach is in the context of an organisation handling around 350 case submissions per month, many involving significant numbers of exhibits and items of evidence. The approach we adopted is entirely practical rather than just a theoretical exercise.
Core components of our approach have been:
- Our QMS and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
- Our Lima Case Management System
- Staff training programmes and competency tests
- Understanding and commitment from staff at all levels of the organisation
Operating a quality focused professional service means continually evolving and improving. IntaForensics have already integrated other ISO standards into our methods and operations – ISO 9001, ISO 27001, ISO 17020, ISO 17025. As newer standards become more central to the field of digital forensics, these will be integrated into our operations. Standards such as ISO 27037, ISO 27041 and ISO 27043 are directly relevant to our field and therefore are important to how we operate, and for clients it is important to understand the weight which complying with such standards will provide to evidence produced in court.
Talk to IntaForensics
If you are interested in achieving ISO 17025 and are interested in advice, support, systems to support your organisation achieve the standard – get in touch. IntaForensics have worked with a wide range of organisations pursuing the ISO 17025 and ASCLD accreditation about SOPs, QMS, Case Management solutions, Competency Testing services and training.
“Good company on a journey makes the way seem shorter” Quote from Izzak Walton (Staffordshire Author of “The Compleat Angler”, 1653)
IntaForensics work with law enforcement agencies, commercial organisations, government departments and law firms in the UK, USA, Africa, Australia and Middle East. Get in touch to find out how we could assist you with your own journey towards ISO 17025 accreditation.