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Evidence Preservation

What is Evidence Preservation?

The process of securing and maintaining the integrity of digital evidence during and after a security incident for potential legal proceedings.

Information Security

Each of these is named in at least one of the same controls as evidence preservation. The number is how many controls name both.

What the standards actually require on evidence preservation

Requirements naming evidence preservation across 6 standards, quoted from the control text.

API 11641 control

The incident response plan must include processes for preserving information that can serve as evidence (including training of operations personnel on preserving evidence when anomalies are suspected), for identifying, collecting and acquiring evidence, for fo...

api-1164::RS.AN-3 · RS.AN-3 Evidence preservation, collection and forensic analysis for root cause →

Per Papua New Guinea National Cybersecurity Policy and Cybercrime Act: incident response + investigation cooperation. Requirements include (a) operate Incident Response and Notification capability including detection + triage + containment + recovery + lessons...

PNGCYBER-4 · Incident Response, Investigation, Evidence Preservation, Data Retention →

Legal counsel, internal or external, with employment law expertise and experience of workplace violence cases, should be consulted during incident management.

ansi-asis-wvpi-aa-2020-workplace-violence-and-active-assailant::8.7 · 8.7 The importance of legal oversight →

The capability rests on documented arrangements at three levels. An incident management policy approved by a senior executive with documented senior management commitment, aimed at everyone who is legitimately allowed into the organization's systems and premis...

iso-iec-27035-1-2023::4.5.2 · Policies, plan and process →

Collected devices and acquired evidence are protected as far as possible against loss, tampering and spoliation; the central aim is to keep the evidence intact and authentic and its chain of custody unbroken.

iso-iec-27037-2012::6.9.2 · 6.9.2 Preserving potential digital evidence →

Directions 5-7 establish the technical baseline for evidence preservation + forensic readiness + time integrity. Direction 5: All service providers + intermediaries + data centres + body corporates + government organisations shall mandatorily enable logs of al...

CERTIN-Logging-180DayRetention-IndiaLocalisation-NTP-NIC-NPL-CERTIn-Access-Dir5to7 · CERT-In Directions 5-7 System Logging + Clock Synchronization - 180-Day Log Retention in India + NTP Synchronisation with NIC/NPL + Log Availability to CERT-In on Order →

Questions people ask about evidence preservation

What is Evidence Preservation?
The process of securing and maintaining the integrity of digital evidence during and after a security incident for potential legal proceedings.
Why is Evidence Preservation important for compliance?
Evidence Preservation is a key concept in Information Security. Understanding evidence preservation helps organizations meet regulatory requirements, reduce risk, and demonstrate due diligence during audits. Our compliance platform maps 1,016 frameworks with 316K cross-framework control mappings.
Which compliance frameworks address Evidence Preservation?
Evidence Preservation appears in the requirement text of API 1164, Papua New Guinea National Cybersecurity Policy & Cybercrime Act (2016), ANSI/ASIS WVPI AA-2020 Workplace Violence and Active Assailant, ISO/IEC 27035-1:2023, ISO/IEC 27037:2012. Across these standards we have identified 7 controls that name it directly, each linked to the control text on the compliance platform.
Where can I learn more about Evidence Preservation?
Explore our compliance framework pages to see how evidence preservation applies across different standards and regulations. Our implementation guides provide step-by-step guidance, and the compliance platform offers AI-powered analysis of how this concept maps across 1,016 frameworks.

See how Evidence Preservation applies across compliance frameworks

Our platform maps 1,016 frameworks with 316K cross-framework control mappings. Explore how this concept is addressed across standards.

Written and maintained by Gerard Blokdyk, The Art of Service.