// definition
Chain of custody
Tracing the handling of evidence
Short definition
Procedures and records used to follow evidence through collection, transfers, storage and analysis. For digital data, they document provenance, handling and preservation of integrity. Tool validation and the ability to repeat operations complement that traceability. The legal weight of the evidence also depends on the rules applicable to the case.
risk atlas
Knowledge map
Related analyses
Primary sources
- Europol, Digital forensics: gap analysis16 October 2026, physical PDF pages 5 and 10 to 11: digital-forensics definition, handling traceability and evidence integrity.