Electronic Crime Partnership Initiative
Standards and Certification
    This group will examine how to apply standards and certification to the task of
    fighting electronic crime in several areas (detailed below): people, education
    and training programs, procedures, tools, and forensics labs. For each of these areas,
    the group will examine current and past efforts to establish standards and certification;
    lessons learned from these and similar efforts in other disciplines; options for further
    work; and the benefits, costs, and obstacles of the different options.

    People. This includes investigators, prosecutors, forensics specialists, and
    teachers (educators or trainers). The working group will explore various options,
    including:

    A certificate program for certifying people based on course completion,
    examinations, experience, etc.

    Establishing guidelines for different roles/skill sets.

    Education and Training Programs. These programs can be designed for any
    of the people listed above. The group will examine programs from core to
    advanced courses, from non-degree to non-degree courses, and from academic
    to training courses. The working group will explore various options, including
    establishing:

    An accreditation program to accredit education and training programs based on
    standards.
    Standards for education and training programs.
    Guidelines for education and training programs.
    Standards for course content.
    Guidelines for courses or sample courses.

    (See also Education and Training Working Group.)

    Procedures. The group will look at procedures for conducting investigations,
    handling and preserving evidence, and prosecuting cases. The working group
    will explore various options, including: The options include establishing:

    Standards for procedures.
    Guidelines for procedures.

    Tools. This includes the tools used for investigations and for forensics analysis. The
    working group will explore various options, including establishing:

    Certification program for certifying that tools meet standards. This implies there would be
    labs for certifying the tools. The labs themselves would need to be accredited to do this.
    Standards for tools.
    Guidelines for tools.

    Forensics Labs. The working group will explore various options, including
    establishing:

    Accreditation program for accrediting labs based on standards.
    Standards for labs.
    Guidelines for labs.

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