Technology has completely permeated our society. As a consequence, digital evidence now permeates criminal and civil litigation. The legal community struggles to keep pace with this flood of technology and to adequately understand the nuances of digital evidence. To serve the public good, practitioners in a variety of disciplines must cooperate and keep current when it comes to technology and the law.

The Appalachian Institute of Digital Evidence is a regional not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving the legal, technical, public sector, and business professionals for whom digital evidence is part and parcel of their work. The AIDE exists to help network administrators, digital forensics practitioners, law enforcement, and legal professionals survive – and even thrive – in the ever-changing landscape where technology and the law meet. Fostering collaboration among practitioners, students, and academics, the AIDE aims to improve access to information, develop solutions to practical problems, and narrow the gap between the accessing and use of digital evidence and traditional physical evidence in the law.

Lawyers, judges, digital forensic examiners, network security professionals, and law enforcement personnel are all stakeholders when it comes to digital evidence. The AIDE, comprised of four sub-groups (Digital Forensics, Electronic Discovery, Law Enforcement and Network Security) is here to serve them.

If digital evidence is a critical part of your profession or field of study, we invite you to join us. The AIDE is in its infancy. Help us build a progressive, active, professional organization.