Digital Forensics: From Evidence to Courtroom

Digital forensics for the courtroom: evidence handling across mobile, video, IoT, and location data, the legal frameworks that govern it, and how it holds up in court. No technical background required.

Cybersecurity NDG

About this course

Course Details

NDG Digital Forensics: From Evidence to Courtroom introduces digital forensics for the people who handle, adjudicate, or prosecute cases involving digital evidence. You'll work through guided labs in a virtual environment to examine evidence across four modern domains: mobile devices, video (CCTV, body cameras, dashcams), IoT devices (smart speakers, video doorbells, home automation), and vehicle tracking and location data. No prior technical experience is required.

The course follows the full evidence lifecycle: first-responder protocols, chain of custody, the legal frameworks governing collection (Fourth Amendment, ECPA, SCA), warrant drafting, and presenting evidence in court under the Daubert and Frye standards. A final case simulation walks an end-to-end investigation from evidence identification through courtroom preparation.

Course Features

  • 12 modules (roughly 22 to 26 hours), each with readable content, labs, and quizzes
  • 18 labs: 9 guided (step-by-step, with hints) and 9 applied (the same scenarios given as tasks, no hints, graded at the end)
  • Practice with foundational forensic tools: Autopsy, ExifTool, and MediaInfo
  • Coverage of AI in forensics, including deepfake detection and the admissibility of AI-generated evidence
  • Built for law enforcement officers, attorneys, judges, paralegals, and aspiring forensics learners
Course outline
Content 12 items
Module 01: Introduction to Digital Forensics
Module 02: The Digital Evidence Landscape
Module 03: Legal Frameworks for Digital Evidence
Module 04: First Responder Protocols
Module 05: Mobile Device Evidence
Module 06: Video Evidence
Module 07: IoT and Smart Device Evidence
Module 08: Vehicle Tracking and Location Data
Module 09: Drafting Warrants for Digital Evidence
Module 10: AI and Emerging Technology in Digital Forensics
Module 11: Digital Evidence in the Courtroom
Module 12: Comprehensive Review and Case Simulation
Guided Labs 9 items
Guided Lab 01: Introduction to Digital Forensics
Guided Lab 02: The Digital Evidence Landscape
Guided Lab 04: First Responder Protocols
Guided Lab 05: Mobile Device Evidence
Guided Lab 06: Video Evidence
Guided Lab 07: IoT and Smart Device Evidence
Guided Lab 08: Vehicle Tracking and Location Data
Guided Lab 10: AI and Emerging Technology in Digital Forensics
Guided Lab 11: Digital Evidence in the Courtroom
Applied Labs 9 items
Applied Lab 01: Introduction to Digital Forensics
Applied Lab 02: The Digital Evidence Landscape
Applied Lab 04: First Responder Protocols
Applied Lab 05: Mobile Device Evidence
Applied Lab 06: Video Evidence
Applied Lab 07: IoT and Smart Device Evidence
Applied Lab 08: Vehicle Tracking and Location Data
Applied Lab 10: AI and Emerging Technology in Digital Forensics
Applied Lab 11: Digital Evidence in the Courtroom

What's in this course

Lab Exercises
Assessments
Questions
Palette (preview)