About the Forensic Computer Unit

The Forensic Computing Unit specialises in digital, computer and mobile forensic investigations for NHS organisations.

The Forensic Computing Unit (FCU) provides a comprehensive, professional service to recover digital evidence for use in criminal, civil and disciplinary proceedings. The FCU can also provide a data recovery service for lost documents and an auditing service to assist in compliance with corporate policies.

Professional service

NHS Counter Fraud Authority's Forensic Computing Unit (FCU) provides a comprehensive and professional forensic computing service to recover digital evidence for use in criminal, civil and disciplinary proceedings. It also provides a data recovery service for lost documents, password - cracking capability and an auditing service to help ensure compliance with corporate policies.

The FCU can carry out audits of computer use and undertake covert computer acquisitions and analysis. With the ability to recover data on-site or even across a network while a computer is in use, staff can perform a full investigation while allowing an organisation to maintain business continuity.

Forensic standards

The unit operates to the highest forensic standards and adheres to the guidelines set out in the Good Practice Guide for Computer based Electronic Evidence issued by the National High-tech Crime Unit (NHTCU) and agreed by the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC). Importantly, by adhering to NPCC guidelines, the FCU safeguards the integrity of the digital evidence for court proceedings.

Forensic Computing Specialists provide witness statements and exhibits suitable for Crown Court. For those cases which do not involve criminal proceedings, the FCU will provide a comprehensive report detailing the analysis undertaken.

ISO 17025

As part of a mandatory requirement for Digital Forensics Units working within the Criminal Justice System (CJS), the FCU has achieved ISO 17025 for the Imaging and Analysis of Computer Hard Drives. ISO 17025 is, the international standard for general requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories,. ISO 17025 looks at all of the requirements that testing and calibration laboratories have to meet to prove that they are technically competent and can generate valid results.

NHSCFA FCU, Contact the FCU for more information

About the FCU

The Forensic Computing Unit (FCU) was established in October 2003 when it was realised that digital data was becoming increasingly important in the investigation of fraud within the NHS. As well as providing forensic computing services for investigations undertaken by NHSCFA, the FCU can provide forensic computing and other services for any NHS investigation carried out by any authorised person.

The FCU provides a comprehensive, professional service to recover digital evidence for use in criminal, civil and disciplinary proceedings. The FCU can also provide a data recovery service for lost documents and an auditing service to assist in compliance with corporate policies.

Pivotal to the service provided by the FCU is its ability to make data available for review by investigators from their desktop or lap top computer. This service means that investigators can undertake keyword searches, review the results of searches and make annotations and comments about the relevance of results to their investigation.

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