[DFSci] SWGDE Response to the Termination of SWGIT

Baker, Dave bakerd at mitre.org
Thu May 21 09:08:48 PDT 2015


Posted on behalf of James Darnell, SWGDE Chair:

The recent announcement that the Scientific Working Group on Imaging 
Technology (SWGIT) made the executive decision to cease operations 
was disappointing news to the members of the Scientific Working Group 
on Digital Evidence (SWGDE).  In this exciting but challenging time of
standardization efforts and quality assurance development, our sister 
SWG was a solid example of how people can contribute to an industry 
effort in addition to their normal work responsibilities.  The SWGIT 
membership leaves an impressive legacy of numerous guidelines and best
practices in the Forensic Video, Image Analysis, and Forensic 
Photography disciplines. 

SWGDE was proud to work closely with SWGIT for many years. Together we 
produced several joint documents including the SWGDE/SWGIT Guidelines 
and Recommendations for Training, SWGDE/SWGIT Proficiency Test Program 
Guidelines, SWGDE/SWGIT Recommended Guidelines for Developing SOPs, and 
the SWGDE/SWGIT Digital & Multimedia Evidence Glossary.   SWGDE is 
pleased to have had the opportunity to support SWGIT when we could, 
especially with joint meetings.  SWGDE helped build and financially 
support the SWGIT website since its inception and will continue to do so.

In keeping with that tradition of cooperation and support, SWGDE will 
help continue the achievements of SWGIT's membership by inviting them to 
participate in three new standing committees created to address video, 
photography, and image forensics.  We also invited them to bring any 
unfinished work items, topics and agenda items that need addressing, but 
it will ultimately be up to the new committee members to decide their 
agenda and priorities. 

SWGDE's mission is to bring together organizations actively engaged in 
the field of digital and multimedia evidence in order to foster 
communication and cooperation as well as to ensure quality and consistency
within the forensic community.  So while it is difficult to see such a 
valuable member of our community dissolve, we hope that through our new 
committees, SWGDE will address the discipline specific needs formerly 
provided by SWGIT. 

David Hallimore
SWGDE Outreach Committee Chair
https://www.swgde.org/



More information about the DFSci mailing list