OSCE trains Kazakh law enforcement officers on handling digital evidence

From 30 January to 3 February, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department, in co-operation with the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, organized a training course for first responders on handling digital evidence at the Almaty Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

“Almaty Academy is the only law enforcement educational institution in Kazakhstan that provides not only legal education but also technically-oriented professional development and training in the sphere of ICT. We look forward to working with the OSCE on strengthening our capacities to educate police officers on various aspects of conducting criminal investigations in the digital age,“ Zhanat Dilbarkhanova, Deputy Head of the Almaty Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, said in her opening remarks.

“The widespread use of digital technologies means that data can be important evidence in any crime, whether conducted through a computer system or not. Understanding the unique features of digital evidence and being able to identify and properly handle various sources of digital evidence is becoming an essential skill of every police officer,” she added.

Twenty-four representatives of various police units and law enforcement educational institutions from Almaty, Astana, and Karaganda took part in the training course delivered by two expert trainers from Moldova and North Macedonia. The participants learned how to identify, seize and secure potential sources of digital evidence at a crime scene, use open-source forensic tools for first responders, and conduct basic live data forensics and handle volatile data. They were also introduced to the basics of computer networking, online open-source investigations, and anonymity and criminality on the Internet.

The training was delivered under the extra-budgetary project “Capacity Building on Combating Cybercrime in Central Asia”, which is funded by the United States of America, Germany, and the Republic of Korea.