Part 2
Yes, this is “Part 2”, which means there is a “Part 1” to all of this…if you missed it, click HERE to read it first.
Welcome back! In Part 1, you learned there are many risks associated with using smartphones to capture forensic PHI. I won’t go into all of them again, because Part 2 is all about explaining a better system that was purposefully designed around the Federal Rules of Evidence to be compliant and “Secure Beyond Reasonable Doubt®”. Hopefully after having read both Part 1 and Part 2, you’ll clearly see how SDFI’s Forensic Camera System Solutions have your evidence covered – from end to end.
With the SDFI Forensic Camera Systems, peace of mind regarding your data security is immediate. This is just not another mediocre-resolution smartphone camera, containing a melting pot of apps, some which “listen” to everything your phone ‘hears’, including what is divulged in a forensic patient exam.
At SDFI, we take the forensic approach to protect the chain of custody of your PHI when using Store and Forward Technology by providing you with a nested, end-to-end encryption solution for storing and sending your files securely and easily. What’s more, we have coupled easy-to-follow processes with our portable, easy-to-use Forensic Camera Systems. We utilize a seamless“Shoot, Store and Send” solution, which utilizes a defined process of file encoding and an intricate level of advanced, double encryption which prevents tampering at many levels.
Your information is protected by an unprecedented, 5-step regimen of security – one which you will not find anywhere else, and certainly not through a cellphone camera system:
- - The first element of SDFI security is defined by a specific storyboard of overlapping images of the subject (refer to SDFI's Forensic Photography Photodocumentation Protocol).
- - The second element of SDFI security is actually in the SDFI Forensic Camera System, which stores your photographs in RAW format. This is a non-destructive file format, which means the original data cannot be changed or tampered with.
- - The third element of SDFI security is high-level data encryption used and supported by the use of long passphrases. AES 256-bit encryption is utilized to ensure digital evidence is protected from access and alteration.
- - The fourth element of SDFI security concerns the physical safekeeping of forensic data. With the help of a user-friendly, thorough guide, the user utilizes the SDFI Image Management System, which encrypts their files. Once encrypted, the files are then ready to be stored on the user’s network so the user can maintain control at all times. Users are then expected to keep a secure backup copy of the secured forensic data, preferably off-site, away from their corporate network. SDFI Forensic Data is independently secured and cannot be viewed by I.T. personnel, ensuring chain of custody.
- - The fifth element of SDFI security is triple-layer encryption that is used when sending forensic evidence. Independent AES 256-bit encryption over a SSL certificate signature algorithm set at PKCS #1 SHA-256 with RSA encryption and temporarily resting on self-encrypting hard drives are used to ensure that no one, including SDFI and/or an internet service provider can access or view SDFI Secure Case Files. As you can see from reading our security elements, we take security SERIOUSLY here! As you can also hopefully see, there is a BIG difference between a cellphone camera and a DSLR camera, the type of camera utilized in our camera system. When we talk about high resolution, we mean it - check out these pictures. Many cellphone cameras in the market say they ‘zoom’, but what they really mean, is that they zoom in on the best picture that the cellphone camera is capable of taking, and the quality decreases from there, as zooming decreases the amount of pixels as you continue to ‘zoom’ and basically changes the original photo by effectively cropping it, which is a breach in itself. These are just some of the benefits of the SDFI Forensic Camera Systems over a mobile photo-capturing device. Think of it as a game of Russian Roulette; does your organization want to become another victim listed on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services breach portal, and owing potentially millions in breach fines, or do you want to be Secure Beyond Reasonable Doubt®? Note: SDFI is CON Certified, which means the US military uses our system and trusts our system! Please fill out the contact form on this page for more information or to request a FREE, remote, live demo of our camera system!