Proposed governance model
| Structure | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Founding Steering Group | Sets direction during establishment and oversees incorporation, partnerships and initial fundraising. |
| Technical Advisory Council | Experienced practitioners and academics supporting technical quality assurance, research and professional direction. |
| Legal & Ethics Advisory Function | Advises on evidence, privacy, cybercrime law, data protection, professional conduct and cross-border cooperation. |
| Country / Regional Chapters | Enable local participation while maintaining common professional principles. |
| Secretariat | Coordinates programmes, membership, events, partnerships, documentation and reporting. |
| Independent financial oversight | Supports transparent budgeting, procurement, donor reporting and conflict-of-interest management. |
Evidence & Ethics principles
Lawful authority
Distinguish authorised forensic investigation from unauthorised access, interception or surveillance.
Evidence integrity
Promote repeatable acquisition, preservation, hashing, chain of custody, audit trails and transparent reporting.
Privacy by design
Encourage proportionate handling of personal data in line with applicable data-protection law.
Tool validation
Promote verification of forensic methods and outputs rather than automatic trust in commercial or open-source tools.
Professional independence
Maintain transparency around funding, vendor relationships, partnerships and conflicts of interest.
Responsible disclosure
Research involving vulnerabilities or sensitive systems should follow applicable law and responsible-disclosure practice.
Professional boundaries
Evidence & Ethics Charter
An early founding deliverable will be a WADFIN Evidence & Ethics Charter covering professional conduct, evidence handling, confidentiality, research ethics, tool testing, safeguarding, conflicts of interest and responsible information sharing.