Use of digital technologies in forensic expertise in Kazakhstan and worldwide: prospects and challenges

The widespread digitalization that has encompassed all spheres of human life is also being integrated into the processes of gathering and examining evidence in criminal, civil, and administrative cases using specialized scientific knowledge, particularly in the fields of forensics and forensic expertise. This article explores types of computer crimes and their spheres of occurrence, as well as the emergence of a new type of evidence – “digital” evidence, specifically the “digital” trace. The article examines categories of digital traces and their carriers. It also includes a monitoring of the increase in crimes involving information and telecommunication technologies in Kazakhstan for 2022–2023 and 2023–2024, clearly presenting figures that indicate a growing trend in these types of crimes year by year. Given the increase in cybercrime and its rapid growth, along with the emergence of new types of evidence – “digital” evidence – the article proposes specific measures for investigating computer devices and systems, where a forensic definition of digital traces, their types, and methods of collection are outlined, along with the unification and regulatory standardization of digital databases for potential use in Kazakhstan and internationally. Additionally, measures are proposed for the digitalization of forensic and investigative fields, aiming to integrate them into unified AIPS (Automated Information Retrieval Systems) for the most effective tracking of digital traces (AIPS for forensic and forensic expert purposes).