The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has released a inviting digital forensic service providers to apply for empanelment with the authority via tender. Services need to include acquisition, extraction and analysis of digital evidence from different devices, data extraction, remediation and duplication, dealing with encrypted files, etc.
More than one agency can be empanelled with the CCI and work sent to the empanelled agencies can be assigned either in full or in portions.
The CCI requires forensic experts of the service provider to be eligible as expert witnesses in judicial proceedings and the evidentiary value of data/device for this purpose as per the latest laws. In case of any conflict of interest, the service provider is required to remove data related to the CCI from its possession.
Empanelled providers would be required to perform their services both onsite (for a search operation) and thereafter with the investigating team.
The CCI has released a suggested list for the specification of software and hardware that the empanelled service providers are required to use. Once empanelled, the service provider cannot assign their responsibilities to another.
Bids need to be submitted by 18 November 2024, 5pm IST.
