Bildedforensikk

Bildedforensikk is a subfield of digital forensics that focuses on the analysis of digital images to determine authenticity, provenance, and integrity. Practitioners assess how an image was captured, processed, stored, and altered, and whether its content faithfully represents a real scene or object.

Scope includes metadata examination, file format validation, and forensic imaging techniques that help establish the chain of custody and prevent tampering in legal contexts. Key techniques include metadata analysis (EXIF, IPTC, XMP), file structure checks for corruption or compression artifacts, and checks for sensor pattern noise and demosaicing irregularities to identify camera models and possible alterations. Resampling, edge and artifact analysis, and, where applicable, error level analysis contribute to assessing consistency, though results should be interpreted cautiously. The rise of AI-generated content and deepfakes has added new dimensions to detection and verification.

Common tools used in bildedforensikk range from metadata extractors such as ExifTool to visual-analysis suites like Forensically, with OpenCV-based workflows and image-processing software (e.g., ImageJ) also employed in professional contexts. In many settings, commercial tools such as Amped FIVE or Cognitech are used to support more complex investigations.

Standards and ethics: bildedforensikk relies on established digital-forensics principles, including reproducibility, documentation, and transparent reporting. Professional guidelines from bodies such as ENFSI and SWGDE, as well as relevant ISO/IEC standards on digital evidence, guide admissibility in courts. Applications include law enforcement, journalism and media verification, intellectual-property disputes, and platform-content moderation.