Certification and
accreditation are different. Individuals become certified; laboratories attain accreditation. Both processes can be viewed as being indicative
of the quality of services that are being offered. Certification provides the mechanism for an individual to demonstrate that
he or she has attained a level of competence in a particular area. Attaining a specific certification credential usually requires
satisfactorily completing oral tests, written test(s), and/or hands-on practical exercises.
Accreditation is a mechanism for a laboratory to demonstrate that its quality assurance system and its scientific practices
are able to generate technically valid results. This is accomplished when external inspectors or assessors review all of the
laboratory’s operations (including its personnel, technical procedures, equipment, physical plant, security, and health and
safety procedures) to determine compliance with established national and international standards and criteria. Whenever practical
and applicable, the combination of certification(s) and accreditation compliment each other in the attainment of quality.
Key Words Accreditation - ASCLD/LAB - Certification - CISCO - Computer forensics - GIAC - Information technology - SWGDE