Comparative analysis of software used in forensic image analysis laboratories

As the technology develops, devices that record images have entered every area of our daily and working life. The use of these images taken from CCTVs, surveillance cameras, mobile phones etc. by law enforcement and judicial authorities for the detection of crime and criminal has become inevitable. Forensic Image Investigation activities, which is a sub-discipline of Digital Forensic investigations, provide services through laboratories established in the institutional and private fields in order to respond to the examination requests of judicial authorities. The most common examinations in Forensic Image Analysis Laboratories; image enhancement examination to improve the quality of the image recording and reveal details, manipulation/forgery investigations to reveal the originality of the image and whether it has been tampered with, and face comparison examinations to determine whether the person in the crime image and comparison images is the same person. Various softwares and solutions have been developed by public and private companies in order to assist Forensic Image Examiners and speed up the processes in the intense pace of investigation activities. In this study, firstly forensic information, forensic image, forensic image analysis and laboratory activities are mentioned and the features of the softwares commonly used in laboratories are emphasized. By presenting the obtained data comparatively, it is aimed to provide resources for the personnel working in the field of forensic image analysis.