Digital Evidence and Forensics Statement

CliniciansCheck Version 1.0 | Published: 29 May 2025 | Status: Active Next Review Due: 29 November 2025 Policy Owner: Director of Information Security & Governance Approved by: Legal, Governance and Risk Committee Jurisdiction: Global – UK, EU, US, Canada, Australia, Singapore, India

1. Introduction

1.1 This statement outlines the principles and procedures that govern the secure handling, preservation, and lawful disclosure of digital evidence by CliniciansCheck. 1.2 We are committed to maintaining platform integrity and trust by ensuring all digital traces, logs, and records relevant to audits, investigations, or compliance matters are retained and handled appropriately.

2. Scope of Digital Evidence

2.1 Digital evidence includes but is not limited to user activity logs, access timestamps, audit trails, message metadata, file access patterns, and system alerts. 2.2 Evidence may be collected from platform usage, account creation, content submission, credential checks, dispute resolution processes, and policy enforcement actions. 2.3 Data voluntarily submitted by users in the form of free-text fields may include personal, mental, or medical information. CliniciansCheck does not monitor or flag such information. Users are directed to secure external environments for sensitive medical documentation.

3. Chain of Custody

3.1 All digital records considered evidence are timestamped, cryptographically hashed where applicable, and stored in an encrypted and access-controlled environment. 3.2 Changes to logs or forensic evidence are strictly prohibited. A version-controlled audit trail is maintained to demonstrate provenance. 3.3 If required for legal purposes, platform administrators can generate tamper-evident reports under supervision.

4. Use of Digital Evidence

4.1 Digital evidence may be used in the following circumstances: 4.1.1 To investigate breaches of the Terms of Use or suspected fraudulent activity 4.1.2 To support internal disciplinary or clinical compliance actions 4.1.3 To respond to legally binding subpoenas, regulatory inquiries, or court orders 4.1.4 To assist third-party law enforcement or licensing authorities, provided lawful basis is met 4.1.5 To protect the legal, reputational, and operational interests of the platform and its users

5. Forensics Procedures and Standards

5.1 Our forensic procedures align with globally accepted frameworks such as ISO/IEC 27037 (Guidelines for identification, collection, acquisition and preservation of digital evidence) and NIST standards. 5.2 Data under review is isolated in a secure environment and evaluated under chain-of-custody controls. 5.3 Metadata and logs used in forensic investigations are never altered and are stored separately from operational data until review is complete.

6. Platform Integrity and Abuse Prevention

6.1 We maintain automated detection tools to flag suspicious behavior, multi-factor authentication (MFA) breaches, bot-driven content generation, or repeated violations of acceptable use policies. 6.2 Platform usage may be temporarily suspended if digital evidence indicates material risk, pending full review. 6.3 Any action taken as a result of digital evidence is subject to appeal as outlined in our Dispute Resolution Mechanism.

7. Transparency and Cooperation

7.1 CliniciansCheck cooperates with legally authorised requests from regulatory bodies, law enforcement agencies, and relevant health oversight authorities. 7.2 Requests for access to digital evidence must be legally binding and submitted to: operationsteam@clinicianscheck.com

8. Policy Review and Amendment

8.1 This statement is reviewed annually or upon significant changes in legal requirements, technology, or platform operations. 8.2 Users will be notified of any material changes through the platform.