Introduction: A Leadership Imperative

Digital evidence is now a silent witness in nearly every criminal investigation, with the smartphone often serving as the most valuable source of information. From text messages and call logs to photos and videos, these devices can reveal a detailed account of events and communications. Yet many departments still rely on outdated, inefficient and even risky methods to manage and share this evidence.

According to Cellebrite’s 2025 Industry Trends Survey, agencies are accelerating adoption of cloud-based solutions to manage and share evidence more securely and efficiently. One of the biggest challenges in organizations is making a change and moving agency culture beyond “this is the way we have always done it.” In the high-stakes world of digital evidence, it’s important to move away from that mindset, to protect case integrity, improve efficiency and strengthen public trust.

The Persistent Myths Holding Agencies Back

Myth 1: Physical media are safer because they are tangible

Many agencies still rely on USB drives, DVDs or external hard drives. Physical control of data does not equal security. Flash drive media has a limited lifespan, sometimes as little as three years. Drives can fail without warning or may be repurposed, introducing risk.

Humans are busy and can easily make mistakes or not properly track chain of custody. With current processes, it can be surprisingly easy for a critical piece of evidence to be transferred between offices without proper documentation, putting an entire investigation at risk. It’s important for agency leaders to ensure a safeguarded chain of custody.

Myth 2: Cloud cannot be trusted with sensitive evidence

Purpose-built technology solutions now exist for easily managing digital evidence, yet many agencies avoid implementation because a perceived fear of the cloud – particularly when it comes to sensitive evidence, such as child sexual abuse material (CSAM). In reality, the way evidence is often stored and shared today, even on premises, can be more vulnerable to being mishandled. Physical media can be lost and many on-premises systems lack modern cybersecurity safeguards. Secure cloud environments with encryption, strict access controls and audit logging, such as Cellebrite Guardian, can provide stronger protection and improve chain of custody management.

Myth 3: Physical delivery of evidence is simply standard procedure

Driving evidence across town to prosecutors, crime labs or partner agencies may be the way it’s historically worked, but it introduces risk and delays. Each handoff creates opportunities for loss or damage and complicates audit trails.

Digital evidence management systems with automated chain-of-custody logging can remove those vulnerabilities. That unified system allows investigators to share critical evidence faster and avoid delays that previously slowed case progress. Moving from fragmented physical transfers to seamless digital collaboration becomes a key driver in accelerating justice.

Myth 4: Change is too costly or too lengthy

Budget and time pressures are real, yet traditional methods carry both apparent costs and hidden costs such as drive failures, repeated work, stalled cases, lost evidence and deferred investigations. High-powered workstations may quickly become obsolete, while cloud-based solutions can scale with demand and reduce long-term infrastructure expenses.

Did You Know?

  • 60% still rely on legacy methods like USB sticks, despite recognizing their inefficiency and risk to the chain of custody.
  • Cases typically involve two to five digital devices, and data volumes by device have grown.
  • 69% of investigative teams report lacking time and tools to fully review the data in their cases.
  • Nearly 40% of law enforcement respondents are now open to cloud technologies for evidence storage and sharing.

Source: Cellebrite Industry Trends

From Bottlenecks to Breakthroughs

Agency leaders must recognize that digital evidence workflows affect more than the digital forensics unit. Detectives, prosecutors, analysts and even juries are impacted by how and how quickly evidence is reviewed.

For example, Omaha Police Department faced a backlog of 300 phone extractions, with turnaround times stretching to months. By adopting a centralized, cloud-based digital evidence management solution, the backlog dropped to zero. Evidence is reviewed simultaneously by multiple stakeholders, notes are shared in real time and prosecutors are more easily looped in earlier in the investigative process.

This shift was not just about technology. It was about the leadership team setting a vision for collaboration and breaking down silos. Instead of asking, ‘What tool can we buy?’ the real question is, ‘How can we make our team’s workflows easier?’”

The Path Forward

Rethinking digital evidence sharing is not simply a technical upgrade. It is an operational and cultural shift. Leaders who take the initiative can reduce case backlogs, improve prosecutorial outcomes and protect sensitive materials with greater confidence. Change is hard for any organization and particularly in the fast-paced world of law enforcement. Yet the stakes for justice, for victims and for community trust demand that law enforcement leaders be change agents.

About Author

Ryan Parthemore, Director of Product Management for Digital Forensic Units at Cellebrite, brings over 20 years of law enforcement experience, specializing in digital forensics. He has performed thousands of digital forensic examinations, completed extensive training and testified as an expert witness in state and federal courts. At Cellebrite, Ryan uses his extensive background to help law enforcement agencies improve their case resolution processes through innovative SaaS solutions.

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