The First Forensic Forum (F3 for short) was originally founded in the 1990s. Since its inception it has always had the same goal, which is summarised in our “mission statement” :
“F3 exists to provide an open forum for all forensic computing practitioners, to enable them to share their collective knowledge through discussion and training.”
F3 membership is open to any person or organisation currently active in the field of digital forensics. Members are drawn from both the public and the private sectors, and those engaged mainly in the field of defence work are as welcome as those working for prosecution agencies. All members have equal access to all the information disseminated by the forum and to all lectures, workshops and training sessions organised by F3.
The emphasis of the training days and seminars which F3 hold has always been mainly on the technical aspects of digital forensics. Computer technology in all its forms is a fast-moving area, and in order to function effectively, forensic computing analysts are constantly faced with the necessity of updating and expanding their knowledge. F3 aims to provide them with the opportunity to do so.
To assist with this effort we frequently draw upon the expertise of member organisations. The majority of these are involved themselves in the analysis of computer-based evidence of various types, and some are also authors and manufacturers of forensic computing tools and solutions.
Membership is subject to an annual subscription of £90 per organisation, per location (except in circumstances where an organisation has a number of separate locations nationally, in which case a separate subscription is sought in respect of each location).
In a typical year, F3 will hold four or five one day workshops in various locations throughout the country, and also one 2-day annual conference. A small charge is made on a “per delegate” basis for workshop days (typically around £40-£50 at present) and for attendance at the three day F3 Annual Workshop which currently stands at around £195.
F3 is run entirely by a committee of volunteers who are themselves involved in the field of digital forensics. It is non-profit making, and all of the income received by F3 is used exclusively for the benefit of the membership. In most cases the speakers who present to F3 also give their time voluntarily.
F3 strives to prevent politics from hindering the delivery of training and sharing of knowledge in the field of Forensic IT. Indeed, the only politics we have is that we have no politics, but that in itself can sometimes be rather political!
