Evidentiary Attribution in the Investigation of Crimes: Problems of Criminalistic Science and Law Enforcement Practice, Ways to Solve Them

The article is devoted to a critical study and systematization of criminalistic tasks that arise during the development and implementation of digital attribution mechanisms specifically focused on the requirements and limitations of the field of legal proceedings and criminology. Unlike the adaptation of tools originally developed for related fields, the authors' approach is based on the need to create attribution systems that meet the strict regulatory standards applicable in evidentiary procedures. The article examines the current state of law enforcement practice in the world's leading jurisdictions in order to identify gaps between the technical capabilities of attribution of subjects and the legal requirements for the evidentiary process. The purpose of this study is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of existing problems and develop analytical recommendations for their resolution by creating evidence—based attribution mechanisms, initially designed taking into account the strict regulatory requirements of the criminal prosecution process, as well as criminalistic recommendations, rather than their subsequent adaptation. We view this goal as an interdisciplinary problem requiring the integration of deep knowledge in computer science, evidence theory, and comparative law. According to it, the key issues related to ensuring the traceability, reproducibility, integrity and, most importantly, the admissibility of electronic data as evidence are being investigated. The results of the study provide a conceptual framework for the development of regulatory and technical standards that enhance the reliability and legal stability of evidentiary attribution processes in court proceedings to improve the effectiveness of investigating crimes in the information and telecommunications sector.

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