PROBLEMS OF COLLECTING, PRESERVING AND EVALUATING DIGITAL EVIDENCE IN THE INVESTIGATION OF CYBER FRAUD

B. B. Suyunov (Research Institute of Criminology of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan)

International Journal of Business, Law and Political Science
Vol. 3 No. 8 (2026): International Journal of Business, Law and Political Science

Objective: The article examines the problems arising at the three stages of handling digital evidence in the investigation of cyber fraud: their collection, preservation, and evaluation. Method: The institution of digital evidence, introduced into the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan by Law No. ZRU-1003 of 21 November 2024, is subjected to comparative analysis with international standards ISO/IEC 27037, NIST SP 800-86, and SWGDE recommendations. Results: The absence in national legislation of a mechanism for the expedited preservation of electronic data, given their volatility, is identified as the principal problem. Novelty: Proposals for eliminating the absence of an expedited electronic data preservation mechanism are advanced through a comparative analysis of Uzbekistan’s legal framework and international digital evidence standards.