GAO’s Cloud-Based Forensic Record and Custody Control System 

 

GAO’s Cloud-Based Forensic Record and Custody Control System delivers a highly scalable, fully centralized digital evidence management environment designed for law enforcement, laboratories, and investigative teams. This cloud–driven platform streamlines chain-of-custody tracking, evidence validation, and lifecycle oversight across distributed operational units. Cloud elasticity improves data availability, resilience, and forensic audit readiness by consolidating all records within a secure virtual repository. The system briefly integrates wireless identification technologies such as RFID, BLE, UWB, Wi-Fi HaLow, or Zigbee to authenticate physical evidence tags and track movement in real time. Cloud-native microservices, policy-based access controls, and multi-layer encryption reinforce the system’s reliability for mission-critical forensic operations. GAO supports agencies with expert implementation and offers extensive R&D-backed solutions from our teams based in New York City and Toronto. 

Cloud Architecture of GAO’s Cloud-Based Forensic Record and Custody Control System 

GAO’s cloud architecture for this forensic custody environment is structured around a multi-tier, service-oriented framework designed for high-assurance evidence management workflows. The system employs containerized microservices for ingest processing, real-time custody verification, digital signature validation, incident reporting, and secured API integrations with laboratory information systems. Role-based operational domains accommodate forensic technicians, property officers, evidence custodians, law enforcement investigators, digital analysts, and legal teams. 

The platform incorporates: 

• A cloud orchestration layer controlling workload distribution across scalable compute clusters 

• A multi-tenant data lake for structured and unstructured evidence artifacts 

• A secure edge-gateway layer that interfaces with RFID, BLE, UWB, Wi-Fi HaLow, or Zigbee readers installed across storage vaults, evidence lockers, impound facilities, and field units 

• Policy engines enforcing procedural controls, chain-of-custody protocols, environmental monitoring, time-stamped movement logs, and laboratory workflow states 

Professionals working with ballistic evidence, narcotics packaging, biological specimens, surveillance media, cyber artifacts, and seized assets benefit from automated ingestion pipelines and metadata harmonization. The environment resolves problems such as lost evidence, inconsistent transmittals, and unsecured movement between departments. GAO’s engineering teams in New York City and Toronto strengthen the cloud’s resilience with redundant storage, continuous integrity checks, transport-layer encryption, and strict quality assurance backed by decades of R&D. 

 

Overview Description, Purposes, Issues Addressed, Benefits, and Applications of GAO’s System 

GAO’s Cloud-Based Forensic Record and Custody Control System functions as a secure digital operations backbone for the entire evidence-handling lifecycle. This cloud-managed environment mitigates long-standing issues such as mislabeling, mishandling, custody gaps, unverified transfers, and fragmented recordkeeping. Agencies often confront challenges caused by disparate systems, manual logbooks, and inconsistent procedures; our cloud solution provides uniformity, standardization, and verifiable traceability. 

Purposes  

• Maintaining a tamper-resistant custody ledger 

• Authenticating incoming and outgoing evidence packages 

• Ensuring interdepartmental transparency through real-time dashboards 

• Supporting evidentiary review, legal disclosures, and audit investigations 

The cloud backbone eliminates site-specific data silos, enabling rapid synchronization of metadata, incident files, biometric signatures, video evidence, hazardous material logs, and officer activity streams. Issues related to data duplication, unauthorized access, and chain-of-custody disputes are addressed through immutable archival layers, granular permission controls, and automated event logging. 

Benefits  

• Continuous availability through distributed cloud zones 

• Reduced IT complexity for agencies with limited technical staff 

• Automated compliance with forensic documentation standards 

• A unified custody environment that accelerates case processing 

Applications span digital forensics labs, crime scene units, correctional institutions, federal and state law enforcement agencies, emergency operations, and private-sector investigatory divisions. The system makes limited but relevant use of RFID, BLE, UWB, Wi-Fi HaLow, or Zigbee to link physical evidence movement to corresponding cloud records. As a long-standing supplier serving Fortune 500 clients, leading R&D labs, government agencies, and universities, GAO provides thorough support to ensure smooth deployment. 

 

Cloud Integration and Data Management 

Cloud integration relies on secure RESTful APIs, message queues, and event-driven architecture to connect field devices, evidence scanners, laboratory information systems, property room applications, and judicial document management platforms. Data management workflows enforce schema consistency, digital hashing, provenance tracking, lifecycle versioning, cryptographic controls, tokenized user access, high-fidelity audit trails, and automated retention policies. GAO ensures that sensitive custodial data is safeguarded through multilayered security, identity federation, and compliance-oriented cloud configurations. 

 

Components of GAO’s Cloud Architecture 

GAO’s Cloud-Based Forensic Record and Custody Control System contains several functional modules: 

• Evidence Ingestion Engine supporting document uploads, sensor-driven entries, and automated metadata extraction 

• Custody Ledger Service maintaining immutable, time-sequenced transfer records 

• Identity and Access Manager enforcing user roles for forensic examiners, investigators, technicians, and administrators 

• Storage and Archival Layer with distributed, encrypted cloud repositories 

• Edge Device Interface Layer integrating RFID, BLE, UWB, Wi-Fi HaLow, or Zigbee endpoints 

• Analytics and Compliance Module generating dashboards, audit summaries, workflow timelines, and anomaly detection alerts 

• Interoperability Gateway bridging external justice systems, laboratory tools, and third-party platforms 

Comparison of Wireless Technologies for GAO’s Forensic Custody System 

Each wireless modality offers specific advantages when paired with GAO’s cloud-enabled forensic environment: 

• RFID enables rapid, hands-free tagging and tracking of evidence containers with high read throughput. 

• BLE provides low-power beaconing ideal for personnel proximity and short-range locker verification. 

• UWB supports precise real-time location mapping with centimeter-level accuracy. 

• Wi-Fi HaLow extends long-range, low-power connectivity suitable for large warehouses or multi-building evidence repositories. 

• Zigbee offers mesh-based communication ideal for distributed locker networks and environmental sensors. 

 

Local Server Version of GAO’s Forensic Record and Custody Control System 

A local server variant is available for agencies requiring an on-premises deployment. This configuration runs on dedicated hardware within the organization’s secured IT perimeter. It supports offline operation, site-restricted evidence workflows, and full integration with RFID, BLE, UWB, Wi-Fi HaLow, or Zigbee devices. GAO provides remote or onsite technical support, delivering the same high-quality reliability found in our cloud edition while allowing customers to maintain direct control over physical infrastructure. 

GAO Case Studies of Cloud-Based Forensic Record and Custody Control System Using BLE, RFID, LoRaWAN, Cellular IoT, NB-IoT, GPS-IoT, UWB 

USA Case Studies 

• A cloud-enabled forensic facility in Phoenix, Arizona deployed BLE for short-range custody validation. GAO RFID supported the deployment by integrating secure BLE beacons into evidence rooms, enabling automated logging as technicians handled sensitive materials. The cloud platform synchronized all custody events to strengthen audit readiness across large investigative workloads. 

• A metropolitan crime laboratory in Los Angeles, California implemented RFID to streamline evidence intake and archival workflows. GAO RFID assisted by configuring long-range RFID portals connected to a cloud dashboard, enabling rapid item location and reducing manual search time for high-volume case processing. 

• A digital forensics unit in Chicago, Illinois adopted LoRaWAN for wide-area tracking of field-collected items. Our engineering team helped integrate long-range nodes into their custody platform, enabling continuous monitoring across multiple remote drop-off points and enhancing record consistency during multi-team operations. 

• A secure evidence warehouse in Dallas, Texas relied on Cellular IoT to maintain custody awareness for mobile storage units. GAO RFID enabled cloud-connected modules that transmitted real-time status updates as units moved between controlled facilities, supporting strict compliance demands. 

• A regional investigations center in Atlanta, Georgia utilized NB-IoT to monitor environmental storage conditions for biologically sensitive materials. GAO RFID provided low-power sensor integration linked to a cloud compliance dashboard, giving technicians early alerts when temperature thresholds drifted. 

• A forensic transportation service in New York City, New York deployed GPS-IoT to track the movement of sealed evidence containers during inter-facility transfers. GAO RFID configured the cloud system to maintain continuous route documentation, reinforcing secure custody for high-profile cases. 

• A crime lab in Miami, Florida selected UWB for precise indoor positioning of high-risk evidence during examinations. Our team implemented UWB anchors to create centimeter-level location trails, improving accountability in controlled environments. 

• A coastal forensic team in San Diego, California combined RFID and BLE to support hybrid workflows involving both room-level and proximity-level authentication. GAO RFID integrated both data streams into a unified cloud interface to simplify investigative operations. 

• An investigative office in Seattle, Washington applied LoRaWAN for long-range tracking of temporary evidence lockers distributed across the metropolitan area. GAO RFID enabled end-to-end cloud data ingestion, helping maintain chain-of-custody visibility between satellite sites. 

• A federal research center in Boston, Massachusetts employed RFID for automated storage auditing of chemical evidence. GAO RFID’s cloud integration reduced manual count cycles and improved documentation accuracy for regulated substances. 

• A forensic biology lab in Denver, Colorado introduced BLE for automated personnel-based custody verification. GAO RFID configured wearable BLE devices that interacted with secure cloud logs whenever staff accessed restricted materials. 

• A statewide investigative agency in Columbus, Ohio adopted Cellular IoT to track evidence moved across regional facilities. Our cloud connectors supported real-time custody updates regardless of network boundaries, reinforcing operational continuity. 

• A digital investigations group in Portland, Oregon used NB-IoT sensors to monitor humidity exposure for delicate electronic evidence. GAO RFID integrated environmental telemetry into their cloud retention system, helping prevent integrity loss. 

• A forensic archaeology unit in Santa Fe, New Mexico used GPS-IoT to track sensitive items recovered from remote sites. Our cloud platform aggregated field data to maintain complete movement histories while supporting compliance requirements. 

• A metropolitan forensic center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania enhanced indoor tracking with UWB, enabling precise documentation of evidence cart movements. GAO RFID provided system customization to support high-density exam rooms with complex workflows. 

Canada Case Studies  

• A large forensic laboratory in Toronto, Ontario deployed RFID to optimize chain-of-custody operations for high-volume evidence. GAO RFID, headquartered in the same city, supported integration with secure cloud storage and audit systems, ensuring rapid traceability aligned with regulatory expectations. 

• A provincial investigative unit in Vancouver, British Columbia chose LoRaWAN for long-range custody monitoring across dispersed collection points. Our cloud configuration enabled consistent data collection despite challenging terrain and variable access conditions. 

• A government research facility in Ottawa, Ontario adopted BLE for controlled workspace authentication. GAO RFID connected BLE-based access events to a cloud-secured custody timeline, enhancing documentation integrity for sensitive research materials. 

Our system has been developed and deployed. It is off-the-shelf or can be easily customized according to your needs. If you have any questions, our technical experts can help you.  

For any further information on this or any other products of GAO, for an evaluation kit, for a demo, for free samples of tags or beacons, or for partnership with us, please fill out this form or email us.