Alibi Global, a startup registered under the Kerala Start-up Mission, has been granted accreditation by the National Accreditation Board for Testing & Calibration Laboratories (NABL) to become ‘the first private forensic lab in South India to get the recognition.

Assures higher credibility

The start-up has already been providing training and support to law enforcement agencies, including the Kerala Police, the Tamil Nadu Police, National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), CERT-IN, the Andaman & Nicobar Police and C-DAC as also private clients over the last two years. Gandhimathi Balan, Chairman and Managing Director, Alibi, said analytical reports from NABL-accredited laboratories are accepted internationally and enjoy high credibility in the court of law as well.

Based in Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram, Alibi is the first lab in the private sector exclusively for cyber forensics, a company spokesman claimed. The NABL accreditation is valid for two years. VK Bhadran, Technical Director, said Alibi was set up in 2020 and has been working ‘silently’ with some prestigious customers since then even as it pursued the accreditation with the NABL.

Software, hardware tools

The cyber forensic lab is equipped with globally acclaimed forensic software and hardware tools that could be used to acquire evidence from CCTV videos, advanced mobile phone devices, computers, servers, network and other storage devices. Recovery of deleted files from mobile and computer devices are all within the scope of NABL accreditation.

Forensic experts from Central Forensic Science Laboratory CFSL, Hyderabad, and Forensic Science Laboratory, Goa, had conducted several rounds of audit prior to the grant of the accreditation. Cyber forensic engineers at Alibi, mostly women, conduct analysis and cyber investigation of various digital forensic cases adhering to stringent policies and guidelines of NABL, says Sunil SP, former joint director of the Kerala State Forensic Science Lab, who currently heads the operations team of Alibi.

Centre of Excellence

Founder-Director Sowmya Balan said Alibi is aiming to be a Centre of Excellence in Cyber Forensics and has plans to expand globally soon. The Kerala State Start-up Mission has given it required support and opportunities for exposure. The Mission is the nodal agency of the Government of Kerala for entrepreneurship development and incubation activities in the state.

Bhadran said Alibi has three separate divisions catering to separate functionalities, including Cyber Forensics, Digital Forensic Laboratory and a Training Academy. Going forward, it aims to promote development of required tools since there is shortage domestically. “We’re in a niche space with limitless possibilities in an increasingly digitising environment and are confident of assisting courts and law enforcement agencies as also serve needs of private individuals.”

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