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ETA International Releases the Industry's First Audio Video Forensic Certification

The Audio Video Forensic Analyst will be called upon in court to offer an expert’s evaluation and authentication of analog and digital media using modern electronic technology. ETA International collaborated with the industry’s top experts to develop a certification that validates required training, experience, knowledge, and skills to perform the required professional tasks in accordance with industry standards and best practices.

Greencastle, October 9, 2018: As a trier-of-fact, an expert's opinions and methods are expected to survive peer review and courtroom challenges. In a court of law, the professional expert work and opinions of an Audio Video Forensic Analyst (AVFA) may need to withstand a Frye challenge, and their Curriculum Vitae (CV) may need to endure a Daubert challenge, since it is the Court who will determine if those opinions will be entered into the record as expert assessments.

The need for these professionals to have their knowledge and skills validated with an accredited certification was brought to the attention of ETA International by experts working in the field. Together, ETA and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) developed the stringent competencies that the AVFA must obtain in order to be acknowledged and respected as a courtroom expert in accordance with industry standards and best practices.

“At the end of the day, it's the Court that decides whether a person will testify or not, and it would be wise to have it on record that we (ETA and the SMEs) are aware of the Court's stature,” said Marisa T. Déry, Owner and Forensic Analyst, Tamar Forensics.

As an AVFA, the professional must be able to evaluate, authenticate, and enhance the auditory and visual contents of analog and digital media using modern electronic technology. A certified AVFA is expected to have the required training, experience, knowledge, and skill to perform these required professional tasks.

Jennifer Owen, President and Chief Forensic Analyst, Owen Forensic Services, said that a qualified expert witness can indeed provide the insight and vision needed to ensure a positive outcome through litigation, due diligence, expert witness report, arbitration and mediation support.

“It is imperative that each expert witness have a strong working knowledge and foundation of their particular field of expertise,” Owen said. She added, “I believe the ETA certification for the Audio Video Forensic Analyst is designed to assess and comprehensively cover all the best practices of our field and, through the examination and ultimately the certification, assure the judge that the expert indeed possesses the knowledge and expertise to meet Frye and Daubert standards,” Owen said.

Achieving the prestigious status of an ETA-certified AVFA requires passing a comprehensive proctored exam, developed and revised through a rigorous and extensive peer-review process. AVFA certification is verification that the expert possesses extensive audio-visual enhancement and authentication industry knowledge, and it is the industry's first such peer-reviewed forensic certification.

Owen said she is proud to be a part of this venture with ETA because in this line of work, there is a constant challenge to credentials, training, and experience, and that a comprehensive exam will go a long way to legitimize the professional’s qualifications.

Doug Carner, AVFA, CFHI, CCFE, CPP, President of Forensic Protection, said ETA's certification ensures that those bearing the AVFA credentials are qualified to perform the tasks required of an Audio Video Forensic Analyst.

"Becoming a qualified and respected forensic expert requires years of training and experience, an unwavering commitment to factual truths and high ethical standards,” Carner said. He added, “The AFVA certification designation raises our industry's standards and helps both the courts and hiring attorneys qualify their experts."

ETA International is proud to offer the AVFA certification, accredited by the International Certification Accreditation Council (ICAC). ETA, a non-profit professional trade association dedicated to the electronics industry, offers a special thanks to the following professional Audio Video experts for their advice and dedicated efforts in developing this new certification exam: Dery, Carner, and Owen.

About ETA - Since 1978, ETA has delivered over 200,000 certification examinations successfully. Widely recognized and frequently used in worker job selection, hiring processes, pay increases, and advancements, ETA certifications are often required as companies bid on contracts. ETA’s certifications are personal and travel with the individual, regardless of employment or status change and measure competencies of persons, not products or vendors. All ETA certifications are accredited through the International Certification Accreditation Council (ICAC) and align with the ISO-17024 standard. www.etai.org .

Download this press release at – www.etai.org /pr/ETA_International_Releases_the_Industry's_First_Audio_Video_Forensic_Certification.pdf