New Delhi: Capital markets regulator Sebi is planning to hire an agency that will assist its search team for onsite data acquisition during search and seizure operations. In this regard, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has invited applications from eligible service providers experienced in digital forensic services for the acquisition, extraction, and analysis of digital evidence from mobile, computers, and tablets, among others, on an ongoing basis.
This comes in the backdrop of the Sebi crackdown against entities allegedly involved in a front-running scam using messaging app Telegram. Recently, the regulator carried out a search and seizure operation at the premises of several entities in multiple locations across the country in the matter. In a notice on Tuesday, Sebi said the agency will be required to provide onsite assistance to the search team and onsite data acquisition during search and seizure operations.
In addition, it will have to undertake forensic acquisition/imaging of different types of digital devices, such as laptops, mobile phones, smartphones, tablets, hard drives, USB drives, CDs/DVDs, servers, etc. The agency will be responsible for the detection, acquisition, and analysis of data sourced from cloud networks and carry out such analysis as required by investigating officers using forensic tools.