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What is Disklabs used for?
Disklabs is a UK digital forensics and data recovery provider. It is used to investigate, recover and securely erase data from computers, phones and other digital devices, mainly for criminal and civil cases, legal teams and organisations handling sensitive information.
Main uses
- Digital forensics: Examining and interpreting data on computers, mobile phones, satellite navigation devices and CCTV systems for criminal or civil investigations.
- Legal Aid Agency funded cases: Supporting cases funded through the Legal Aid Agency.
- Data collection and eDiscovery: Gathering electronic evidence for disclosure and eDiscovery work.
- Specialist forensic access: Recovering data that standard forensic tools cannot reach, using techniques such as chip-off, ISP and board-level work.
- Forensic data recovery: Recovering data from storage devices, tapes, RAID arrays and servers.
- Certified data erasure: Permanently erasing sensitive data on site, with related degaussing equipment and remarketing services.
A practical example: a solicitor needing evidence from a damaged phone, or an organisation retiring drives that held confidential records, could use these services for the forensic examination or certified erasure respectively. For straightforward file recovery from a working drive, a general data recovery service may be enough; forensic and legal work is where the investigation and evidence-handling side matters most.
How does Disklabs handle forensic data recovery from damaged RAID servers and tapes?
Disklabs presents forensic data recovery as a distinct service from its general data recovery work, covering "ALL Storage Devices, Tapes, ALL types of RAID and Servers," alongside specialist techniques such as chip-off, ISP and board-level access for devices that standard forensic tools cannot read. In practice, that combination matters for damaged RAID servers and tapes: recovery is framed as evidence-sensitive work, not just getting files back.
What the site indicates
- RAID and tape recovery are listed services, with forensic data recovery treated as its own offering rather than a subset of ordinary recovery.
- Specialist hardware-level methods (chip-off, ISP, board-level) are described as a way to reach data that standard forensic tools cannot access.
- Forensic context runs through the offering, including computer, mobile, CCTV and satellite navigation forensics, plus data collection and eDiscovery for disclosure.
- Secure erasure and degaussing sit alongside recovery, which is relevant when a recovered server or tape set later needs sanitising.
- Legal Aid Agency funded case support is explicitly offered, pointing to criminal and civil investigation work.
How this typically plays out
For a damaged RAID server, the practical sequence is usually imaging and documenting the member disks before any rebuild, then reconstructing the array in a controlled environment rather than on the original hardware. Tapes add a different problem: the drive and the media both matter, so a failed tape is often tested against known-good hardware before recovery is attempted. Disklabs' mention of board-level and chip-off techniques suggests it can step in when a controller or drive electronics have failed. Its eDiscovery and disclosure work implies recovered material can be packaged for legal use, not merely returned as raw files.
Choosing between providers
| Consideration | What to check |
|---|---|
| Damage type | Whether the provider handles electronics-level failure, not just logical corruption |
| Evidential use | Whether recovery includes documentation suitable for court or disclosure |
| Media | Confirmed experience with your specific tape format and RAID configuration |
| Aftercare | Whether erasure or secure disposal is available once data is extracted |
If the material may end up in a criminal or civil case, ask how the chain of custody and imaging are recorded before work begins. For a straightforward failed array with no legal dimension, a general RAID recovery specialist may be simpler and cheaper. As a next step, describe the exact RAID level, drive count and tape format when requesting a quote, since those details determine whether specialist hardware techniques are needed.
Can Disklabs assist with Legal Aid Agency funded digital forensic cases?
Yes. Disklabs states that its experts are ready to assist with Legal Aid Agency (LAA) funded cases, listed as a dedicated service alongside its digital forensics work. The site also describes expertise in criminal and civil investigation, interpretation and analysis of data on digital devices, plus computer, mobile phone, cell site, sat nav and CCTV forensics.
What this means in practice
- Solicitors and legal aid providers: if a case is legally aided and needs device examination or expert interpretation, Disklabs presents itself as set up to take that work, rather than treating LAA cases as an afterthought.
- Scope of evidence: the listed forensic areas cover the common evidence types in criminal and civil matters, so a single provider may handle phones, computers and location or video evidence.
- Specialist access: the site also cites chip-off and board-level techniques for devices that standard forensic tools cannot read, which matters where a device is damaged or locked.
Practical next step
Before instructing anyone, confirm the prior authority or funding position with the LAA and ask the provider for a written scope and cost estimate covering examination, reporting and potential court attendance. Ask specifically whether they have handled LAA-funded instructions before and how they report to legal aid rates.
For wider context on forensic providers in England and Wales, the official registers at Forensic Science Regulator and Crown Prosecution Service can help you check accreditation expectations.
How does Disklabs collect digital evidence for eDiscovery and disclosure?
Disklabs frames data collection as the foundation of eDiscovery and disclosure, and presents it as a service for gathering digital evidence efficiently rather than as a self-service tool. The site lists Data Collection and eDiscovery alongside computer forensics, mobile phone forensics, cell site/data analysis, sat nav forensics and CCTV forensics, so collection is positioned as the entry point to a wider investigative workflow.
What the site indicates about the process
- Collection as a distinct stage: The eDiscovery page ties efficient data collection to disclosure, suggesting evidence is gathered with legal disclosure obligations in mind.
- Multiple device types: Because mobile phones, computers, satellite navigation units and CCTV systems are all covered, collection can span several sources in one matter.
- Handling devices standard tools cannot read: Specialist services such as chip-off, ISP and board-level techniques are offered for devices that resist ordinary forensic access.
- Support for publicly funded work: Legal Aid Agency funded cases are explicitly listed, which matters for criminal defence and similar proceedings.
- Downstream analysis: Computer and mobile forensics plus cell site analysis indicate that collection feeds into interpretation and reporting.
Practical scenario
A solicitor handling a dispute involving a phone, a laptop and workplace CCTV would need all three preserved consistently, with a defensible chain of custody, before disclosure. Disklabs' structure suggests a single provider can collect across those sources and then analyse them.
How to judge fit
Ask what collection method will be used for each device, how integrity is preserved, what happens when a device is damaged or locked, and how the output maps to disclosure requirements. For the legal framework around disclosure, see GOV.UK. Confirm scope, timescales and deliverables directly with Disklabs before instructing.
What specialist techniques does Disklabs use for mobile phone and CCTV forensics?
Disklabs describes advanced technical capabilities for reaching data that standard forensic tools cannot access: chip-off, ISP (in-system programming) and board-level electronic techniques. These are presented as part of its specialist forensic services and are the closest the site comes to naming specific methods.
Mobile phone forensics
The site lists mobile phone forensics as a distinct service but does not detail handset-specific techniques beyond the chip-off, ISP and board-level capabilities above. In practice, those techniques matter most when a phone is locked, damaged or unsupported by ordinary extraction tools—for example, a water-damaged handset in a civil dispute, or a device model that standard software cannot read. Chip-off involves removing the memory chip for direct reading; ISP and board-level work access memory through test points on the circuit board without removing the chip. The trade-off is invasiveness: chip-off can destroy the device, so it is usually a last resort and should be justified by what the case needs to prove. A solicitor or investigator should ask which method is proposed, why simpler extraction will not suffice, and how the device's condition will be documented.
CCTV forensics
CCTV forensics is also listed as a service, alongside cell site/data analysis and sat nav forensics, but the page gives no method detail. A realistic scenario: a retailer needs footage from a proprietary DVR system in a format the police cannot play. The practical questions are whether the original recorder and footage can be preserved intact, how timestamps are verified against real time, and whether exports remain admissible. Ask for the chain-of-custody process and the output format before commissioning work.
Related services worth knowing
Data collection and eDiscovery support disclosure in civil cases, and Legal Aid Agency funded casework is offered for criminal matters. For comparison, Kroll and Evidence Talks publish material on digital forensics practice.
Next step: request a short method statement for the specific handset or CCTV system in your case, covering the technique proposed, its risks to the device, and the expected output.
How can an organisation arrange on-site certified data erasure with Disklabs?
An organisation arranges on-site certified data erasure with Disklabs by contacting the company directly to scope the job; the site lists a phone number, +44 (0) 1827 55999, and a contact page as the starting points, and presents on-site erasure as a service for organisations and agencies that need assurance that sensitive data is permanently erased. Expect the first conversation to cover how many devices and what types, where they are located, when access is possible, and what certification or audit trail your organisation needs, since those details determine how the visit is planned.
What to prepare before you call
- An asset list: device types, quantities and serial numbers, so the scope and time on site can be estimated.
- Locations and access rules: sites, rooms, parking, sign-in and any security clearance or escort requirements.
- Your compliance requirement: the standard or internal policy the erasure must satisfy, and whether you need certificates per device.
- A disposition plan: whether erased equipment is reused internally, remarketed or recycled, since the site also lists remarketing.
Decision criteria
On-site erasure is most useful when equipment must not leave your premises, when you need your own staff to witness the process, or when a chain-of-custody record matters to an auditor. If you are weighing alternatives, compare providers on whether erasure happens at your site, what certification is issued per device, which erasure standards are followed, and whether the same provider can handle devices that fail to erase. For general guidance on secure sanitisation standards, see NIST, whose media sanitisation guidance is widely used to define erasure requirements.
As a practical example, a finance team retiring 200 laptops across two offices would call Disklabs with the asset list, agree a two-day on-site schedule with witnessed erasure, and retain the per-device certificates as audit evidence before releasing the hardware for remarketing or recycling.
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