The Digital Forensics Research Conference Europe (DFRWS EU 2025) will be held Tuesday, April 1 through Friday, April 4, as a hybrid event in Brno, Czech Republic. The event is organized in cooperation with the Faculty of Information Technology, part of the Brno University of Technology that celebrates 125 years since its foundation in 1899. This year, we are organising the inaugural Digital Forensic Doctoral Symposium, which will be held on 1st April 2025. Furthermore, the Women in Forensic Computing Workshop (WinFC) is co-locating with DFRWS and will be held on Monday 31th March 2025. A separate WinFC registration is required.

The organizers have created a comprehensive Conference & City Guide for all attendees, packed with useful information about the conference, Brno, and Czechia. There is also an Online App with more local tips and information.

Conference Location:

Brno is the former capital city of Moravia and the political and cultural hub of the South Moravian Region. With over 400,000 residents, it is currently the second-largest city in the Czech Republic. The iconic Špilberk Castle and the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul offer stunning views and a glimpse into the city's storied past. Local folklore thrives in Brno, with tales of the Brno Dragon and the Wheel, adding a mystical allure to this dynamic city known for its cultural festivals and thriving arts scene. A tradition since 1930 has been hosting motorbike and other races on the city's Masaryk Circuit, of which the MotoGP Grand Prix is among the most prestigious races. Brno is also a significant centre of higher education, hosting over 65,000 students across 10 universities, their 30 faculties and numerous research institutes.

The main conference venue will take place at the Faculty of Information Technology campus at Bozetechova 1, partly situated in the historic former Carthusian monastery dating back to 1375. The Welcome Reception will be hosted at the Rectorate of the Brno University of Technology at Antoninska 1 within the grand hall of its newly renovated neo-Baroque building. The Digital Forensics Rodeo and Awards Ceremony will be held at the Pivovarská Starobrno restaurant, part of the Starobrno Brewery at Mendel's Square. This location is adjacent to the Augustinian Monastery where Gregor Johann Mendel, the Austrian-Czech founder of modern genetics, lived and conducted his groundbreaking experiments. On Thursday, you will revisit Mendel's Square to attend the social event at U Královny Elišky (At Queen Eliška's), a charming winery nestled in historic wine cellars that lie deep beneath the streets of Brno. Friday's afternoon social trip will take you to the Technical Museum in Brno, which offers, among other things, an extensive collection of historic computers. Dedicated buses will be scheduled to transport you directly from the FIT campus, Bozetechova 1, to the museum.

How to get there?

By Plane

Brno has the Brno - Tuřany (BRQ) airport, offering connections from London, Milan, and several other locations. However, most of the suitable connections fly to Vienna (VIE). Once in Vienna, you can take a direct bus (about 2 hours) to Brno from companies like RegioJet, Flixbus, or GepardExpress. Tickets are purchasable online from the bus providers’ websites or through the IDOS portal. You can also fly to Bratislava (BTS) and take a direct bus to Brno from Flixbus or Omio (about 2 hours). Another option is flying to Prague (PRG), taking the Airport Express (40 minutes) to Praha hlavní nádraží / Main Railway Station and then a train to Brno hlavní nádraží / Main Railway Station (2.5 to 3 hours).

By Train or Bus

Various providers offer buses and trains to Brno from cities across Europe. We recommend using the IDOS portal to search for and purchase tickets. For trains, the destination is Brno hlavní nádraží (Brno Main Railway Station) from which you can take a tram, bus, Uber, or taxi to your hotel. For long-distance buses, the destination is Brno, Benešova tř. hotel GRAND (250m from Main Railway Station) or Brno, ÚAN Zvonařka (800m from the Main Railway Station).

By Car

For using the highway, you need to purchase a vignette. We recommend the 10-day vignette for 290 CZK (~12 EUR). Typically, all hotels offer some sort of parking. Parking is also available at free/paid parking lots and parking houses. Beware, however, that many streets (especially closer to the city center) have the "Blue Zone" where you need to pay a fee that depends on the location, day/time in the week, and the duration of your parking. These lots are clearly distinguishable by a painted blue line on the road. At some of them, there is a vending machine, but the easiest is to pay with the EasyPark app for Android and iPhone.

At the conference venue, you can park for free directly at Božetěchova street or in one of the neighboring streets. In close proximity to the conference venue, there is the Božetěchova parking that is also free of charge.

DFRWS sponsors and partners that would like to purchase a dedicated parking lot directly at the conference venue may contact the local conference chair Radek Hranický at radek[at]dfrws.org.

Accommodation

Hotel Continental ****

The hotel offers pre-reserved rooms and discounted prices for DFRWS attendees. DFRWS attendees can book rooms via info@continentalbrno.cz or call directly +420 541 519 609. When booking, specify a password that you get from the registration chair to get a discounted price. Multiple room options are available for the following discounted prices:

Standard Rooms
- Fully renovated rooms with a pleasant atmosphere.
- 1700 CZK (~67 EUR) / night … Single room
- 1850 CZK (~73 EUR) / night … Double / Twin room for 1 person
- 2150 CZK (~85 EUR) / night … Double / Twin room for 2 persons
Superior Rooms
- Premium rooms inspired by the design of the 60s with beautiful views of the city.
- 1980 CZK (~78 EUR) / night … Single
- 2350 CZK (~93 EUR) / night … Double / Twin

A rich buffet breakfast is included in the price. All prices include VAT. Prices do not include local accommodation tax that is around 20 to 40 CZK / person / day. All rooms have A/C, Wi-Fi, beds above the standard bed size, separate bathrooms and toilets for your comfort. All single rooms include a balcony. Superior rooms have a tea and coffee set. The hotel offers free fitness for the guests. Private saunas are also available for 650 CZK (~26 EUR) / 2 persons / 90 min. Due to the location in the city center, parking is charged for additional 350 CZK (~14 EUR) / vehicle / day. Check in is possible from 2 pm. Check out is till 12 pm. More information can be found here.

Other recommended hotels in Brno are:

Visa Information

The Czech Republic is a member of the EU and the Schengen area. Schengen citizens may enter and reside in the territory of the Czech Republic with a valid ID card or a passport.

Non-Schengen citizens from countries with visa-free access do not require a visa for short-term (up to 90 days) non-profit stays in the Schengen area.

Citizens from other countries should apply for a short-term Schengen visa for "business" or "official visit" when attending a conference. This visa allows the holder to circulate in the Schengen area for a maximum of 90 days within a 180-day period. Schengen visa applications can be submitted six months at the earliest and 15 days at the latest ahead of the trip.

April 1, 2025 to April 4, 2025

Keynotes

From Blueprint to Reality: The Journey of Building a Decryption Platform

Dr. Iwen Coisel | Digital Forensic Examiner | European CyberCrime Centre (EC3) - Europol

During this keynote, I want to share with you the journey I had when building a decryption platform. While the path had its challenges, I learned invaluable lessons along the way, and I’m excited to share that experience with you. I’ll take you through the entire process of creating the platform, from the initial design to deployment, and even the vision for its future. You’ll hear about the early stages, where we explored different ideas and created prototypes to find the best approach. I'll share the decisions we made in choosing the right tools and technologies to ensure the platform could scale and perform at the level needed. Along the way, we made bold choices, including adopting cutting-edge technologies, that were essential to the platform’s success. But it wasn’t without its obstacles. I’ll be sharing the key lessons I learned, the successes as well as the mistakes, and how they shaped the direction of the project. Finally, I’ll discuss what comes next for the platform, and how we plan to evolve it further. This keynote is not just about the technical journey, it’s about the personal experience, the decisions, and the lessons learned that I hope will be valuable for you in your own work.

About Dr. Iwen Coisel:

Dr. Iwen Coisel received his Ph.D. in cryptography from Orange Labs, Caen, France, in 2009. His research focused on anonymous authentication systems for low-cost devices. From 2009 to 2012, he was a researcher with the Crypto Group at the Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium, where he analysed the security of private authentication systems. Between 2012 and 2021, he worked as a Scientific/Technical Project Officer at the Joint Research Centre, European Commission, in Ispra, Italy. His research interests span cryptography, cybersecurity, digital forensics, password cracking techniques, and password strength metrics. Since May 2021, Iwen has been a digital forensic examiner at the European Cybercrime Centre of Europol, where his operational tasks focus on the decryption of digital evidence. In addition to his operational tasks, he is also interested in quantum computing and natural language processing. Iwen is part of the Hashtopolis development team and contributed to the creation of the Decrypt Advanced course at ECTEG, where he also served as a trainer. Outside of his professional life, he is passionate about board games and barbecuing.

Data acquisition from non-standard electronic devices

Col. Jiri Stochl LL.M., MBA | Head of IT Forensics and Electrical Engineering Department | Institute of Criminalistics, Czech Republic

In my keynote presentation, I will introduce the Police of the Czech Republic and its IT Forensics Department, detailing the processes involved in data acquisition across the country with a focus on expert evidence. I will outline the primary areas of interest in data acquisition, covering a broad spectrum of devices - from mobile phones, PCs, and servers to Apple devices, aircraft systems, vehicle forensics, and wearable technology. Additionally, we will explore the acquisition of non-standard devices such as wearable gadgets, medical devices, and vehicle forensics systems, discussing the possibilities they offer, the skills required, and the challenges faced. To bring these topics to life, I will present a case study of real crime cases involving data acquisition from non-standard devices.

About Col. Jiri Stochl:

My name is Jiri Stochl and I started my career with the Police of the Czech Republic in 2005. Since then I worked as a police officer, as deputy of a police department, as investigator in the Criminal Police dep., as a cybercrime investigator in the Criminal Police dep. Since 2021 I work as the head of IT Forensics and electrical engineering department. So I’m the team leader of 18 forensics experts and I manage all operations in the department (e.g. HR, forensics devices, equipment, execution of forensics operations, cooperation, and so on.). My biggest skill was to make “HR stability” in my department, because when I started as head, there were only 12 forensics experts in the IT Forensics department and they were at the end of their power… In these times my team has 20 members, 18 forensics experts, one deputy and me.

Participation

DFRWS EU invites contributions in the categories listed below and follow the submission guidelines:

FULL RESEARCH PAPERS that align with the topics of interest undergo double-blinded peer review, and publish in the proceedings. Articles can be published as a special issue of the Journal of Forensic Science International: Digital Investigation (by Elsevier).

PRESENTATIONS / DEMOS require a brief proposal (~500 words; not a paper) and undergo a light review process. Accepted proposals will be given a presentation slot (~15min) during the conference.

POSTERS allow for the presentation of current research efforts and the discussion of preliminary results with the digital forensics community during the conference. The posters are not included in the conference proceedings and will not be subject to a formal peer-review process.

The poster layout is up to the authors to decide but they must be:

Size A1 portrait (594 x 841 mm)
Readable both printed and on-screen (i.e., high-resolution, minimum 300dpi)
Of interest to the digital forensic community
Not be a sales pitch or advertisement

Further information:

Posters should be submitted in pdf format via EasyChair to go through an audit/approval process. Submission can happen at any time up to 10th March 2025. The approval process typically takes a couple of days.
Once approved, minor changes to the poster contents are accepted without a new audit, such as improving the quality of illustrations, correcting spelling or other errors, etc.
The poster session will be held on Wednesday 2 April and Thursday 3 April 2025.
One of the authors must register and attend the conference to stand by their poster and present it at the Poster Session Lightning Talk (i.e., 1 slide / 2 minutes to introduce yourself and the topic of the poster to the whole audience before the poster session starts).
The final version of the poster should be submitted to a location to be communicated directly to authors once approved; the deadline for submission of the final version is 10th March 2025 to allow local printing organised by the conference. If this deadline is not observed, the authors will be responsible to take care of printing themselves.

WORKSHOPS can be 2 to 4 hours (please indicate) and ideally include hands-on participation by attendees, allowing for an in-depth, detailed exploration of tools and techniques of interest to DFRWS attendees. Workshops that result from research earlier presented at DFRWS or those involving specialised hardware are especially welcome. DFRWS will provide one free conference registration for each workshop accepted. However, please remember that if you are an author on an accepted paper then the requirement for one full registration per accepted paper takes precedence.

Submission Information

All contributions must be submitted through the EasyChair site at https://easychair.org/my/conference?conf=dfrwseu2025. Submissions must be in PDF format and follow the submission criteria and guidelines stated to be within the scope of the conference. Organisers may reject work that does not follow the listed criteria.

Contact Information

For questions related to paper submissions, please email: stefan.axelsson <at> dsv <dot> su <dot> se

For questions about presentation submissions, please email: harm <at> dfrws <dot> org

For questions about workshop proposals, please email: chris <at> dfrws <dot> org

For questions related to demo submissions, please email: pavel.gladyshev <at> dfrws <dot> org

For questions related to presenting a poster, please email: ricardo <at> dfrws <dot> org

For questions related to registrations, please email: eu-registration <at> dfrws <dot> org

For any other questions related to the organisation of DFRWS EU 2025, please email: eu <at> dfrws <dot> org

Student Scholarship and Award Program by DFRWS

DFRWS encourages the active participation of students studying digital forensics. One or more Student Scholarships are made available for students to present their accepted research papers for each event (Priority is given to first authors; however, applications are open to all authors). DFRWS Scholarships are awarded depending on financial need and sponsorship funding available each year, i.e., exact award amounts will vary. Please apply using the Google form given here.

Topics of Interest

DFRWS is open to fresh insights that challenge the current boundaries of digital forensics. The submissions can cover a broad range of topics related to digital forensics, including, but not limited to:

Anti-forensics and anti-anti-forensics
AI-assisted digital forensics
Case studies and trend reports
Cloud and virtualized environment forensics
Covert channels (e.g., TOR, VPN)
Cryptocurrency investigation
Development of digital forensic infrastructures
Digital evidence sharing and exchange
Digital evidence and the law
Digital forensic preparedness / readiness
Digital investigation case management
Digital forensic analysis of AI models
Digital forensic tool validation
Digital forensic triage / survey
Event reconstruction methods and tools
Forensics analysis and visualization of Big Data
Forensic analysis of anonymous networks
Forensic analysis of databases
Implanted medical devices
Incident response on malware and targeted attacks
Machine learning and data mining for digital evidence extraction/query
Memory acquisition and analysis
Methodology for digital forensic processes
Mobile and embedded device forensics
Multimedia (image, audio, video) data analysis
Network and distributed system forensics
Non-traditional forensic scenarios / contexts
SCADA / industrial control systems
Smart power grid forensics
Steganography and steganalysis
Smart building forensics
Vehicle forensics (e.g., drones, cars)
Visualization methods and tools for forensic analysis

Click Here For Proposal Requirements

Deadlines

Date	Event
October 4, 2024	Full papers: Submission of Abstract & Title via EasyChair (Extended Deadline)
October 11, 2024	Full papers: Final submission via EasyChair
November 25, 2024	DFDS 2025: Paper submission (extended deadline) See DFDS 2025 for more information.
November 27, 2024	Full papers: Acceptance notification
December 13, 2024	Workshops & Presentations: Submission via EasyChair (Rolling notification until the program is full)
December 16, 2024	Full papers: Camera-ready submission of full papers and registration of presenters
March 10, 2025	Posters: Submission via EasyChair (Rolling notification until the program is full)

Committees

Organizing Committee

Conference Chair

Ondrej Rysavy, Ph.D. (Brno University of Technology)

Conference Co-Chair

Felix Freiling, Ph.D. (Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg)

Local Conference Chair

Radek Hranický, Ph.D. (Brno University of Technology)

TPC Chair

Stefan Axelsson, Ph.D. (Stockholm University)

TPC Co-Chair

Mark Scanlon, Ph.D. (University College Dublin)

Keynote Chair

Jens-Petter Sandvik, Ph.D. (National Criminal Investigation Service, Norway)

Keynote Co-Chair

Jan Peter van Zandwijk (Netherlands Forensic Institute)

Poster Chair

Ricardo J. Rodríguez (University of Zaragoza)

Poster Co-Chair

Virginia Franqueira, Ph.D. (University of Kent)

Proceedings Chair

Edita Bajramovic, Ph.D. (Siemens Energy)

Proceedings Co-Chair

Olga Angelopoulou, Ph.D. (University of Warwick)

Workshop Chair

Chris Hargreaves, Ph.D. (University of Oxford)

Workshop Co-Chair

Bruce Nikkel, Ph.D. (Bern University of Applied Sciences)

Presentation Chair

Harm van Beek, Ph.D. (Netherlands Forensic Institute)

Presentation Co-Chair

Blanche Lagny

Demo Chair

Pavel Gladyshev, Ph.D. (University College Dublin)

Program Scheduling Chair

John Sheppard, Ph.D. (South East Technological University)

Program Scheduling Co-Chair

Hein Venter (University of Pretoria)

Web Chair

Jan-Niclas Hilgert (Fraunhofer FKIE)

Web Co-Chair

Sean McKeown, Ph.D. (Edinburgh Napier University)

Hybrid Chair

Lena Voigt (Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg)

Hybrid Co-Chair

Katharina De Rentiis (Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg)

Hybrid Co-Chair

Lisa Rzepka (Universität der Bundeswehr München, Research Institute CODE)

Registration Chair

Lisa Marie Dreier (Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg)

Registration Co-Chair

Owen O'Connor

Sponsorships

Daryl Pfeif (DFRWS)

Promotion Chair

Javier Carrillo-Mondéjar (University of Zaragoza)

Student Scholarship Chair

Frank Breitinger, Ph.D (University of Lausanne)

Local Co-Chair

Ondřej Ondryáš (Brno University of Technology)

Rodeo Chair

Nelson Mutua (Brno University of Technology)

Rodeo Chair

Jan Polišenský (Brno University of Technology)

Rodeo Chair

Jakub Reš (Brno University of Technology)

Birds of a Feather Chair

Frank Adelstein, Ph.D.

Recordings Chair

Mariya Shafat (University of Kashmir)

Volunteer Chair

Vladimír Veselý, Ph.D. (Brno University of Technology)

Student Scholarship Chair

Holger Morgenstern (Albstadt-Sigmaringen University)

Doctoral Symposium Chair

Aikaterini Kanta, Ph.D. (University of Portsmouth)

Doctoral Symposium Co-Chair

Frank Breitinger, Ph.D (University of Lausanne)

Member at Large

Holger Morgenstern, David-Oliver Jaquet-Chiffelle

Technical Program Committee

Aikaterini Kanta, Ph.D.

University of Portsmouth

Áine MacDermott, Ph.D.

Liverpool John Moores University

Andrea Oliveri, Ph.D.

EURECOM

Antonio Casolaro, Ph.D.

Europol

Asanka Sayakkara, Ph.D.

University of Colombo

Chris Hargreaves, Ph.D.

University of Oxford

Christian Keil, Ph.D.

DFN-CERT

Cosimo Anglano, Ph.D.

Universitá del Piemonte Orientale

David-Olivier Jaquet-Chiffelle, Ph.D.

University of Lausanne

Davide Maiorca, Ph.D.

University of Cagliari

Dohyun Kim, Ph.D.

Catholic University of Pusan

Doowon Jeong, Ph.D.

Sungkyunkwan University

Edita Bajramovic, Ph.D.

Siemens Energy

Elénore Ryser

Cranfield University, Université de Lausanne

Erisa Karafili, Ph.D.

University of Southampton

Erwin Vaneijk

Netherlands Forensic Institute

Farkhund Iqbal, Ph.D.

Zayed University

Felix Freiling, Ph.D.

Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg

Fergus Toolan. Ph.D.

The Norwegian Police University College (PHS)

Frank Adelstein, Ph.D.

NFA Digital, LLC

Frank Breitinger, Ph.D.

University of Lausanne

Fudong Li, Ph.D.

Bournemouth University

Gaston Pugliese, Ph.D.

Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg

Gibum Kim

Sungkyunkwan University

Gilbert Peterson, Ph.D.

US Air Force Institute of Technology

Giuseppe Totaro, Ph.D.

Europol

Hannes Spichiger, Ph.D.

Hochschule Luzern HSLU

Hanno Langweg, Ph.D.

HTWG Konstanz

Hans Henseler, Ph.D.

Leiden University of Applied Sciences

Harald Baier, Ph.D.

Universität der Bundeswehr München, Research Institute CODE

Harm van Beek, Ph.D.

Netherlands Forensic Institute

Holger Morgenstern

Albstadt-Sigmaringen University

Hudan Studiawan, Ph.D.

Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember

Irfan Ahmed, Ph.D.

Virginia Commonwealth University

Iwen Coisel, Ph.D.

Europol

Jan Gruber, Ph.D

Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg

Jan Pluskal, Ph.D.

Brno University of Technology

Jan William Johnson, Ph.D.

Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Jan-Niclas Hilgert

Fraunhofer FKIE

Janine Schneider, Ph.D.

Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg

Javier Carrillo Mondéjar

Universidad de Zaragoza

Jenny Ottmann, Ph.D.

Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg

Jens-Petter Sandvik, Ph.D.

National Criminal Investigation Service Norway

John Sheppard, Ph.D.

South East Technological University

Kevin Mayer, Ph.D.

Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg

Kyle Porter, Ph.D.

Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Leonardo Regano, Ph.D.

Università degli Studi di Cagliari

Mahfuzul Nissan

University of New Orleans

Mark Scanlon, Ph.D.

University College Dublin

Marko Schuba, Ph.D.

Aachen University of Applied Sciences

Martin Lambertz

Fraunhofer FKIE

Mattia Epifani

CNR

Milan Čermák, Ph.D.

Masaryk University

Nina Sunde, Ph.D.

The Norwegian Police University College (PHS)

Olga Angelopoulou, Ph.D.

Royal Holloway, University of London

Oluwasola Mary Adedayo, Ph.D.

The University of Winnipeg

Ondrej Rysavy, Ph.D.

Brno University of Technology

Owen Brady, Ph.D.

King's College London

Owen O'Connor

State Street

Panagiotis Andriotis, Ph.D.

University of Birmingham

Patrick DeSmet, Ph.D.

Nationaal Instituut voor Criminalistiek en Criminologie (NICC/INCC)

Pavel Gladyshev, Ph.D.

University College Dublin

Radek Hranický, Ph.D.

Brno University of Technology

Ricardo J. Rodríguez, Ph.D.

Universidad de Zaragoza

Robert-Jan Mora

Volexity

Sean McKeown, Ph.D.

Edinburgh Napier University

Stefan Kiltz, Ph.D.

University of Magdeburg

Virginia Franqueira, Ph.D.

University of Kent

Vladimír Veselý, Ph.D.

Brno University of Technology

Wietse Venema, Ph.D.

DFRWS

Zeno Geradts, Ph.D.

Netherlands Forensic Institute

Registration

Authors – please note that one Full Registration is required (at the in-person rate) for each accepted paper. Any additional authors that attend in-person qualify for reduced registration rates if they are either employed in law enforcement or are full-time students.
Early Bird Discount: Register before February 24th, 2025 and apply the code EarlyBird25 at the end of the registration process to receive a discount of 100€.

In Person Conference Prices

Type of Registration	Early Bird Rate	Regular Rate	Last Chance Rate
Available through...	February 24, 2025	March 24, 2025
Student	495€	595€	695€
Law Enforcement	595€	695€	795€
Full / Speaker	695€	795€	895€

Virtual Conference Prices

Type of Registration	Triple - All 3 Conferences	Double - Any 2 Conferences	Single - Just DFRWS EU 2025
Online / Remote	-	-	150€

DFRWS EU 2025 Program

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