Ricoh Recognized with Gold Standard International Accreditation for Forensic Science Testing

LAS VEGAS, Aug. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB) has awarded Ricoh Forensics, the computer forensics arm of Ricoh Americas Corporation, what is largely considered the gold standard in Forensics Science Testing – the ASCLD/LAB-International certificate of accreditation – as announced at the International Legal Technology Association (ILTA) Conference in Las Vegas today.

Computer forensics, which continues to grow in importance within the legal arena, is commonly referred to as the science of collecting and analyzing electronically stored information (ESI). The collection discovery phase often includes recovering 'deleted' files. Furthermore, ESI has been growing and is expected to continue to grow at an exponential rate thanks in large part to the Internet and social media, making the analysis phase more time consuming and challenging.

Computer forensics can be a critical part of any legal proceeding. The ASCLD/LAB International accreditation included an assessment to confirm that Ricoh Forensics meets the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025:2005, thereby providing essential, external and independent review while increasing the level of confidence for customers and all interested parties in the work and work product of the laboratory.¹

"We are focused on helping our clients by the provision of high-quality, scientifically defensible and repeatable processes and will do whatever it takes to securely handle their computer forensic needs – this accreditation is just one example of this commitment," said Bob Brock, Vice President Legal and Managed Services, Ricoh Americas Corporation. "As part of our standard processes, we forensically acquire and analyze the identified ESI in a defensible and scientific manner that enables our clients to focus on what they do best – handle important legal matters."

The computer forensics lab was originally accredited by ASCLD/LAB in 2007, and was the first private lab in the country to receive this accreditation. Building on that strong foundation, Ricoh successfully applied for the more comprehensive, and challenging, International level of accreditation – one of an elite group of organizations in the United States that has pursued and actually achieved this distinction within the Forensic Science Testing category. The extensive 12-month accreditation process involved several on-site audits and the enhancement of the security system and several standard operating procedures, among other things.

"Congratulations to Ricoh Forensics for demonstrating a level of excellence generally only sought by government entities – only a few non-government organizations have sought and demonstrated conformance to the stringent criteria required for earning ASCLD/LAB-International accreditation," said ASCLD Executive Director Ralph Keaton. "We commend Ricoh Forensics for investing the time and commitment to achieve this accreditation as it is a definite sign to customers they have taken all the necessary steps to ensure the utmost security and scientific processes when dealing with highly confidential digital forensic evidence."

Earning the ASCLD/LAB-International accreditation was timely as the company recently opened a new state-of-the-art computer forensics facility, which is approximately 70 percent larger than the previous Ricoh Forensics lab. The facility includes extensive security, specialized climate control and was designed specifically for the unique forensics lab requirements. Together, the increased certification and new facility demonstrate the company's investment and ongoing commitment to helping clients address their computer forensic needs.

Ricoh acquired HSSK Forensics, Inc., a leading computer forensics and electronic discovery provider, in January 2012. Today, the Ricoh Forensics team serves thousands of law firms and corporations — including more than 90 percent of Am Law 200 and NLJ 250 firms, as well as many Fortune 1000 companies. Its Remlox™ technology is a patent pending, remote forensics collection tool, designed to enable custodians to defensibly facilitate a complete sector-by-sector forensic image acquisition of their laptop or workstation computers' hard drive. For more information visit ricoh-usa.com/industry/legal.

See Ricoh at ILTA Conference in Booth #432

| About Ricoh |

Ricoh is a global technology company specializing in office imaging equipment, production print solutions, document management systems and IT services. Headquartered in Tokyo, Ricoh Group operates in about 200 countries and regions. In the financial year ending March 2013, Ricoh Group had worldwide sales of 1,924 billion yen (approx. 20 billion USD).

The majority of the company's revenue comes from products, solutions and services that improve the interaction between people and information. Ricoh also produces award-winning digital cameras and specialized industrial products. It is known for the quality of its technology, the exceptional standard of its customer service and sustainability initiatives.

Under its corporate tagline, imagine. change., Ricoh helps companies transform the way they work and harness the collective imagination of their employees.

For further information, please visit www.ricoh.com/about/.

© 2013 Ricoh Americas Corporation. All rights reserved. All referenced product names are the trademarks of their respective companies.

Contact:

John Greco
Ricoh Americas Corporation
(973) 882-2023
[email protected]

Jill Searl
Brodeur Partners
(603) 559-5824
[email protected]

¹ ASCLD/LAB-International Testing Program

SOURCE Ricoh