About us

The Digital Forensics Research Conference (known as DFRWS) USA 2026 marks the 26th anniversary of one of the most influential conferences in the field of digital forensics. It is a pivotal platform for advancing the science and practice of digital forensics, bringing together researchers, practitioners, and industry leaders from around the globe to discuss advancements in technologies, forensic methodologies, and challenges posed by emerging fields like IoT and cloud computing.

Important Dates

Fri, Feb 6, 2026
Full Research Paper: Title / Abstract registration
Fri, Feb 6, 2026
Full Research Paper: Submission update (paper upload)
Fri, Feb 13, 2026
Full Research Paper: Early rejection
Thu, Mar 19, 2026
Full Research Paper: Author Rebuttal start
Wed, Mar 25, 2026
Full Research Paper: Author Rebuttal end
Fri, Apr 3, 2026
Full Research Paper: Notification of acceptance
Sun, Apr 12, 2026
Full Research Paper: Camera Ready Paper Submission and Presenter Registration
Tue, Mar 31, 2026
Panel Proposals, Workshop / Tutorial and Presentations deadline
Mon, Jun 15, 2026
Demos deadline
Tue, Jul 7, 2026
Posters deadline
Mon, Jul 27, 2026
Birds of the Feather submission

Call For Paper

Medical Devices
Mobile and embedded device forensics
Smart buildings
Machine learning and data mining for digital evidence extraction/query
Malware and targeted attacks (analysis and attribution)
Forensics analysis and visualization of Big Data
Non-traditional forensic scenarios/contexts
Network and distributed system forensics
Cloud and virtualized environments
Vehicle forensics (e.g., drones, cars)
SCADA / industrial control systems
Covert channels (e.g., TOR, VPN)
Additive manufacturing / 3D printers
Smart power grids
Virtual currency
Digital forensic preparedness/readiness
Digital investigation case management
Digital evidence sharing and exchange
Digital forensic triage/survey
Digital forensic tool validation
Event reconstruction methods and tools
Digital evidence and the law
Case studies and trend reports
Anti-forensics and anti-anti-forensics
AI forensics
HCI’s intersection with digital forensics
Use of LLMs in digital forensics
Memory forensics
Forensic multimedia analysis (audio, image, video)
Detection of deepfake/synthetically generated multimedia
Multimedia security (watermarking, obfuscation, C2PA, etc.)

DFRWS welcomes new perspectives that push the envelope of what is currently possible in digital forensics. We invite contributions in several categories including Full Research Papers, Systematization of Knowledge (SoK) papers, Presentations/Demos, Posters, Workshops/Tutorials, and Panels.