Dear Participants of ISDFS 2026,
Since its inception in 2013, the International Symposium on Digital Forensics and Security (ISDFS) has grown into a well-recognized international platform that brings together researchers, practitioners, and industry experts working in digital forensics, cybersecurity, information assurance, and emerging security technologies. Hosted by several distinguished universities in the United States, Türkiye, Romania, and Portugal, ISDFS reflects strong international collaboration and academic impact. The symposium provides an interdisciplinary environment where scholars present innovative research findings, discuss emerging cyber threats, and explore new methodologies and technologies aimed at strengthening digital security infrastructures. Through keynote speeches, technical sessions, and collaborative discussions, ISDFS continues to contribute to the advancement of digital forensics and cybersecurity research worldwide. It is therefore our great pleasure to celebrate the successful completion of the 14th International Symposium on Digital Forensics and Security (ISDFS 2026). For more than a decade, this symposium has been organized without interruption, and even the global challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic did not break this tradition, demonstrating the resilience and dedication of the ISDFS community.
Over the years, the ISDFS conference has grown steadily in terms of academic quality, number of submissions, and international participation. Between 2016 and 2022, the conference received technical sponsorship from different IEEE sections. During these years, ISDFS was successfully organized in several countries including Türkiye, Romania, Portugal, Lebanon, and the United States.
During the last four years (since 2023), the symposium has been organized consecutively in different states across the United States, hosted by various universities under the umbrella of the IEEE Education Society. This collaboration has significantly strengthened the scientific visibility and global reputation of the conference.
The countries, host institutions, and dates of ISDFS conferences organized since 2013 are summarized in Table 1.
Table 1. Chronological Overview of the International Symposium on Digital Forensics and Security (ISDFS)
| Year | Symposium | Location | Date |
| 2026 | 14th International Symposium on Digital Forensics and Security (ISDFS 2026) | Endicott College, Boston, MA, USA | March 19–20, 2026 |
| 2025 | 13th International Symposium on Digital Forensics and Security (ISDFS 2025) | Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston, MA, USA | March 24–25, 2025 |
| 2024 | 12th International Symposium on Digital Forensics and Security (ISDFS 2024) | Trinity University, Texas, USA | April 29–30, 2024 |
| 2023 | 11th International Symposium on Digital Forensics and Security (ISDFS 2023) | University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA | May 11–12, 2023 |
| 2022 | 10th International Symposium on Digital Forensics and Security (ISDFS 2022) | Maltepe University, İstanbul, Türkiye | June 6-7, 2022 |
| 2021 | 9th International Symposium on Digital Forensics and Security (ISDFS 2021) | Fırat University, Elazığ, Türkiye | June 28–29, 2021 |
| 2020 | 8th International Symposium on Digital Forensics and Security (ISDFS 2020) | Arab Open University, Beirut, Lebanon | June 1–2, 2020 |
| 2019 | 7th International Symposium on Digital Forensics and Security (ISDFS 2019) | Instituto Politecnico do Cavado e do ave, Barcelos, Portugal | June 10-12, 2019 |
| 2018 | 6th International Symposium on Digital Forensics and Security (ISDFS 2018) | Fırat University, Antalya, Türkiye | March 22–25, 2018 |
| 2017 | 5th International Symposium on Digital Forensics and Security (ISDFS 2017) | The University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Sciences and Technology of Tirgu Mures, Mures, Romania | April 26–28, 2017 |
| 2016 | 4th International Symposium on Digital Forensics and Security (ISDFS 2016) | University of Arkansas at Little Rock, USA | April 25–27, 2016 |
| 2015 | 3rd International Symposium on Digital Forensics and Security (ISDFS 2015) | Gazi University, Ankara, Türkiye | May 11–12, 2015 |
| 2014 | 2nd International Symposium on Digital Forensics and Security (ISDFS 2014) | Sam Houston State University, Texas, USA | May 12–13, 2014 |
| 2013 | 1st International Symposium on Digital Forensics and Security (ISDFS 2013) | Fırat University, Elazığ, Türkiye | May 20–21, 2013 |
The technical sponsorship of the IEEE Education Society has provided significant strength and international visibility for the conference. In this regard, we would like to express our sincere appreciation to Prof. Dr. Arnold Pears, President of the IEEE Education Society (2025–2027), and Prof. Dr. Diana Andone, Conference Chair, for their valuable support and encouragement.
One of the distinctive characteristics of the ISDFS conference is that it is governed and organized by an international consortium of universities and institutions. The consortium members for ISDFS 2026 include:
- Association of Software and Cyber Security of Türkiye
- Istanbul Technical University (Türkiye)
- Maltepe University (Türkiye)
- Fırat University (Türkiye)
- Gazi University (Türkiye)
- IEEE Education Society (USA)
- Endicott College (USA)
- Wentworth Institute of Technology (USA)
- Trinity University (USA)
- University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (USA)
- Sam Houston State University (USA)
- University of Tartu (Estonia)
- Polytechnic Institute of Cavado and Ave (Portugal)
- Singidunum University (Serbia)
- TELUQ University (Canada)
The consortium membership is periodically updated. I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all consortium members for their invaluable contributions and continuous support of the ISDFS conference.
All submitted papers undergo a rigorous peer-review process. Each submission is evaluated by at least two independent reviewers. Following the reviewers’ recommendations, the ISDFS Executive Committee performs a final evaluation of the manuscripts. Papers that comply with the IEEE publication standards and formatting requirements are submitted for approval to IEEE and subsequently published in the IEEE Xplore Digital Library, one of the largest scientific digital libraries in the world. Through this process, the research presented at ISDFS becomes accessible to researchers and practitioners worldwide. Furthermore, the indexing of ISDFS by Scopus significantly enhances the international recognition and academic impact of the conference.
We would like to express our sincere appreciation to Dr. Sara Quay, Provost of Endicott College, and Dr. Mark Herlihy, Dean of the School of Social Sciences, Communication, and Humanities, for approving the organization of ISDFS 2026 at Endicott College. Special thanks are also extended to Dr. KC (Kyungseok) Choo, Associate Dean and Professor at Endicott College and Director of the Homeland Security Graduate Program, who served as the Local Organizing Chair and led the local organizing team with great dedication.
We are also grateful to the distinguished members of the Honorary Committee, including:
- Dr. Lori Mann Bruce, President of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
- Dr. Jerold Hale, Provost of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
- Dr. Kumar Yelamarthi, Dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science
- Dr. Edibe Sözen Çetintaş, Rector of Maltepe University
- Prof. Dr. Fahrettin Göktaş, Rector of Fırat University
The Microsoft CMT service was used for managing the peer-review process for this conference. This service was provided free of charge by Microsoft, including all expenses related to Azure cloud services, software development, and technical support. Without this support, managing the 498 papers submitted to ISDFS 2026 through the CMT system would not have been possible with such efficiency. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Microsoft for this valuable contribution.
Out of the 498 submitted papers, 185 papers were accepted for presentation, resulting in an acceptance rate of approximately 37% for ISDFS 2026.
Organizing an international conference is a demanding and complex process that requires the dedicated efforts of many individuals. The successful completion of ISDFS 2026 is the result of the collaborative work of numerous researchers, reviewers, students, and staff members working behind the scenes. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all authors and participants who contributed to the success of this conference.
ISDFS 2026 is honored to host two distinguished Keynote Speakers.
Our first keynote speaker, Christophe Landries from the Belgian Federal Police / Directorate of International Police Cooperation / Joint Cybercrime Action Taskforce (J-CAT), delivered the keynote titled:
“How do artificial intelligence and the metaverse empower (cyber) criminals to carry out different types of crimes and how can organizations and individuals defend themselves?”
Our second keynote speaker, Supervisory Special Agent Peter Gomez from the New England Regional Computer Forensics Lab (NERCFL), delivered the keynote titled:
“The FBI Role in Global Cybercrime Disruption: Partnerships, Capacity Building, and Enforcement.”
We sincerely thank both keynote speakers for their valuable contributions.
Finally, I would like to express my special appreciation to Dr. Murat Karabatak from Fırat University and Dr. Cihan Varol from Sam Houston State University, who have been actively involved in the organization of ISDFS since its establishment in 2013. Their dedication, tireless efforts, and continuous support have played a crucial role in the sustained success and international growth of the ISDFS symposium.
Once again, I would like to thank all participants and contributors and wish everyone a productive and inspiring conference.
March 19, 2026
Prof. Dr. Asaf Varol
General Coordinator, ISDFS
