About Forensic Jobs

As demand for computer forensic employees has grown, formal education programs have emerged, along with a plethora of certifications and a handful of professional associations. Professionals in the field estimate that the average salary for computer forensic specialists is about $85,000, depending on experience and location. Entry-level positions can start at around $50,000 a year.

Kris E. Turnbull, director of the Cyber Crime Institute, a continuing education program at Kennesaw State University in Georgia, said his students tended to be 30 to 50 years old, with a background in Internet technology. Some had jobs that were eliminated at corporations, he said. The institute, started in 2002, offers online programs that can take about three to four months to complete. Students who graduate from the institute receive a certification backed by the International Society for Forensic Computer Examiners. Michael Kirk, 28, who graduated in 2006 from Champlain College in Burlington, Vt., with a degree in computer forensics, said he sought a bachelor’s degree in the field because an associate degree was not getting him a job.

In addition, “Experience is paramount,” he said, noting that he did an internship with a computer forensics software company while getting his bachelor’s. Many educators say internships are vital in helping students land jobs after graduation.

“There are plenty of computer forensic jobs,” he said. “But a lot require previous experience as well as certification in various tools.” The number of possible certifications is extensive, and they can be time-consuming and cost hundreds of dollars to obtain. Some certifications are related to knowledge of software like EnCase and AccessData, which are used to mine computers for information. Others come from professional organizations like the International Society of Forensic Computer Examiners, which is affiliated with a private Virginia company, Key Computer Services, and the High Tech Crime Network, a group of law enforcement agencies and corporate security professionals. While some companies require certain certifications, others don’t. Mr. Kirk, now an evidence consultant at FTI, a consulting firm that specializes in investigations and litigation, said the work was interesting and rewarding. But he said that people contemplating a career in the field should be open to relocating.

By: David York

Crime Scene

AFTER 31 years of eluding the police, the B.T.K. serial killer of Wichita, Kan., was tracked down and convicted in 2005 with the help of information left behind on a computer floppy disk. Scott Peterson’s conviction for murdering his pregnant wife, Laci, relied in part on his Internet research about the tides and water currents in the area where her body later turned up.

From prominent murder cases to lowly divorce proceedings, the e-mail messages that people send and the Web sites they view can and will be used in court. The people who unearth this data and make it usable in the courtroom are known as computer forensic specialists. They are the cyber detectives who mine the data that seems to disappear from — but never really leaves —computers and other electronic storage devices.

“People who love computers, who love crime scene investigation, see this as a natural confluence of their skills without having to reach under a dead body,” said Craig D. Ball of Austin, Tex., a former trial lawyer who advises judges and lawyers on the use of electronic evidence.

Computer forensic specialists examine hard drives and other storage areas, ferreting out

information from things like spreadsheets, Word documents, instant messages and e-mail. They look for signs of tampering and for information that users may have tried to delete or hide. For many years, the field was dominated by law enforcement agencies and their employees. But it has expanded recently as consultants have entered the field and as various government agencies, corporations, financial institutions and other businesses have begun hiring their own experts.

By: David York

Computer Forensics For Beginners

What are the computer forensic trends your seeing in the lab ?

It's the amount of data that an average person generates is growing with no end in sight. Smart phones allow custodians to write discoverable data to social media sites like twitter, FaceBook, Chat Rooms, and Linkedin. Forensic labs like digitalDNA group conducts web based email and social media investigation. Web based emails like Hotmail, Gmail, and social media sites can be searched for responsive data and forensically preserved and searched by date range, keyword and more.

Another forensic trend is the amount of intentional spyware that's found on the user's hard drives and phones. In some cases our lab has had hard drives with more than 36 known spy-ware files that ranges from reading your email, secretly stealing client data to pinpointing your every location based on your phones GPS.

Are there any new advancement for preserving the data?

There's great options for forensically preserving data. Forensic labs like digitalDNA group offers onsite and remote connect to eliminate the travel cost while increasing preservation response time. The current trend is having certified forensic examiners go onsite and forensic collect and document the process at the custodians location.

New generation of Computer Forensic Experts can analyze your hard drive, by-pass the passwords and quickly zero-in on the investigative issues. Whether its recovering financial transactions, or linking individuals to individuals; they deliver the evidence with court ready forensics lab reports.

By: David York.