Do you think you have control over all of your valuable assets, including trillions of dollars in transactions that take place throughout the year? If yes, I am sure you must have developed a sophisticated and multi-faceted approach to cyber security in advance and if not, you should consider developing one. With the age of digitization, cybercrime is increasing at a fast rate. After all, there are tons of high school students hacking into systems in their spare time and most attacks today are launched through such tricks.

Computer forensics is a highly specialized area where investigators are tasked with uncovering or fighting cybercrimes for law enforcement agencies. These professionals spend most of their time working on computers, whether in an office or in a digital lab. A computer forensics expert is primarily intended to work on digital artifacts such as computer systems, hard drives, CDs and other storage devices, electronic documents, and files such as emails, JPEG images, etc.

Work description

As I said before, a computer forensic investigator is a trained professional who works with law enforcement agencies and private companies to recover all missing information from computers or any other electronic devices. As an analyst, he or she must work within law enforcement and he or she may also test the security of a private company’s information system. In addition to this, as a computer forensics expert, he must also have an excellent working knowledge of all aspects of the computer world. And if you’re serious about making a career in this field, always remember that patience and a willingness to work long hours are ideal for this position.

work duties

During any criminal investigation, an analyst retrieves and examines data from computers and electronic devices to use as evidence in criminal proceedings. In the event of equipment damage, the computer forensics expert must have sufficient skills to dismantle and rebuild the system to recover lost data.

When all of this is done, you need to write the technical report detailing how the evidence was discovered and all the steps were taken during the recovery process.

How to make a career in computer forensics

Step 1- Get a title

To become a researcher, you must have at least a bachelor’s degree to enter the field. More and more universities are offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in specialties, such as Computer Forensics specialties, where you can gain the necessary skills in both investigation and computer use.

Step 2- Find a job

Computer forensics jobs can be found at all levels of law enforcement agencies. Starting with smaller agencies, like city police departments, to larger agencies, like offices of homeland security, the homeland security agency will have an increasing need for these investigations. So approach them and get a job.

Step 3- Advance your career with experience

Basically, there are two ways to learn, once you can learn by learning and secondly you can learn by doing. It’s time to explore the second path, that is, advance your career by practicing computer forensics. Furthermore, you can even start your own consulting agency or private practices.