Would you like to learn how to become a computer forensic investigator? Perhaps, you want to become one of the best computer forensic investigators under a prominent company in your country. Well, if your dream is to become the best digital forensics in a specific business company, then building up your foundation, including your skills and educational attainment, as well as developing the essential skills required for the role, is a must.
Computer forensic investigators play an essential role in the safety protection and financial status of the public. Digital forensic professionals contribute significantly to both public and private sector investigations by applying their expertise in evidence analysis and cybercrime response. As a forensic computer analyst who knows how to scrutinise and investigate crime scenes, you can help government agencies and businesses identify and neutralise cyber security threats.
With the rapid increase of cybercrime issues, computer forensics analyst tends to become in demand in these recent times. Indeed, the BLS or Bureau of Labor Statistics had projected that there’s an increase of 14% in forensic jobs in the next 10 yrs. The role of a digital forensic investigator is increasingly sought after in both government and private organizations due to the growing complexity of cyber threats.
Cybercriminals could permanently deny their cybercrime acts. This is where forensic investigators or computer forensic professionals come in. Earning a digital forensics degree is important for preparing for these roles, as it provides the necessary academic background and practical skills. Computer forensic specialists may gather clues that may tell the right and true stories within the crime scenes.
If you are ready to learn how to become a computer forensic investigator, start knowing its actual computer forensics jobs, the technical and soft skills requirements to become computer forensics investigators, the qualifications needed, and the average salary. By learning these things, you could set your expectations once you’re hired as a computer forensic analyst in any government or private sector. Police departments and police forces often collaborate with digital forensic professionals for investigations, providing valuable real-world experience and resources.
What is Computer Forensic Investigation?
A computer forensic investigation is a process of gathering, scrutinising, analysing, and making some investigations on digital evidence and computer data. This process is also referred to as a digital forensic investigation. A computer forensic investigator, also known as a computer forensics specialist or forensic investigator, must earn a bachelor’s degree in computer science that deals with forensic analysis.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in line with a computer forensics career, then you could work within international, national, local, and state law enforcement agencies. You may also work in some accounting firms, law firms, and other law enforcement agencies, as these firms and agencies badly need some digital forensics examiners who can work under their agencies.
What Does a Computer Forensic Investigator Do?
Digital forensic experts are like detectives who try to solve crimes, including ethical and legal issues. These forensic computer analysts utilise forensic tools and effective methods in performing criminal investigations or performing digital evidence into legal procedures. The clues which these forensic investigators uncover can help in solving crimes that occur in these digital time-beings.
Their main duties include:
- Gathering digital evidence from both virtual and physical devices.
- Analyzing computer registries, hard drives, and mobile phones for evidence.
- Uses forensic toolkit and specialised software such as FTK, EnCase, and Cellebrite to analyse data and recover encrypted or deleted data.
- Recovering encrypted or deleted files, including data recovery from various file systems and data examination of deleted data.
- Conducts cell site analysis to track mobile device activity and location during investigations.
- Providing technical reports to document findings for legal proceedings.
- Investigating security data breaches and performing data analysis to uncover evidence.
A computer forensic investigator is expected to do the following duties and responsibilities:
• Gathers digital evidence from USB drives, hard drives, computer systems, or other storage devices
• Utilises effective programs which analyse computer registries, mobile devices, computer files, internet, and emails
• Uses file viewers, both network & database type of forensic tools, disk, and captured data tools
• Recovers encrypted or deleted files like critical images and electronic documents
• Provides oral and written findings reports
• Investigates security data breaches while ensuring strong cybersecurity level
• Presents digital evidence to law enforcement, court, and to the company officials as well
These things are expected to be performed by any computer forensics analyst. By exceptionally doing those things, both government agencies and private companies can somehow analyse every critical evidence they need to solve.
What Technical skills are Required?
Both technical and computer skills are needed for you to become one of the best computer forensics investigators of a specific agency. Generally, computer forensic investigators work with digital storage pieces of equipment and computers. That’s why it is expected that computer forensics analysts have a deep understanding of the functions of forensic computing networks, which include topologies, network protocols, and others, with network security being a key area of expertise.
Aside from that, computer forensics specialists must have extensive knowledge of the use of various operating systems. Technical knowledge is essential in digital forensics, as it enables professionals to analyze complex systems and solve challenging cases. With a firm grasp of these systems, computer forensics professionals can effectively uncover digital information and navigate different platforms and tools needed for criminal investigations.
Aside from computer skills, a computer forensics analyst can understand how software systems and computer hardware function. Moreover, they must utilise different programming languages like HTML, Python, Java, and some other codes. They are also knowledgeable in various digital forensic tools such as FTK Imager, EnCase, Xplico, and different kinds of software. Some professionals begin their careers as a network engineer before transitioning into digital forensics roles, highlighting the flexibility and progression within the industry.
What Soft skills are Required?
To become a certified computer examiner who professionally works under software development companies, soft skills are also required. Here are the fundamental soft skills which you need to enhance or develop when planning to work as a forensic investigator:
- Communication Skills
A computer forensics investigator needs to prepare reports, findings, and summaries of information or data which a digital forensics analyst finds during the investigations. Legal firms and law enforcement agencies utilise these reports and results as digital evidence in their legal cases. That’s why computer forensic investigators must have strong communication skills — be it in oral or written type. Strong communication skills are also essential for serving as an expert witness in legal proceedings, where clear and precise testimony can be critical to the outcome of a case.
- Critical-Thinking Skills
Since a computer forensics investigator works on the investigation process of crime scenes, computer forensics analysts must also possess critical-thinking skills, which would help them solve cases and problems. These skills can help the National Security Agency and law enforcement agencies convert digital data into helpful information for criminal justice procedures and investigations. Forensic computer analysts can uncover deleted or hidden data from various types of storage devices with these skills.
What Qualifications are Required?
As a computer forensics investigator, high qualifications are expected to be met so that anyone can effectively perform the duties and responsibilities associated with this computer forensics career path. Here are the basic qualifications which you need to know if you want to become a computer forensic investigator under a government agency or any private sector. In addition to these qualifications, further training is essential for career advancement, as it helps professionals stay updated with the latest technologies and techniques in digital forensics.
With Extensive Knowledge in Professional Development
Professional development is one of the qualifications which the employers wanted for the applicants. In this way, an applicant is expected to perform growth and development for himself, affecting the while agency and organisation.
Has Professional Certification
Professional certification is another requirement and qualification if you want to become an experienced computer forensics analyst. You may want to consider a Global Information Assurance Certification that offers GCFA credentials in assisting and guiding professionals to specialise in their investigation and cyber security skills.
The certificates will serve as your advantage to become a GIAC certified forensic analyst who has the opportunity to work in popular organisations. A GIAC network forensic analyst awaits lots of options with the other digital forensics experts who work in forensic companies.
Knows How to Navigate Computers and Other Digital Storage Devices
As a computer forensics investigator, you must understand how to navigate computers, different applications, and other digital storage devices. Computer forensics analysts will utilise these tools and computer systems in doing criminal investigations, reports of findings, etc.
Has Wide Experience Related to Computer Systems
A computer forensic investigator or a forensic computer analyst must possess broad experiences related to the job itself. In this way, he can efficiently perform his tasks and retrieve data or digital evidence, which law enforcement officers can use to present investigations for the crimes.
Graduate of Specific Related Courses for the Job
If you want to become one of the best computer forensic investigators in a particular company, you should take courses related to digital forensics examiner jobs. You may choose a degree in computer science, computer engineering course, or even some other allied courses offered in different universities. A National Computer Forensics Institute offers some digital forensic types of systems with various experience levels. So, you may grab those opportunities and finish a computer science course that would bring you into your dream.
Specializations in Computer Forensic Investigation
The field of computer forensic investigation is diverse, offering a range of specializations that allow digital forensics professionals to focus their expertise on specific types of digital evidence and digital devices. As technology evolves, so do the methods and tools used in digital forensic investigations, making it essential for forensic investigators to develop specialized skills in key areas.
One major specialization is network forensics, which involves analyzing data traffic across computer networks to uncover evidence of cybercrime, unauthorized access, or data breaches. Network forensics experts are skilled at tracing digital footprints, reconstructing network events, and identifying the source of security incidents.
Another important area is mobile forensics, where digital forensics professionals focus on extracting and analyzing data from mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. With the increasing use of mobile devices in daily life, mobile forensics has become crucial for retrieving digital evidence like text messages, call logs, app data, and location information.
Cloud forensics is a growing specialization that deals with investigating digital evidence stored on cloud platforms. As more organizations and individuals rely on cloud computing for data storage and collaboration, cloud forensics experts are needed to examine virtual environments, recover deleted files, and ensure the integrity of digital data in the cloud.
Finally, malware analysis is a specialized field where forensic investigators study malicious software to understand how it operates, how it infiltrates systems, and what digital evidence it leaves behind. This expertise is vital for identifying the impact of cyberattacks and developing strategies to prevent future incidents.
By pursuing these specializations, digital forensics professionals can become highly skilled in handling complex digital forensic investigations, ensuring that critical digital evidence is properly identified, preserved, and analyzed across a wide range of digital platforms and devices.
What is the Average Salary for a Computer Forensic Investigator in the UK?
The average salary of a computer forensics investigator is about $95,510. However, this numerical data may vary depending on the location and individuals’ skills as digital forensics specialists. If you’re a GIAC certified forensic examiner and with advanced knowledge, expertise, or skills who accurately adapt such emerging technologies, then you can even earn up to $153,090 every year. The demand for professionals in the digital forensics field continues to grow as organizations seek experts to address increasing cyber threats.
At some point, the entry-level position as a forensic computer analyst or a security consultant who manages internet safety is around $58,762 per year. These entry-level roles often involve participation in cybercrime investigation cases, where collecting and analyzing digital evidence is essential.
Steps on How to Become a Computer Forensic Investigator
The exact career paths, location, educational attainment, and other conditional factors may affect how you become information security analysts or computer forensics investigators. But aside from those apparent requirements and qualifications, people may follow some simple steps to become computer forensics analysts. Developing strong data security and incident response skills is essential for aspiring computer forensic investigators, as these abilities are critical for protecting information, managing security incidents, and supporting comprehensive cybersecurity strategies.
Earn Related Degrees from Specific Colleges or Universities
To start an entry-level position for this job, you must have a diploma from a specific university. Then, you can begin to apply to HEIs or Higher Education Institutions that offer degree programs. In this way, you can still build your skills in managing digital data and computer systems.
Pursue some Learning Opportunities to Earn Experiences
While you are enrolled in your degree program, you may want to consider pursuing some learning opportunities like fellowships, internships, and part-time jobs. These experiences would help you get different occasions in the computer forensics’ field; thus, these will serve as your edge in looking for a computer forensics job in the market.
Become a GIAC Certified Computer Forensics Analyst
Although this is not a requirement to become a computer forensics investigator, it would still be advisable to earn professional certificates in the computer forensics field. With this, you can become legit professional computer forensics analysts.