What Is a Digital Forensic Degree?
As technology has evolved, so has technology abuse. From manipulated photos to identity theft, computers and cell phones have become tools to create new forms of crime. Physical forensics experts work to unearth evidence at a crime scene, and digital forensics experts unravel the evidence wrapped up in digital communications and networks. The demand for people trained in digital/computer forensics continues to grow, and colleges and universities are responding by offering certificate programs and bachelor's degrees to equip them with the skills necessary to help organizations combat cyber crime.
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Types
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A formal education in digital forensics can be found at community colleges and 4-year colleges and universities. As digital forensics specialists grow in demand, the training and education will also grow. The degrees range in title from Cybercrime Degree and Certificate to a B.S. degree in Computer Forensics. Degrees are offered through a college's school of business or information technology or under the criminal justice umbrella.
Duties
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By unraveling digital evidence--text, photographs or other electronic communication--a forensics expert sifts through alleged forgeries, manipulated photographs, stolen transactions and files. They track digital evidence in an alleged crime through cell phones, computers, software, Blackberries and PDAs.
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Significance
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A digital forensics expert may work for a variety of organizations, including the government, corporate security departments and law firms. In the private sector, an expert may be hired by an individual or a media outlet. In the courtroom, a digital forensics expert may help determine guilt or innocence. In the newsroom, the expert may decide the fate of a photojournalist's career and the integrity of the newspaper at large.
Types
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Digital forensics specialists are often hired to determine a photo's authenticity. The accessibility of photo software has made photo manipulation commonplace, and a trained forensics expert can be hired to analyze inconsistencies, compression and pixel artifacts. Such analysis will detect alterations, whether elements were added or taken away and how reliable a photo is.
In matters of alleged cyber crime, a forensics expert can peel apart digital documents and files to determine how and when they were transmitted, where they originated and who managed--or mismanaged--them.
Finding a College
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As the number of colleges and universities offering programs and specialized degrees in digital forensics grows, check your desired school for the most updated course offerings. Because this field is a spin-off of the traditional computer science degree, it attracts people who are already in the workforce and, more likely, working in a computer science environment. As a result, many colleges offer courses or the entire program online or on weekends to accommodate full-time workers' schedules. Courses may be wrapped into the computer science curriculum or may stand independent as part of a certificate program. Some also have crime labs where students gain firsthand experience working with digital evidence.
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