Information can be retrieved from computers and other digital storage devices with the aid of computer forensic investigators. The collected information can then be used as evidence in cybercrime cases or criminal investigations. Find out if you’re a good fit for this career at the nexus of law enforcement and cybersecurity and how to get started.

What Do Forensic Computer Analysts Do?

A computer forensics investigator in the USA obtains evidence from computers, mobile phones, and other digital devices, just like a forensic investigator does from the crime scene.

Duties and Obligations

Depending on the organization, agency, and industry, a digital forensic investigator’s responsibilities will change. These are some duties you could anticipate performing based on your actual work.

Obtain Information from Real and Virtual Devices

Gather and examine signs of malicious network activity and network intrusion artifacts.

Retrace the sequence of actions that resulted in a compromise or breach.

In criminal proceedings, gather, prepare, examine, and preserve digital evidence.

Metadata Extraction and Analysis

Work with the legal, compliance, and HR teams and the police.

Make sure the digital evidence has a chain of custody.

Case findings should be documented in technical reports.

Determine potential dangers and make suggestions for increased security.

Testify at depositions, trials, and other legal proceedings.

Where Will You Work

Many computer forensic investigators in the USA work for law enforcement agencies directly or through private companies that the agencies engage to manage digital evidence. You could also pursue a career as a forensic expert working for a personal business. In this situation, you will likely identify vulnerabilities, look into security breaches, and try to recover data from damaged or compromised digital storage devices.

You may need to be on call for some digital forensic investigator positions to respond to occurrences that might happen outside of typical office hours.

Why Would One Choose To Work In Digital Forensics?

A job in digital forensics might be a good fit for you if using your technical expertise to keep the internet secure seems appealing. In addition to providing a constantly changing challenge, employment in digital forensics is frequently well-paid and in high demand.

Salary Of A Computer Forensics Investigator

According to Glassdoor, the average compensation for digital forensic analysts in the US is $81,802 as of October 2022. The salaries listed on the job search engines ZipRecruiter and CyberSeek are $74,128 (for a computer forensic investigator) and $100,000 (for a cyber crime analyst), respectively.

Job Prospects

Digital forensic analysts are not listed in the Occupational Outlook Handbook of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). It does state that forensic science and information security analysts should expect job growth of 35% and 35%, respectively. This is significantly higher than the average rate of 8%.

Career Path In Digital Forensics

“Cybercrime analyst” is categorized as an entry-level position in cybersecurity by CyberSeek. Starting in the digital forensics field may provide access to more challenging and lucrative parts, such as penetration tester, cybersecurity consultant, manager, or security architect.

Learn more about potential career paths in cybersecurity that might be a good fit for you.

What Is Required To Work As A Computer Forensic Investigator?

Here are some measures to take if you’re interested in a career in computer forensics.

Develop Your Knowledge Of Digital Forensics.

Technical and professional skills are often essential for success in cybersecurity, mainly digital forensics.

Digital Storage Devices: Gaining a deeper understanding of how data is kept on hard drives and consumer electronics will help you retrieve essential or compromised data.

You’ll need to understand how to locate and recover data from Windows, Linux, macOS, Unix, and Android-based devices. Knowing how to encrypt and decode data is essential because you’ll frequently need to retrieve and analyze encrypted data.