Are you interested in pursuing a certification in computer forensics? If you enjoy working with hardware, software, and databases and are interested in identifying and responding to cyber security breaches and network hacks, a career in computer forensics may be a good fit for you. While those in this field are often confused for cyber security professionals, the positions are actually quite different. Cyber security professionals focus on preventing cyber-attacks; digital forensics professionals take action after a breach has occurred. Their primary responsibilities include identifying the hack type, understanding the source, and recovering as much of the compromised data as possible. This process is complicated and requires a number of technical skills to complete efficiently. For this reason, many computer forensic professionals seek extensive training and certification.
Why Get Advanced Training in Computer Forensics?
Most professionals opt to pursue advanced training in computer forensics because they want to be eligible for a wider range of employment opportunities. On-the-job experience is extremely beneficial and can help individuals reach career advancement goals for a time, but certifications are often required to remain competitive for higher-level positions. This is especially true for well-known and respected credentials that clearly demonstrate a passion for and dedication to computer forensics.
Earning one or more computer forensics certifications also proves mastership over certain subfields, which can result in better marketability. Those with certain credentials are often more respected and highly regarded as knowledgeable within the field. In many cases, certifications help to appropriately categorize a professional’s skills so he or she can qualify for specialized positions without taking extra time to prove proficiency on the job.
Ultimately, seeking further training and certification can lead to more employment opportunities, faster career advancement, and higher wages.
Overview of What to Expect on the Exam
While all are within the same general field, each computer forensics examination will be different depending on the specific certification you are seeking.
Some of the most common areas covered include:
Analysis of intelligence
Cyber-threat intelligence application and fundamentals
Encryption and encoding
Intelligence applications
Intrusion analysis
Malware analysis
Malware as a collection source
Network analysis tools and usage
Network architecture and protocols
Open source intelligence
Windows assembly code concepts
Windows forensics and data triage
Web browser forensics
One similarity all certification exams have in common is the need for extensive preparation. Most certifying bodies offer in-depth training programs for a fee. Consider your options carefully and make sure you are fully prepared to pass your chosen examination before registering.
Types of Certifications to Consider
There are numerous computer forensics certifications available, but some are better known than others. Because of the increasing demand for credentialed professionals, more and more companies are offering digital training and certificates. A quick search online will reveal a wide array of options. It is recommended, however, that you research each sponsoring organization thoroughly before registering. You may also want to speak with other practicing digital forensic professionals who are certified, as they can offer guidance specific to your career goals.
Global Information Assurance Certification
The following are just some of the computer forensics certifications available:
1. Certified Computer Examiner (CCE)
CCE certification is offered by the International Society of Forensic Computer Examiners (ISFCE). This is a very popular credential that many companies and government agencies now require their professionals to maintain.
Prerequisites: Candidates must complete at least one of the following training and/or experience requirements.
Complete training at ISFCE Authorized Training Center or other training of equal level approved by the Certification Board
Have a minimum of 18 months of verifiable professional experience
Conduct a self-study in the field that is deemed appropriate by the Certification Board
Exam: Candidates must complete a four-part testing process, consisting of one Online Written Exam and three Practical Examination portions.
Cost: $485 for the initial CCE process / $150 for CCE recertification every two years
2. Certified Forensic Computer Examiner (CFCE)
CFCE certification is offered by the International Association of Computer Investigative Specialists (IACIS). The certification program is based on a series of computer and digital forensics core competencies.
Prerequisites: Candidates must successfully complete 72 hours of training that is comparable to the IACIS CFCE core competencies. The two-week IACIS Basic Computer Forensics Examiner training fulfills this requirement; other comparable training must be approved by IACIS.
Exam: Candidates must complete a two-stage process, including Peer Review and Certification Testing. The Peer Review stage consists of four practical problems; the Certification Testing phase consists of one Hard Drive practical problem and a Knowledge-Based Objective test.
Cost: $750
3. GIAC Certified Forensic Examiner (GCFE)
GCFE certification is offered by the Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC). The certification validates a professional’s knowledge of computer forensic analysis, with an emphasis on core skills required to collect and analyze data from Windows computer systems.
Prerequisites: None
Exam: Candidates must complete one proctored exam consisting of 115 questions over a three-hour time period. GIAC exams are open book format and test-takers are permitted to bring an armful of hardcopy books and notes into the exam room. A minimum passing score of 72% is required.
Cost: $1,999
4. GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst (GCFA)
GCFA certification is offered by the Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC). This certification shows that candidates have the knowledge, skills, and ability to appropriately conduct formal incident investigations and handle advanced incident scenarios.
Prerequisites: None
Exam: Candidates must complete one proctored exam consisting of 115 questions over a three-hour time period. GIAC exams are open book format and test-takers are permitted to bring an armful of hardcopy books and notes into the exam room. A minimum passing score of 71% is required.
Cost: $1,999
5. GIAC Reverse Engineering Malware (GREM)
GREM certification is offered by the Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC). This certification validates a technologist’s knowledge and skills to reverse-engineer malicious software that targets common platforms.
Prerequisites: None
Exam: Candidates must complete one proctored exam consisting of 75 questions over a two-hour time period. GIAC exams are open book format and test-takers are permitted to bring an armful of hardcopy books and notes into the exam room. A minimum passing score of 70.7% is required.
Cost: $1,999
6. GIAC Network Forensic Analyst (GNFA)
GNFA certification is offered by the Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC). This certification validates a professional’s ability to perform examinations employing network forensic artifact analysis.
Prerequisites: None
Exam: Candidates must complete one proctored exam consisting of 50 questions over a two-hour time period. GIAC exams are open book format and test-takers are permitted to bring an armful of hardcopy books and notes into the exam room. A minimum passing score of 70% is required.
Cost: $1,999
7. GIAC Advanced Smartphone Forensics (GASF)
GASF certification is offered by the Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC). This certification proves that a professional has the knowledge and skills necessary to access data carried on mobile devices for forensic examinations.
Prerequisites: None
Exam: Candidates must complete one proctored exam consisting of 75 questions over a two-hour time period. GIAC exams are open book format and test-takers are permitted to bring an armful of hardcopy books and notes into the exam room. A minimum passing score of 69% is required.
Cost: $1,999
8. GIAC Cyber Threat Intelligence (GCTI)
GCTI certification is offered by the Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC). This certification validates that a professional has fully-developed analysis skills that can help him or her think critically and amplify technical knowledge.
Prerequisites: None
Exam: Candidates must complete one proctored exam consisting of 75 questions over a two-hour time period. GIAC exams are open book format and test-takers are permitted to bring an armful of hardcopy books and notes into the exam room. A minimum passing score of 71% is required.
Cost: $1,999
9. EnCase Certified Engineer (EnCE)
EnCE certification is focused on the use of OpenText. The certification program certifies public and private sector professionals have mastered computer investigation methodology and the use of this EnCase software during computer examinations.
Prerequisites: Candidates must successfully complete 64 hours of authorized computer forensic training or have 12 months of professional work experience in computer forensics.
Exam: Candidates must complete two phases of the examination consisting of a written exam and a practical exam. The written portion is taken with ExamBuilder and a minimum passing score of 80% is required. The practical exam consists of 18 questions and a minimum passing score of 85% is required.
Cost: $200 / $300 for international candidates
10. AccessData Certified Examiner (ACE)
ACE certification is offered by AccessData. This certification demonstrates a professional’s proficiency with Forensic Toolkit technology.
Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites, but candidates will benefit from taking the FTK BootCamp and FTK Intermediate Courses. Test-takers must also have a fully licensed copy of FTK to take the exam.
Exam: The number of test questions, time limit, scoring information, and testing functionality will be provided after registering for the exam.
Cost: Free
11. Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator (CHFI)
CHFI certification is offered by the EC-Council. This certification program verifies a professional’s ability to identify an intruder’s footprints and to properly gather the necessary evidence to prosecute in the court of law.
Prerequisites: Candidates must be at least 18 years old.
Exam: Candidates must complete 150 test questions over a four-hour time period. Because multiple test forms are used, minimum passing scores can range from 60% to 85%.
Cost: $650
Computer forensics certifications have acquired remarkable appeal over the past couple of years. Many public as well as exclusive companies have actually developed certifications for electronic forensics experts. Some companies offer courses in particular areas, while others take a "basic introduction" strategy, yet every one of them provide sufficient training to the investigators so that they can conduct exact, reliable, and also result-oriented examinations.
On the other hand, vendor-specific programs take care of a particular programmer's software program systems or items and also provide training in certain tools.Both types of certifications are widely recognized and will be gone over in the succeeding sections.
Specific type of training programs can be used to obtain accreditation. Establishments may offer typical in-person training, live learning, or remote discovering, and also self-paced training. It depends on the prospect to decide what type of training is the very best fit for him.In-person training is typical class training that needs the candidates to participate in lectures at the institution.Live training uses candidates video clip lectures, files, and various other research study product in the form of soft copy with the web. Although online training is cost-effective, the prospects have a lack of communication with their instructors.Self-paced discovery enables prospects to make their very own choices within the moment they require, rather than responding to questions within a certain quantity of time.
As a result of higher caseloads, state and city governments are forecasted to work with added computer system forensic science specialists in order to remain on par with the demand. Extensive media protection of community as well as nationwide criminal cases/data breaches, along with the allure of forensic tv programs, aid in a great deal a lot more public recognition around the relevance of computer forensic scientific study.
Throughout all industries, development remains to drive the future of the globe's economic situation. Computer system forensic clinical research study is ending up being additionally favored throughout all fields in order to acknowledge computer criminal activities or protecting info. Computer system forensics work can take on a variety of titles as well as duties. Likewise, a computer forensics wage can vary depending on the specialty they run in.
This is great news for regulations enforcement along with private investigators that focus on electronic forensics. There's a high requirement for certified digital forensics specialists as a result of the reality that nearly every authority's division requires experienced prospects with perfect qualifications. IT experts thinking about helping the federal government (either as permanent staff members or individual experts) need to satisfy specific very little training requirements in information protection.
Because of this, there is a proceeding rise of companies that utilize electronic forensics training and certifications. Sadly, a variety of these are "personal tag" credentials that are not well determined. Recognizing all choices in addition to finding the proper qualification for you might be more difficult than it appears. To help choose our leading 5 certifications for 2019, we took a look at a variety of prominent on the net task boards to recognize the variety of advertised positionings that require these accreditations.
Experts that work in electronic forensics. The CyberSecurity Institute offers electronic forensic solutions targeted at law business, services as well as people, as well as accomplishes a tiny nonetheless well-respected certification program. The CSFA is developed for safety and security and safety and security specialists with a minimum of two years of experience doing digital forensic analysis on computer systems and likewise gadgets running the Windows os and also creating investigatory reports. The same chooses the Qualified Computer System Supervisor.
To explore the sponsoring organization's background along with the range of individuals who have actually made its credentials, as well as after that establish whether the enroller not just asks for training nevertheless stands to earn money from its procurement. You may also intend to ask a practicing digital forensics expert if they have actually found the certifications you situated on your own along with, if so, what that specialist assumes of those offerings. Computer forensics is an extreme IT Stream, and likewise specialist as well as also accredited experts continue to be in excessive demand. Yet Computer system forensics accreditations remain one point of a wild frontier.
From 2 lots of obtainable credentials, we checklist the 5 finest selections. As we talk, there's a significant selection of available, excellent accreditation packages that concentrate on electronic evaluations along with computer forensics. After some years, on-line criminal offense continues to be a harmful development area. As brand-new cyber crimes obtain reported, added investigations and also certified private investigators are desired. That is exceptional info for policy enforcement and also exclusive scientists that concentrate on computer forensics. There is a severe need for certified computer forensics professionals as virtually each authorities department is in need of an educated prospect with proper credentials.
The International Council of E-Commerce Expert similarly called EC-Council is a popular training and additionally certification group that concentrates on the locations of anti-hacking, computer forensics as well as likewise seepage screening. The certification emphasizes forensics tools, logical techniques, and treatments interested in getting, maintaining in addition to offering computer forensic proof and also details in a court of guideline. It symbolizes a full cyber criminal activity testimonial, substantial safety and security of the computer forensics examination program. It consists of search and likewise.
A computer forensics career path may be one of the many choices for a student interested in pursuing a career in the criminal justice field. However, not everyone is cut out to become a forensic investigator. This is where a computer forensics specialist comes into play. These professionals are in charge of investigating all types of computer related activities that can lead to legal problems, or evidence of a crime that has been committed.
The type of computer forensics career path that is available to you may depend on what degree program or training you want to take. If you are interested in starting a career in a forensic computer analyst position, you will need a bachelor's degree in computer science or information systems. The programs offered through schools like these are considered liberal arts degrees. You must also pass an exam from the American Association for Professional Coders (AAPC) if you hope to become a certified computer forensics specialist.
Another computer forensics career path, you can choose to follow involves becoming a computer network technician. You would not necessarily have to go back to school to get this degree, but you will need to take at least two years of study in order to become licensed. To be considered for this position, you must first complete a general science major and a technical skills degree.
A computer forensics career path may not include working as an investigator. In fact, the majority of these positions involve working with a court system or a law firm in order to help gather evidence. Some people work as independent computer analysts, but there are others who work for the government. In this case, your main focus will be on using computers to collect data or evidence, and the court system will use this data or evidence to hand down a verdict or punish a suspect.
You may also decide to pursue a computer forensics career path by starting out with a bachelor's degree in a different science. This might be a computer science degree, but if you take classes in computer forensics in a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology program you would be able to expand your career path even further. If you like this option, you should take computer science classes after your first year of college. as you will need to be familiar with computer software, operating systems, the Internet, computers, and computer forensics in general. The classes should include software programs like Windows, Linux, UNIX, and Macs that you would need if you are working on a computer forensics investigation.
You may want to consider a Master's of Science in Computer Forensics to expand your knowledge about the computer forensics career. Courses include Computer Security, Computer Forensics, and Software Security. You would also take courses to learn how to develop and maintain computer forensics laboratory equipment, how to install and use computers, and other general computer related subjects.
Once you have earned a Master's degree in computer forensics, you will have many options available to you when it comes to advancing your computer forensics career. There are a variety of job opportunities in the United States and abroad for forensic experts and investigators.
As you progress in your criminal justice career, you may even be able to pursue a position in the executive office of a law firm, which is basically an executive position within a law firm in charge of handling computer forensics cases. These jobs usually pay well and require very little experience or education.
Computer forensics is now a recognized discipline and is widely used around the world. A large number of people have made careers out of their expertise in computer forensics, including attorneys, police officers, corporate security personnel, government officials, and private investigators. You can also find work in a variety of businesses and government agencies in the private sector, and work at private schools as a computer forensic specialist.
You can go to school for either a Master's degree or a Doctorate degree in Computer Forensics. This will allow you to pursue a more challenging career as your career grows. You will learn more about the inner workings of computers, the ways they work, and what types of evidence you will need to collect. have access to if you choose to do a computer forensics investigation.
To help you along your computer forensics career path, you may decide to get a certification in computer forensics. This will give you the ability to enter the field more easily and gain the recognition that you deserve as you begin to advance in your career. If you choose to do this, you can find work with a private investigator or do your own private investigation.
Benefits
Becoming certified offers a wide array of potential career benefits. You will likely find yourself eligible for a wider range of employment, which can make finding work easier. Credentials also demonstrate that you are invested in and dedicated to the field as a whole, which can influence employer hiring decisions. In most cases, certifications help professionals advance faster in their career and earn higher salaries.
Additionally, depending upon which certifying organization you choose, you may gain access to many membership benefits.
These vary significantly, but often include access to:
Private Listservs
Professional Liability Insurance
A Wider Professional Network
Professional Journals
Research Articles
Development Projects
Newsletters
Career Path Options
Earning certification in computer forensics also opens up a variety of career paths.
After obtaining a professional credential, you may be qualified to apply for any of the following positions:
Computer Forensics Investigator
Computer Forensics Technician
Information Technology Manager
Defense/Military Personnel
Law Enforcement Officer
Federal Agent
Information Security Analyst
Information Systems Security Analysis
Forensic Computer Analyst
Security Consultant
Threat Hunter
Auditor
Security Consultant
System and Network Administrator