Computer Forensics Outside of Law Enforcement
Many people associate computer forensics with criminal investigations. However, it can have applications far beyond just law enforcement. Professionals in this field may work for corporations, other governmental agencies, or be self-employed as a consultant. They can recover data in the event of a hardware or software failure. They may also analyze computer systems after unauthorized intrusion to a system. By utilizing forensic computer skills, they can determine how an attacker gained access and what action was performed or information was obtained.
Experts in the forensic study of computers may also be used to gather evidence against an employee a company or organization suspects is engaging in authorized activities on its computer network. Their findings may be used as a basis for termination of the employee. Files thought to be deleted can often be retrieved through forensic methods.
Computer forensics professionals may also conduct tests on corporate and government networks. These tests can be used for the purpose of detecting system vulnerabilities, debugging, performance optimization, or reverse engineering. Professionals in this field can also detect and close computer system security holes. They may also specialize in sub branches forensic computer studies in fields such as databases, firewalls, networks, and mobile devices.
Each year, federal government agencies are required to test their computer systems for security vulnerabilities and do contingency planning in the event of an attack or outage. Computer forensics professionals are employed by nearly every major governmental agency including the Department of Defense, the United States Military, Department of Homeland Security, Central Intelligence Agency, Internal Revenue Services, and Securities and Exchange Commission among others to conduct these tests and perform other work.
An example of a computer forensics job would be working at the National Transportation Safety Board retrieving and examining the “black box” recordings on an airplane following a crash. In the private sector, there are employment opportunities in corporate security departments, e-discovery firms, private investigative firms, and in self-employment as a consultant.