What are Computer Forensic Experts?
In the rapid growth of the Data Forensics field we see a number of “wanna-be’s” entering the arena daily. Private investigation firms claim they have sufficient computer knowledge to conduct computer investigations. Data recovery companies claim they can investigate unlicensed and present eDiscovery documents in court. Be careful here… not every geek in town who has data recovery experience, is an experienced investigator and not every Private Investigator knows how to search all the different allocations of the hard drive or read a report from the router.
In order to be a good Data Forensic Investigator a person should be well versed in both arenas and have the following three main requirements;
The First Requirement; is a private investigator license, both Nevada and California require this, practicing without a license can have serious consequences.
The second requirement; is to have computer training certifications and field experience in computer forensics. It is not enough to be licensed as a private investigator without extensive computer knowledge because as a computer forensic expert you are expected to be able to offer expert computer advice and have the understanding of how data is stored, collected, sent and copied.
Finally, The third requirement; is to have investigative knowledge, background and experience. Most private investigators need to have at least 10,500 hours of investigation experience. If you don’t know how to think like an investigator, then how can you be one? A private investigator or a person with 10,500 hours of investigation experience will know how to follow the chain of custody protocols and will also know how to accurately document and correlate incidents to evidence.
In conclusion; before you hire an expert in data forensics and recovery make sure you check that they are compliant with the state licensing regulations, as well as have the experience in both the fields of computer sciences and investigations.
What should a computer forensic expert be able to do for you?
- Incident Response
- Seizure of Equipment
- Forensic Imaging
- Chain of Custody
- Data Retrieval
and more…
“...as a computer forensic expert you are expected to be able to offer expert computer advice and have the understanding of how data is stored, collected, sent or copied…”
Computer Forensics Definition
We define computer forensics as the discipline that combines elements of law and computer science to collect and analyze data from computer systems, networks, wireless communications, and storage devices in a way that is admissible as evidence in a court of law.
The above statement was produced 2008 by US-CERT, a government organization. Updated 2008.
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Computer & Data Forensic
Investigator (NV PI Lic#1498)
Adrian Leon Mare
Expert Data Forensics
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Las Vegas NV 89128
Tel: 702-435-8885 // Toll Free: 888-355-3888
www.ExpertDataForensics.com
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