Initially the attacker focused on hitting systems that were interested in stories about NATO, the Georgian military and US-Georgia relations.  The hacker would start attacking several news websites within Georgia and injected a script  tag into some of the pages on the site.  Specifically news stories dealing with those subjects.  This script would then cause a “drive-by-download”, using Windows vulnerabilities, to execute a file called “calc.exe”.

This file would then create another file, which would scan the system looking for all Word, PDF, Excel, text files and PowerPoint files that had a keyword like “NATO” in them.  It would then copy the file to a remote server, which was periodically removed from there.

The story goes on to talk about how Georgian authorities discovered and started tracing back tracks to the original source.  Once understanding how the code worked, they supplanted a fake file named “Georgian-NATO agreement” on an infected computer and waited.  This file, if launched would infect the hackers computer and provide CERT-GOV-GE with direct access to his machine.

Once they had access they were able to see what he was doing and they even were able to take pictures of the hacker using his own webcam.  They then were also able to take images of the control panel being used and gather more information about the domains that were involved.  The hacker was reportedly caught.

I found the story to be extremely interesting and revealing a little into the life of a computer forensics professional.

Header over to Ars Technica to read the full story - How Georgia doxed a Russian Hacker (and why it matters)

This type of change is helping those looking to enter into the field of computer security and computer forensics. The owners or top executives of many companies are rarely involved in securing their data and with a recent survey it was found that more that 70% say that they occasionally, rarely or never reviewed their top information security policies or staff. Because of these security breeches causing companies millions of dollars in not just lost data, but law suits afterwards, more companies are looking for professionals to help them secure their company networks.

So if you’re looking to find a job in Computer Forensics or even Computer Security, now’s the time to get your education and get started.

Every detective needs his tools of the trade to ferret out clues and evidence.  That isn’t any different for computer forensics professionals, even though it might not quite look like a detective at first glance.  Even a computer forensics professional needs a set of good, solid tools to do a proper investigation.  With the way the internet and computer technology continues to expand and evolve, this list of programs could change very quickly.  What we list out here are just some of the basic tools and the basic Computer Forensics Software that are used in the field today.

Computer Forensics Software: Not like on TV

As you often see on television, on those police and FBI shows, there is usually a ‘geek’ that they turn to who can break out a DOS prompt and uncover that the suspect has been illegally purchasing bomb making materials from the general store and has been shipping it to people all over the country who are in the process of …. You get the idea.  But in most cases, computer forensics software doesn’t look anything like that picture you are given.  The computer forensics software today has the ability to scan a system and identify potential evidence in a matter of minutes to hours, versus what would before take sometimes days to discover.  But even all the automated software isn’t as effective if you don’t have a person who knows what they are doing running it.

Computer Forensics Software: Closer Look

One of the most commonly used computer forensics software is EnCase.  This is considered the gold standard by most investigators.   It is extremely powerful and has a wide range of customizations that allow you strictly tailor your searches.  You can use the software to do keyword searches, e-mail searches and Web page carving.  They even have versions of the software tailored for mobile devices and even full network analysis tools.

Another popular computer forensics software package is the Forensic Toolkit (FTK).  The company who created this software, AccessData, has done a fantastic job at making a one button software package that is fairly inexpensive and easy to use.  By taking often used functions and automating many of them, it allows the investigator to be more effective in their search and it helps to generate well laid out reports.

Device Seizure is another tool that makes a great package to have in a computer forensics software toolkit.  This software package allows you to look at most mobile devices that are on the market today.  With the movement of more and more people to smart phones and mobile devices, this type of tool is essential for a computer forensics professional.  It allows you to access most information on a mobile device, including text messages, email and other user data.

There are also many different physical devices used in computer forensics such as the Forensic Recovery of Electronic Device (FRED), which has just about every available interface on it to gather data.  There is also the WiebeTech Forensic Field Kit, which is smaller and easier to carry on site.  Using these devices you can easily pull data from device drives and store them securely and on media that is write protected.

So there are many different options available of computer forensics software packages that will help you become a fantastic computer forensic professional and allow you to do your best to represent your clients in court.

As we move into a more interconnected world with the wide use of the internet in both homes and businesses, more and more issues are coming up with security and crimes using the internet.  Unfortunately this requires the police and other government agencies to need to acquire information in order to prosecute criminals using these means for crime.  That area of expertise falls in the world of what is known as computer forensics.  Digging through data to find out who did what crime in what way is the best forensic scientist job description.

Forensic Scientist Job Description: Role

Computer forensics falls into the e-discovery category.  This category handles the obtaining of data, documents or other electronic documents like email for use in a trial.  The basic component of that being finding electronic data and then obtaining in a fashion where it is admissible in court.  If the data is gathering improperly it could be eliminated by a court as evidence.  So a forensic scientist job description is to obtain the data, safely and in a fashion not to have it dismissed in a court case.  This is vital to their success.

Forensic Scientist Job Description: Overwhelming

A forensic scientist will quickly find themselves elbow deep digging through electronic devices of all kinds looking for that bit of data that will help a court case be successful.  The amount of electronic devices that a normal person uses everyday seems to be getting larger and larger.  Just thing about all the cell phones, iPods, laptops, netbooks, tablets and desktop computers a person uses each day.  Then take that though a little further and think about every email, text message, document, website, upload and download that a person might do in a given day.  Then add in every search performed on Google, every conversation made on Facebook, every Instant message or post on a blog and the task starts to really look daunting.  Again, that is the forensic scientist job description.  Find anything that would be relevant to the case at hand.

A computer forensic scientist has an incredible task in front of them to keep themselves one step ahead of those who would commit crimes using technology.  Not only do they have to understand the latest technologies, but they have to know how to uncover information that could be hidden from any normal individual and then uncover that data in a way that can be used in a court of law.  That’s quite the task but again all in a day’s work as a forensic scientist job description.

If you have any interested in becoming a computer forensic scientist, know that the opportunities available to you have very few limits.  If you are very good at what you do and you continue to keep up on technology, your skills will be valued by the courts for years to come.  The skills you learn will continue to grow as you find new situations to overcome and before you know it, you will be living the life of a forensic scientist.  Then you will be doing everything that makes up a forensic scientist job description.

In today’s age of the internet, faced paced results, and exceptional computing power available to the general public, computer crimes have become more commonplace. Computer Forensics is a popular field that continues to grow each and every day, as more things are become possible with computers, crime increases as well; with an increase in crime comes in increase in the need for those to combat it.

Computer Forensics: Education

In order to become a professional in this ever growing field, most jobs will require an associate’s degree, but just having the education under your belt isn’t enough, computers are ever improving, and for that exact reason, you must also continually expand your education while you are working. If you do not have a degree in computers, or forensic science, it is possible to peruse a degree with formal high school education, or with a GED.

The average Computer Forensics Specialist has a variety of options in their field, they may work on everything from finding and stopping cyber criminals, to researching new security technologies for a large company that stores sensitive data, the options are endless! Regardless of what area of computers you end up working with, you must have basic knowledge of computer systems, storage devices, and also know about the justice process.

For a Computer Forensics professional, the knowledge and requirements don’t stop after you know how to do everything that cyber criminals know. Because you will be working with criminals and the justice process you must also know how to find and handle cyber criminals. The justice process can be complex at times, and a forensic specialist – no matter what their concentration (crime scene, computer, etc.) – they must also know what the process to charge and prosecute criminals is.

The Computer Forensics Field

If you are able to explain how the inside of you computer works, or you have seen the latest episode of NCIS and you know that you could do the same things with technology they do given the resources, then you may be interested in or actively looking for a job in the Computer Forensics Field. This field is unique in that it stretches across of a broad range of tasks, an analyst in the field does everything from finding criminals over the web, to prosecuting them with testimony in courts, to security on the system for your company.

The majority of jobs in computer forensics will have the minimum requirement of an associate’s degree, which is not as difficult as many might thing. The prospect of returning to school can be a little unnerving, but entrance into a forensics program requires decent grades in a high school, or a GED, but you do need a form of high school education. If you are looking to be one of the best in the field, there are many programs today that can offer you a more comprehensive masters degree, or a focus degree in a specific area of forensics.

Computer Forensics: Tasks

Computer Forensic Specialists have a wide variety of tasks that they take on each day. A specialist can be working on something like restructuring the security system at the firm that they work with, or trying to pinpoint the location of a cyber criminal. Because computer forensics is criminal related, there is also an aspect of law work that must be understood in this line of work. You much be able to understand the legal process, what your rights are when it comes to the privacy of other, and where legal jurisdiction lies on various internet based matters.

Being a Computer Forensics Specialist can be very rewarding, and it has a large range of benefits regardless of your current level of experience.

Criminal Justice degrees are fast becoming increasingly in demand. This is an excellent career choice that can take the criminal justice student down untold career pathways. It can open doors to many lucrative employment opportunities. One of those pathways is a degree in computer criminal investigations. First of all, just what is a computer forensics professional? In a nut shell this degreed professional would work with computer programs and try to crack encrypted computer security codes. The most recent pay scale for these professionals was between $60,000 upwards to about $120,000 per year.

Computer Forensics: Tools of the trade

A degree in computer forensics will assure that the student will realize just how evil and hidden computer crimes are accomplished. The student will be taught how to find the smallest traces of illegal activities on a computer disc. They will learn just what tools of the trade they will need and will be able to use these sensitive forensic tools in studied techniques to crack computer crimes. The student will be taught how to recover data thought to be well hidden and encrypted by criminals thinking that they are too cleaver to ever be caught.

This specialized training course teaches the student how to draw up an effective criminal plan or policy, and will teach them the correct procedures for implementing policies. Included in most course studies the student will receive a specialized kit of tools specific to computer criminal investigations. No professional can successfully handle a criminal investigation without these tools of trade. They will be taught how to collect admissible court evidence and be shown particular skills of how an investigation is run. The student will be taught all the correct procedures for collecting all evidence in a legal chain of command, admissible in a court of law. The student will learn how to recover purposely damaged media data that the computer criminal has attempted to hide.

Computer Forensics: Training

Educational counselors are now saying that even though this profession is within the criminal justice arena, the person interested should obtain their associates or bachelors degree in computer science or an accounting degree which will be more beneficial to the person then obtaining a criminal justice degree. Once the degree has been obtained and the person applies through some law enforcement agency, they must go through a rigorous background check and psychological testing. This person must have a keen eye on the inner thinking’s of how the criminal mind works in order to be able to get into and break specific computer codes. Once the person has earned their degree they must become certified as a computer forensics investigator. A certification will only put another notch into the person’s educational references and open up more job opportunities for them. A certification is the shining star on any professional resume. In order to become certified the person must have a minimum of 18 months verifiable experience in that particular job classification and be participating in digital forensics. An agency such as the International Society of Forensics Computer Examiners can get them that certification once the person has been verified. They are then ready to take the required test for certification.

This computer professional is entering a profession where there has been a drastic increase seen in global fraud, and criminal activity on IT systems. Often times a computer forensics professional will be hired to perform these duties on their job. With the advent of our ever rapidly growing world of computer technology, computer criminal activity is growing just as quickly and will not go away anytime soon. The computer forensics career path continues to grow each and every year.

Computer Forensic Salary Guide

Computer Forensics in most cases is a very well paying job.  However, one thing we’ve noticed is that there is a rather large difference between the jobs provided by the public services, such as police forces compared to jobs in the private industry.  On the side of the public jobs, most Computer Forensic jobs pay around the same or just a little more than a detective position.  These pay scales are also based on experience and the amount of years that you’ve served in that position.

In the regular market, Computer Forensic positions pay very well.  There is an increase in the need for these types of specialists and because there is a growing demand, those salaries are growing as well.  We are seeing salaries anywhere between $70,000 and $115,000 for starting salaries.  But as you gain experience, you could easily see that salary go well above $100,000 a year.

If you are interested in finding out more about what your state’s requirements are for Computer Forensic positions, check out our guide here broken down for each state.

We found the following chart on Indeed.com, which shows the latest trends of jobs that are available related to computer forensics. You can see, that the amount of jobs has been climbing fairly consistently in the past few years.

computer forensics Job Trends

Computer Forensics jobs

Computer Forensics Salary by State

With the increase in computer related crimes, the Computer Forensics field has branched out of the Information Technology specialization and has continued to grow by leaps and bounds.  More and more companies and law enforcement agencies are needing individuals that specialize in computer forensics.  We’ve pulled together a listing that reveals the average salary that Computer Forensic Professionals make for each state.  Keep in mind that these are averages for the state, and they could be higher in large cities.  This will give you a good idea what you could look for as a Computer Forensics Professional.

There are no requirements for specific training to earn a CHFI certification, however it’s strongly encouraged that you attend the CEH class before enrolling.  As of September 1st, 2011, they are requiring a Non Refundable Eligibility Application Fee of $100 before you can take the exam.   You will find more information on that on their website.

Cost for Exam:  $250
Time To Complete:  4 hours
Expiration:  3 years – Each member must achieve 120 credits within 3 years and clock in 20 credits per year to maintain their certification.

Click here to learn more about this exam

In order to become CFCE certified, there are 2 paths you can take:

• Internal: This would be a 2 week training course which covers the basic knowledge needed for the exam.  This does include the cost of the exam.  ($1995)
• External: You will have to demonstrate a commensurate level of training and computer forensics experience and submit an application to sit the test. ($750)

Cost for Exam:  $750 (external training); $1995 (internal training)
Time To Complete:  Approximately 10-90 days
Expiration:  3 years

Click here to learn more about this exam

There are no requirements for specific training to earn a GIAC certification.

Cost for Exam:  $899
Time To Complete:  4 hours
Expiration:  4 years – $399 renewal fee

Click here to learn more about this exam