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(@tomslick)
Posts: 3
New Member
Topic starter
 

I'm a regular IT joe, not a developer and I have the notion that digital forensics is just in the very beginning of what is going to become a huge demand service.

If I want to work as a fee based consultant and not as an employee of a government agency, (no discussion on this particular thread about certifications/experience to become proficient,) how much work is there, and how much of it is not child abuse related? I wouldn't want to fill my memory with images of that and I figure as a consultant I could pick and choose my cases/jobs.

I am thinking that I would offer my services to attorneys/lawyers in addition to prosecutors.

Anyone have some insight?

 
Posted : 15/06/2007 5:14 pm
(@robogeek)
Posts: 17
Active Member
 

Hello fellow Illinoisian

Everybody thinks right away of crimes against children, but there is so much more than just that one area. For example a company finds a compromised server. They have credit card info stored on a database and need to know the extent of data loss. Or X-Corp fired Joe Blow and they need to know if he accessed any sensitive information before he left.

And surprisingly its used on malware and zero-day exploits. Many companies run the usual software to protect or clean PC's - but with as many new variants as there are coming out daily, the best that commercial software can do is react after the fact. Sometimes thats days, weeks or even months (remember Blaster?)

So many times I'll do a forensic investigation to see what got on the machine, when it did it, how it did it, and find a way to mitigate the issue. That puts my business well ahead of the others who just back up data, format and reinstall, copy the infected data back over and wonder why the computer is infected again 2 days later.

Many computer techs ignore forensics and basic investigative techniques at their own peril. Its something that could be used daily even if its not for an actual investigation.
Lawyers and stuff are the obvious places, but corporations and larger businesses are great targets too. And they pay better!

 
Posted : 15/06/2007 6:34 pm
keydet89
(@keydet89)
Posts: 3568
Famed Member
 

> …digital forensics is just in the very beginning of what is going to become a huge demand

I don't know…I don't think that it will ever be enough to hang a shingle on, or the sole service in a business model. Look at companies like Mandiant…they do not do *just* forensics. It's simply because you can't…

> For example a company finds a compromised server. They have credit card
> info stored on a database and need to know the extent of data loss.

It is unlikely that a sole proprieter will be able to get this work…Visa is requiring that you be QDSP qualified to be on the list of incident responders who can do PCI forensic audits. Those organizations that do have potential exposures of credit card data and do not report it to Visa PCI are opening themselves up to even greater issues.

> Many computer techs ignore forensics and basic investigative techniques at their own peril.

While I agree with the sentiment, it's not so much the tech's fault as it is the responsibility of their management. Techs focus on what their bosses tell them to focus on…if the focus is to get a minimal number of barely-adequate systems up and running, and to keep them running, then that's what the techs will focus on. I know techs who push for a more investigative approach, but you can only push water up-hill for so long before you just give up. Most organizations simply do not see the need for having some sort of investigative capability…and I'm not even talking about full-out, go-to-court, forensic examinations; I'm just talking about doing a root cause analysis before dumping and reinstalling the system.

 
Posted : 15/06/2007 8:13 pm
(@robogeek)
Posts: 17
Active Member
 

I was being very general. You would be surprised at areas involving forensics that people don't even think about.
Someone thinking of doing this for a living isn't going to just walk into a job, or start up a business without a ton of experience. I was just popping out some alternative ways of thinking for him

 
Posted : 15/06/2007 9:22 pm
keydet89
(@keydet89)
Posts: 3568
Famed Member
 

RoboGeek,

Please don't think that I was trying to counter what you were saying…not at all…in fact, I was trying to add to it…

 
Posted : 15/06/2007 10:18 pm
(@tomslick)
Posts: 3
New Member
Topic starter
 

I appreciate your feedback!!! If it were easy I reckon monkeys would be doing it huh? Maybe the three of us could starts our own TV pilot series along the lines of MONK. Digital Diggers……. More than one way to make a buck huh?

 
Posted : 17/06/2007 6:27 pm
 ddow
(@ddow)
Posts: 278
Reputable Member
 

Much too tedious for TV. Maybe the Sleepying Channel would carry it.

 
Posted : 17/06/2007 8:05 pm
steve862
(@steve862)
Posts: 194
Estimable Member
 

Hi,

Would there be much call for Digital Forensics Idol and if so who gets to be the Simon Cowell type character?

Steve

 
Posted : 07/09/2007 3:15 pm
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