Professional Organizations

Greetings,

I belong to

HTCIA - High Tech Crime Investigator's Association
ASDFED - American Society of Digital Forensics & eDiscovery
ISCFE - International Society of Forensic Computer Examiners
ASIS
AFIO

And probably some others that I am forgetting. I also find great value in the USSS quarterly meetings.

The ISCFE's CCE mailing list, has probably been the most valuable for me.

-David

IMHO stay away from any organizations which restrict membership to the "you can't play in our sandbox rules"

HTCIA is one of these.
IACIS is pretty close to being that also.

ASIS really isn't for computer forensics, more security oriented.

From what I know about you though, you already have a government job in Indy, so unless you are looking to change directions, I don't know how or what organization would benefit you.

Staying up with forums and attending conferences where there aren't exclusions would be good.

People often think that being part of an organization who says you can only join if you are LE or if you are ex LE or military can't hurt you, but I beg to differ and you can be branded under questioning or in depo as a hired gun for only one side.

If you allow yourself to go to conferences which allow everyone and join organizations who allow everyone, then there can be no perception of bias.

IMHO stay away from any organizations which restrict membership to the "you can't play in our sandbox rules"

HTCIA is one of these.
IACIS is pretty close to being that also.

…

If you allow yourself to go to conferences which allow everyone and join organizations who allow everyone, then there can be no perception of bias.

I agree that the notion that you can't join an organization if you have acted as an expert on the side of one party (typically criminal defense), is short-sighted and philosophically questionable. In the US, as in many systems of justice, there is a presumption of innocence and the right of the accused to face their accusers. A person (or organization) who (which) does not respect these rights is, in my opinion, a questionable entity with which to be associated.

Further, when limited to something such as digital forensics, this approach seems ignorant of the fact that many AUSAs at, some point, move into private practice, many of these for the defense. Similarly, I know of (and have worked for) attorneys who have been criminal defense lawyers in the private sector and who have, subsequently, joined the offices of the Federal or local prosecutor working for the prosecution. As far as I know, the American Bar Association does not exclude lawyers who have once advocated for defendants.

In point of fact, I think that there is great benefit to the association if members come from both sides of the fence. We have, more than once, been privately asked by LE for ways to address the Trojan defense argument and have been happy to share our knowledge with them (whether it has been useful or not, I cannot say).

As experts we seek the truth. Our job is not to argue the merits of the case. And while I do not agree that the truth is always objective, the techniques for seeking it should be rooted in the same science whether it is applied to arguments for the prosecution or the defense. The place to argue the merits of the case is in the court room and not the membership application for a peer advocacy organization.

Greetings,

The opinions expressed above are why I joined ASDFED and, I suspect, why it was created. It is essentially the "open to everyone" version of HTCIA.

-David

Also you may want to check out your local InfraGard
http//www.infragard.net/

There are also many Linked In groups that represent the groups mentioned above. You can join most of them on there and talk to people that are active to see if there is a professional and personal fit.

Also you may want to check out your local InfraGard
http//www.infragard.net/

There are also many Linked In groups that represent the groups mentioned above. You can join most of them on there and talk to people that are active to see if there is a professional and personal fit.

As a member of InfraGard, in Indiana, I would like to be able to recommend it, but our chapter seems to be asleep at the wheel. The FBI never contacts us for our expertise. I'm the IT chair and they never reach out to me. When I contact them, they ignore me. The InfraGard is a citizen run organization, with the mission of helping the FBI. It feels like the FBI is just playing the game and not really utilizing us.

Has any member of InfraGard had a better experience than this?

I've also joined the USSS in DC, but that is a much less formal organization. There are no background checks. It may be fun to rub shoulders with Secret Service agents, but I haven't gained much more from that organization. Do these government agencies get credit for mingling with the public or something? What drives them to interact with us?

The benefit for them is to say they are "trying"

They want no part of you playing with them, UNTIL they "retire" in which case they still keep their badge with RETIRED written across it, but then they need a form of income so organizations are more attractive.

Unfortunately, I do not believe it is not just your chapter of InfraGuard.

I am in the largest one I believe, yet we have little to no activity other than a few meetings and presentations.

Greetings,

I concur with the negative recommendations for InfraGard, alas. Though, though it, I have met some very useful FBI contacts so there was some value.

-David