I just signed up here yesterday. I am looking to get into this field and I have started my search for answers. Please forgive me if this blog is a duplicate and my answers are already answered somewhere. I did look before posting this.
Question #1 What are the basic system requirements in order to get started on the certification? I have a pretty o.k. laptop. I just need to know if this is going to be sufficient. Someone told me that you need a computer with two internal hard drives. My computer only has one. Although, I have an external hard drive that can be plugged in.
Question #2 What is the normal income for CF? Does it depend on how you aproach the business? Do some work for themselves as a contractor or something similar?
THANK YOU!
Good evening,
Have you read the hardware section of the forums? There is a long thread on the hardware requirements for conducting computer forensics at the top, plus a lot of other very informative threads.
Question #1
If you're just working on your certification (CCE for example), then a single laptop will suffice. You'll need to wave your hands and say "Ok, I'd have done X" about some things, but it'll do.
You'll need a write blocker and an external HD - the former for acquiring images and the latter for work product.
If you're doing real work, a single laptop will not suffice, though you might manage to do simple cases using VMware.
Question #2
There is no such thing as "normal income". I saw a job posted by a big firm for a senior forensics examiner in San Francisco for $80K to $100K.
Billing rates in the SF Bay Area run from $200 on up, but you'll need a reputation, tools, and other infrastructure behind you to command the higher rates.
People work for themselves, law enforcement, the government, and private firms.
Google is your friend, as are forums such as these. Your question suggests that you've not even read the forums on this site before asking your question….
-David
David
Thank you very much. I have read through the forums here. Not completely but I have done some reading. I don't find answers to my questions, only information that's over my head. I am just starting to sort out the basics.
I really appreciate your response. I will go find forums that are already in place and ask my newbie questions there.
No one seems to want to reply to this.
THANK YOU AGAIN!
I really appreciate your response. I will go find forums that are already in place and ask my newbie questions there.
No one seems to want to reply to this.
Hmmm. Not sure what you expected, but a reply within 24 hours by someone is pretty good IMHO. Even our busiest posters may have a couple of days between being able to read and respond to posts. No one has mentioned being independently wealthy so I assume most of us work and jobs often take priority over the things we enjoy.
Others will post, be patient.
Agreed Dennis.
Kristen, you just got a speedy, detailed response from someone who knows what they're talking about and was willing to answer a fairly generic question. If David suggested you do a bit more reading first then I'd view that as worthwhile advice, not something to get het up about.
Qu.1 )
As a student, I have done significant amounts of work on a single laptop for my qualification - using VMWare/Parallels in some cases, but often on course supplied images.
I also have a "lab" full of some fairly cheap bits collected from friends, old machines, my parents, e-bay etc. that I use to practice/experiment/test to destruction … Some of it isn't fast, but then again, I leave it overnight and start again the next day if necessary …
Qu. 2)
UK renumerations seem to be in the area of £25,000 -> £40,000 for an analyst, £40,000 -> £80,000 for a senior analyst/manager. Give or take a few hundred double those figures for dollar equivalents.
I'd suggest that for more accurate figures that you hit a US Online JobSite and search for "Forensic" … ( That's how I got my UK figures ! )
I've met a few independants, but they are typically very experienced ex Police individuals. Generally people here are either commercial or Govt/LE employed.
I have posts that still don't have a single response ! I wouldn't worry if I were you - one of the real benefits of this forum is that so many of the people here are professionals in one field or another - but all with day jobs ! This is my first look in this week …
This is my first look in this week …
Shame on you, it's Wednesday already!
lol lol
Kristen,
Welcome to the forum… and a thrilling career! Boredom will NOT be a problem in this line of work… except for waiting for drives to image… and waiting for images to index… and manually searching for data… and writing reports. wink
As for tools, I'm not a big fan of laptops. I prefer desktop PCs where I can swap out readily-available parts in no time. You want portability? Get a "micro" ATX case and a small flat-panel monitor. Whichever way you go, get a second unit so you can be processing evidence and still read your email or, most important, read the latest posts on this forum! lol
Kovar said it well
[Y]ou'll need a reputation, tools, and other infrastructure behind you….
The point about "reputation" cannot be over-emphasized. It was mentioned several times in a recent training session presented by the South Carolina Assoc. of Legal Investigators. Your reputation will take time to build, but if you perform good work in a professional manner for a fair rate, it'll come.
Start making friends in the industry, even if you're a student. I suggest you join and be active in any available local professional association for investigators. Start "networking." That's how I get ALL of my referrals.
You might also consider attending meetings of your local chapter of the High Technology Crime Investigation Assoc. (HTCIA.org). Whether or not you choose to join will depend on whether or not you can live with their restriction against performing work for the defense.
Now go study. And, again, Welcome!
-Austin
Wow, Patience is a virtue. I am very new here. I just assumed no one was interested in my question. Well, consider me wrong and THANK YOU to all of you who have responded.
I get no great responses on the laptop issue. That is just all I have for the time being. I am getting things in order to start the CCE certification through Kennesaw. Is my laptop going to get me through the basic training or should I go ahead and start looking into a desk top?
Quote You might also consider attending meetings of your local chapter of the High Technology Crime Investigation Assoc. (HTCIA.org).
Thank you for all the input. I have already found some really great web sites regarding CF.
P.S. This news makes me very happy
Welcome to the forum… and a thrilling career! Boredom will NOT be a problem in this line of work… except for waiting for drives to image… and waiting for images to index… and manually searching for data… and writing reports. Wink
I have so much to learn and everyone has told me that it's an ongoing process. That's good for me because I'm slightly A.D.D. lol