.
.
This situation is unfortunate for non-PI-qualifying Computer Forensic (CF) Examiners AND for the clients/citizens they represent. Rather than focus on maintaining one's specialized knowledge and skills, he must expand into an area which is mostly unnecessary for a CF Examiner. It is difficult to be the best specialist when you are forced to specialize broadly.
.
.
Sounds like all the little duckies are out of line.
I just read the GAPPI Newsletter. It states
Due to recent concers from computer forensic examiners the Board will consider allowing two years of computer forensic experience to be qualifying experience for a company license.
What's the problem if you have the experience?
I think there's good and bad to this issue. On one hand, sure you get the regulation and official sanction of the government to help assure that CF folks are meeting some kind of standard. On the other hand, though, they need to take into account the uniqueness of our profession and factor that in to the process.
On a side note, there are lots of really good professionals and really bad people who are licensed in just about all fields, and about the same numbers of good and bad who aren't….just my two cents worth.
I think there's good and bad to this issue. On one hand, sure you get the regulation and official sanction of the government to help assure that CF folks are meeting some kind of standard. On the other hand, though, they need to take into account the uniqueness of our profession and factor that in to the process.
On a side note, there are lots of really good professionals and really bad people who are licensed in just about all fields, and about the same numbers of good and bad who aren't….just my two cents worth.
.
.
scottamoulton
I think what they are trying to tell you is that you want to use "illegal" self-employment, i.e. "unlicensed" as qualification work experience hours for licensing. Working as a W-2 based employee doing the same work, is not "illegal" if the computer forensics investigations were in-house.
You should take what you can get….and that is a nice concession, and shows consideration for this field of investigation services. Good job State of Georgia for "giving a little" on this issue, even though on July 1…you will be elevating unlicensed PI violations to a felony.
Plus, proving your work experience hours for the license has to be submitted on official government proof docs, and you are again asking that as a self-employed person, you get to sign the proofs?
You might even find in the Georgia law that illegal investigation work experience hours cannot be used to qualify for the license. I am only saying this since CA law clearly has this spelled out in detail on what work related experience counts towards the license. Since these investigation license laws are so similar Georgia may be referring to that common rule.
It's kind of like the "illegal immigration issue." I'm here now, I know illegally, but that has to count for something so let me go to the head of the line and give me my license to be an American Citizen.
I also would like to caution you about admitting to unlicensed computer forensics work and naming another company like Deloitte, since these forums are "indexed" by those darn "search engine spiders" and what you say here can be used in court by a clever attorney who needs to have you removed from some important future case. A simple Internet search can bring up this info, and more… giving leads on your work history….and when confronted with this, it will be a legal ambush that you will have to deal with, and maybe not survive……The "I didn't know excuse" will not work.
There are more that just licensing issues here….there are moral, ethical, and legal considerations before a civil or criminal case will allow a license professional to continue. Who really wants to weather that legal challenge? Clients need to know this upfront or it's unfair to them.
I hope that most folks addressing this issue are keeping the client's rights in mind here. They pay the bills and are entitled by law to a good faith, honest, moral, ethical, and legal computer forensics investigations.
What hitechpi was saying in his round-about and circuitous manner ("Your Honor, the witness is being evasive!") is that of the two factors involved in my question, licensing and qualifications, he chose the latter, qualifications, to save his sorry tail. Licensing is superfluous. Qualifications are a necessity. hitech picked the most knowledgeable and experienced CF expert to defend his honor. Pretty telling statement, I'd say.