Difficulty Level of Computer Forensics

Hi,

I am just wondering how difficult Computer Forensics will be to grasp as i am taking a degree in it next year.

Thanks

Far too hard for any fan of Cardiff City! wink

Impossible question to answer really, unless you give some indication of your current knowledge base/ qualifications.

It depends where you take it

… the degree that is s

The course is at University of Glamorgan

I have got a C in GCSE maths, which is what they want,but they dont require A-Level maths to get on the course.
As for any experience….I don't have any.

someone correct me if I'm wrong…

For maths, we had to do a maths and stats module to make sure we have a grasp of the fundementals.

You should be ok with the C GCSE. I think you'll need more maths based modules only if you are going to specialize in hardcore crypto or compression stuff.

Hi,

What makes you want to go into a computer forensics degree ccfc? Is your heart set on working in this field or is it just something you think looks very interesting?

I have given advice before on the matter of going into computer forensics and have strongly suggested getting a mainstream computing degree in the first instance. University of Glamorgan also do a master's degree in computer security with a forensic module, which could be taken after a bachelor's degree in a mainstream computing subject.

I think if you go straight into computer forensics you will miss so much of what the IT market has to teach you. So much of what we need to prove goes around knowing how the systems actually work and if we have never managed an email server or setup a basic website and so on we may not be able to prove what we think the evidence is telling us, or even spot that something isn't set as it normally would be. There is also the fact that a lot of forensic examinations will be on cases involving child abuse images/videos. Are you ready to see that sort of material and not be affected by it?

If ultimately you get into computer forensics and don't like the field your computer forensics degree may not help you get a job in server admin, database admin, comms, IT management and so on. A mainstream degree would also benefit you there.

Of course you can take or leave my suggestions. I think there will be a lot of other people in the market already who will agree with me though. I know that computer forensic degrees have sprung up alot in the last 1-3 years but I can't think of a time when we hired anybody with one.

Good luck with what ever you choose.

Steve

Hi ccfc

I cant speak for the degree you are doing at Glamorgan, but I have experience of the FC Degree at Staffordshire University.

I'm in my final year for a BSc Hons Forensic Computing degree and have found it to be interesting and challenging.

Interesting because of the content and the new perspective you are given on the whole idea of Forensics, such as most view the idea of forensics as nailing the bad guys like in CSI, but what about proving they are innocent by working for the defense or the fact you may be stuck at a desk for days staring at a monitor looking for evidence, theses things are highlighted to you and for some people it breaks their glamorous view of the profession.

Challenging for the wide spread of study subject matter, from Legal aspects of evidence gathering to programming encryption algorithms in C or Java, and I would definitely recommend looking at your University website to find what modules you will have to do for your degree to make sure you understand their content and will be happy studying them. If it helps as a rule your first year will probably be studying general computing subjects with everyone else and only in your second year will the focus move to forensics, which gives you the opportunity to change your degree if you get a taste for something else ie Web design or Games programming.

I have found the whole experience amazing, distressing ) and very enjoyable but I also totally agree with steve862 because after all my study and hard work theres a chance my degree is not going to be a ticket to my dream career and I have no guarantee that it will get me into a position that a general comp degree would either. I'm just an annoying optimist who believes he will land on his feet, and the glass is definitely half full I don't care what the pessimists say.

So my advice would be to go for it if its what you really want but be prepared for some really hard work and i'm not saying you are wearing any rose tinted glasses but if you are take them of quick.

Hawkwind,

Good for you being an annoying optimist, that is the very attitude that will get you jobs and will keep you sane in the field.

Steve

LOL )

Thanks for your nice comment steve its good to hear from someone working in the field confirming that a positive attitude will help.

I wrote the post late on and after re-reading it I would just like to add that for any prospective employers out their I'm a nice annoying optimist, and the term pessimist is aimed at family and friends who think I'm barking mad for A. doing a degree as an adult learner and
B. doing it in Forensic computing.
I'll show them D