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How do you find a credential university?

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(@jc0503132)
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Hi, my name is Jeremy and I'm newly registered to this site. I'm very intrigued by the CF field, and I thought I would introduce myself before actually posting in a topic. I'm not familiar with all the acronyms used on the site, so forgive me if I don't know what CV is. I want to major in Computer Forensics, but I don't know the basic outline of the course. I live in FL and I have been doing a lot of research in the field as far as salary & experience. I can't find a university anywhere that actually offers a masters in the course. Although I know that you have to be certified, I want to find a credential university that will be a reliable source of education.

 
Posted : 08/03/2006 1:44 am
(@armresl)
Posts: 1011
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Take the money you were going to spend at a college, take the FTK courses and the Encase courses as well as the winhex course and go to a few conferences where they teach multiple classes in multiple formats and you may find yourself better off.

 
Posted : 08/03/2006 5:26 am
 Andy
(@andy)
Posts: 357
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Hi Jeremy,

Take the money you were going to spend at a college, take the FTK courses and the Encase courses as well as the winhex course and go to a few conferences where they teach multiple classes in multiple formats and you may find yourself better off.

I do not agree with this (no disrespect to armresl). A university/college qualification/degree is IMO far more credible to any potential employer than a 3 or 4 day FTK , EnCase, WinHex course, (or one day conferences). Especially so for someone who is young and still at college, I would never discourage anyone from dropping out of college and not wanting to further their education. You have many years to decide which commercial product you wish to specialise in. Also, many employers will fund such courses, so unless you plan to freelance I suggest you spend your money with a good all round IT/Computing, or if you can a specific FC/CF (Forensic Computing/Computer Forensics) degree course (perhaps you can flavour it with a FC themed research dissertation?).

Doing short courses may well train you in the basics of whatever tool you pay for; however it will not teach you how to study, research, and complete reports or statements. The ability to string two sentences together will prevail over product specific short courses.

Who knows what the future may bring, all these commercial products are popular at the moment, but the bottom may fall out of the FC world with the advent of fully encrypted hardware, devices, software, and operating sytems. You may need some other computer/technology skills to fall back on.

 
Posted : 08/03/2006 1:57 pm
(@fatrabbit)
Posts: 132
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I totally agree Andy.

 
Posted : 08/03/2006 3:47 pm
(@Anonymous)
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I totally agree Andy.

indeed, i agree as well. one thing note worthy is the fact that he will need to take these courses at some point regardless though if he is not exposed to them in college/uni as most employers would require it.

it is always better to build the house on solid foundation than directly on the bedrock )

 
Posted : 08/03/2006 8:39 pm
(@fatrabbit)
Posts: 132
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The foundations you speak of would be better laid in computer science than a one-week Encase course. And as Andy pointed out the commercial market may change and you’ll have to learn another ‘flavour of the month’ product. Just my opinion.

 
Posted : 08/03/2006 8:44 pm
(@armresl)
Posts: 1011
Noble Member
 

I wasn't saying take just one course. I was trying to say take all 4 or 5 of the FTK courses, all of the Encase classes, the winhex class, and some class that is not proprietary in nature.

A lot of the sylabus for college classes focuses on networking, programming, etc. which is not what you would get from the classes that I mentioned.

 
Posted : 08/03/2006 10:27 pm
(@bjgleas)
Posts: 114
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I teach college on a US Military base, and I encourage my students to get related certs for the courses I am teaching (A+, Network+, Security+, etc.)

But I always tell them that the only thing a certification is good for is to get you the interview. However, they have to realize that the interviewer is not going to ask multiple-choice questions… that is where the experience and good communications skills come into play.

Many companies will not take you without a college degree these days. Somce places will take you without a colleg degree, but you better have a lot of experience. Taking all the EnCase course does not equal experience. The reason my places will accept college in place of experence is that college often provide (in a limtied nature) experience. Homework, projects, presentations, etc. Most training courses only offer a few hands on labs where they provide you will the answers, and you just follow along.

One of the "dangers" with most certs is that they are only a single, multiple choice exam, and for many of them, there are brain dumps available. I have the Security+, EC-Council CHFI, CISSP, and the GIAC Certified Forensics Analyst from SANS. Those all have their pros and cons, but they are only multiple choice tests, and simply say that I can read and take a multiple choice test.

We have one guys in the office who decided to get certified, and is now a certification w***e. In a 2 month period, he has gotten something like 12 certs, spending 3 days studying for each. But he still comes to me when he can't get a user to login into the domain.

The cert I like the most (so far) is the Certified Computer Examiner from the International Society of Forensic Computer Examiners. In this test, you are given an online multiple choice test, and that is followed by three practical physical evidence examinations a floppy, a CD-ROM, and a hard drive. There is no multiple choice - you need to duplicate the evidence, and provide a detailed report to the client on what you found. Each one of these report (for me anyway), ran in the neighborhood of 20+ single spaced pages. It is reviewed by a human, who generates your score. This is more comprehensive and valuable than just a single, simple, automated exam.

As far as degrees go, I also hold a BS and MS in Computer Science and a BA in Criminal Justice. The big difference between certs and degrees is that there is a more significant time commitment, and the number of class and professors you encounter will often challenge you, in many different ways.

In my mind, the degree shows that you have completed a comprehesive course of study, and the certs show that you are keeping up in the field. In my first BS degree (23 years ago) I learned FORTRAN, punch cards, and 370 JCL, but despite that, have been able to prove to my various employers that I have mantained my knowledge in the field by obtaining additional degrees, and various certifications.

bj

 
Posted : 09/03/2006 4:35 am
(@bjgleas)
Posts: 114
Estimable Member
 

Jeremy

You don't say where in FL you are, but you might want to look at http//www.cs.ucf.edu/csdept/info/gccf/

This is a graduate certificate in Computer Forensices from the National Center for Forensic Science in Orlando. It is not a Master's degree, however, according to the website, "Any students with an undergraduate baccalaureate degree or higher can apply to this certificate program. All courses in the certificate program could be used in an MS graduate program of study with permission of that graduate program."

So you can go for a Master's in Computer Science, with a focus on computer forensics.

bj

 
Posted : 09/03/2006 4:46 am
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