Hi all,
I have been reading this forum for a while now, and am very interested in the field, however, I have noticed that I need at least a CCE certification to be taken seriously. According to my research the cost of the CCE is roughly $3,300 including the boot camp course and test fee.
Having been burned in the past by getting a certification and then finding out that the jobs aren't really there to recoup my investment, I am going to ask up front
Are there jobs available for someone with just a CCE certification and 26 years of computer experience, or are they just so scarce that only those with a lot of experience in the field can get the jobs. If the latter, how does one get the experience to break into the field and make some money.
I am looking at this as a career change possibly for a time as I approach retirement at my current job.
As I said earlier, I just want to make sure I can recoup my investment in the education . I would love to have the certification and education because I have always been fascinated with how computers actually work and what makes them "tick".
I think you'll get a lot of differing views on this. I personally don't have a CCE, however I have some other vendor certs and have done forensic training. I was lucky enough to fall in to the field while still at uni and working, and have had no troubles job-wise since (including when relocating to another country with no job before I left).
At the moment I would say most private companies are looking for people with prior experience in the area that can hit the ground running, or from someone internally who can make the switch from another area into the forensic group. I would say (and bear in mind I am not from an LE background) that LE agencies are more likely to take people with little actual forensic experience, but good techincal skills, and train them up.
It might be an idea to talk to some recruiters (David Sullivan springs to mind, although UK based he does do some US work and is a lovely and very helpful guy) to get some advice, as they should know the current market pretty well. It could also be worth reaching out to your local Police Forensics Unit to see what they look for also.
Hope that helps some!
It sounds like your experience closely mirrors my own. I can tell you that the CCE was the key that opened the door to computer forensics work, despite my own 25+ years of IT experience. The <$3k that I paid was well worth the investment. When I was finally available for work three months after certification, I received an interview and subsequent offer within one week of posting my resume with the CCE.
(Note that you should negotiate price for the bootcamp. Training companies are very hungry, nowadays. You should be able to knock at least $400 off that $3300 price tag. You might get an even heftier discount by getting "two-for-one" deals, taking two courses for the price of one.)
Keep in mind that you might need a reset of compensation expectations, as many employers place less emphasis on IT experience. If you seek high compensation and similar challenges, you might consider focusing on IT security which can include a great deal of forensic work in both the network and PC arenas. In which case, garner CISSP and CEH certifications along with the CCE.
As ddewildt mentioned, law enforcement experience seems to trump IT experience. Companies/agencies seem to prefer molding technical skills of a seasoned law enforcement person rather than develop legal competence in a technical head.
As for the work, I very much enjoy the field and the additional challenges. The future holds much promise with the exponential growth in technology and cybercrime. Also, the forensic community is extremely supportive–collaboration and helpfulness pervade the workplace and online forums such as this premier site.
At any rate, good luck to you in your pursuits!
The CCE will definitely get you past the "front door," and then it will be up to you to complete the sale (obviously).
The only issue you will run into (based on my experience) is a lack of actual forensic work experience. Not the years in IT will help, and you may find companies that are looking with someone that has an extensive IT background in general (a lot of times the experience plays a role).
But you'll probably be limited to "entry level" type positions where you are usually doing collections, making working copies, etc. From there you may start to get smaller bits of "forensic" work to build up your experience there. But it would probably be a good idea to have your own "kit" at home to practice on, help friends out with, offer "recovery" services, etc.
Tom