Market Analysis of the Forensics

I can assist with anecdotes and personal experience, but that would be for here in the US…

I can assist with anecdotes and personal experience, but that would be for here in the US…

Please do post!

Well, so as to not hijack this thread, perhaps you could start another thread regarding US stats?

Jerry,

Anecdotes + personal experience != stats. I don't have any stats for the US, b/c I don't believe there are any.

IMHO, there is no real market for computer forensics. In the mid- to late-90s, the only places that had straight security practices were boutique firms…which is where places such as FoundStone originated. Even when FoundStone (originally known as Rampart Security) started, they didn't do *just* hacking…they did a lot of teaching and instruction.

Even now, you have Mandiant, but they don't do *just* computer forensics. I firmly believe that the reason is that such specialized services do not survive on their own. You have to have other things that you're doing to keep the revenue coming in.

So, when I say that there's no real market for forensics, I'm looking at it from a client perspective. Sure, folks who do forensics can be busy, but that's never with one single client.

H

Jerry,

IMHO, there is no real market for computer forensics. [stuff deleted] You have to have other things that you're doing to keep the revenue coming in.
H

While I find this thought to be depressing, I think you're correct, for the time being. In fact, while you often find CF web sites touting their single minded pursuit of forensics and their bashing of companys that do more than just forensics, I think that's just marketing hype. The best forensic investigators have a substantial real life IT background in other areas as well, such as programming, systems analysis and design, level III technical support, etc. And they stay current in those other technologies.

Yup, CF is a tough field to get moving. I think education is the key. People don't know what's available or why they need it.

Although this is not a market study I do believe their is a correlation
between the increase of computer crimes and the need for computer forensic talents. The below FBI report noted annual increase in computer crime.

http//www.ic3.gov/media/annualreport/2005_IC3Report.pdf

Outside of Law Enforcement and government service the availability of forensic jobs is sparse. However, as corporate cyber-crime continues to rise I believe more business opportunities will avail (Small business). For example, at the last SANS conference I attended – 4 people out of roughly 100 were associated with Law Enforcement. The remainder were business based IT personnel.

OldDawg,

> while you often find CF web sites touting their single minded pursuit of
> forensics and their bashing of companys that do more than just forensics,

Can you provide examples of these sites?

Az_gcfa,

> I do believe their is a correlation between the increase of computer
> crimes and the need for computer forensic talents

Perhaps it hasn't been realized yet.

I used to work for a contracting firm that supported the FBI. I worked in the dept that performed the forensic analysis for the FBI. I left within a year due to the a lack of work…cases would be processed in, and then languish. In any given 30-day period at my current employer, I have performed more analysis than I did in a year supporting the FBI.

I don't believe that you're going to see an increase in forensics performed by in-house IT personnel in the corporate landscape until you see senior management taking the issues surrounding its use seriously.

increase in forensics performed by in-house IT personnel in the corporate landscape until you see senior management taking the issues surrounding its use seriously.

Exactly! Management taking it seriously will be a product of education. It's really up to us to teach people about digital forensics. We are in essence creating our own market where none currently exists.

I wrote an ad that I was going to put in the paper but I sent it to my lawyer sister first. She's pretty savy, has a PhD and a law degree, etc. She read the ad and wrote back something like, "I have no idea what you're talking about!" I was using normal CF terms and verbiage in the ad. It dawned on me that I was being a tech-geek and not approaching my advertising with Normal People Terminology. I am now writing ads that explain things in simple terms.

I suspect that my CF business will ignite as soon as one attorney in this area uses my services and begins devastating the competition on a regular basis.