Hi,
I thought I would re-post in this thread as it is a major factor for those that are considering working in digital forensics. The massive increase in digital forensic degrees in the UK means more people looking to work in this field but I wonder how well these degrees are preparing those people for what lies ahead.
I've worked in digital forensics for nearly 10 years now and although I do some smartphone analysis it has been almost exclusively on the computer side. I've worked for a child protection high tech crime unit where we did lots of CP cases, grooming cases etc and I've worked for a 'general purpose' lab where we do murders, fraud, CP (as well) and all sorts of other crimes.
Here are my observations now I've had some more experience... (warning the points below are quite frank!)
• In computer analysis you aren't just extracting and explaining the provenance of data but you’re investigating. You are looking for elements of planning, you are looking at aggravating factors such as bragging about what they did. In essence you are studying the psyche of your suspect and seeing how dark some people can be and that can be very shocking.
• It doesn't have to be a child abuse related job to be disturbing. Murders, rapes and violent crimes can be very disturbing to investigate. Studying the final moments of your victim's life or reading about the circumstances of the crime has the potential to be heartbreaking if you cannot focus on what you need to do.
• Following on from that you might feel remorse for family left behind. You might wonder how they are getting along years later. I know of Police Officers who face this challenge and because you investigated the details of this case you could experience this too.
• If you go on scene attendances as well be prepared to walk in to some horrible places and be prepared to see anything and everything. There will be nauseating sights and smells. It's what traditional forensics people cope with as well as officers. You might not think of digital forensics as having this remit but it might well do if you work in LE.
• You will find it more difficult to have regular conversations with 'normal' people on some topics. They'll be talking about how terrible something they saw in the news was and you'll be thinking, that's nothing! Other people won't have the same experiences as you and therefore will have a different perspective. It's something to be aware of and not to get frustrated about.
• You will want to feel like these 'sacrifices' which you make were worth it and continue to be. If you make a difference it is very rewarding but if you find yourself getting bogged down in management structures and internal change management, which will inevitably happen, you will need to be aware of how you might feel you aren't achieving what you came into this field to achieve.
• You will need to be pretty flexible in terms of your personal life. Be prepared to cancel holidays in extreme circumstances because you are needed at court, they can't do it without you but unfortunately they forgot to warn you. Be prepared to work long hours from time to time, or be called in at a moment's notice for something urgent. The job is one of the most invasive jobs you can have.
• There can be no coasting in this career. Software versions keep changing. Different version, different artefacts, or even same artefacts but different interpretation. New hardware comes out and so on. Hopefully your employer will help to keep your skills up to date but be prepared to do your own research and make sure you are still giving every job your best, even if it's been a while since you last went on formal training.
I’ll call it quits there although there are other considerations.
Part of the reason I wrote this extra post was the talk about the things I’ve felt from time to time and observed in others as well. My experiences are different now than they were at the beginning and even 2-3 years in.
The big questions then is, is this job worth it? Well for me it is and I can see me staying in this field and mostly likely within LE until I retire. Is it worth it for you? Only you can answer that question but maybe some of these comments will help you make that decision.
Steve
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