Become a Cyber Forensic Investigator (Beginners Roadmap 2024)
Summary
TLDRThis video script offers a comprehensive guide for aspiring cyber forensic investigators, even without prior experience or a degree. It clarifies the varied roles of a cyber forensic investigator in both private and law enforcement sectors, emphasizing the job's technical demands and potential to confront distressing material. The script provides a step-by-step roadmap, including recommended courses and certifications from RIT University, Google, The Infosec Institute, INE, and SANS Institute, to build necessary skills. It also discusses the distinction between incident response and digital forensics, the importance of practical experience, and strategies for securing roles in both civilian and law enforcement domains.
Takeaways
- 🕵️♂️ Cyber forensic investigators can work in both private and public sectors, including banks, insurance companies, local police stations, and federal agencies.
- 💰 The role of a cyber forensic investigator is highly technical and well-paid, with demand in law enforcement and the broader industry.
- 🤔 The job title 'cyber forensic investigator' can be confusing due to the overlap with incident response roles and the lack of clear understanding even among cybersecurity professionals.
- 🔍 Cyber forensic investigators perform technical forensic analysis, which can include examining hard drives, memory, USB sticks, mobile phones, and even cloud servers.
- 📚 The speaker recommends starting with courses like RIT's 'Computer Forensics' and Google's 'Cyber Security First' to build necessary technical skills.
- 👮♂️ There is a distinction between cyber forensic investigation in law enforcement and the civilian world, with the former potentially involving exposure to distressing explicit material.
- 🚀 For those without a technical background, the Google Cyber Security First course is suggested as a prerequisite to the RIT University's computer forensics course.
- 🔗 The InfoSec Institute offers a 'Computer Forensics Specialization' course series that covers digital forensics concepts, legal considerations, and practical skills.
- 🎓 Certifications such as the Certified Digital Forensics Professional (CDFP) from INE and the GCFA from SANS Institute are valuable for advancing in the field.
- 👀 TryHackMe and Hack The Box offer practical, hands-on training modules in digital forensics, providing exposure to tools and lab practice.
- 🔎 When job searching, consider roles beyond just 'digital forensics' and look into keywords like 'cyber' and roles in security operation centers for opportunities to apply forensic skills.
Q & A
What is the primary role of a cyber forensic investigator?
-A cyber forensic investigator conducts technical forensic analysis to investigate cyber incidents and crimes. They can work in various sectors, including private organizations like banks or insurance companies, and law enforcement at local or federal levels.
Why can the job of a cyber forensic investigator be considered both exciting and dark?
-The job can be exciting due to the dynamic nature of cyber investigations and the challenge of solving complex cases. However, it can also be dark because it may involve examining illegal and explicit materials that can be distressing.
How does the script suggest someone can become a cyber forensic investigator without a degree or experience?
-The script provides a step-by-step roadmap that includes taking specific courses and gaining practical skills, which can help build the necessary expertise to become a cyber forensic investigator even without a degree or prior experience.
What is the difference between incident response and digital forensics?
-Incident response involves detecting, analyzing, and responding to cyber incidents following a specific methodology. Digital forensics, on the other hand, involves conducting a technical analysis as part of the incident response or as a separate role to investigate and collect evidence from digital devices.
Why might someone working in cybersecurity not have a clear understanding of what a cyber forensic investigator does?
-Cybersecurity job titles can be confusing and inconsistent, leading to a lack of clarity about specific roles. For example, someone with the title of a cyber analyst might actually be performing cyber forensic investigations.
What is the importance of understanding the relationship between incident response and digital forensics?
-Understanding the relationship is crucial because while they are distinct roles, they can also overlap. Knowing this helps in identifying the specific skills and knowledge required for each role and how they contribute to the overall process of managing cyber incidents.
What are some of the challenges a cyber forensic investigator might face when working within law enforcement?
-Challenges include dealing with explicit and distressing materials as part of criminal investigations, which can be emotionally taxing and may require a certain level of mental fortitude.
How does the script suggest building the necessary technical skills for a career in cyber forensics?
-The script recommends starting with courses like Google Cyber Security and RIT's Computer Forensics, followed by more in-depth courses like the InfoSec Institute's Computer Forensics Specialization and INE's Certified Digital Forensics Professional certification.
What is the role of a digital forensics investigator in a broader cybersecurity context?
-A digital forensics investigator is a cybersecurity professional with specialized skills in investigating cyber incidents and crimes. Their role can be part of a larger cybersecurity strategy, including incident response and post-incident analysis.
How can someone without a background in cybersecurity or related fields get started in cyber forensics?
-The script suggests starting with foundational courses like Google Cyber Security First to build essential skills and then progressing to more specialized courses in computer forensics and digital forensics.
What are some practical training platforms mentioned in the script for enhancing digital forensics skills?
-The script mentions TryHackMe and Hack The Box as practical, hands-on training platforms that offer digital forensics upscaling modules and challenges to strengthen skills and provide practical experience.
How does the script differentiate between landing a cyber forensic role in law enforcement versus the civilian sector?
-In law enforcement, one can start as a police officer and transfer to an electronic crimes unit, often with the agency covering training costs. In the civilian sector, the focus should be on gaining relevant training and certifications, and considering roles that may involve digital forensics as part of broader cybersecurity responsibilities.
What is the significance of the work-study program mentioned in the script for obtaining SANS certifications?
-The SANS work-study program is an affordable way to obtain high-quality cyber forensics training and certifications. Participants assist with administrative work during the training, allowing them to access the training and certification at a reduced cost.
Outlines
🕵️♂️ Becoming a Cyber Forensic Investigator: Roles and Opportunities
This paragraph introduces the role of a cyber forensic investigator, emphasizing the varied nature of the job across different organizations. It outlines the investigator's responsibilities, which can range from working in the private sector like banks or insurance companies to law enforcement at local or federal levels. The speaker promises a step-by-step guide to acquiring necessary skills, even without prior experience or a degree. The paragraph also touches on the technical aspects of the job, the potential for high pay, and the demand in the industry. It clarifies misconceptions about the role, explaining the difference between incident response and digital forensics, and highlighting the broad scope of cyber forensic investigations, which can include analyzing various digital devices and platforms.
🎓 Education Path for Aspiring Cyber Forensic Investigators
The speaker provides a roadmap for individuals interested in cyber forensics, regardless of their current skill set or academic background. The recommended starting point is a course from RIT University on computer forensics, with a prerequisite suggestion that is later modified to recommend Google's Cyber Security course first. The speaker details the importance of understanding both the technical and legal aspects of digital forensics, including courses on digital forensic concepts, legal considerations, and practical applications. They also mention the value of obtaining certifications like the Certified Digital Forensics Professional and SANS Institute's certifications, suggesting the work-study program for the latter as an affordable option. Practical training platforms like TryHackMe and Hack The Box are also highlighted for their hands-on learning opportunities.
👮♂️ Pursuing a Career in Cyber Forensics: Law Enforcement vs Civilian Roles
This section discusses the differences in pursuing a career in cyber forensics within law enforcement versus the civilian sector. It suggests that within law enforcement, one can start as a police officer and later transfer to an electronic crimes unit, with the agency typically covering training costs. The speaker advises not to limit oneself to only digital forensic roles and to consider broader cybersecurity positions that may involve forensic tasks. They also recommend applying for roles in security operation centers or incident response teams to gain practical experience in digital forensics. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of viewing oneself as a cybersecurity professional with digital forensic skills rather than strictly a forensic investigator.
🛠️ Expanding Cybersecurity Skills for Career Growth in Digital Forensics
The final paragraph stresses the importance of not restricting one's career to solely digital forensic roles. It encourages individuals to grow their general cybersecurity skills, particularly as a blue team member or cyber analyst, to increase their marketability. The speaker suggests that hands-on practical training and certification are the best ways to achieve this, and they invite viewers to check out further recommendations, presumably in a related video or resource, to advance their skills and career in the field.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Cyber forensic investigator
💡Digital forensics
💡Incident response
💡DFI
💡Technical forensic analysis
💡Cybersecurity
💡Forensic analysis
💡Law enforcement
💡Cybersecurity Operation Center (CSOC)
💡Post-compromise analysis
💡Certified Digital Forensics Professional (CDFP)
💡SANS Institute
💡TryHackMe and Hack The Box
💡Work study program
💡Security Operations Center (SOC) analyst
💡Incident response role
💡Blue team
Highlights
Becoming a cyber forensic investigator is possible without prior experience or a degree.
The role of a cyber forensic investigator can vary between organizations.
Cyber forensic investigators can work in both private and law enforcement sectors.
The job can be exciting but also involve dealing with dark and distressing material.
High demand and good pay for cyber forensic investigators in law enforcement and the broader industry.
Cyber forensic and incident response are often confused but are distinct roles.
Incident response involves detecting and responding to cyber incidents, potentially including forensic analysis.
Forensic analysis can occur on various devices, including hard drives, memory, and mobile phones.
Cyber forensic investigators in law enforcement may analyze devices as part of criminal investigations.
Some investigators may find the job distressing due to the nature of the material they must examine.
Skills learned as a cyber forensic investigator can be applied outside of law enforcement.
Google Cyber Security certification is recommended as a starting point for building necessary technical skills.
The Infosec Institute's Computer Forensics Specialization is a comprehensive course for developing forensic skills.
Certified Digital Forensics Professional (CDFP) is a practical certification for enhancing forensic skills.
SANS Institute offers high-quality but expensive training; the work-study program is a more affordable option.
Platforms like TryHackMe and Hack The Box offer practical digital forensics training.
For law enforcement roles, starting as a police officer and transferring to an electronic crimes unit is a viable path.
In the civilian sector, consider roles in security operation centers or incident response to gain forensic experience.
Expand your cyber security skillset to increase job opportunities beyond just digital forensic roles.
Transcripts
I will explain to you how to become a
cyber forensic investigator even if you
don't have any experience or any degree
but first it's important to understand
the scope of what a cyber forensic
investigator does as the job can vary
between organizations therefore it's
important to be clear on the duties of
the Cyber forensic investigator so you
can build the right skills that you need
to become a cyber forensic investigator
a sa forensic investigator can work in
the private sector so they could work in
a bank or an insurance company but they
can also work in law enforcement so they
could be in a local police station or
even at the federal level the job can be
very exciting but at times it can also
be a little bit dark and I will explain
to you why later in the video but having
said that you can get paid really well
doing this role and there is certainly
demand within law enforcement but also
in the broader industry this is a highly
technical role where you will be
conducting a technical forensic analysis
but I will give you a step by bystep
road map to get you to build the right
skills so you can become a cyber
forensic investigator even if you have
zero technical skills or a degree in the
cheapest and fastest way possible we're
going to make some Gatekeepers cry with
this one let's get into it the main
issue with digital forensics or cyber
forensic is that 99.9% of people don't
actually know what a cyber forensic
investigator does this includes
individuals who work in it like Network
engineers and health desk professional
even some people who work in cyber
security don't seem to have a solid
understanding on what exactly a cyber
forensic investigator is supposed to do
it's one of those seemingly mythical
jobs that you may have heard about but
you're not 100% certain what it entails
and I don't blame you in the cyber
security World job titles are an
absolute mess someone could have the
title of a cyber analyst but their
day-to-day Duties are essentially cyber
forensic investigations I've seen this a
lot in the industry so it's perfectly
normal to be confused now to simplify it
we first need to understand the
relationship between incident response
and digital forensics they're usually
lumped together you may have come across
the term DFI which really stands for
digital forensics and incident response
they are two completely different roles
but they can also be performed as one
role in incident response we follow a
certain mythology and a procedure to
detect a cyber incident analyze a cyber
incident and respond to it now as part
of our response to an a cyber incident
we may or may not perform digital
forensic analysis for example if a
company got hacked and the cyber
security profession are trying to stop
this hack or they're trying to analyze
and see what happens to maybe contain
this attack and prevent it from
happening again a cyber security
professional should perform forensic
analysis to look inside the hard drive
to see how did this attack happen so we
can look for certain Tim stamps we can
look for certain files that were
accessed or we can look for certain
signatures this analysis is referred to
as forensic analysis now the analysis
can happen in a hard drive but it can
also happen in memory or in a USB stick
it can also happen in things like a
mobile phone or a Cloud Server have even
recently been involved in an
investigation on a Tesla electric car so
the scope of a cyber forensic investigat
can be really broad now performing a
forensic analysis as part of incident
response that can be one category of
forensic analysis the other broad
category is also doing it in law
enforcement so as part of a criminal
investigation you can be part of an
electronic crime unit you analyze
devices that are part of an ongoing
investigation or perhaps you need to
look into the mobile phone of a suspect
or you can analyze hard drives to see if
they contain anything illegal the
outcome of your investigation can
influence and even determine whether
someone gets a jail sentence so it's a
pretty serious job now one of the main
reasons why cyber forensic investigation
can be a confusing job title is as I've
explained earlier there is a difference
between performing it within law
enforcement or within the civilian World
unfortunately TV shows and movies
whenever they highlight cyber forensic
investigations it's almost always within
law enforcement because it's a little
bit more exciting and and it can make
for a good TV show so shows like CSI
Miami is entirely based on Cyber
forensics now within law enforcement you
will be analyzing hard drives or web
browsers or mobile phones that are part
of a criminal investigation now
unfortunately a significant part of
doing cyber forensic analysis within law
enforcement could involve the
investigator looking at illegal material
but some of that material can contain
explicit material that could be very
distressing in fact someone I know
closely have spent significant amount of
money and train tring to become a saop
forensic investigator but then he was
hired to work at a local police station
unfortunately he only lasted for 6
months because he simply couldn't handle
looking at explicit material you may
think you're tough but trust me you
don't know what you don't know so this
is something that you need to be aware
of as you're trying to become a cyber
forensic investigator within law
enforcement but the good news is the
skills that you learn can definitely be
useful outside of law enforcement so you
could be working as a cyber forensic
investigator within a cyber security
Operation Center or within a consulting
firm where your investigation is part of
responding to cyber incidents where you
try to stop cyber attacks or contain
cyber attacks or even perform what we
refer to as post compromise analysis
where you perform analysis after the
hack has happened to determine what
happened but also the organizations can
have some lessons so they can prevent
this from happening again now if you're
watching this video then you are
passionate about this type of work and
you want to build your skills in the
area of cyber criminal investigation I
will show you how to get hired both in
the civilian world and in law
enforcement later in this video but
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to the video as you may have guessed
cyber forensics or digital forensics is
a highly technical role but as promised
I will show you how to get there if
you're already working in it so you
could have some programming skills or
networking skills or you could be
working in help disk but this will also
apply to you if you're a university
student or if you work in a completely
different domain like marketing or
nursing or physical security for example
so first first things first the first
course that I want you to start with is
from RIT University hosted on the edex
platform it's called computer forensics
this will be our starting point but just
be mindful that this course has a
prerequisite so RIT recommend that you
do their own course as a prerequisite I
personally don't recommend that you do
that prerequisite instead I want you to
do the Google cyber security first
because it will give you everything that
you need to go through this computer
forensic course especially the Linux
skills that you will need to go through
that course so if you have no technical
background then do the Google cber
security first then do this RIT course
doing both of these courses you will
have the necessary technical skills to
begin your journey in digital forensics
I covered the Google cyber security
certificate in detail in this video so
please check it out now once you finish
both courses then the next step will be
to build in-depth digital forensic
skills now to perform forensic analysis
this will be as part of an investigation
or as part of responding to cyber
incident so you will be analyzing a lot
of hard drives you will need to retrieve
data that's either deleted or hidden but
things will get a little bit complicated
because things can vary significantly
between different operating systems so
you may need to use different techniques
based on which version of Windows that
you're dealing with or maybe you're
dealing with Mac OS or Linux and things
can be entirely different if you're
trying to retrieve information from a
mobile phone now you don't need to learn
everything at once in the beginning but
at minimum you need to be competent with
retrieving information from hard drives
in the Windows operating system system
this is the bare minimum that can get
you a job in digital forensics later on
you can add skills for mobile phones or
iot devices or Cloud servers to expand
your skills later now the good news is
there is a beginner friendly course that
you can do after the RIT course and the
Google Saba security certificate where
you can develop this skill and more the
course is from The infosec Institute
it's called computer forensic
specialization it consists of three
course series the first one is digital
forensics concept here you will get your
introduction to the world of digital
forensics you will understand the r and
responsibilities of the forensic
examiner or the forensic investigator
you will also get to learn the
methodology that we use in digital
forensics and you'll get to prepare a
forensic workstation the second course
is about the legal consideration for
digital forensics you will get
introduced to some of the laws and
regulations around digital forensics but
you'll also learn a little bit about the
chain of custody and how to deal with
evidence within digital forensics then
you will go through the investigation
process and you will learn how to
collect digital evidence and how to
store the evidence securely because
remember this is a highly critical role
the outcome of your investigation can
determine the outcome of criminal
charges so evidence handling is an
extremely important part of this process
and at the end of it there is a digital
forensics project where you get to apply
everything that you've learned in a lab
environment digital forensics is a
practical Hands-On practice you need to
practice everything that you learn this
is not a theoretical field you can't
multiple choice your way out of digital
forensics now the next C goes through
Windows OS forensics as I said knowing
the windows OS is the bare minimum that
you need to become a digital forensic
investigator this is an assumed skill
everyone expects you to know it later on
you can learn more about the Mac OS and
other operating systems but at minimum
Windows OS is a nonnegotiable so here
you'll learn about the different file
systems within the windows OS the fat
file system the NTFS file system and
you'll even get to perform forensics
within the Windows registry files this
is an in-depth look at the windows OS
and as you will discover in the course
there is a lot to be learned in this
area so it's definitely not a small area
the final course is a deep dive within
the Windows registry files it is an
ocean and there is so much that you need
to learn as a cyber forensic
investigator so as you can see you will
go through different types of files and
different types of software and you'll
get to apply everything in a lab
environment after you finish this course
you will have the necessary skills that
can get you a role as a cyber forensic
investigator but as you will see this is
a highly technical area so you may
forget things or you may feel
overwhelmed this is where we need to
learn from different resources so the
next course that I want you to do is
from INE which is the certified digital
forensics professional this is a
fantastic Hands-On practical
certification where you'll get to review
some of the concepts that you've already
learned but you'll also get introduced
to even more Concepts and you will get
to perform this all in a Hands-On lab
and if you're competent enough you can
pass the certification and have more
digital forensic qualifications on your
CV but also on your LinkedIn profile now
we can't really talk about digital
forensics without mentioning the Sans
Institute a few years ago we didn't
really have many options for Saba
security training especially for digital
forensics training the Sans Institute
was the only Institute that provided us
with cyber forensics training the two
most popular certifications were the
jaak certified forensic examiner and the
jaak certified forensic analyst I have
done the gcfa and to this day it's one
of my favorite certifications to do as
you may be aware Sans training is
extremely high quality but unfortunately
it's very expensive but there is a nice
affordable way to do it which is through
the work study program so follow this
URL and then go apply to the Sans work
study program this will enable you to do
the training as an assistant where you
help out Sans to run their training you
help them out with some administrative
work and this way you get to do the
training and the certification for a
fraction of the price I highly recommend
you apply there especially for their
forensics courses because they will
teach you a lot another great training
option for digital forensics is from two
of my favorite companies which is try
hack me and hack the Box they are both
practical Hands-On training platform
both of them offer really nice digital
forensics upscaling modules so try
hackme has digital forensics and
incident response training which is
really good you get exposed to a lot of
tools and you can practice them in a
Hands-On lab again this will strengthen
your skills but it will also give you
more chance to practice so you don't
feel lost and you don't feel like you're
forgetting things hack the Box have a
new series called the Sherlocks where
you do a series of challenges that are
based on digital forensics I'll leave a
link to both in the description box
below so you can check them out now as
far as getting hired is concerned there
is a difference between Landing a cyber
forensic stroll within law enforcement
versus within the civilian world within
law enforcement you can actually start
as a police officer and then get
transferred to the electronic crimes
unit this is a great option because
usually the agency or the police station
that hired you will pay for all of your
training but I don't want you to limit
yourself to that I remember I had a
career mentorship with an individual who
worked at a police station and he told
me that he's unable to transfer to the
electronic crimes unit in his station
because his boss didn't want to so my
recommendation to him was try in
different stations try in different law
enforcement agencies law enforcement
will always have a preference for ex law
enforcement officers if you already have
law enforcement experience then you are
a perfect candidate to perform this role
because you understand the culture and
you understand the stress and the way
that law enforcement functions more than
someone who is a civilian so this is a
great trout for anyone who works in the
military or in the police Poli I highly
recommend that Avenue now as a civilian
if you want to land one of those roles
in law enforcement then you will need to
do the training courses that I recommend
before you can land one of those roles
now as far as civilian jobs are
concerned the biggest mistake that I see
individuals make when they want to land
a digital forensic role is that they
restrict themselves to just forensic
roles as I said in the beginning of the
video titles in cyber security are an
absolute mess so when you do a job
search I want you to type the word
digital forensics but I also want you to
try and type the keyword cyber and just
look through all the job because
sometimes the job may include digital
forensics task but it can also be a
broader cyber security job so digital
forensics can be part of the job but not
the entire job so this is an important
aspect to consider the other important
aspect to consider is appli to Sock
analyst roles working as part of a
security Operation Center you will get
an opportunity to perform some digital
forensic activities it may not be the
entire role but as part of your job in a
security Operation Center you can and
get that exposure to get some hands-on
experience with digital forensics which
can later on lead you to Landing a
full-time cyber forensics investigator
so that's definitely a great role the
other option that you can look into is
incident response as I explained in the
beginning of this video digital forensic
can be part of incident response so a
digital forensic incident response Ro is
a perfect Ro where you get to apply
those skills but you can also learn a
little bit more about digital forensics
this is a fantastic role by ment which
is now owned by Google where you get to
respond to incidents but you also get to
perform cyber forensic investigations
now one word of caution when it comes to
cyber forensics is that the last thing I
want you to do is to restrict yourself
to just digital forensics job think of
yourself as a cyber security
professional who have digital forensic
skills so the job may or may not be a
full-time cyber forensic investigation
so for that I recommend that you grow
your general cyber security skills
especially your blue team or cyber
analyst skills and the best way to do
that is through Hands-On practical
training and certification like the one
I recommend in this video so I highly
recommend you check it out and I'll see
you there
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