Become a Cyber Forensic Investigator (Beginners Roadmap 2024)

UnixGuy | Cyber Security
27 Dec 202316:04

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

  • ๐Ÿ•ต๏ธโ€โ™‚๏ธ Cyber forensic investigators can work in both private and public sectors, including banks, insurance companies, local police stations, and federal agencies.
  • ๐Ÿ’ฐ The role of a cyber forensic investigator is highly technical and well-paid, with demand in law enforcement and the broader industry.
  • ๐Ÿค” 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.
  • ๐Ÿ” Cyber forensic investigators perform technical forensic analysis, which can include examining hard drives, memory, USB sticks, mobile phones, and even cloud servers.
  • ๐Ÿ“š The speaker recommends starting with courses like RIT's 'Computer Forensics' and Google's 'Cyber Security First' to build necessary technical skills.
  • ๐Ÿ‘ฎโ€โ™‚๏ธ 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.
  • ๐Ÿš€ 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.
  • ๐Ÿ”— The InfoSec Institute offers a 'Computer Forensics Specialization' course series that covers digital forensics concepts, legal considerations, and practical skills.
  • ๐ŸŽ“ Certifications such as the Certified Digital Forensics Professional (CDFP) from INE and the GCFA from SANS Institute are valuable for advancing in the field.
  • ๐Ÿ‘€ TryHackMe and Hack The Box offer practical, hands-on training modules in digital forensics, providing exposure to tools and lab practice.
  • ๐Ÿ”Ž 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

00:00

๐Ÿ•ต๏ธโ€โ™‚๏ธ 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.

05:01

๐ŸŽ“ 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.

10:02

๐Ÿ‘ฎโ€โ™‚๏ธ 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.

15:03

๐Ÿ› ๏ธ 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

๐Ÿ’กCyber forensic investigator

A cyber forensic investigator is a professional who specializes in collecting, analyzing, and preserving digital evidence in order to investigate cybercrimes or security breaches. In the video, this role is highlighted as one that can be pursued even without a degree or prior experience, with the right skills and training. The script emphasizes the importance of understanding the scope of this job, which includes working in both private sector organizations and law enforcement agencies.

๐Ÿ’กDigital forensics

Digital forensics, also known as cyber forensics, is the process of investigating and analyzing digital data to uncover evidence of cybercrime or security incidents. The video script explains that digital forensics is a highly technical role that involves conducting a technical forensic analysis. It is distinguished from incident response, which is a broader field that may or may not include forensic analysis as part of its response to a cyber incident.

๐Ÿ’กIncident response

Incident response refers to the procedures and protocols followed to detect, analyze, and respond to cyber incidents. The script clarifies that while incident response and digital forensics are often grouped together, they are distinct roles. Incident response may involve forensic analysis as part of its process to contain and prevent further attacks, but it is not solely focused on forensic analysis.

๐Ÿ’กDFI

DFI stands for Digital Forensics and Incident Response. The script mentions this term to illustrate the common confusion between the two fields, which are often lumped together but represent different areas of expertise. DFI professionals may perform both incident response and forensic analysis, but the script emphasizes the importance of understanding the distinct duties and skills required for each.

๐Ÿ’กTechnical forensic analysis

Technical forensic analysis is the detailed examination and interpretation of digital data to uncover evidence related to cyber incidents or crimes. The video script describes this as a core aspect of the cyber forensic investigator's role, where they look inside hard drives, memory, USB sticks, mobile phones, and even cloud servers to find timestamps, accessed files, and signatures that can help reconstruct the events of an attack.

๐Ÿ’กCybersecurity

Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting computers, servers, mobile devices, electronic systems, networks, and data from digital attacks, damages, or unauthorized access. In the context of the video, cybersecurity professionals may perform forensic analysis as part of their response to a cyber incident, looking for evidence within devices to understand how an attack occurred and to prevent future incidents.

๐Ÿ’กForensic analysis

Forensic analysis in the context of the video refers to the examination of digital devices and data to determine the cause and extent of a cyber incident or crime. The script explains that this analysis can be performed on various devices, including hard drives, memory, USB sticks, mobile phones, and cloud servers. It is a critical component of both incident response and law enforcement investigations.

๐Ÿ’กLaw enforcement

Law enforcement within the video refers to the application of cyber forensic investigation skills in a criminal justice context. Cyber forensic investigators working in law enforcement may be part of an electronic crime unit, analyzing devices and data as part of ongoing criminal investigations. The script also mentions the potential for encountering distressing material as part of this role.

๐Ÿ’กCybersecurity Operation Center (CSOC)

A Cybersecurity Operation Center is a centralized unit that monitors and manages an organization's cybersecurity posture. In the video, it is mentioned as a potential workplace for a cyber forensic investigator, where they may perform forensic analysis as part of responding to cyber incidents and enhancing the organization's security measures.

๐Ÿ’กPost-compromise analysis

Post-compromise analysis is the process of examining an organization's systems and data after a security breach has occurred. The purpose is to understand what happened, how the breach occurred, and to identify lessons that can prevent future incidents. The video script describes this as a part of a cyber forensic investigator's role, particularly within a civilian context outside of law enforcement.

๐Ÿ’กCertified Digital Forensics Professional (CDFP)

The Certified Digital Forensics Professional certification is a professional qualification that validates an individual's skills and knowledge in digital forensics. The script recommends this certification as a way to enhance one's CV and LinkedIn profile, showcasing the individual's competence in performing forensic analysis in a hands-on lab environment.

๐Ÿ’กSANS Institute

The SANS Institute is a well-known organization that provides a range of cybersecurity training and certifications, including those related to digital forensics. The video script mentions SANS as offering high-quality training for cyber forensic investigators, such as the GCFA (Global Cyber Forensics and Incident Response Certification), and suggests the work-study program as an affordable way to access this training.

๐Ÿ’กTryHackMe and Hack The Box

TryHackMe and Hack The Box are online platforms that offer practical, hands-on training in cybersecurity, including digital forensics. The script recommends these platforms as valuable resources for cyber forensic investigators to strengthen their skills through practical exercises and challenges, which can complement formal training and certifications.

๐Ÿ’กWork study program

A work study program, as mentioned in the context of the SANS Institute, is an opportunity for individuals to gain practical experience in a field while also receiving training or education. The script highlights the SANS work study program as a way to access their high-quality forensics courses at a reduced cost by assisting with administrative tasks during the training.

๐Ÿ’กSecurity Operations Center (SOC) analyst

A Security Operations Center analyst is a professional who works within a SOC to monitor, analyze, and respond to security incidents. The video script suggests that aspiring cyber forensic investigators consider roles as SOC analysts, as these positions can provide exposure to digital forensic activities and hands-on experience, which can be valuable for future career advancement in cyber forensics.

๐Ÿ’กIncident response role

An incident response role involves managing and responding to security incidents within an organization. The script explains that digital forensics can be a component of an incident response role, making it an excellent position for individuals looking to apply their forensic skills and learn more about the field while also contributing to the broader incident response process.

๐Ÿ’กBlue team

In cybersecurity, the term 'blue team' refers to the group of professionals responsible for defending an organization's information systems against cyber threats. The video script advises aspiring cyber forensic investigators to grow their general cybersecurity skills, particularly as a blue team or cybersecurity analyst, to increase their employability and effectiveness in their roles.

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

play00:00

I will explain to you how to become a

play00:02

cyber forensic investigator even if you

play00:04

don't have any experience or any degree

play00:06

but first it's important to understand

play00:09

the scope of what a cyber forensic

play00:10

investigator does as the job can vary

play00:13

between organizations therefore it's

play00:15

important to be clear on the duties of

play00:18

the Cyber forensic investigator so you

play00:20

can build the right skills that you need

play00:22

to become a cyber forensic investigator

play00:24

a sa forensic investigator can work in

play00:26

the private sector so they could work in

play00:28

a bank or an insurance company but they

play00:31

can also work in law enforcement so they

play00:33

could be in a local police station or

play00:36

even at the federal level the job can be

play00:39

very exciting but at times it can also

play00:41

be a little bit dark and I will explain

play00:43

to you why later in the video but having

play00:45

said that you can get paid really well

play00:47

doing this role and there is certainly

play00:49

demand within law enforcement but also

play00:51

in the broader industry this is a highly

play00:54

technical role where you will be

play00:56

conducting a technical forensic analysis

play00:58

but I will give you a step by bystep

play01:00

road map to get you to build the right

play01:02

skills so you can become a cyber

play01:03

forensic investigator even if you have

play01:05

zero technical skills or a degree in the

play01:07

cheapest and fastest way possible we're

play01:10

going to make some Gatekeepers cry with

play01:12

this one let's get into it the main

play01:14

issue with digital forensics or cyber

play01:15

forensic is that 99.9% of people don't

play01:19

actually know what a cyber forensic

play01:21

investigator does this includes

play01:22

individuals who work in it like Network

play01:24

engineers and health desk professional

play01:26

even some people who work in cyber

play01:28

security don't seem to have a solid

play01:30

understanding on what exactly a cyber

play01:32

forensic investigator is supposed to do

play01:34

it's one of those seemingly mythical

play01:36

jobs that you may have heard about but

play01:38

you're not 100% certain what it entails

play01:40

and I don't blame you in the cyber

play01:42

security World job titles are an

play01:44

absolute mess someone could have the

play01:46

title of a cyber analyst but their

play01:48

day-to-day Duties are essentially cyber

play01:50

forensic investigations I've seen this a

play01:53

lot in the industry so it's perfectly

play01:54

normal to be confused now to simplify it

play01:57

we first need to understand the

play01:58

relationship between incident response

play02:00

and digital forensics they're usually

play02:02

lumped together you may have come across

play02:04

the term DFI which really stands for

play02:06

digital forensics and incident response

play02:09

they are two completely different roles

play02:10

but they can also be performed as one

play02:12

role in incident response we follow a

play02:14

certain mythology and a procedure to

play02:16

detect a cyber incident analyze a cyber

play02:18

incident and respond to it now as part

play02:20

of our response to an a cyber incident

play02:23

we may or may not perform digital

play02:25

forensic analysis for example if a

play02:27

company got hacked and the cyber

play02:29

security profession are trying to stop

play02:30

this hack or they're trying to analyze

play02:32

and see what happens to maybe contain

play02:34

this attack and prevent it from

play02:36

happening again a cyber security

play02:37

professional should perform forensic

play02:39

analysis to look inside the hard drive

play02:41

to see how did this attack happen so we

play02:43

can look for certain Tim stamps we can

play02:45

look for certain files that were

play02:47

accessed or we can look for certain

play02:48

signatures this analysis is referred to

play02:51

as forensic analysis now the analysis

play02:53

can happen in a hard drive but it can

play02:54

also happen in memory or in a USB stick

play02:57

it can also happen in things like a

play02:59

mobile phone or a Cloud Server have even

play03:02

recently been involved in an

play03:03

investigation on a Tesla electric car so

play03:05

the scope of a cyber forensic investigat

play03:08

can be really broad now performing a

play03:09

forensic analysis as part of incident

play03:11

response that can be one category of

play03:13

forensic analysis the other broad

play03:15

category is also doing it in law

play03:17

enforcement so as part of a criminal

play03:19

investigation you can be part of an

play03:21

electronic crime unit you analyze

play03:23

devices that are part of an ongoing

play03:25

investigation or perhaps you need to

play03:27

look into the mobile phone of a suspect

play03:29

or you can analyze hard drives to see if

play03:31

they contain anything illegal the

play03:33

outcome of your investigation can

play03:35

influence and even determine whether

play03:37

someone gets a jail sentence so it's a

play03:39

pretty serious job now one of the main

play03:41

reasons why cyber forensic investigation

play03:43

can be a confusing job title is as I've

play03:46

explained earlier there is a difference

play03:47

between performing it within law

play03:49

enforcement or within the civilian World

play03:51

unfortunately TV shows and movies

play03:53

whenever they highlight cyber forensic

play03:54

investigations it's almost always within

play03:57

law enforcement because it's a little

play03:58

bit more exciting and and it can make

play04:00

for a good TV show so shows like CSI

play04:02

Miami is entirely based on Cyber

play04:04

forensics now within law enforcement you

play04:06

will be analyzing hard drives or web

play04:09

browsers or mobile phones that are part

play04:11

of a criminal investigation now

play04:12

unfortunately a significant part of

play04:14

doing cyber forensic analysis within law

play04:17

enforcement could involve the

play04:18

investigator looking at illegal material

play04:21

but some of that material can contain

play04:23

explicit material that could be very

play04:24

distressing in fact someone I know

play04:26

closely have spent significant amount of

play04:28

money and train tring to become a saop

play04:30

forensic investigator but then he was

play04:32

hired to work at a local police station

play04:34

unfortunately he only lasted for 6

play04:36

months because he simply couldn't handle

play04:38

looking at explicit material you may

play04:40

think you're tough but trust me you

play04:42

don't know what you don't know so this

play04:44

is something that you need to be aware

play04:46

of as you're trying to become a cyber

play04:47

forensic investigator within law

play04:49

enforcement but the good news is the

play04:50

skills that you learn can definitely be

play04:52

useful outside of law enforcement so you

play04:54

could be working as a cyber forensic

play04:56

investigator within a cyber security

play04:58

Operation Center or within a consulting

play05:00

firm where your investigation is part of

play05:03

responding to cyber incidents where you

play05:04

try to stop cyber attacks or contain

play05:06

cyber attacks or even perform what we

play05:09

refer to as post compromise analysis

play05:11

where you perform analysis after the

play05:13

hack has happened to determine what

play05:15

happened but also the organizations can

play05:17

have some lessons so they can prevent

play05:19

this from happening again now if you're

play05:20

watching this video then you are

play05:22

passionate about this type of work and

play05:24

you want to build your skills in the

play05:26

area of cyber criminal investigation I

play05:28

will show you how to get hired both in

play05:30

the civilian world and in law

play05:32

enforcement later in this video but

play05:33

before we continue a word from our

play05:35

sponsor Ora are you tired of receiving

play05:38

those spam calls from unknown numbers

play05:40

all day I know I am luckily today's

play05:42

sponsor Aura can help data Brokers are

play05:44

making a fortune selling your

play05:45

informations to spammers these Brokers

play05:48

are legally required to remove your

play05:50

information if you ask them but they

play05:51

make it very difficult to do so but

play05:53

that's where Aura comes in Aura can

play05:55

identify the data broker giving out your

play05:58

information and submits opt out requests

play06:00

on your behalf you can try Aura for free

play06:02

for 2 weeks using my link aura.com Unix

play06:05

guu they also have many other features

play06:07

that protect you and your family from

play06:09

online threats that you can't see and

play06:11

it's really easy to set up instead of

play06:12

having multiple different apps to get

play06:14

things like antivirus VPN parental

play06:17

controls password management identity

play06:19

theft and more Aura has them all in one

play06:21

place and you get everything at one

play06:23

affordable price you can either let

play06:25

those data Brokers keep profiting off of

play06:27

your personal data or you can go to

play06:29

aa.com Unix guu today to start your 2E

play06:32

free trial and I'll also leave a link to

play06:34

it in the description box below and back

play06:36

to the video as you may have guessed

play06:37

cyber forensics or digital forensics is

play06:40

a highly technical role but as promised

play06:42

I will show you how to get there if

play06:43

you're already working in it so you

play06:45

could have some programming skills or

play06:47

networking skills or you could be

play06:49

working in help disk but this will also

play06:51

apply to you if you're a university

play06:52

student or if you work in a completely

play06:54

different domain like marketing or

play06:56

nursing or physical security for example

play06:58

so first first things first the first

play07:00

course that I want you to start with is

play07:02

from RIT University hosted on the edex

play07:05

platform it's called computer forensics

play07:07

this will be our starting point but just

play07:10

be mindful that this course has a

play07:11

prerequisite so RIT recommend that you

play07:13

do their own course as a prerequisite I

play07:16

personally don't recommend that you do

play07:17

that prerequisite instead I want you to

play07:19

do the Google cyber security first

play07:21

because it will give you everything that

play07:23

you need to go through this computer

play07:25

forensic course especially the Linux

play07:27

skills that you will need to go through

play07:28

that course so if you have no technical

play07:30

background then do the Google cber

play07:32

security first then do this RIT course

play07:34

doing both of these courses you will

play07:36

have the necessary technical skills to

play07:38

begin your journey in digital forensics

play07:40

I covered the Google cyber security

play07:41

certificate in detail in this video so

play07:43

please check it out now once you finish

play07:45

both courses then the next step will be

play07:47

to build in-depth digital forensic

play07:49

skills now to perform forensic analysis

play07:51

this will be as part of an investigation

play07:54

or as part of responding to cyber

play07:56

incident so you will be analyzing a lot

play07:58

of hard drives you will need to retrieve

play08:00

data that's either deleted or hidden but

play08:02

things will get a little bit complicated

play08:04

because things can vary significantly

play08:06

between different operating systems so

play08:08

you may need to use different techniques

play08:10

based on which version of Windows that

play08:12

you're dealing with or maybe you're

play08:13

dealing with Mac OS or Linux and things

play08:15

can be entirely different if you're

play08:17

trying to retrieve information from a

play08:19

mobile phone now you don't need to learn

play08:21

everything at once in the beginning but

play08:23

at minimum you need to be competent with

play08:25

retrieving information from hard drives

play08:28

in the Windows operating system system

play08:29

this is the bare minimum that can get

play08:31

you a job in digital forensics later on

play08:33

you can add skills for mobile phones or

play08:36

iot devices or Cloud servers to expand

play08:38

your skills later now the good news is

play08:40

there is a beginner friendly course that

play08:42

you can do after the RIT course and the

play08:44

Google Saba security certificate where

play08:46

you can develop this skill and more the

play08:49

course is from The infosec Institute

play08:51

it's called computer forensic

play08:52

specialization it consists of three

play08:55

course series the first one is digital

play08:57

forensics concept here you will get your

play08:59

introduction to the world of digital

play09:01

forensics you will understand the r and

play09:03

responsibilities of the forensic

play09:04

examiner or the forensic investigator

play09:06

you will also get to learn the

play09:08

methodology that we use in digital

play09:09

forensics and you'll get to prepare a

play09:11

forensic workstation the second course

play09:13

is about the legal consideration for

play09:15

digital forensics you will get

play09:17

introduced to some of the laws and

play09:18

regulations around digital forensics but

play09:20

you'll also learn a little bit about the

play09:22

chain of custody and how to deal with

play09:24

evidence within digital forensics then

play09:26

you will go through the investigation

play09:27

process and you will learn how to

play09:29

collect digital evidence and how to

play09:31

store the evidence securely because

play09:33

remember this is a highly critical role

play09:35

the outcome of your investigation can

play09:36

determine the outcome of criminal

play09:38

charges so evidence handling is an

play09:40

extremely important part of this process

play09:42

and at the end of it there is a digital

play09:44

forensics project where you get to apply

play09:46

everything that you've learned in a lab

play09:48

environment digital forensics is a

play09:49

practical Hands-On practice you need to

play09:51

practice everything that you learn this

play09:53

is not a theoretical field you can't

play09:55

multiple choice your way out of digital

play09:57

forensics now the next C goes through

play09:59

Windows OS forensics as I said knowing

play10:02

the windows OS is the bare minimum that

play10:04

you need to become a digital forensic

play10:06

investigator this is an assumed skill

play10:08

everyone expects you to know it later on

play10:10

you can learn more about the Mac OS and

play10:12

other operating systems but at minimum

play10:14

Windows OS is a nonnegotiable so here

play10:16

you'll learn about the different file

play10:18

systems within the windows OS the fat

play10:20

file system the NTFS file system and

play10:22

you'll even get to perform forensics

play10:24

within the Windows registry files this

play10:26

is an in-depth look at the windows OS

play10:28

and as you will discover in the course

play10:30

there is a lot to be learned in this

play10:32

area so it's definitely not a small area

play10:34

the final course is a deep dive within

play10:37

the Windows registry files it is an

play10:39

ocean and there is so much that you need

play10:41

to learn as a cyber forensic

play10:42

investigator so as you can see you will

play10:44

go through different types of files and

play10:46

different types of software and you'll

play10:48

get to apply everything in a lab

play10:49

environment after you finish this course

play10:52

you will have the necessary skills that

play10:53

can get you a role as a cyber forensic

play10:55

investigator but as you will see this is

play10:58

a highly technical area so you may

play11:00

forget things or you may feel

play11:01

overwhelmed this is where we need to

play11:03

learn from different resources so the

play11:05

next course that I want you to do is

play11:06

from INE which is the certified digital

play11:09

forensics professional this is a

play11:11

fantastic Hands-On practical

play11:12

certification where you'll get to review

play11:14

some of the concepts that you've already

play11:16

learned but you'll also get introduced

play11:17

to even more Concepts and you will get

play11:19

to perform this all in a Hands-On lab

play11:21

and if you're competent enough you can

play11:23

pass the certification and have more

play11:25

digital forensic qualifications on your

play11:27

CV but also on your LinkedIn profile now

play11:29

we can't really talk about digital

play11:31

forensics without mentioning the Sans

play11:33

Institute a few years ago we didn't

play11:35

really have many options for Saba

play11:37

security training especially for digital

play11:38

forensics training the Sans Institute

play11:41

was the only Institute that provided us

play11:43

with cyber forensics training the two

play11:45

most popular certifications were the

play11:47

jaak certified forensic examiner and the

play11:49

jaak certified forensic analyst I have

play11:52

done the gcfa and to this day it's one

play11:54

of my favorite certifications to do as

play11:56

you may be aware Sans training is

play11:58

extremely high quality but unfortunately

play12:00

it's very expensive but there is a nice

play12:02

affordable way to do it which is through

play12:04

the work study program so follow this

play12:06

URL and then go apply to the Sans work

play12:09

study program this will enable you to do

play12:11

the training as an assistant where you

play12:13

help out Sans to run their training you

play12:15

help them out with some administrative

play12:16

work and this way you get to do the

play12:18

training and the certification for a

play12:19

fraction of the price I highly recommend

play12:21

you apply there especially for their

play12:23

forensics courses because they will

play12:25

teach you a lot another great training

play12:27

option for digital forensics is from two

play12:29

of my favorite companies which is try

play12:31

hack me and hack the Box they are both

play12:33

practical Hands-On training platform

play12:35

both of them offer really nice digital

play12:37

forensics upscaling modules so try

play12:39

hackme has digital forensics and

play12:41

incident response training which is

play12:43

really good you get exposed to a lot of

play12:45

tools and you can practice them in a

play12:46

Hands-On lab again this will strengthen

play12:48

your skills but it will also give you

play12:50

more chance to practice so you don't

play12:51

feel lost and you don't feel like you're

play12:53

forgetting things hack the Box have a

play12:55

new series called the Sherlocks where

play12:57

you do a series of challenges that are

play12:59

based on digital forensics I'll leave a

play13:00

link to both in the description box

play13:02

below so you can check them out now as

play13:03

far as getting hired is concerned there

play13:05

is a difference between Landing a cyber

play13:07

forensic stroll within law enforcement

play13:09

versus within the civilian world within

play13:11

law enforcement you can actually start

play13:13

as a police officer and then get

play13:15

transferred to the electronic crimes

play13:16

unit this is a great option because

play13:18

usually the agency or the police station

play13:20

that hired you will pay for all of your

play13:22

training but I don't want you to limit

play13:24

yourself to that I remember I had a

play13:26

career mentorship with an individual who

play13:28

worked at a police station and he told

play13:29

me that he's unable to transfer to the

play13:31

electronic crimes unit in his station

play13:33

because his boss didn't want to so my

play13:35

recommendation to him was try in

play13:37

different stations try in different law

play13:39

enforcement agencies law enforcement

play13:41

will always have a preference for ex law

play13:43

enforcement officers if you already have

play13:44

law enforcement experience then you are

play13:46

a perfect candidate to perform this role

play13:48

because you understand the culture and

play13:50

you understand the stress and the way

play13:51

that law enforcement functions more than

play13:53

someone who is a civilian so this is a

play13:55

great trout for anyone who works in the

play13:57

military or in the police Poli I highly

play13:59

recommend that Avenue now as a civilian

play14:01

if you want to land one of those roles

play14:03

in law enforcement then you will need to

play14:04

do the training courses that I recommend

play14:06

before you can land one of those roles

play14:08

now as far as civilian jobs are

play14:10

concerned the biggest mistake that I see

play14:12

individuals make when they want to land

play14:13

a digital forensic role is that they

play14:15

restrict themselves to just forensic

play14:17

roles as I said in the beginning of the

play14:19

video titles in cyber security are an

play14:22

absolute mess so when you do a job

play14:24

search I want you to type the word

play14:26

digital forensics but I also want you to

play14:28

try and type the keyword cyber and just

play14:30

look through all the job because

play14:31

sometimes the job may include digital

play14:33

forensics task but it can also be a

play14:35

broader cyber security job so digital

play14:37

forensics can be part of the job but not

play14:39

the entire job so this is an important

play14:42

aspect to consider the other important

play14:44

aspect to consider is appli to Sock

play14:46

analyst roles working as part of a

play14:48

security Operation Center you will get

play14:50

an opportunity to perform some digital

play14:52

forensic activities it may not be the

play14:54

entire role but as part of your job in a

play14:57

security Operation Center you can and

play14:58

get that exposure to get some hands-on

play15:00

experience with digital forensics which

play15:02

can later on lead you to Landing a

play15:04

full-time cyber forensics investigator

play15:06

so that's definitely a great role the

play15:08

other option that you can look into is

play15:10

incident response as I explained in the

play15:11

beginning of this video digital forensic

play15:13

can be part of incident response so a

play15:15

digital forensic incident response Ro is

play15:18

a perfect Ro where you get to apply

play15:20

those skills but you can also learn a

play15:21

little bit more about digital forensics

play15:23

this is a fantastic role by ment which

play15:25

is now owned by Google where you get to

play15:28

respond to incidents but you also get to

play15:30

perform cyber forensic investigations

play15:32

now one word of caution when it comes to

play15:34

cyber forensics is that the last thing I

play15:36

want you to do is to restrict yourself

play15:38

to just digital forensics job think of

play15:40

yourself as a cyber security

play15:41

professional who have digital forensic

play15:43

skills so the job may or may not be a

play15:46

full-time cyber forensic investigation

play15:48

so for that I recommend that you grow

play15:50

your general cyber security skills

play15:52

especially your blue team or cyber

play15:54

analyst skills and the best way to do

play15:56

that is through Hands-On practical

play15:58

training and certification like the one

play16:00

I recommend in this video so I highly

play16:01

recommend you check it out and I'll see

play16:03

you there

Rate This
โ˜…
โ˜…
โ˜…
โ˜…
โ˜…

5.0 / 5 (0 votes)

Related Tags
Cyber ForensicsInvestigation SkillsDigital AnalysisIncident ResponseLaw EnforcementPrivate SectorTechnical TrainingCareer GuideSecurity OperationsForensic Analysis