Forensic Science Careers

A: I almost literally fell into digital forensics. I started my career in the military and then became a law enforcement officer.

In 1998, I was involved in a high-speed chase where an armed man ran from a stolen vehicle after he crashed it. I chased him over a chain-link fence and caught him with the help of another officer. After we tackled and handcuffed him, the other officer kindly pointed out to me that the leg of my pants was torn and I was bleeding profusely.

I realized that I had not made it over the fence unscathed, but had messed up my lower back and lacerated my hamstring.

While on light duty, recovering from that injury, I caught the digital forensics bug. I worked with a now-retired detective on one of the first computer forensics cases our department did. A guy was cutting signatures out of historical books at the Wisconsin State Historical Library and selling them in newsgroups.

Many years later, in 2012, I learned that Eoghan Casey (a foundational figure in digital forensics) was working the other end of that case in Boston. We solved the case using DOS commands on a DD image (cloned hard drive) of the suspect’s computer.

It was a new and fascinating set of problems to solve, involving some skills my dad showed me when I was a kid. I put in a training request to go to the NW3C’s basic data recovery and analysis class and ended up attending in Helena, Montana, in 1999.

Several months later, I was back on the streets, healed from my injuries, and a new fan of digital forensics when I got into another foot chase and injured my right knee badly. Another trip to the ER, knee surgery, and another long stretch of PT later, I came out in relatively good shape.

I went back on light duty and was assigned to work on a new computer forensics case. After consultation with my family, I was promoted to detective in 2000 and became a financial crimes detective. I was also tasked to help with computer-related cases when they came in, and over the next several years, they took over more and more of my caseload.

In 2003, the department created a new position in the detective bureau for computer crimes, and I was assigned to working computer crimes and computer forensics full time.

A: From the moment I got involved in digital forensics, I knew it was something I wanted to do for the long haul and the reason was simple: it’s an industry that is always changing.

With the continued evolution and use of technology, digital forensics has had to adapt to meet the needs and answer the questions technology sparks. The constant change consistently opens doors for new research projects and specialization areas.

Some digital forensics professionals may focus their efforts on mobile forensics, IoT (internet of things), incident response, intellectual property theft investigations, flash memory, and a litany of other areas.

In addition to the fact that no two days are the same, digital forensics is a great way to actively help people.

In my career I have helped families find closure by answering crucial questions in unsolved murders. I have helped children who were victims of sexual abuse. I have helped businesses hold their competitors accountable when intellectual property was stolen. I have assisted countless small businesses in response and recovery from ransomware attacks so they can keep the doors open for their communities.

Now you can see why no two days are the same in this field.

A: Finding a career in digital forensics anywhere in the nation is very likely, and candidates for digital forensics and incident response work are in high demand.

In fact, there is a staffing shortage in digital forensics, incident response, and many other areas of technology. This is partially due to the lack of awareness of digital forensics as a career path, but also to the sheer volume and variation of casework. Digital forensics as an industry needs more investigators to address the questions posed by technology.

One of my passions as a digital forensics professional is to build awareness of this industry as a viable and rewarding career path, especially for women and people of color.

I serve on the advisory panel for initiatives like The Cyber Sleuth Lab, which is an educational program designed to expose young women and underrepresented and underserved high school students to digital forensics through hands-on learning experiences.

These types of programs are eye-opening for many students when considering their career options and build awareness of issues of data privacy and how technology houses and displays personal information.

A: As I mentioned earlier, I more or less fell into digital forensics prior to completing an academic program.

While some may not have pursued education after several years working in the field, I found that many of the available 40-hour training programs and certification tracks I participated in started to feel redundant and did not progress to the more advanced level I was seeking.

At that point, I decided to combine something I knew I needed to do with something I wanted to do. This led to traveling to Ireland to complete my master’s degree in forensic computing and cybercrime investigation at University College Dublin in a blended online/on-site program in 2011.

After completing my degree, I continued to work in law enforcement as a detective investigating computer-related crimes.

In 2016, Scott Holewinski approached me with the idea of departing from law enforcement to build a digital forensics company. While I initially resisted, his persistence, clear vision of building something special, and my own ambition led to launching Gillware Digital Forensics in 2016.

Since then, we have grown into a successful digital forensics, incident response, and cyber risk management firm. With how my career has changed over the years, I am reminded that the decision to formalize my digital forensics education continues to open doors and create opportunities in my career.

A: As I said, Scott Holewinksi, Gillware’s CEO, was very persistent and driven to build the digital forensics operation Gillware (now Tetra) is today. As with any career move, there was some hesitation and contemplation of whether or not it was the best decision.

However, ultimately, I realized I wanted to continue growing personally and in the field. I was ready for a new challenge and wanted to team up with the impressive data recovery engineers at Gillware. I never looked back and could not be happier.

A: It’s funny, many of the pros can also be the cons in this career field. It’s an ever-changing industry, requiring consistent professional development, which is something I yearn for.

The mind boggles when looking back to the beginning of digital forensics and how far the industry has come. When I started in the field, there were very few commercial tools and not many active practitioners. Keeping up with that progression and continuously learning and watching the network of professional peers grow is one of my favorite challenges I have faced.

On the other hand, a career in digital forensics and incident response work can pose a challenge in terms of avoiding burnout. I deliberately place value on my off time as much as on my work time.

I know that it often feels like, in order to get everything done that needs to be done at work, we need to be there for more and more hours, but burnout is a real and extremely damaging threat. I am conscious of and place limits on my work hours and attempt to work smarter, not harder.

I have found that allowing myself dedicated time to focus on my personal interests (playing music with my band; spending time with my family, friends, and dogs; and spending time outside) allows me to be fully present and invested in what I’m doing when I’m at work.

If I allow that balance to shift too far, I am far less productive at work because I am distracted by all of the other things in my life that I want and need to do, and I am less able to focus on the work in front of me.

All in all, one of the cons is also the best pro: there is no coasting in digital forensics. On any given day, something new and different is likely to turn up and present a new challenge.

That’s part of what makes this work so compelling. We might be dealing with a corporate customer crippled by ransomware; attempting to extract and decode data from a point-of-sale card-swiping device, GPS device, or drone for a law enforcement agency; or working on a data theft case for a small business.

A: Send a thoughtful thank you card or email after an interview. It shows that you value the time of the interviewer and the organization for their consideration.

In that same vein, prioritize and hone your soft skills just as much as your technical acumen. Performing the technical work and having technical knowledge is only part of the puzzle. Many digital forensics professionals can uncover the answers, but those answers are only valuable if you can clearly explain your methods and findings to technical and nontechnical audiences alike.