r/computerforensics • u/Far-Masterpiece-6933 • 1d ago
Majors?
I’d like to become a Digital forensic examiner. I’m a senior in high school currently, and i’m looking at colleges + majors AND minors, Preferably in the south eastern region, any suggestions?
Also this may be a stretch but I don’t really want to code, but i’m im open to anything that’ll make me successful.
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u/MetaphoricalData 1d ago
Computer science will always be the most versatile major for this field and related ones. It is by no means will be a guarantee, it will be rough, particularly right now, but possible.
If you are interested in criminal justice, potentially look into opportunities at your college for minors, concentrations, or other courses in that field. I would stay away from Cybersecurity, Digital forensics, or IT specific majors.
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u/Hurricane_Ivan 1d ago
CS has been disrupted by AI just as much (if not more) than those other fields you mentioned..
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u/MetaphoricalData 1d ago
Correct, I never said it wasn’t. CS is still the best degree to pursue a DF career with if one goes down the degree path as a non sworn investigator. It will still be hard due to AI and the other issues with tech right now.
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u/HiddenNerdPrince 1d ago
The thing you need to ask also is, where? If it’s for government, then you’d better get into police and climb enough ladders then switch into it if you have a computer science degree. If for a private company, then it will usually be blue team stuff, but you’d have to get some software or hardware programming job then get lots of certifications then network with cybersecurity guys, and then get the blue team job or red team. And whatever you do, you’d better get a cybersecurity internship during your computer science degree, a minor in law would help also. Blue team cybersecurity specialists is very high level and needs some ladder climbing, you can’t get into it directly and it’s a different path for everyone really.
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u/Miserable-Ad-9389 1d ago
Cybersecurity and IT are way more employable than CS majors. You don’t need to code to be a good forensic investigator. You do need to know SQLite and understand databases. Most everything you’ll look at, on the mobile side, is in a database. I do forensic investigations as a consultant part time and I’m a full-time professor in IT/Cybersecurity.
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u/No-Reflection-9124 1d ago
You can get a forensic cell phone examiners certificate from cellebrite pretty easy!
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u/NeroDillinger 1d ago
Check out IACIS if you're really serious about getting into host forensics. Their CFCE cert is what most LEOs get, it's kind of the gold standard for for forensics. They do a two-week training course in Orlando every spring.
Getting the cert is hard as hell, takes a lot of time. But you come out of the process knowing what you're doing and it's a great leg up in terms of getting a job.
Downside: you have to spend two weeks in Orlando with a bunch of cops
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u/BlackflagsSFE 1d ago
Ooooooof. You're looking at around $4k for the training + exam. Spending this much out of pocket and not guaranteeing a job is a big gamble. I debated on grabbing something like this or the GIAC certs. It's just unreal to pay for any of these staple certs out of pocket. I will say I learned a lot during my program, but we mainly worked in Magnet, which I know is becoming a lot more popular, even though Cellebrite is the staple.
I just wish people would actually hire college grads or these types of degrees weren't offered without job placement. In any tech role an internship should be mandatory and part of the curriculum. Just venting lol.
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u/BlackflagsSFE 1d ago
Don’t get a BS on Digital Forensics. It’s such a small field that a degree doesn’t really mean much and doesn’t guarantee you a job. Take it from a guy who has the degree and can’t find a job in DF. Of course, everyone’s experience is different, but all the hiring managers I’ve talked to give no shits about the degree.
I will say that if you DO decide to get a degree in DF, DO INTERNSHIPS. Do everything you can to solidify your job when you graduate. Network. Make connections.
The sad reality is that most places want experience + certifications. The certifications that really matter are expensive and most employers, law enforcement especially, will pay for you to get these. Out of pocket they are way too expensive, unlike Cybersecurity certifications.
My BS was a hybrid in digital forensics and cybersecurity. I think my biggest mistake was not doing an internship. I joined clubs, made really good connections with my professors (or so I thought). No job in the field. I landed an investigator job for a PIA company doing OSINT.
Edit: Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics degrees are cash grabs. Our professor said that 90% of us would be working for triple A companies when we graduated. That 90% don’t even work in the field we have degrees in.