A computer forensic examiner analyzes computer data for law enforcement agencies to investigate crimes, including analyzing metadata, recreating deleted files, and providing court testimony. They work on criminal investigations and civil discovery cases, and must document their work and defend it in court.
A computer forensic examiner typically works as part of a law enforcement agency or law enforcement organization in the analysis and interpretation of computer data for the investigation of a crime. The specific tasks performed by this type of forensic examiner usually involve computer data and can include anything from analyzing metadata in an email to creating images and analyzing the computer’s hard drive. Other common tasks include recreating deleted computer files and using various software programs to evaluate computer evidence and properly document the case for use in court. A computer forensic examiner also often provides court testimony about computer evidence that was found and used during an investigation.
Much of the work performed by a computer forensic examiner occurs during a criminal investigation or civil discovery process. For criminal investigations, this work often involves examining and analyzing computer hardware, software, and files to provide evidence regarding a suspect or build a case of a suspect’s guilt or innocence. In civil discovery, work performed by a computer forensic examiner is often used to determine whether someone is lying or misrepresenting facts in a case.
Regardless of the type of case being worked on, a computer forensic examiner will typically examine large amounts of computer data. This can include computer hardware such as hard drives or discs and data files such as emails and documents on a computer. Using specialized software and a variety of techniques, a computer forensic examiner can recreate deleted files on a system, determine where an email may have been sent, and read encrypted files. During the late 20th and early 21st centuries, work done by forensic examiners led to arrests in a number of cases, including the infamous “BTK” killer who was caught in 2005 due to metadata on a floppy disk he sent to police who indicated your first name and where the disk was used.
A computer forensic examiner also typically works after an investigation to provide court testimony and expert opinions on a case. As the examiner works through an investigation, he or she documents each step and work performed to meet the standards of evidence that will be introduced in a court case. Once this is complete, he or she may need to present the work and defend it against cross-examination by a lawyer. A computer forensic examiner will also typically need to explain the methods used to find evidence in a way that judges and jury members can effectively understand.
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