Digital forensics is a rapidly evolving field, and staying up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies is crucial for professionals. Here are some of the latest trends in digital forensics technology, based on insights from Redditors:
SANS Incident Response Graduate Certificate: This program includes significant focus on Digital Forensics, with courses on Windows Forensics, Network Forensics, and more. "Have you looked into the SANS Incident Response Graduate Certificate?"
Cellebrite Certifications: Highly demanded for government work, especially the CCO/CCPA classes. "Take everything Cellebrite offers! Very much in demand cert for gov work"
IACIS Certifications: The BCFE and CFCE certifications are well-regarded and offered annually. "IACIS has the annual training event for two weeks every spring in Orlando."
FTKImager, Wireshark, Cisco Packet Tracer, Autopsy: These free tools are recommended for practical experience in digital forensics. "Have a play with free tools like FTKImager, Wireshark, Cisco Packet Tracer, and Autopsy."
Magnet Forensics Training Annual Pass (TAP): A comprehensive training package that includes various forensic classes. "Not free buy I would highly recommend the Magnet Forensics Training Annual Pass (TAP) ~$7k."
Behavioral Baselines: Essential for detecting insider misuse without overly restricting legitimate work. "Nothing you do related to your work should remain private from oversight when working in these type of positions."
Insider Risk Programs: Strengthening screening and ongoing evaluation for high-security environments. "How can contracting organizations strengthen screening and ongoing evaluation?"
Aggregated Telemetry: Major threat reports often blend multiple telemetry sources from their own products, IR case data, and anonymized customer telemetry. "Most big threat reports blend multiple telemetry sources product logs, IR case data, anonymized customer telemetry, and open-source reporting."
Sensor Bias: Awareness of the limitations and biases in the data collected from different sources. "This is the reason lets say in the world of crowdstrike all attackers are Russian and Chinese (simplifyed), because they have customers that are targeted by actors from these countries."
ACPO Guidelines: Despite being from 2012, these guidelines are still widely used in digital forensics, though there is a push for more modern standards. "Why does the field of digital forensics (particularly in the UK) still rely on the ACPO Guidelines from 2012?"
ISO17025: Has largely replaced the ACPO Guidelines in some areas, providing a solid foundation for serving evidence in courts. "Iso17025 has very much replaced this, but when it falls out of scope, the 4 principles will always sufficiently help you make the right choice for serving evidence in courts."
Start with Certifications: Practical certifications are often more valuable than degrees for entry-level positions. "Cert for sure! One of the SANS ones. Preferably GCFE and GCFA. Worth way more than a masters in my opinion."
Gain Experience: Internships and hands-on experience with forensic tools are crucial. "Internships are fabulous. Great way to get the experience checkbox on your resume."
These trends and advice should help you navigate the dynamic field of digital forensics and make informed decisions about your career path and training.