A Sneak Peek into the EC-Council CHFI Certification Salary

Due to the increasing technological sophistication of cyber criminals and their more frequent distribution of malicious code to computers around the globe, the online world has become a perilous environment. Companies worldwide hire cyber crime experts who can think creatively to prevent network intrusions, identity theft, data theft, and other related crimes. Among the most highly sought-after certifications for cyber crime specialists in today's world is the Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator - CHFI certification.

Obtaining the Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator certification enables professionals to acquire expertise and understanding in particular security areas of computer forensics, such as Password Cracking Concepts, log capturing tools, wireless attacks, network traffic, Access Data FTK, and numerous other related topics.

Why Is EC-Council CHFI in Such High Demand?

The CHFI certification is granted by EC-Council, also recognized as the International Council of E-Commerce Consultants. It's a comprehensive and thorough certification program that equips experts with the skills to identify and respond to hacker attacks using a variety of evidence-gathering techniques, reporting the crime, performing audits, and implementing necessary measures to prevent future attacks.

After obtaining the EC-Council Computer Hacking Forensics Investigator certification, professionals acquire additional qualifications as they are capable of fulfilling the diverse standards of CNSS 4011-4016 Federal Security Certification Training. Consequently, companies are willing to provide attractive remuneration packages to qualified candidates.

CHFI Certification Salary

Professionals with EC-Council CHFI certification can expect to earn an annual salary between $85,000 and $120,000 on average.

Individuals with over five years of experience in managing challenging projects and working in the same industry can anticipate receiving higher salary packages. The remuneration not only depends on their experience but also on the type of employer and their specific skills or expertise.

Companies are looking for individuals who hold a CHFI certification to manage diverse areas of cybersecurity, which include conducting investigations on cybercrime, assessing digital evidence, securing and analyzing electronic crime scenes, retrieving erased files, utilizing techniques such as Steganalysis, managing logs, and investigating email-related crimes.

Positions Available for EC-Council CHFI Certified Professionals

Starting roles for individuals with CHFI certification consist of positions such as information security analyst and forensic computer analyst, both with an average minimum salary of $53,717 and $37,340, respectively.

Intermediate and advanced level job positions consist of Security Engineer, Information Security Engineer, and IT Director.

What Distinguishes CHFI From Other Cybersecurity Certifications

EC-Council CHFI certification primarily focuses on analytical methods, forensic tools, and different procedures utilized in detecting, safeguarding, preserving, and analyzing computer forensic evidence. The fundamental objective is to equip certified professionals with the ability to implement various computer investigation and analysis techniques to identify potential legal evidence.

The CHFI certification program has received accreditation from the Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS) and the National Security Agency (NSA). Additionally, the National Infocomm Competency Framework (NICF) recognizes the certification as a requirement for professional competency.

As the internet remains an integral part of society and cybercrime continues to increase, CHFI certification provides numerous opportunities for professionals. With cybersecurity becoming a growing concern for organizations worldwide, individuals with Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator certification can anticipate a future of career growth and advancement.

Related Read: CHFI Certification Value: Why You Need the Certification?

Who Can Benefit From Acquiring CHFI Certification?

The group of professionals who should pursue CHFI certification includes:

IT managers

Law enforcement personnel

e-Business Security professionals

Legal professionals

Systems administrators

Insurance, Banking, and other professionals

Government agencies

Defense and Military personnel

Looking for CHFI Certification?

To earn CHFI certification, passing the CHFI exam is a requirement, which assesses knowledge in areas such as gathering, analyzing, and presenting digital evidence; computer and network forensics; investigating cybercrime; and understanding legal aspects related to forensics.

Prior to attempting the CHFI exam, you shoud meet CHFI certification requirements. It is advisable to have a minimum of two years of experience in information security or a related field. Additionally, familiarity with digital forensics tools and techniques is also suggested.

To get ready for the CHFI exam, you can enroll in a CHFI training course, which can be done either in person or online. EC-Council provides authorized CHFI training courses, along with several other resources like study guides and practice exams, to aid in exam preparation.

After successfully passing the CHFI exam, you will obtain the Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator certification that remains valid for three years. To sustain your certification, you need to either earn continuing education credits or retake the CHFI exam before the expiration date.

Join the ranks of Computer Hacking Forensic Investigators – start your journey now!

Continue reading

Everything You Need to Know About Cloud Forensics

Introduction

Cloud computing has gone from cutting-edge technology to a best practice for businesses of all sizes and industries. According to Flexera’s State of the Cloud report, 94% of companies now leverage cloud computing.

With the cloud in such widespread usage, it’s no surprise that cloud forensics is growing in popularity. One of the most important cloud security best practices have cloud forensic investigators ready after a cybersecurity incident.

Read More: 312-50: Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)

So what is cloud forensics, exactly? Cloud forensics involves applying digital forensics and crime investigation techniques to cloud computing environments. This article will discuss everything you need to know about cloud forensics, including cloud forensic techniques, challenges, and how to become a cloud forensic expert.

What Is Cloud Forensics?

If you’re reading this, you’re likely already familiar with cloud computing: a technology that delivers various on-demand computing services to users over the Internet. These services include applications, databases, servers, networking, and more—all available on a rental or “pay as you go” basis.

Cloud forensics refers to the use of forensic techniques to investigate cloud environments. When unlawful or criminal behavior has occurred using the cloud as a medium, cloud forensics experts use their skills and knowledge to detect the individuals or groups responsible. Cloud forensics encompasses users of the cloud, both victims and perpetrators. For example, a company using cloud servers might be the victim of a data breach or denial of the service incident. Criminals themselves might also use the cloud to launch an attack.

As with other subfields of forensics, cloud forensic investigators must follow strict regulations to ensure their work is admissible in a court of law. This may involve obtaining court orders to search a cloud server, ensuring evidence has not been tampered with, and other necessary precautions.

Cloud forensics jobs are usually listed under titles such as “forensic computer analyst,” “IT security analyst,” and “cyber investigator.” According to PayScale, the median U.S. salary for these jobs ranges from roughly $60,000 to $100,000. These individuals may be employed by governments, law enforcement agencies, and large companies such as banks and healthcare organizations that are common cybercrime targets. They may work in-house or provide their services as external contractors.

There’s no universally agreed upon background necessary for cloud analytics jobs, and each organization will have its own criteria. Most employers look for candidates with at least a bachelor’s degree, although not necessarily in computer science or information technology. Going through cloud forensics training (such as a certification program) is usually essential, but some people can bypass this requirement with enough experience.

How Is Digital Forensics Different from Cloud Forensics?

Digital forensics is a branch of forensics that works with electronic devices and data to detect crimes, examine the paths of criminals, and analyze and preserve evidence for the use of law enforcement and prosecutors.

The domain of digital forensics encompasses a wide range of components in the IT environment: hard drives and other storage media; individual files; Internet and other networks; emails; mobile devices; databases; operating systems; computer memory; and more.

Some examples of popular digital forensics tools are:

◉ The Sleuth Kit (TSK) extracts information from hard disks and other storage

◉ Autopsy, a tool for examining hard disks that provides data on the operating system, owner, users, applications, Internet history, deleted files, etc.

◉ Volatility, an open-source framework for analyzing computer memory

Once these tools have identified potential evidence, digital forensic experts can use a write blocker to securely copy the data to another location, recover hidden or deleted files, decrypt encrypted files, and more.

Cloud forensics can be considered a subset of digital forensics with a particular focus on cloud computing — and, thus, a subset of the broader sphere of forensic science. Many cloud forensic techniques and tools are therefore common in digital forensics. Like digital forensics, cloud forensic experts must work with diverse computing assets: servers, networks, applications, databases and storage, and more.

However, several factors make cloud forensics distinct from its parent field of digital forensics. Perhaps the biggest distinction is that cloud forensic investigators often lack physical access to the investigated systems and environments. This fact significantly affects how cloud forensic investigations are carried out, as we’ll see in the next section.

Challenges of Cloud Forensics

As you can imagine, several cloud forensics challenges are unique to this field. The challenges of cloud forensics include both legal and technical difficulties. The potential issues with cloud forensic analysis include:

◉ Jurisdiction complications: Cloud services are often hosted in different states or countries from the user’s location. Users can sometimes — but not always — choose this location. Google, for example, has cloud servers in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. This can create complications when determining which jurisdiction has authority over the crime.

◉ Instability: In traditional digital forensics investigations, the IT environment is often “frozen” to prevent interruptions or further issues while investigators complete their work. However, this is usually impossible with public cloud providers, which may serve thousands or millions of customers. Instead, the environment remains live and changeable (and therefore, potentially unstable.

◉ Physical access: In some cases, physically inspecting a cloud server can help with forensics. However, this is a challenge with large cloud providers, which enact strict security regulations to prevent unauthorized individuals from entering the premises. In addition, as mentioned above, there’s no guarantee that the cloud server will be physically located close to the investigator.

◉ Decentralization: Cloud providers often store files across several machines or data centers to improve data availability and reliability. This decentralization and fragmentation make it more challenging to identify the problem and perform forensics.

◉ Unavailable or deleted data: Cloud providers may differ in terms of the information they provide to investigators. For example, log files may not be available. In addition, if the crime resulted in data being deleted, it becomes a challenge to reconstruct this data, identify the owner, and use it in cloud forensic analysis.

How to Become a Cloud Forensics Expert

Being a cloud forensics expert can be an exciting and rewarding job. Applying your technical knowledge and experience can help solve crimes and bring the perpetrators of cyberattacks to justice. One pertaining question remains: how do you become a cloud forensic expert?

Obtaining a cloud forensics certification is an excellent start if you want to begin a career as a cloud forensic professional. Cloud forensics certifications prove to potential employers that you have the skills, knowledge, and experience necessary to help investigate crimes in the cloud.

EC-Council offers the Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator (C|HFI) certification to help jumpstart your cybersecurity career. This program verifies that the learner has the necessary skills to proactively investigate complex security threats, allowing them to investigate, record, and report cybercrimes to prevent future attacks.

Taking the C|HFI course and passing the certification exam is the perfect way to show businesses that you have the skills for a job in cloud forensics. Want to learn more about how to become a cloud forensic expert? Check out EC-Council’s page on the C|HFI certification.

Source: eccouncil.org

Continue reading

The Evolving Role of Cyber Forensics in Criminal Cases

The world has become increasingly digital in recent years, a trend that has affected every aspect of daily life. We’re now seeing the use of cyber forensics in criminal cases, among other areas of the justice system. From the local to international levels, cybersecurity experts have been tasked with assisting investigators in both solving crimes and exonerating the wrongfully accused.

Forensics Experts Make It Hard to Be a Cybercriminal

When most people think of cyber forensics in criminal cases, they immediately think of computer crimes. This is a solid assumption—after all, cybercrime has increased significantly in recent years. While the risks of phishing have long been an issue, hackers now have complex tools we once never imagined that enable them to do damage even without a social engineering aspect.

Digital forensics experts can track down illicit bank accounts, identify the source of attacks, spot system inadequacies, and perform a variety of other complex activities. Some of the biggest cybercrimes have led to billions of dollars in losses (EC-Council, 2017; Yakowicz, 2015), but digital forensic investigators have found tools to combat these attacks. Applying cyber forensics in criminal cases makes it possible to catch cybercriminals, serving as a major deterrent to computer crimes.

Collection of Criminal Evidence

When people think of forensics, they often envision scenes from the television show CSI, with professionals combing through evidence at crime scenes. Many of those interested in becoming digital forensic investigators know the situation is similar for cyber forensics: Digital forensics professionals also seek out evidence, but they’re looking at a computer rather than a dark alley.

This evidence can come in many forms—for example, digital footprints left by a hacker after infiltrating a system. Cyber forensics in criminal cases has also shown great promise in identifying fraud. Defendants have been convicted of sexual crimes, murder, and terrorism thanks to forensics experts’ ability to access encrypted data.

Exonerating the Innocent

Recent media coverage of wrongful convictions has led many people to defendant advocacy. While cyber forensics typically serves the prosecution in criminal cases, this isn’t always the case. For instance, the Digital Evidence Innocence Initiative is devoted to overturning wrongful convictions using digital evidence.

Unfortunately, individuals can only be exonerated after they’ve already been convicted. Criminal defendants are at a distinct disadvantage during trial since they don’t have the digital access that prosecutors do. While the state can subpoena service providers, defendants don’t have this option—but a cyber forensics expert can still find evidence to prove a convicted party’s innocence after the fact.

Fixing the Investigative Backlog with New Cybersecurity Professionals

One of the biggest hurdles that the cybersecurity industry will face in the coming years is attrition. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022) projects that there will be over 16,000 new job openings for information security analysts each year until 2030, many of them due to professionals changing industries or leaving the workforce. This shortage is a good thing for those who want to enter the field.

Regardless of your current role in cybersecurity, now is the perfect time to enter the criminal justice field as a digital forensics investigator. There is a significant evidence and investigative backlog that digital analysis could solve, including at the international level (Barnes & Sanger, 2021). Without qualified professionals in the field, the best cyber forensics tools could be useless in the criminal justice system.

Reopening and Solving Cold Cases

Although the shortage of available cyber forensics professionals in criminal cases is worrying, heightened interest in solving cold cases could change this. Computer hacking forensic experts are essential in contemporary investigations, but some older cases never even involved a computer and have ended up as cold cases

However, entering old evidence into expanding databases has proven powerful in remedying this issue. Sometimes, simply organizing data can crack a long-forgotten case. The ability to collect information from old hard drives is also a useful tool for investigators, who’ve used it to solve famous cold cases (Eclipse Forensics, 2021).

Enter the World of Digital Forensic Investigation ​

Forensics is one of the most popular areas of the criminal justice system. Unfortunately, many of those interested in a role in this field as a digital forensic investigator don’t have the cybersecurity skills they need to begin their careers. If you’re interested in a career in criminal justice as a cyber forensic investigator, now is the time to start.

EC-Council’s Certified Hacking Forensic Investigator (C|HFI) program, which focuses on digital forensics and evidence analysis, is lab driven and ANSI accredited. It’s ideal for everyone from IT professionals looking to switch fields to current cyber forensics experts looking to fortify their knowledge. Start your C|HFI certification today and advance your career in this exciting field.

Source: eccouncil.org

Continue reading

What is Digital Evidence and Why Is It Important?

Digital devices surround our world in 2021. The immediate thought we get of a digital device is a computer, mobile phone, or internet. But the rise of IoT has made every electronic device a source of digital evidence. For instance, a built-in TV can be used to store, view, and share illegal images. Digital forensics experts, who are the first responders in this case, need to recognize and be able to properly seize every potential digital device for evidence.

If you are keen on a career as a forensic investigator to serve your community and help solve crimes, this blog will serve as your introduction to collecting digital evidence, along with the best path forward to pursue a calling in this exciting field.

What Is Digital Evidence?

Digital evidence can be defined as the information or valuable data stored on a computer or a mobile device that was seized by a law enforcement organization as part of a criminal investigation.

Digital evidence is commonly associated with e-crime (Electronic Crime), such as credit card fraud or child pornography. The information stored or transmitted in binary form on a computer hard drive, a mobile phone, or any other electronic device can be used as digital evidence by the forensic responders in a court of law. This evidence can include files on emails or mobile phones of the suspects, which could be critical to track their intent and location at the time of the crime and the searches they made on search platforms like Google or YouTube.

The types of evidences that a digital forensic examiner must consider are:

1. Analogical Evidence

This kind of evidence can only be useful for increasing credibility by drawing parallels when there isn’t enough information to prove something in a workplace investigation, but it cannot be produced as evidence in a court of law.

2. Anecdotal Evidence

This type of evidence can only be used to get a better picture of an issue and to support a particular conclusion, but cannot be used in court as evidence.

3. Circumstantial Evidence

This type of evidence is used to infer something based on a series of facts. It can be used in criminal investigations to separate facts from other facts that can be proven when no strong evidence is considered.

4. Character Evidence

This is a document or testimony that can help prove that the actions were taken in a particular way based on another person’s character. It can be used to prove intent, motive, or opportunity.

5. Digital Evidence

Digital evidence can be any sort of digital file from an electronic source. This includes email, text messages, instant messages, files and documents extracted from hard drives, electronic financial transactions, audio files, and video files.

6. Demonstrative Evidence

A document or an object which demonstrates a fact can be considered as demonstrative evidence.

7. Documentary Evidence

Written forms of evidence such as letters or wills, documentary forms of media evidence such as images, audio recordings, or video formats.

8. Direct Evidence

The testimony of a witness who can give a first-hand account of the incident is the most powerful type of evidence.

9. Exculpatory Evidence

A law enforcement personnel can disclose any exculpatory evidence to the defendant that they think can help the case get dismissed.

10. Forensic Evidence

Scientific evidence such as DNA, fingerprints, trace evidence, and ballistic reports comes under forensic evidence, providing solid proof for a person’s guilt or innocence.

11. Testimonial Evidence

Spoken or written evidence given by a witness forms the most common type of evidence.

What Are the Types of Digital Evidence?

There are basically two types of digital evidence:

◉ Volatile, which is non-persistent: Memory that loses its content once the power is turned off like data stored in RAM (semiconductor storage).

◉ Non-volatile, which is persistent: No change in content even if the power is turned off. For example, data stored in a tape, hard drive, CD/DVD, and ROM.

Digital evidence can be found on any server or device that stores data, including some new home gadgets such as video game consoles, GPS sports watches, and internet-enabled devices used in home automation. Digital evidence is often found through internet searches using open-source intelligence (OSINT).

Digital evidence encompass any sort of digital file from an electronic device. This includes email, text messages, instant messages, files, and documents extracted from hard drives, electronic financial transactions, audio files, video files.

The five rules while gathering digital evidence are admissible, authentic, complete, reliable, and believable.

How to Perform Digital Evidence Acquisition and Analysis?

Digital evidence collection essentially involves a 3-step sequential process:

◉ Seizing the available electronic media.

◉ Acquiring and creating a forensic image of the electronic media for examination.

◉ Analyzing the forensic image of the original media. This ensures that the original media is not modified during analysis and helps preserve the probative value of the evidence.

Large-capacity electronic devices seized as evidence in a criminal investigation, such as computer hard drives and external drives, may be 1 terabyte (TB) or larger. This is equivalent to about 17,000 hours of compressed recorded audio. Today, media can be acquired forensically at approximately 1.5 gigabytes (GB) per minute. The forensically acquired media is stored in a RAW image format, which results in a bit-for-bit copy of the data contained in the original media without any additions or deletions, even for the portions of the media that do not contain data.

Examples of Digital Evidence

These are the digital evidences that a court of law considers and allows the use of:

◉ Emails

◉ Digital photographs

◉ ATM transaction logs

◉ Word processing documents

◉ Instant messages history

◉ Accounting files

◉ Spreadsheets

◉ Internet browser history

◉ Databases

◉ Contents in a computer memory

◉ Computer backups & printouts

◉ GPS Tracks

◉ Digital video

◉ Audio files

Challenges of Digital Evidence

Collecting digital evidence requires a different kind of skill set than those required for gathering physical evidence. There are many methods for extracting digital evidence from various devices, and these methods, as well as the devices on which the evidence is stored, change rapidly. Investigators need to either develop specific technical expertise or rely on experts to do the extraction for them.

Preserving digital evidence is also challenging because, unlike physical evidence, it can be altered or deleted remotely. Investigators need to be able to authenticate the evidence and provide documentation to prove its integrity.

Source: eccouncil.org

Continue reading

5 of the Highest Paying Computer Forensics Jobs

As digital crimes increase aggressively, computer forensics job prospects also increase with it. Computer forensics examiners have become popular mostly because of the notorious breaches that have happened in recent years. Although computers were initially known for being implemented to commit crimes, forensics has now become the norm to capture perpetrators who believe their footprints to be untraceable when committing certain crimes.

How does computer forensics work?

Computer forensic investigation typically follows the normal digital forensic phases or methodologies, including acquisition, investigation, preservation, analysis, and presenting facts and information about digital evidence. The evidence gathered from computer forensics investigations are normally exposed to the same practices and procedures of other digital evidence.

The target of the computer forensics approach is to identify, preserve, analyze, and report information on computer systems that may be used as evidence in a civil or law court. For instance, the FBI uses IT experts to acquire critical evidence in their investigations and these crimes can be simple as cyber theft, hacking, bank fraud, phishing attacks, ransomware, or cyber espionage.

Every computer forensic investigation is unique. Some investigations may take months to complete, while others can be completed in a week. All these are dependent on factors such as the expertise of the IT professional, the amount of storage the investigator must sort through, the number of computers being examined, the presence of passworded files or encrypted files, and whether the malicious attacker tried to delete or hide information.

Is Computer Forensics a good career?

There is a high demand for expertise in computer forensics. Following the increasing reliance on the internet and computer technologies, computer forensics has become a significant part of business and law and a very lucrative career path.

As digital forensics continues to mature, so will the processes and methodologies used to support an organizations’ recovery from cyber-attacks. Computer forensics job plays a significant role in an organization’s disaster recovery approach from a cyber-attack. Recovery can start to play out when forensics processes are carefully and properly followed in the aftermath of an attack.

The input of computer forensics in criminal investigations is only going to increase in demand since the necessity for support in recovering information that can be tapped as evidence is getting more challenging for law enforcement agencies. Moreover, this growing field demands IT professionals, or cybersecurity professionals, who are experts at this type of data recovery for law enforcement and corporate settings.

Having expertise in this field is not only a critical demand but also one that improves the efforts of law enforcement with IT expertise and techniques to solve court cases and make an actual difference.

Computer forensics job salary

According to PayScale, the average salary for a computer forensic analyst is $73,892. Similarly, Salary.com suggested that the median salary for an entry-level forensic computer analyst is $64,091. This salary is determined by a number of factors, including experience, skill, education, employer, forensics job description, and the location of the job.

What is the highest paying forensics job?

You should always remember that the amount paid is determined by your level of education, experience, certifications, locations, among other subjective factors. The following are some of the highest paying forensics jobs (in no particular order).

1. Forensic Engineer

You should consider being a forensic engineer if you really want to earn an upper-level salary in this field. According to the Payscale, those who work as forensic engineers can expect to earn a median salary of 83,395 USD.

2. Cybersecurity Analyst

According to Payscale, the average salary of a Cybersecurity Analyst with forensics skills is $82,038 per annum. While the entry-level salary for this position is estimated to be close to $65,000, an experienced Cybersecurity Analyst with over 10 years of experience can earn an average of $126,000 per annum.

3. Forensic Accountant

Since several crimes involve money laundering and complicated transactions to cover up illegal activities, this is where forensic accountants and auditors come to play. According to Payscale, the median salary for a forensic accountant is $ 68,115, which can also rise to a salary of $116,000 depending on varying factors.

4. Forensic Computer Analyst

You may want to become a forensic computer analyst if you want to work in any criminal justice department. In this role, you’ll apply the skills and knowledge you gained to handle computer hard drives and storage devices to analyze user patterns, using different computer programs to recover information from destroyed media devices and prepare detailed reports after running computer analysis software applications, among others.

According to Payscale, the average Forensic Computer Analyst with forensics skills salary is $73,851 per annum.

5. Information Security Specialist

For this role, you will need a bachelor’s degree in any forensics-related course, or you will need to become a certified forensic interviewer. According to Payscale, the average Information Security Specialist with forensics skills salary is $133,192 per annum.

How to Start a Career in Digital Forensics

Source: eccouncil.org

Continue reading

Computer Forensics Training- All You Need to Know and More

Computer forensics training helps you through the processes of gathering cybercrime-related evidence and files to be presented in a court of law. In today’s networked environment, it is crucial for network and system administrators to understand the essential aspects of computer forensics and their major challenges.

EC-Council CHFI certification program is designed to acquaint experienced network and system professionals with the essential elements of digital forensics and build on their existing computer forensics skills. CHFI is one of the most required training programs in the field of IT security.

What will you learn in digital forensics?

Digital forensics, alternatively called computer forensics, or cyber forensics,  involves the usage of scientific investigatory procedures to digital attacks and crimes. You’ll learn about digital evidence and computer crimes to gain an understanding of the procedures, strategies, principles, and guidelines of computer forensics.

You’ll cover ethical and legal topics in a computer hacking forensics investigation credentialing program. In these classes, you’ll learn about security issues such as intrusion and detection, DDoS and DoS detection, TCP and Ip protocol vulnerabilities, and protocol routing, among others.

Some digital forensic training programs might have you sit in on real-life cases so you can learn how to write an acceptable forensic report or give testimony in a law court. You’ll also learn techniques such as alias discovery, data mining, profiling, and predictive modeling.

Is computer forensics a good career choice?

Computer forensic is an increasingly popular discipline with numerous prospects for advancement, offering job opportunities in a variety of fields, providing mouth-watering salaries, alongside a challenging and fast-paced work environment, which makes it a good career.

In a highly digitalized society and increasing reliance on the internet, computer forensics has become a vital aspect of business and law. It can also be a very lucrative career path.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the demand for a computer forensic analyst is expected to increase by 32% from 2018 to 2021. Similarly, forensics is a good career because it has so many sub-fields to choose from including computer forensics, forensic pathologist, toxicology, onychology, odontology, and so on.

What skills must a computer forensics investigator possess?

If you’re interested in pursuing a career in the field of computer forensics, you will need to have some specific computer forensics skills. The following are the top skills required for a computer forensics job.

Technical skills

The field of digital forensics is highly technology-focused. The computer hacking forensics investigator (CHFI) works with a number of technologies, including operating systems, mobile devices, IoT devices, and computer systems, to recognize and respond to network hacks and security breaches.

Always remember that it is only when you have a sound technical knowledge that you can detect and respond to network hacks and security breaches.

Some technical skills that one must possess include:

◉ Electronic evidence collections

◉ Threat intelligence

◉ Digital forensic acquisitions

◉ Data and evidence handling procedures

◉ Generate detailed reports

◉ Cracking (or attempting to crack) password protected files

◉ Anti-forensics detection

◉ Laboratory evidence handling, evidence examination, laboratory safety, and laboratory security policy and procedures

◉ Reverse engineering

And much more…

Soft Skills

In addition to mainting ones technical abilities, it is important that a digital forensic investigator also maintains the following soft skills to be able to carry out their duties effectively.

1. Strong communication

The CHFI needs a strong ability to communicate technical information as clearly and concisely as possible to people with different levels of technical knowledge. Forensic analysts usually work in teams and communication skill is vital in delivering the process of action on the forensic case accurately among the team members.

2. Analytical skills

Everyone considering a career in computer forensics must have a natural aptitude for analytical thinking. You need an impeccable computer forensics training, so you’ll be able to interpret data, observe situations loosely, analyze evidence, notice patterns, and discrepancies, and solve crimes. All these tasks require analytical skills.

3. Attention to detail

You’ll need to be detail-oriented if you are going to pursue a career in computer forensics. Your ability to pay attention to detail will help you sort through significant amounts of data to discover and analyze digital evidence.

4. A desire to learn

Computer forensics is fast-changing as with any technical field. As such, individuals who want to pursue a career in this field must be committed to learning new things, undergoing computer forensics training, and keeping up with the current trends.

5. Ability to work with challenging material

Most computer forensic analysts, especially those who work in law enforcement agencies, are expected to perform investigations that include disturbing or offensive materials. The forensic analyst needs to have a deft ability to work with such challenging content.

Is a Computer Forensic Training Program Important?

Digital forensic analysts, information security experts, digital security professionals, and other professionals with computer forensic knowledge all need computer forensics training if they want to develop their skills to be able to perform detailed, effective, and complete investigations.

Expert-led training and practice drills will guarantee that you gain the newest industry best practice, knowledge, and tools needed to perform the most successful computer forensics investigations.

The stable demand for computer forensics training and certification programs over the past years has been due to a number of reasons, one of which is the plethora of cybercrimes and the scarcity of skilled professionals. Several organizations have started offering certifications and training to bridge this gap.

However, it might be confusing to make sense of the options available or even find the right certification program. To help you make the right decision, EC-Council offers a comprehensive computer forensic certification program called the CHFI, which covers a wide range of topics and tools.

What is C|HFI Certification and why is it important?

Computer forensics is a significant part of cybersecurity due to the increasing demand for exclusive digital forensic experts. Although there is a substantial amount of accessible, first-rate accreditation programs, and certified forensics interviewers that concentrate on digital forensics and investigations. Nevertheless, there are other credentials and programs in the field of digital forensics science that are not as transparent or commonly known.

A Computer Hacking Forensics Investigator (CHFI) certification opens doors for an expert in the field of computer forensics. The Computer Hacking Forensics Investigator certification provided by EC-Council validates that you possess the required skills and knowledge for identifying hacking attacks, conducting analysis that enables you to mitigate impending attacks, and to properly retrieve needed evidence to support or refute a piece of criminal evidence at the court of law.

It takes a highly qualified individual such as the certified forensics examiner or certified computer examiner, to conduct this type of investigation. To earn the official CHFI credentials, it is compulsory that you take the required ECC examination.

Source: eccouncil.org

Continue reading

CHFI Certification: Prove Your Competence in Digital Forensics

Computer forensics is a high-growth field, with great potential for career progression. Organizations lean on digital forensic analysts to make out and reduce weaknesses to maintain their sensitive information secure. CHFI by EC-Council is one of the most sought-after digital forensic certifications. EC-Council not only evaluates the forensic expertise of the applicants through the CHFI exam, but it also gives on-demand training to the aspiring applicants. CHFI certified professionals are considered experts in executing forensic-related tasks, like evidence collection, intrusion analysis, information recovery, and audit trails maintenance.

What is CHFI Certification?

The CHFI, Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator certification is for professionals in defense and military professionals, systems administrators, legal professionals, banking, e-Business security professionals, insurance, IT managers, and government bodies and police and other law enforcement employees. The CHFI certification will assure that candidates have the essential skills to recognize an intruder's traces and correctly gather the proof needed to prosecute in the court of law. Applicants who can not attend official training must have at least two years of work experience in the Information Security domain to meet the eligibility criteria.

Importance of CHFI Certification

Once you pass your CHFI 312-49 certification exam, you may find that you are qualified for a diverse range of jobs. While your prevailing job experience might have qualified you earlier, it is essential to gain a respected certification that proves a commitment to the field, as well as providing strong proof that you have mastered definite areas in Computer forensics.

Read: CHFI Certification: How It Can Open Doors and Boost Your Computer Forensics Career

CHFI certification always helps earn immediate respect and qualify you as the professional you are to move forward smoothly and rapidly without having to prove your importance.

Possible Career Paths for CHFI

You can then move your career forward with several distinct brilliant career paths. You can work with law enforcement agencies who are starving for computer investigators. You might look for to work with an organization that finds your particular skillset important to their information technology division. Some of the job profiles that you can take into consideration might involve the following:

• Security Engineer
• Digital Forensic Analyst
• Cyber Security Malware Analyst
• Security Auditor
• Security Manager
• Penetration Tester
• Application Security Analyst
• Computer Security Incident Response & Recovery
• Forensics Cyber Weapons and Tactics Advisor

Read: Key Roles of Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator (CHFI): Briefly Explained

How to Prepare for CHFI Certification?

1. Start in Advance

EC-Council CHFI exam is nearly impossible to crack if you do last-minute cramming. Rather, you should start studying before 3-4 months to your scheduled exam date. You're going to be assessed on your skill to read a question, analyze it, and practice concepts. Although most candidates hardly run into questions that at first don't appear to relate to anything they've studied, you can be confused by them if you cram. The CHFI syllabus topics you're being examined on demand a type of understanding that can only be obtained over an organized, thorough course of study—not last-moment, frenzied reviews of study materials.

2. Design Study Schedule

To pass the CHFI exam, you need a solid grasp of the concepts and implement them. Besides, you need to practice answering CHFI test questions because the EC-Council certification exams demand you to employ analytical methods to conclude at your answers. Although there are motivated applicants who can design their study schedule effortlessly, it's more probable that you're unsure how or where to begin. Paycheques you receive after passing the CHFI exam are an excellent way to turn doubt into confidence.

To prepare for the CHFI certification exam, you can avail plenty of resources online. The cost of study material can depend on what kind of resources you choose. You can choose from books, online courses, online study guides and blogs, practice tests, and online communities.

3. Focus on Taking CHFI Practice Tests

If possible, try to take leave from your job in the last two weeks before the exam for revision and practice tests. Treat the CHFI practicetest as if they are actual exams. Don't get the practice questions in advance. Take time-bound practice tests to get a feel for the time limitations and stress of exam day. You have an average of about 1.6 minutes per CHFI question.

Although working on the areas where you scored poorly is essential, don't overlook your more vital CHFI syllabus topics. They need to stay in your mind for long.

4. Have a Game Plan to Stay Calm and Composed on Exam Day

The secret to staying focused and calm while taking the exam is to have a game plan before you sit for the exam. To avoid the last moment rush, be ready early. Don't spend too much time on one question.

For the questions that give you difficulty, first reread to understand them. Then, if you still can't conclude to the best answer, try to drop at least one and make a wise guess. Even if you don't have an idea, you should still mark an answer. That's better than leaving it blank because there is no negative marking. Whatever you do, don't frighten if you find several tricky questions in a row. It only makes things more dangerous.

Conclusion
If the world of digital forensic attracts you, if you want to help resolve crimes or discover compromised computer systems, or catch devil employees, then there is no time like the now to begin preparation for the CHFI exam.

There are plenty of job opportunities, and the salaries are usually very high with other types of jobs.

Start studying on your own, take some courses, perform practice tests, achieve your CHFI certificate, and apply for your dream job. It is an interesting and demanding field, but it will require time and effort.

Continue reading

Computer Forensic Training in the Age of Intelligence

Computer forensic training exposes students to how to deal with the process of gathering cyber-crime related proofs and files and thereby analyzing them totally to uncover any possible engagement with criminal activities and deceptive moves. This is one of the fields in which the military, intelligence companies, Corporations, and law enforcement concentrate. There is a protocol in which the computer forensics training highlights. It primarily concentrates on the meticulous observation of all evidence since these findings are to be presented before the court.

Computer forensic training gears up students with a full range of computer forensics skills; Students learn to construct digital forensics toolkits. They also establish skills to track a criminal on the web, define proper evidence dealing with treatments and learn how to deal with law enforcement firms. The trainees discover to apply tested investigative techniques and are lastly awarded the Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator (CHFI) certifications. Wide arrays of techniques are used to discover information hidden in a computer system. Experts are, in some cases, utilized to assist in recuperating erased, encrypted, or harmed file information. Any or all evidence acquired can be used for discovery, depositions, or actual litigation. People who are focused on computer forensics are often referred to as a CCE or a Certified Computer Examiner. Computer system forensic training includes a training program with online examinations.

Government companies and private sector companies have seen an increased need for computer forensics in previous years. The computer-based proof is typically utilized in cases where incriminating documents are most likely to be discovered on a computer like monetary fraud, data theft, and so on. Civil cases make use of organization and personal records found on computer systems for fraud, harassment, divorce and discrimination cases, etc.

Computer forensics training and intelligence

Computer forensic cover concerns like protocols and networks and the architecture of operating systems. They also consist of crime analysis and criminal offense scene management and courtroom/expert witness skills. In order to equal the ever-changing innovation and advances, course products for computer forensic training are upgraded continuously to keep candidates updated on the most current techniques and skills in the field of forensics. Trainees are qualified for Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator (CHFI) certification.

Taking a computer forensics training will also make it possible for the individual to make the most of the increasing need for computer system forensic experts. Computers are getting more sophisticated and more vital as the years go by. Most of them have also ended up being easier to use while being top-notch. Due to this, cyber-criminal activities have also increased. Computer forensics training concentrates on equipping you with the ability to flawlessly manage tasks such as retrieving the data which have been kept in an electronic gadget or any digital media. A computer system forensics private investigator can amazingly restore the deleted files and the training nonetheless hones such skill.

More so, numerous intelligence agencies such as the military and the police field see the need to utilize computer forensics in uncovering any motives or proofs to solve the criminal offenses that they deal with. Most of the time, suspects to the crime that uses the computer data in their delinquencies are tracked down by the computer forensics analyst. Anyone who is suspected of leakage or use any of the confidential information in a business to a 3rd party can be found out with the assistance of a computer forensics analyst. The training for computer forensics prepares the students with the essential certifications required for using the methods in response to the need of the task. The field of computer forensics is, however, expanding and the more several opportunities to grab for potential specialists.

The main job of a computer forensic private investigator is to restore both the actively and accidentally erased information. More so, the training also points out the most suitable tools and software to utilize on a case to case basis.

Responsibilities of a Computer Forensic Examiner

As a forensic computer analyst, you’ll need to: offer with extremely sensitive or confidential data or images, depending on the type of case you are investigating, use a variety of forensic tools and software to extract and examine data, secure a system or gadget so it cannot be damaged, recuperate harmed, deleted or access concealed, safeguarded or encrypted files, unlock digital images that are locked to hide the identity of a location or person, examine data from smartphones and satellite navigation systems to trace individuals or places, gather info and evidence in a legally acceptable way, present findings of on-going incidents to other members in the examination group, police and clients and also keep up to date with developing cyber-crime techniques and developments within the digital forensics field.

Credential Requirement

The certification program suggests competence in forensics techniques and treatments, standards of practice, and legal and ethical principles guarantee precise, total, and reliable digital proof permissible in a law court. It also indicates the ability to use forensics to other info security disciplines, such as e-discovery, malware analysis, or incident reaction.

There are no licensure examinations to be gone through just that there are particular credentials that should be provided. But before one can certify to handle the responsibilities designated for a private investigator, he has first to undergo the extensive computer system forensics training. Among the significant qualifications that one can provide are the official education bases such as the Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator (CHFI) or Certified Threat Intelligence Analyst (CTIA) and many more.

Digital crimes are intensifying now and then, so there is the significance of computer system forensics experts in the fields of military forces, police, company corporations, and other related institutions. The purpose of the computer and digital forensics is to determine if a device was used for illegal purposes, ranging from computer hacking to storing illegal pornography or records of other illegal activity.

How do you get certified in forensic science?

The EC-Council is a well-known training and certification organization that specializes in the areas of anti-hacking, digital forensics, and penetration testing. The organization’s Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator (CHFI) certification emphasizes forensics tools, analytical techniques, and procedures involved in obtaining, maintaining, and presenting digital forensic evidence and data in a court of law.

The EC-Council offers training for this credential however allows challenging the exam without taking the course provided they have a minimum of 2 years of information security experience and paying a non-refundable $100 eligibility application cost.

The CHFI course covers a large range of topics and tools (click the exam Blueprint on the certification web page). Topics include an overview of digital forensics, in-depth coverage of the computer forensics examination process, working with a digital proof, anti-forensics, database, and cloud forensics, examining network traffic, mobile and email forensics, and principles, policies and policies. Courseware is readily available, in addition to instructor-led classroom training. The EC-Council provides many other accreditations of prospective value to readers interested in the CHFI. These include the Qualified Ethical Hacker (CEH), CEH (Practical), EC-Council Certified Security Expert (ECSA), ECSA Practical, Licensed Network Protector (CND) and Certified Penetration Tester (LPT), Qualified Application Security Engineer (CASE), and Certified Chief Information Gatekeeper (CCISO). It likewise uses qualifications in associated areas such as catastrophe healing, file encryption, and security analysis. 

Source: eccouncil.org

Continue reading

How You Can Practice CHFI Skills at Work

How would a computer hacking forensic investigator certification be helpful in a typical workplace? It seems like something out of an episode of CSI where people require to catch the bad guys through their computers or phones.

CHFI comprises identifying cyber-attacks, evaluating the issue to stop future attacks, and finding evidence utilized in reporting the crime. A CHFI expert is accountable for getting information from flash drives, remote servers, computers, and other forms of data storage devices. An investigator works with the concerned business and law enforcement authorities.

Skills Obtained through CHFI Certification

CHFI certification qualifies professionals how to carry out investigations precisely so that evidence will retain its morality and be helpful during prosecution of cybercrimes. Professionals will also learn how to retrieve deleted files and obtain hidden information on Windows, Linux, and Mac operating systems.
Another feature of a forensic investigation is the recovery of lost information, which can occur due to sabotage or equipment failure. Forensic investigators should also be able to analyze the information they find to understand the impact of a hack and the degree of a data breach.

• CHFI Certification: How It Can Open Doors and Boost Your Computer Forensics Career

In some cases, the cybercrime intricate isn’t a data breach but requires possession of illegal materials like pornography. CHFI skills can be used to detect the possession of pornography and collect evidence for prosecution.
CHFI certification can be valuable in many different jobs to improve your skillset so you can meet your employer’s continually developing needs. Here are some ways you might use a CHFI certification in your IT job.

1. To find out whether your network was breached.

IT security professionals and systems administrators can practice the skills acquired from a CHFI certification to help determine network breaches, should they occur. In many cases, they can also work toward concluding who was behind the breach and help law enforcement distinguish them so they can be prosecuted.
Instead of your organization having no idea its security was breached or that client data was compromised, CHFI-certified professionals will have the skills to detect a breach, or expectantly, to avoid or stop it before any information is imperiled.

2. To expand law enforcement training.

For police and other law enforcement officers, CHFIcertification can help them to investigate cybercrime and arrest cybercriminals. Cybercrime is on the peak, and law enforcement training has lagged because it is relatively new and continually evolving.
CHFI certification could help you get reinforced to the detective or other supervisory jobs where greater expertise about cybercrime and data breaches is essential.

3. To constitute a criminal or civil case against hackers, or defend accused cybercriminals.

The CHFI certification may be beneficial for lawyers, both prosecutors and defense lawyers, who may come across ever more frequent cases concerning cybersecurity and data breaches. A thorough understanding of hacking and computer forensics may be needed to correctly prosecute or defend these cases.

4. To assure that disloyal employees don’t steal information or resources, or to gather evidence that they did so to prosecute them.

Disloyal employees could use their access to company servers and networks to theft corporate secrets or give other people access to corporate data and networks. Earning a CHFI certification can assure that your organization remains safe, or that unfaithful employees who have already destroyed company data can be brought to justice.

5. To be sure dismissed employees don’t interrupt the network or any part of the server.

After employees are suspended, they may want to hit back at the company by stealing data, information, or money from the organization. They may also attempt to ruin data or systems. CHFI certification can stop these attacks or allow the collection of evidence to sue them after the fact.

Career Prospects for a Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator

There is a huge demand for CHFI-certified professionals across industries. CHFI-certified individuals are being hired not only by IT and IT security organizations but also by the defense and military sectors, legal practices, law enforcement agencies, banking, and insurance companies.
The CHFI certification certifies an applicant’s skills to gather the required evidence of theft to prosecute in a court of law. Starting salaries in the computer forensics field can go as high as $85,000 to $120,000. According to Payscale.com, on an average, a Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator (CHFI) receives around $86,000 annually in the U.S.

Certified CHFI professionals can pursue the following roles:

• Information Security Analyst
• Computer Forensics Analyst
• Ethical Hacker
• Malware Analyst
• Network Security Specialist
• Security Administrator
• IT Security Consultant
• Penetration Tester
• Homeland Cyber Security
• IT Auditor

 Thus, Computer Hacking Forensic Investigators aresteadily becoming inescapable for the organization of all sizes. As an IT professional geared up to join the domain of ethical hacking, CHFI Certification is indeed your great opportunity.

Continue reading