Prompt: Watch this video and think about how the career of digital forensics investigators relate to the social sciences. Write a journal entry describing what you think about the speaker’s pathway to his career.
I found Teo’s mention of how he was an accountant before becoming a digital forensics investigator interesting because the two fields seem significantly different at first glance. However, one significant similarity between the two professions is that both require rigorous accuracy and data-keeping records. Furthermore, with the rise of technology, more and more digital tools are likely being used in accounting, making precise calculations and reporting more similar to the responsibilities of a digital forensics investigator. I think this provides a great example of the interdisciplinary nature of cybersecurity because it demonstrates how a wide array of skills are necessary for a complete cybersecurity team, and these people may come from unexpected backgrounds.
One aspect of Teo’s job related to social sciences is needing to understand the psychology of those whose devices they are investigating. The Teo mentions that they must be meticulous in leaving both the computer and the space around it in the exact same way as they found it. This recognizes what may trigger someone to become suspicious and alter their future behaviors, potentially interfering with the investigation. Furthermore, Teo mentions how a crucial part of his job is to be covert. In the case study he presents, only two people within the client organization were aware of the investigation to minimize the chance of the information spreading. This is an acknowledgment of the inherently social nature of people and their tendency to interact with others and potentially reveal information they were supposed to keep secret. Additionally, because a digital forensics investigator involves gathering evidence for trials, they must be familiar with the judicial system and the processes that govern it. If they are not, they could cause major issues for this social institution and potentially society as a whole. If digital forensics investigators do not hold the integrity of the data in the highest regard, it may result in the collapse of fair trials by making the standards of evidence more lax.