I have chosen many career paths in my life to set me up in my future, since I’ve joined the military, I have been interested in intelligence/ cybersecurity. A career choice that I would like to pursue in the future is a Digital Forensics Analyst. Digital forensics analysts are tasked with investigating cybercrimes, including hacks, data breaches, or theft of digital storage devices like hard drives or floppy disks, post-incident. Their responsibilities encompass various tasks, such as recovering compromised, altered, or deleted data, and probing into how hackers infiltrated a network to pinpoint vulnerabilities within the system. This aids organizations in understanding their weak points and revamping their cybersecurity defenses. Being in cybersecurity you will depend on many social science principles while doing your job daily, I will be discussing several social sciences that are used by digital forensics analysts. First principle that I researched was the Naturalization Theory, which explores how certain practices and beliefs are perceived as natural or common within a society, can offer valuable insights to digital forensics analysts. By understanding the societal norms and underlying motivations that drive cybercriminal behavior, analysts can gain deeper insights into why individuals engage in specific activities and the processes behind their actions. By incorporating this theory into their approach, analysts can anticipate future behaviors and adapt their investigative strategies accordingly. This principle resonates as a favorite for its emphasis on the psychological and social factors influencing the analysis and perception of digital evidence, highlighting the complexity of human behavior within the digital realm. The next principle is relativism, which suggests that there is no absolute truth. Digital forensics analysts rely on this principle as they navigate the complexities of analyzing digital evidence. They must consider various factors such as cultural norms, social contexts, and individual perspectives, all of which influence how they approach and interpret the investigation. This involves analyzing different legal and ethical standards to ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations. Lastly, determinism, the belief that all actions and events result from preceding actions, is crucial for digital forensics analysts. By applying this principle, analysts can meticulously trace the sequence of events leading to a cyber incident and understand the perpetrator’s actions and their repercussions. This enables them to identify vital evidence accurately and assess the potential impact of a breach or hack on an organization. Furthermore, the career I chose relates to several marginalized groups one is criminal justice. This plays a crucial role in the job of a digital forensic analysts, by investigating crimes such as hate crimes, cyberbullying, and financial extortion that can target certain social groups. This job will also help to prosecute the perpetrator by seeking justice for that person who has been victimized. In conclusion, there are many cybersecurity jobs and disciplines that rely on social science principles that we use daily, the career that I chose was a digital forensics analyst because I like the process of investigating why a crime happened how it happened and how to find vulnerabilities. This job can help in many ways such as helping companies strengthen their systems, helping victims and stopping cybercriminals from doing it again.
References
EC-Council. (2023, November 2). What is a digital forensic analyst? Cybersecurity Exchange. https://www.eccouncil.org/cybersecurity-exchange/computer-forensics/what-is-digital-forensic-analyst/
Admin. (2023, November 20). Unveiling the role of a digital forensics’ expert in modern cybersecurity. Salvation DATA. https://www.salvationdata.com/knowledge/digital-forensics-expert/
Blogger. (2021, August 24). The role of Psychology in digital Forensics. Paraben Corporation. https://paraben.com/the-role-of-psychology-in-digital-forensics/
EC-Council. (2023, November 2). What is a digital forensic analyst? Cybersecurity Exchange. https://www.eccouncil.org/cybersecurity-exchange/computer-forensics/what-is-digital-forensic-analyst/