Angelica Grace Castro

Introduction

Due to the prevalent use of cyber technology and the cyberspace, the movement and lives of individuals are recorded and can easily be traced. A digital forensics analyst is a cybersecurity career that covers multiple social science disciplines such as criminology, psychology, and sociology. According to the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies those in the digital forensics career “collects, processes, preserves, analyzes, and presents computer-related evidence in support of network vulnerability mitigation and/or criminal, fraud, counterintelligence, or law enforcement investigations.” Although when one thinks of a digital forensics analyst they immediately think of law enforcement, digital forensic analysts are not limited to positions in law enforcement agencies. A digital forensics analyst must be aware of and recognize the different types of cybercrime.

Digital Forensics Analyst and Social Science

The social science principles of relativism, empiricism, ethical neutrality, objectivity, determinism and parsimony are used by digital forensics analysts during and after conducting criminal investigations. Relativism which states that all things are related is not directly used by digital forensics analysts in their investigation however, relativism can be used for criminology and identifying how new technology results in new types of crimes. For example, artificial intelligence has resulted in ‘deepfakes’, images or videos generated using artificial intelligence, being used for crimes such as identity theft, extortion, and fraud. By understanding and applying relativism, digital forensics analyst can anticipate the ways in which events in society and developments in technology can lead to crime. Digital forensics analysts actively apply empiricism, ethical neutrality and objectivity in conducting investigations. Empiricism states that only behavior that is real to the senses should be studied. An analyst must collect evidence that can be physically seen and presented in court. The application of ethical neutrality which requires the adherence of ethical standards and objectivity which states science does not exist to promote an opinion or point of view is required as a digital forensics analyst. Digital forensics analysts must be unbiased in the collection of evidence due to the impact of their work on society. Determinism which suggests that behavior is caused, determined or influenced by preceding events can be used by analysts for profiling and understanding criminal motives and victimization. Parsimony which requires explanations to be as simple as possible can be applied by digital forensics analyst after their investigations. Digital forensics analysts are required to write reports and in some cases testify in a court setting. The reports as well as statements in court must be simple and clear enough for jurors and other individuals who have limited cyber knowledge to understand.

Although social science principles can be applied in the everyday lives of digital forensics analysts, the most common way in which the social science principles and research are applied are in the study of the criminological field. The social science principles used in research helps in criminology, the study of crime, which is the field in which digital forensics analysts work in. An understanding of criminology is helpful to digital forensics analysts by allowing them to tailor their investigations which will yield better results. Digital forensics analysts can use criminology as a way to profile and prioritize certain areas of focus in their investigations. However, criminology should not cause an investigation to be biased. Digital forensics analyst can continuously improve their investigation methods due to social science research in criminology. Additionally, the understanding of criminology can help digital forensics analysts minimize the emotional and mental impact their work has on them. Knowledge of criminology can help digital forensics analysts have peace of mind. For example, psychodynamic theory which states that early life experiences influence behaviors can resolve some negative feelings that digital forensics analysts experience by displaying that criminals have reasons for their behavior. Digital forensics analysts will have at least some comfort in knowing that the crimes they investigate do not happen for no reason and that people in society are not all evil.

Digital Forensics Analysts and Society

The work of digital forensics analysts has a significant impact on society. The evidence gathered by digital forensics analysts can result in the incarceration of individuals which affects both the accused and the victims in crimes. The evidence gathered by a digital forensics analyst can help determine one’s future. Additionally, it is not just the victim and the perpetrator who are affected by the work of digital forensics analysts. The families of both sides are affected as well. Through their work, digital forensics analysts have a role in making a better and safer society.

  Although digital forensics analysts have an impact on society, they themselves are also impacted by society. Studies conducted by Strickland et al. (2023) and Holt and Blevins (2011) discusses the impact society has on digital forensics analysts specifically in regards to their mental and emotional well-being. Holt and Blevins (2011) found that individuals in digital forensics experience psychological stress due to training, lack of personnel, demands of the job and exposure to materials in child pornography and sex related crimes. Strickland et al. (2023) found that individuals in digital forensics especially those who are exposed to child pornography, abuse or exploitation experiences cynicism and overall distrust in society. The cynicism and distrust that digital forensics analysts feel directly affects how they interact with others in society. For example, one of the interviews in Strickland et al.’s (2023) study revealed an individual who was unable to help a child due to how it may be perceived negatively by other members of society. Those in the digital forensics field are constantly exposed to the darkness in society and can’t help but overanalyze how their own actions and interactions can be negative.

Additionally, digital forensics analyst as a career is indicative of changes in society. Keeling and Losavio (2017) claims digital forensics as a career was brought about due to the demands of society. According to Keeling and Losavio (2017), “digital forensics arose in response to the digital age” (p.47). Society changed in a way that there is prevalent use of cyber technology. Along with the positive uses are the negative uses which can be seen in the form of cybercrimes and cyber-assisted crimes. Furthermore, as more and more individuals turn to cyber technology there will be higher chances of crimes done with technology which in turn will result in a higher demand for the digital forensics profession. While digital forensics analyst greatly impact society, the individuals in the profession and the profession itself are impacted by society.

Marginalized Groups

Digital forensics analysts working in law enforcement frequently encounter cases of abuse, harassment, and exploitation of various marginalized groups in their investigations. Women, children, and the elderly are the most common groups digital forensics analysts gather evidence for due to those groups being the most victimized groups. Digital forensics analysts can apply victim precipitation and determine certain behaviors of the elderly and children that result in their higher risk of being victimized. Digital forensics analysts can use the information learned to focus their investigations and know what to look for. Furthermore, victim precipitation can direct digital forensics analysts to more victims which would help in the gathering of evidence against a perpetrator. For example, knowledge that the elderly is vulnerable to social engineering and has weak cyber defense measures in place can lead analysts to focus on websites targeting the elderly or to individuals who suspiciously interacts with them in the cyberspace. The elderly are often victims of vishing and phishing as well as scams that use deepfake technology due to their inexperience of new cyber technology.

On the other hand, children can engage in risky cyber activity. Children’s engagement in risky cyber activity can be understood using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs which suggests that the needs of an individual are on a hierarchy and when the lower level needs are met individuals will strive to meet the upper level needs. The hierarchy of needs are physiological needs, safety needs, belongingness and love needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization with physiological needs being the lowest level. Children seek belongingness and love needs through social media activity and playing games online with strangers. Additionally, some children engage in cyberbullying due to peer pressure and needing to feel that they belong with their peers. Similar to victim precipitation, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs can help digital forensics analysts understand why individuals engage in certain behaviors and allow them to focus on those certain behaviors.

Due to cyber technology, women who are victims of physical crimes such as stalking and sexual assault are exposed to another form in which they can be victimized. Similarly, LGBTQ groups and minorities who are targets of hate crimes and bullying are exposed to the online versions of those crimes. Due to cyber technology and the cyberspace, individuals are exposed to more forms of crimes. Digital forensics analysts have the duty to minimize the crimes and risks the various groups have to face by providing the evidence that is required to catch and detain criminals.

Conclusion

Digital forensics analyst is a recently developed cybersecurity career that blends social science disciplines with technical knowledge of computers. The career was created due to technological advances and changes in society to be reliant on technology. Through the nature of the work, digital forensics analysts help create a better and safer society by helping to incarcerate and punish dangerous individuals. Individuals in the digital forensics field are emotionally and mentally impacted by society due to their exposure to the dark side of society. Digital forensics analysts have a direct connection to marginalized groups due to the fact that marginalized groups are often the victims in the cases that digital forensics analysts investigate. Digital forensics analyst is a stressful cybersecurity career that may not have as much job satisfaction as other careers however, it is an important job for society.

References

Digital Forensics. National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies. (n.d.). https://niccs.cisa.gov/workforce-development/nice-framework/specialty-areas/digital-forensics

Holt, T. J., & Blevins, K. R. (2011). Examining Job Stress and Satisfaction Among Digital Forensic Examiners. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 27(2), 230–250. https://doi.org/10.1177/1043986211405899

Keeling, D., & Losavio, M. (2017). Public Security & Digital Forensics in the United States: The Continued Need for Expanded Digital Systems for Security. The Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law, 12(3), 47-60. https://doi.org/10.15394/jdfsl.2017.1452

Strickland, C., Kloess, J. A., & Larkin, M. (2023). An Exploration of the Personal Experiences of Digital Forensics Analysts Who Work with Child Sexual Abuse Material on a Daily Basis: “You Cannot Unsee the Darker Side of Life.” Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1142106