Digital Forensics Analyst
This paper gives an insight on digital forensic analysts and how this career field includes social science principles into their daily professional commitments. It also explores how class concepts like victim precipitation, human firewall, rational choice theory, and routine activities theory shape this field of work. It also explains their engagement with marginalized groups and society, showing the connection between cybersecurity and the social sciences.
Introduction
The cybersecurity field is deeply associated with social sciences. Cybersecurity professionals must understand human behavior, decision making procedures, and how society structures work as it is important for cybersecurity professionals to fulfill their roles, especially those who work in digital forensics. Digital forensic analysts oversee investigations of cybercrimes that require technical expertise, understanding of social behavior, cyber vulnerabilities, and legal concerns. Digital forensic analysts do this by recovering digital evidence and analyzing it to find traces left by cybercriminals and their behaviors.
Social Science Principles in Digital Forensics and Application to Class Concepts
Social science principles allow digital forensic analysts to interpret patterns in behavior, motives, and system vulnerabilities. Victim precipitation helps analysts consider what victim’s behaviors contribute to their victimization such as sharing information online or being vulnerable to scams. This concept of social science helps with a general scenario of crime events and aids with prevention strategies (Leukfeldt & Yar, 2016). The human firewall is an extraordinarily strong cybersecurity principle as it is not just technological, but it also relies on the way individuals behave. Digital forensic analysts identify how human behaviors like unsafe browsing contribute to the vulnerability of security systems which reinforces the importance of the human firewall on this career field (Hadnagy, 2018). Analysts also use the routine activities theory to identify cybercrime patterns in which motivated offenders, lack of guardianship, and suitable targets interact on the web (Cohen & Felson, 1979). Forensic analysts create a digital map of routine activities to know exactly when and how a security breach has occurred. Lastly, the rational choice theory is applied by forensic analysts in many cyber offenses as most of them are calculated offenses. Forensic analysts use this social theory to predict the reasons why targets are chosen, identifying the risk to reward mentality that leads to cyber-attacks (Cornish & Clarke, 1986). Overall, social science helps digital forensic analysts investigate cyber incidents while also anticipating future attacks and the risks involved.
Marginalized Groups and Digital Forensics
Digital forensics analysts often must interact with cases that involve marginalized groups. Marginalized people may often face barriers when reporting cybercrimes. These can be seen in the form of fear of legal authorities and the inability to conduct proper digital literacy. Another challenge that marginalized groups face is the digital divides that exist between economic and educational challenges and how it affects vulnerabilities to cyber threats. Analysts need to recognize how these factors affect cyber space. Lastly, forensic analysts need to avoid bias to ensure that digital evidence is being managed fairly, regardless of the victim or offender’s race, gender, or economic background (Douglas et al., 2015).
Career Connection to Society
Digital forensic analysts play a key role in society and how today’s society puts their trust in digital cyberspace. Analysts aid society by reassuring public confidence after a breach has occurred. They also ensure that cybercriminals are accountable for their actions by law. Forensic analysts also provide a better insight into new cyber threats that may impact society in the future. Today society relies heavily on digital systems, it is particularly important that forensic analysts earn their trust by ensuring that their actions are always ethical as they can impact social stability, personal safety, and socioeconomical health.
Conclusion
Digital forensic analysts live by the combination of cybersecurity and social science. Their daily work does not require just technical skills, but also an important understanding of social behavior, decision making theories, and challenges that are faced by marginalized communities. Applying social principles like victim precipitation, the human firewall concept, and the routine activities theory, analysts protect the present and future societies from cyber threats that may occur while also promoting a safe digital world.
References
Cohen, L. E., & Felson, M. (1979). Social Change and Crime Rate Trends: A Routine Activity Approach. American Sociological Review, 44(4), 588-608.
Cornish, D. B., & Clarke, R. V. (1986). The Reasoning Criminal: Rational Choice Perspectives on Offending. Springer-Verlag.
Hadnagy, C. (2018). Social Engineering: The Science of Human Hacking. Wiley.
Leukfeldt, E. R., & Yar, M. (2016). Applying Routine Activity Theory to Cybercrime: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis. Deviant Behavior, 37(3), 263–280.
Douglas, D., Noble, C., & Miller, B. (2015). Digital Forensics and the Challenge of Social Justice. Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law, 10(1), 29-44.