Digital Forensics | Davin Teo | TEDxHongKongSalon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf-JnQfAEew

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.

Digital forensics investigators collect and analyze various types of electronic data and preserve them in a way that is presentable in a court of law. Digital forensics is related to social science as it plays a critical role in unearthing evidence of crimes committed in a digital context. To be effective, digital forensics investigators need to understand social sciences because forensic investigations intersect with social science in multiple ways.

Digital forensics can reveal the reasons behind cybercrimes, and understanding human behavior and motivations, along with societal factors, can help inform investigators about the rationale behind someone’s actions. A key component of social sciences is ethics, and due to the nature of digital forensics’ involvement with the law, balancing and navigating complex ethical dilemmas is a common occurrence. Another component is sociology and culture. In certain attacks, there might be involvement with social movements or causes, so gaining an understanding of ideologies and societal movements would be beneficial. Digital forensics and the social sciences go hand in hand, as gaining a better understanding of common components of social sciences can help investigators better comprehend societal influences.

The speaker in the video did an excellent job of breaking down exactly what a digital forensic investigator does. It was interesting to hear about his story of how he became a forensic investigator, starting as an accountant and making his way up to the position he is in now. I believe the biggest takeaway from his speech is to take chances and never undermine an opportunity, as you don’t know where it might lead you. He had no idea what digital forensics involved, except that it sounded related to IT, and he took the chance. It’s a valuable lesson for our future endeavors and is something I will consider whenever a new opportunity arises.