When studying many job titles in cybersecurity, one in particular stood out to me the most. This job title was interesting to me because not only is it a vital position in the cybersecurity field but also in the tangible world in a criminal justice aspect. The job title is a Digital Forensic Examiner and their main role is to retrieve information from computers and other digital devices to discover how an unauthorized person accessed a system or to gather evidence for legal purposes (according to coursera.org). This job is similar to those who work in forensics alongside the police. When examining a crime scene, a forensics professional scans the scene for fingerprints, DNA, takes pictures and swabs, etc. This job in cybersecurity mirrors these duties but in a digital aspect. Someone working as a digital forensics examiner will scan these digital devices to try and gather evidence against a cybercrime, this can include recovering deleted data from hard drives and documenting data retrievals or even working directly alongside law enforcement.
In a social aspect, working as a digital forensics examiner will require you to be knowledgeable of society, criminal motives and societal patterns. Many factors of social science can be vital to this job role. It will be important for someone in this position to understand the psychological theories of cyber offending. An example of these theories include, psychodynamic, cognitive, behavioral, and personality theories. Knowing this information against their suspect may help them draw better conclusions and locate more valuable information when examining a digital device.
The first theory, the psychodynamic theory, relates to cyber offenses being influenced by early childhood experiences. For example those who possess child pornography were most likely exposed to very adverse childhood experiences. A digital forensics examiner could use this information when retrieving illegal content from devices. The next theory being the cognitive theory focuses on how individuals think and process information. This theory can be very vital to a digital forensics examiner if they want to back track a cyber criminal’s steps. If they are able to understand how the suspect thinks it can lead them closer to any information they may be searching for. The behavioral theory suggests that the behavior of a cyber criminal is learned. THis behavior could have been influenced by the surrounding, parents, peers, media and more. For example, cyberbullying has been connected to learned behavior. Understanding what factors may have influenced a crime will help an examiner better pick apart their suspects’ devices. Lastly, the personality theory. This theory explores how an individual’s personal psychological traits contribute to their behavior. If a digital forensics examiner can also examine the suspect in a psychological aspect this will help them better understand their task.
In conclusion, a digital forensics examiner will benefit greatly from not only understanding cybertechnology, but also psychological theories. If someone in this position understands social science, they will also be able to assess not just the device but the individual who the device belongs to. This is important when trying to draw conclusions about the cyber criminal. Social science will always play a major role when addressing cyber security principles as well.
Works Cited
10 cybersecurity jobs: Entry-level and beyond. Coursera. (n.d.). Retrieved April 16, 2023, from https://www.coursera.org/articles/cybersecurity-jobs
Garfinkel, S. L. (2017, September 19). Digital Forensics. American Scientist. Retrieved April 16, 2023, from https://www.americanscientist.org/article/digital-forensics
DIGITAL FORENSICS PRINCIPLES. Cybersecurity. (n.d.). Retrieved April 16, 2023, from http://www.nsusociocybersecurity.org/modules/american-court-system/digital-forensics/digital-forensic-principles