Computer forensics is an emerging and rapidly expanding field within the IT industry. As technology moves forward and more people use it, the risk of crimes and problems resulting from computers is growing constantly. Due to the challenging and ever-changing nature of the IT industry, computer forensics demands that those employed in this sector are able to constantly adapt and evolve their skills to meet the requirements of their employers.
Possible sources of employment within this sector might be forensics for law enforcement agencies, working in-house within banks and other institutions to protect their networks and assets, and some forensic specialists may choose to work on a self-employed basis as consultants for a number of different organisations rather than as part of a staff.
While there could be many different job requirements within these specialist fields – e.g. legal qualifications – a computer forensics, computer science or engineering degree will generally form the basis for this career path. It also goes without saying that advanced analytical and technical knowledge is a must, while recruitment agencies will also look for attributes such as discretion and the ability to work well under pressure due to the delicate and valuable nature of data being handled.
The rewards for such a technically demanding job are high, and once fully qualified and experienced the average salary for a computer forensics role in the UK is believed to be in the region of £45,000.