Computer forensics analysts work as various other forensic experts around the world but instead of focusing their professional aptitude and skills on solving crimes attending to public matters, the computer analysts are determined to fight the digital crimes. Regardless of the security and the right settings of these systems, deep down it is imminent that not every cyber breach can be attended or stopped by them. That some of it, some of the mess is determined to pass through and cause havoc on the clean spot of the superior security tactics the digital conglomerates so profoundly boast about. Microsoft networking fundamentals certification would prove to be a thought provoking endeavour for someone looking forward to expand the horizon of career.
Given such acclamation we can safely begin to move onto a darker or more factful picture of the digital world that cyber breaches and attacks are bound to happen and not all of these can be neutralized. Special systems, policies and settings need to be put into place for preparing in advance. Thus the services of the forensic computer analysts are needed by the IT based companies to make sure that when a cyber breach hits they have the right armour to use against the attack and can devise a smart testing systems which would help in the understanding of why breach took place in the first place and what were the vulnerabilities that led to the breach. Here is a brief description of the job title and responsibilities of the computer forensic analysts;
Job Description
The workings of these professionals are not only limited to providing their services to the industry, as they serve the law enforcement agencies and organizations as well. The basic reason for doing so is that the work of the cyber analysts and that of the crime forensics is closely related and that is why a bridge always remain sustained between the two. Next comes the role of the professionals, the cyber security analyst working within the forensics department might have different duties each day and would go about changing regularly. But the basic task which they have to attend to always remains the same and that is to interpret and parse data on a continuous basis and making sure that none of it has been compromised or modified in any way.
Even if a breach hasn’t yet happened the cyber forensics experts would have to continue with the analysing of data in the form of video, audio, photos or any other explicit material that might have been tampered, modified, erased or deleted without the proper authentication or authorization of the organization to begin with. This makes it the jurisdiction of the forensics expert to pitch into the data and start doing their job. Many professionals are also tasked with working over the cases that have been associated with the internet based crimes or cyber crimes and their job is to help the authorities find a definitive origin of the attack or crime and then devise certain security systems to make sure that something like this doesn’t resurface in the future.
Apart from working for the authorities the forensic computer analysts can also provide their services to a dedicated IT based landscape in the form of reshaping the current security system of the company and to introduce certain things and systems that would help them make their security protocols even stronger to prevent from infiltration by the illicit cyber criminals or hackers.
Duties of the cyber forensic analysts
The duties of the cyber forensic analysts might vary from professional to professional and from organization to organization but the main spectrum of their job remains the searching of data and its investigation to find any inconsistencies that might have affected it, modified or changed it in some possible way. During a cyber breach it is possible that the cyber criminals or hackers might have tried to get in contact with a particular piece of information, trying to change, modify, delete or hide it from the reach of the organization.
Here the cyber analyst would use their knowledge which they have acquired over the years to hunt that digital data down and to provide the control back to the operations and development team of the organization.. This also depicts that the professionals would have to work with various sections of the company and all at the same time to help in providing their services in a better way.
In non-digital world the forensics analysts might investigate the data provided to them to find the relevance which data depicts regarding particular investigation which might have concluded or still be going on.
Career requirements
The basic requirements here for the professionals include having the dedicated knowledge of computer and networking systems including both software and hardware touchpoints. The professionals would have to share an extensive knowledge of the intrusion technology and the penetration testing to hack the potential systems back from the cyber criminals in order to gain the control back and to make sure that no files have been tampered, modified or altered in any way possible. The hacking of the secured systems of the company could also be done to make sure that the security system itself is impenetrable and doesn’t pose any threat to the safety of the information or data which the organization has in their hold.
For a more in-depth knowledge about the role in discussion, OWASP Threats Fundamentals would be a great way to build complete knowledge and clauses of things that need to be determined and taken care of once performing your duties as the forensic computer analyst. Various guidelines such as how to deal with the cyber incidents and other related inconsistencies if arise are also being provided by the OWASP threat fundamentals and you need to be looking forward to these as well.