Cyber and Computer Forensics: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries

Program Overview

Cyber and Computer Forensics prepares students to investigate digital evidence in complex cybercrime and national security contexts. This interdisciplinary field combines technical expertise with legal and procedural rigor to uncover, preserve, and analyze digital data from computers, networks, and mobile devices.

• Computer Boot Processes and Drive Analysis: Understanding how operating systems initialize and how data is stored across different drive types to recover critical evidence.
• Jumper Settings and Hardware Configuration: Learning how physical hardware components influence data access and system behavior during forensic acquisition.
• File Access and Data Reconstruction: Mastering techniques to retrieve deleted, hidden, or fragmented files from digital storage media.
• Advanced Hacking and Penetration Techniques: Studying offensive cyber methods to understand attack vectors and strengthen defensive forensic strategies.
• Network Systems and Traffic Analysis: Investigating data flows across networks to trace malicious activity and identify intrusions.
• Cryptography and Encryption Forensics: Applying cryptographic principles to decrypt protected data while maintaining chain-of-custody integrity.
• Programming for Forensic Tools Development: Building custom scripts and software to automate data extraction and analysis in digital investigations.
• Investigative Methodologies and Chain of Custody: Implementing standardized protocols to ensure evidence is collected, documented, and preserved legally and ethically.
• Forensic Imaging and Data Preservation: Using specialized tools to create exact, tamper-proof copies of digital media for analysis.
• Web-Based Investigation Techniques: Tracing online activities through browser histories, cookies, metadata, and cloud-based services.
• Cyberterrorism and Threat Intelligence: Analyzing the tactics, motivations, and infrastructure behind digital attacks with national security implications.
• Legal and Regulatory Frameworks: Applying federal and state laws, including privacy statutes and digital evidence standards, to ensure admissibility in court.