Computer Forensics Recruiter

Many people seem surprised that criminals have taken to the Internet to scam people, but it should come as no shock. People have always tried to find ways to take things that don’t belong to them and to cause other people misery. It’s only natural that it made its way to the Internet. Fortunately, there are those who take these crimes seriously and who have the skills to combat the criminals. However, the computer forensics specialists are facing a number of challenges that make this task difficult.

One of the biggest problems is also something that many people love about technology. It evolves and changes rapidly, and that means the forensic specialists have to adapt, as well.

30 years ago, the walkman was a popular device that people carried with them to listen to cassette tapes. 15 years ago, people were using their CD walkmans. Less than a decade ago, people began using dedicated MP3 players for their music. Today, our phones can store music, movies, documents, connect to the web and more. Our reliance and love of technology means that criminals who understand tech will be able to attack accounts, access data, steal money and more with ease.

The digital forensics specialist needs to make sure that he or she is up to date on all of the latest computer technology and devices. They need to be able to work with more than just a traditional computer since smart phones and tablets are so popular.

Another one of the challenges that the world is facing is that there is an overwhelming need for these types of investigators, but there simply aren’t enough of them out there. More people need to take up this career in order to combat the thieves and criminals that are seemingly running rampant and doing as they please.

Computer forensics specialists do more than just work in law enforcement, although most people automatically think of the police or FBI when they hear the word forensics. Quite a large number of digital forensics experts are actually working in the private sector for companies that need help because of computer fraud and theft. They will also work for other government agencies not directly related to law enforcement, and in some cases, they will work on their own by becoming a private consultant. The forensics expert will be able to help these companies and agencies in a variety of different ways.

One of the most common tasks for a computer forensics specialist working for a company is to retrieve data if software or hardware fails. Some IT professionals may be able to do this, but those who have experience in forensics will usually be able to find the data and recover it more quickly and in more instances. They also can find unauthorized entry into a network, and they will be able to determine how the person got into the system and what they did once they were there. The experts will be able to know if anything was stolen as well.

Digital forensics experts will be able to track down and gather evidence against employees who may be misusing computers or funneling data to competition on the network. Even when an employee tries to delete files and traces of their misdeeds, the evidence remains and the experts will be able to find it.

Another way that the specialists can help is by designing tests to check on the security of the system. They will be able to find any chinks in the armor and then come up with ways of fixing them.

As you can see, there are many different things that a computer forensics specialist can do beyond helping law enforcement.

The Internet is connecting humanity in ways never thought possible. People can find information on foreign countries and far off lands and even meet people from those areas thanks to the power of the web. However, the threat of cybercrimes is also taking hold, and there are a number of serious crimes committed on the Internet all the time. It’s up to the authorities and the tireless efforts of computer security experts and computer forensics investigators to help stop this crime. Crime on the web touches all different areas, but here are a few of the more common types of criminal activity on the web today.

Fraud – This is one of the most common types of crime on the web, and it can take many different forms. In some instances, people are using the Internet to “sell” items that don’t exist. They take money from the unsuspecting buyer and then vanish. This can happen on auction sites and even on sites that look completely legitimate.

Another way that cyber criminals are defrauding people on the web is with email cons. They send an email, claiming to be someone that the recipient knows, or the famous dethroned Nigerian prince. They request money, and some people actually send it to them!

Piracy – The problem of piracy is getting out of hand, and it’s one of the most well known types of theft over the web. People are stealing music, movies, books, software, and more. They don’t believe that it’s hurting anyone, but it certainly is hurting the creators of the properties.

Cyber Terrorism – This problem threatens to get worse. Whether hackers are infiltrating a government website or just colluding with others to gather and crash a site due to too many visitors, it’s a huge problem.

These are just three of the many different types of cybercrimes out there today. There are countless more, and it’s important to remain safe when you are on the web.

With so many people dependent upon the Internet, it’s little wonder that the criminals and terrorists of the world have started to congregate there. While most people don’t realize just how dangerous the web can really be, it’s the Wild West in terms of criminals. In fact, Eugene Kaspersky, one of the world’s leading Internet security specialists, recently said that threat of a cyber war was real and imminent.

The web already has a plethora of crime including fraud, hacking, and espionage, and it’s not likely to stop there. One of the real dangers is that some of the top cyber criminals may have offered their services to terrorists. If that were to happen, there would be chaos across the web that would spill into the real world, and it could have far-reaching effects.

Kaspersky is certainly not the only person who sees an alarming trend in the way that cybercrime is evolving. U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron also sees this as a problem that has the potential to become much larger. The attacks on national security, financial institutions and other sites happen regularly, and the governments of the world are trying to find the best way to handle these threats.

Without imposing restrictions on the way in which people use the web – as they do in China – the United States and the United Kingdom are trying to find other ways to combat cybercrimes and the possibility of an all out cyber war. It’s important for nations to begin to work together to fight these problems, and with the help of computer experts and those in the area of digital forensics, it is possible to stave off this threat. It will take time, a lot of work and a healthy dose of cooperation, certainly, but it is well worth the effort.

In April of 2011, Sony learned that their PSN (Playstation Network) had been hacked. They learned of the problem, tried to rebuild their network, and failed to tell those who were members of the network that the reason it was down was a cyber attack. They neglected to tell people that their accounts were compromised, as was their personal information. It took weeks for all of the information finally to come out, and even longer for the network to return to normal.

Sony was not ready for something like this. Although they claim they had security measures in place, they seemed quite lax. Most computer security experts would tell you that the site would have been quite simple to take down because they didn’t have proper security, and they didn’t have a plan in place in case something like that were to occur.

The group “Anonymous” known for their hacking attacks on other companies denied that they were responsible for this attack. However, the working of their communications made it seem as though it was possible that some of their members carried out the attack, although the group as a whole didn’t sanction the assault.

One would think that Sony learned from this, but it was only a few months later that another attack occurred. This attack compromised the accounts of nearly 100,000 people. This attack succeeded in verifying passwords and account information. Sony says that they were able to lock those accounts temporarily. They’ve also announced that they would work with users regarding any fraudulent purchases made on credit cards with numbers stolen from the accounts.

Sony says that they want their customers to have tougher passwords on their site to reduce the possibility of this happening again. However, a hacker will be able to bypass these passwords unless Sony is able to implement better overall security. Hopefully, they’ve done this and have a better system in place to keep their customers safe.