Popular Technology Degrees

Computer Forensics Experts Lead the Way in London

August 8, 2005
By Martin A. David
Technology Schools Columnist

The dust was hardly settled over the site of the cowardly bombings in London before the English police put their incident response teams into action. The computer forensics investigators were part of the first wave of inspectors to be involved in the search for the perpetrators.

Calling in the Experts

The world recoiled in horror over the bombs that killed and injured hundreds in London, England, and the sense of shock was still in the air when Scotland Yard announced that they had evidence of who had committed the crime. One of the key factors in this rapid solution was an incident response team that included computer forensics experts. These computer forensics experts were able to gather evidence and connect the small bits of digital and physical information that led to the bombers.

A Day in the Life

Of course, the dramatic impact of the London case is not something that will be repeated every day in the life of a computer forensics expert. Much of the work done by a trained computer forensics investigator is less spectacular. Professional computer forensics investigators can be involved in a wide range of criminal inquiries, including white collar crime, fraud, and the theft of intellectual property.

The New Crime Solvers

Although most forensics investigators work with smaller crimes, the number of jobs is growing, and the profession is becoming more important as the threat of international terrorism rises. Just as old-fashioned criminals were often caught by tracking their footprints, the new terror criminals are trailed by following footprints on the Internet, or on personal computers. Today's computer forensics experts are tomorrow's detective heroes.

About the Author
Martin A. David consults as a Senior Technical Writer for a number of Silicon Valley firms. He is also a translator, specializing in Danish, French and Spanish literary works. He has written numerous feature articles for publications including the Los Angeles Times. He has also published a novel, and a non-fiction book in the area of dance. Martin earned his B.A. in Liberal Arts from Brooklyn College in his native New York. He currently chairs the Santa Clara Cultural Advisory Commission in Santa Clara, California.