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Identify – and Help Out – Great Digital Forensics Candidates in Your Agency

When we announced the Magnet Forensics Scholarship Program last year, we did so with the intention to give promising law enforcement officers an opportunity to get a head start in digital investigations. Patrol officers, detectives, and others who want to explore this career can apply for a scholarship to receive:

  • Unlimited access to world-class digital forensics training for one year.
  • The opportunity to obtain the industry-leading Magnet Certified Forensics Examiner (MCFE) digital forensics credential.
  • A free one-year Magnet AXIOM license.
  • A trip to the Techno Security & Digital Forensics Conference 2019.

But how might you go about nominating an officer or detective to participate? Whether you’re starting a brand-new lab or building on what you already have, we wanted to offer some tips on what to look for in selecting the right person to train.

How to Identify a Candidate (Including Yourself)

The best Magnet Forensics Scholarship Program candidates have a number of characteristics in common:

  1. They ask questions, all the way from academy training up through field training and beyond. They’re interested in how evidence is stored on a device, how to preserve digital evidence, why forensic examiners have the requirements they have, and what kinds of evidence is available to help them build their cases.
  2. Digital situational awareness. They know the relevance of digital evidence and its place among more traditional forms of evidence and investigation, and they think in terms of the “digital crime scene.” They ask whether manipulating the device in any way will change or destroy evidence, and they understand that any electronic device might store data—even if it’s not one they commonly see or submit to their lab.
  3. They’re driven by the oath they swore to defend their community, which they know extends into the digital world—online and offline. Your next digital forensics expert could be the school resource officer who coaches kids on how to stay safe from bullies and predators, or the detective who counsels battered women about digital survival, or the street cop who knows to check the phone for distracted driving evidence after every traffic collision.
  4. Leadership candidates. Law enforcement leaders need to be well-rounded, and they also need to be prepared to guide future generations of officers as technology continues to evolve. Supervisors and command staff who have a solid foundation in digital evidence are in the best position to provide this guidance. If you’ve pegged an officer as leadership material because of the way other officers turn to them for advice and support, as well as the other characteristics in this post, nominate them for our scholarship program.
  5. Openness to different career possibilities. With digital forensics skills, the possibilities are limitless. You might end up investigating fraudsters or cyberterrorists for a federal agency or corporation, or remain in law enforcement managing your own lab.

Submit Your Nominations

If you or an officer you know are currently performing a non-technical role and would like to explore future career opportunities in digital forensics, then this scholarship program is for you—your chance to get the tools you need to get started in digital forensics, without affecting your department’s budget.

Fill out the form on this page to submit your nomination and tell us why you’re interested in pursuing a new career in digital forensics. You can also send your resume to ScholarshipProgram@magnetforensics.com with a letter of recommendation from your leader with your submission.

All entries are due by Sept. 30, 2018 and we’ll reach out to the winner once they are chosen.

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