What does a computer crime investigator do?

What is a Computer Crime Investigator?

Did you know there's a “most wanted” list of cyber criminals, just like there's one for traditional criminals?

Cybercrime is on the rise, and the demand for computer crime investigators has increased due to the amount of criminal activity on the Internet. Examples of computer crimes may include illegal downloading of copyrighted material, crimes against children, identity theft, and harassing emails.

What does a Computer Crime Investigator do?

Computer crime investigators play a critical role in keeping the Internet safe and in finding cyber criminals.

They look at damaged file systems on computers, hack into an organization's computer networks to test security systems that are already in place, and maximize optimal computer system performance levels.

Computer crime investigators are also able to recover and gather electronic evidence and data from computers that can be used in prosecuting crimes, such as crimes against children.

Evidence may involve determining the details of intrusions into computer systems, recovering data from encrypted or erased files, or recovering emails and deleted passwords. They then can write reports that will later be used in court, and will also testify in court.

A computer crime investigator's duties and responsibilities may include:
- Analyzing computer systems
- Recovering data
- Gathering evidence
- Improving computer performance levels
- Fixing damaged computer systems
- Preparing reports
- Testifying in court
- Training law enforcement
- Drafting testimony and affidavits
- Consulting with clients
- Meeting with supervisors, and managers
- Ongoing research and training
- Recovering files
- Looking at software for design flaws
- Presenting computer evidence
- Team work

Are you suited to be a computer crime investigator?

Computer crime investigators have distinct personalities. They tend to be investigative individuals, which means they’re intellectual, introspective, and inquisitive. They are curious, methodical, rational, analytical, and logical. Some of them are also enterprising, meaning they’re adventurous, ambitious, assertive, extroverted, energetic, enthusiastic, confident, and optimistic.

Does this sound like you? Take our free career test to find out if computer crime investigator is one of your top career matches.

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What is the workplace of a Computer Crime Investigator like?

Computer crime investigators can find work with any kind of organization that has a computer system. Typical places of employment are government offices (local, state, and federal), accounting firms, law firms, banks, and software development companies.

Some computer crime investigators choose to start their own businesses, giving them an opportunity to work with a variety of clients.

Computer Crime Investigators are also known as:
Computer Forensics Investigator Computer Forensics Analyst