View Full Version : Any advice for my computer forensic future!?
Unreal Numbers
06-10-2008, 01:00 PM
Hi there, Im currently in my final year of sixth form studying Maths, Law and photography. Did Physics at As but failed :S
Im planning on doing computer forensics, the uni's i have read about that do this course are as follows;
Derby
Sunderland
Bournemouth
Shefeild hallam
Nottingham trent
staffs
Glamorgan
Ones of which i am applying to are most probibly
Derby
sunderland
The other three choices i am unsure of. After reading the other thread about which is the best course i am thinking about glamorgan too.
Finaly getting to the point of my thread. What would you say is mist important peice of knowledge i should have before going to university to do this course.... would it be a good idea to read up on programming language?
i have done the odd bit in C++ but nothing special. I am going up to derby this saturday to have a look around and check the course out. i am in the process of reading An eternal golden braid to help boost info to add to my personal statement and was just wondering what is the best thing for me to do to help myself before getting to uni.
sorry for the jumble of words... in school atm, they are trying to kick me of the pc :P
thanks in advance,
Luke presland
Finaly getting to the point of my thread. What would you say is mist important peice of knowledge i should have before going to university to do this course
this is it : "Know Thyself"
Decide what you want to be doing in say 4 years time.
Start with the end in mind. Don't be mesmerised by what TV/Films etc portray as a Forensics type career. It can be hard tedious painstaking and harrowing work.
If you figure the reality of the job actually does turn your cogs then ...
Check *thoroughly* the course content and see if that fits with your ideal.
Some alleged forensic courses have "stocking fillers". Things that aren't exactly digital forensics but they bring them in to pad out the course.Finding out that you "suck" at one of these disciplines, and also that its a core unit could cause you some real problems mid term.
Read up on the forums too. Simon, and a few other contributors, know some of the Uni's intimately and some get better recommendations than others.
finally ... Good Luck
K
Unreal Numbers
11-10-2008, 08:49 PM
hi there, thanks for your reply!
This here is the course outlook for the Bsc computer forensic and security.
Ive just, in the last 2 hours, just come back from visiting derby uni and meeting the programme leader. Plymouth to derby, not a fun drive!
after speaking to him and seeing what the course will be like iv really got into the idea of doing it.
He has said that they have produced a course so that someone with no background knowledge of computers would be able to do it, obviously this would put them at a slight disadvantage.... anyone with some knowledge will find it a bit easier.
However still not sure what i should be looking at to give myself a slight head start :)
Also i remember in a previous thread people talking about how they have to pay out for members of staff to do certain courses after the degree to get them up to scratch, encase for example.
Well after going to derby it seems that for this year and the following years they have bought the encase software to teach with which. I guess will help greatly!?
cheers again
luke
Unreal Numbers
14-10-2008, 06:01 PM
this is it : "Know Thyself"
Finding out that you "suck" at one of these disciplines, and also that its a core unit could cause you some real problems mid term.
K
Hi again, Just wondering....
seeing as these are the course components, which of these, and what about them, should i look at/learn before hand. (before getting to uni) As i would like to get a bit of a head start as after the trip to the uni, allot of the potential students knew allot more about computers then i do :S
http://www.derby.ac.uk/imagewrapper.php?src=/images/imge7c435f3423d78eb2c6be9aa85239a26.png
cheers again
luke
Dude, dont be trying to gain a head start. Whilst it's meritworthy and shows good intent it can often be a waste of time. Wait 'til they give you curriculum details and pedal like mad once you are on the course.
It can be daunting not knowing what this entails before you join, but trying to pre guess this as a confidence boost rarely works. Save Your energies.
If You are really wanting some hands on, go grab a few drives from ebay, some open source tools, and a large cleaned hard drive as a target drive and go play. Try and find out what went on, what pictures are on there if any etc.
Once the course starts, and maybe a few weeks in, look back at what you did, and work out what you missed, in terms of correct procedure. ie not preserving evidence, failing to keep records, forgetting to make a checksum of the image, contaminating evidence, and so on.
Go back to your original drives, and with correct procedure in mind, rinse and repeat.
Kern
Minesh
17-10-2008, 06:36 PM
I know someone who has just completed a Masters at Derby Uni. Will no doubt see them this weekend, so will get full feedback about the course now that it's over.
BTW, Whilst I was on an EnCase course, I met someone (staff) from Nottingham Trent Uni, so I woud imagine that they are likely to be considering EnCase in their content.
Kind Regards,
Minesh
Unreal Numbers
20-10-2008, 09:38 AM
I know someone who has just completed a Masters at Derby Uni. Will no doubt see them this weekend, so will get full feedback about the course now that it's over.
BTW, Whilst I was on an EnCase course, I met someone (staff) from Nottingham Trent Uni, so I woud imagine that they are likely to be considering EnCase in their content.
Kind Regards,
Minesh
Oh sounds good! would be nice to know how he found it there. After going to bournemouth, derby is looking like my first choice.
Bournemouth's idea of a forensic computing course is to get the computer science course and add three modules related to computer forensics. Very annoying... seeing as bournemouth is much nicer looking....
cheers
luke
Unreal Numbers
20-10-2008, 09:41 AM
Dude, dont be trying to gain a head start. Whilst it's meritworthy and shows good intent it can often be a waste of time. Wait 'til they give you curriculum details and pedal like mad once you are on the course.
Kern
Thanks! sounds like a plan...
seeing as im am a total 'noob' in anything to do with computer forensics what open source software to go for ect.
Off to coventry uni this saturday.... will be fun :) hope the course is better the bournemouth though...
cheers
luke