Promoting Professionalism in Computer Forensics who should Accredit

1
Promoting Professionalism in Computer Forensics
who should Accredit ?

• Alastair Irons
• Northumbria University

2
Objectives

• To consider the issue of professionalism in
  computer forensics programmes
• Embed in the curriculum
• Accreditation of programmes
• Certification of practitioners

3
Context for Professionalism in Computer Forensics

• Computer forensics is a new discipline
• No defined curriculum for university programmes
  or for professional accreditation
• Principles of forensic science have been in
  public domain for over 100 years
• Computer forensics does not yet have a central
  body which will only admit members when they have
  reached a certain skill level although register
  of practitioners in CRFP is potentially moving in
  this direction
• There is no disciplinary board which can stop
  practitioners from practising
• There is no accepted framework for ethical
  principles or professional standards

4
Certification and Licence to Practice

• Should computer forensics practitioners be
  certified or accredited through a licence to
  practice?
• What does accreditation mean ?
• Who would benefit from certification ?
• What would be the impact of a statutory computer
  forensics licence
• What is the role of experience ?
• Should an accrediting body have power of licence
  ?
• Series of specialisms ?
• Operating system based ? Network differences ?

5
Accreditation - who should accredit ?

• Existing computing professional bodies
• British Computer Society (BCS), Institution of
  Engineering and Technology (IET), Association of
  Computing Machinery (ACM)
• Development of register of practitioners ?
• Forensic science professional bodies
• Council for Registration of Forensics
  Practitioners (digital evidence practitioners)
• Computer forensics body
• International Association of Computer
  Investigative Specialists (IACIS)
• High Technology Crime Investigation Association
  (HTCIA)
• Institute for Computer Forensic Practitioners
  (ICFP)

6
Accreditation - Pragmatics

• What to accredit ?
• University courses
• Curriculum expectations / benchmark
• Computer forensics modules as part of portfolio ?
• Training courses
• Practice
• How to accredit ?
• Review
• Professional exam
• Portfolio
• Ongoing evidence of CPD

7
Summary

• Professionalism is a key issue in placing
  computer forensics
• Opportunity to enhance university programmes by
  having them accredited
• Need to decide as a community who should accredit
  and work with accrediting bodies to develop
  process
• Development of certification opportunities