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Study Computing & Information Technology Forensic Investigation

Forensic Investigation (Digital Forensics and Cybersecurity Option)

Advanced Certificate Part-time

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Overview

Fall 2021 delivery mode: blended

  • This program will be delivered for the fall semester as a combination of online and on-campus learning. While some of your coursework will take place online, there will also be in-person sessions.
  • Faculty will notify students of when their attendance on campus will be required.
  • We have put measures in place for your safety and well-being, ensuring that all safety protocols are addressed. Please see the BCIT COVID-19 page for details on the mandatory procedures that have been implemented.
  • You will need access to a personal computer with video and microphone for the online portion of your program.

Your education is our priority and we will continue to deliver the applied instruction, collaborative experience, and industry connections that you expect from BCIT.

The increasing pervasiveness and convenience of computers make them vital to our everyday lives. Computers are the backbone of our infrastructure, and anyone with malicious intent can cause irreparable harm by crippling these systems. Our dependence on computers leaves us vulnerable to exploitation and all stages of computer operations or transactions are susceptible. Criminals are finding more and more ways to take advantage of this: from identity and corporate theft to credit card fraud, they are not only targeting our computers but using computers to commit these crimes. Most crimes leave some clues behind and computer crime is no exception. You have to know what, how and where to find them.

This proliferation of crime involving computers has led to a need for specialists trained in the field of computer forensics and cybersecurity, the scientific analysis of communications and data on computer storage devices. Specialists in computer forensics unite technical expertise with investigative skills and legal knowledge, a combination that is essential for computer crime investigations. Some applications of computer forensics are:

  • Investigating and uncovering evidence of illegal activities conducted via computer
  • Investigating crimes by searching for evidence the accused may have stored on computers or data drives, although the crime itself may not have been committed via computer
  • Hacking legally, that is, working for corporations to find and close computer system security holes

Training in computer forensics is extremely important in order to understand how to handle the delicate information in storage devices. Technical people may think they know how to extract data; however, they may inadvertently alter or delete important information. Computer forensics practitioners know how to handle information extraction, as well as how to identify information that is useful in a legal case and how to explain and present it in court. Primary responsibilities of computer forensic investigators include:

  • Preserving, identifying, extracting, and documenting evidence stored in computers
  • Searching through documents on a computer for information that will help detectives build their cases, often spending much of their time recovering deleted emails and files
  • Compiling computer evidence for legal cases and working on programs that help recover computer evidence
  • Giving expert testimony when a case comes to trial

Entrance Requirements

Costs & Supplies

Courses

Program Details

Graduating & Jobs

Job Opportunities

Graduates from the Digital Forensics and Cybersecurity Option will gain additional skills and knowledge that professionals require to work successfully in the prevention and investigation of commercial crime and computer crime. There is a growing requirement for professionals in both the private and public sectors. Some position titles include:

  • Police detective
  • Provincial investigator
  • Manager, corporate security
  • Network security manager
  • Risk manager
  • Securities investigator
  • Private security/investigations practitioner
  • Information systems auditor

Graduates will be able to function both as professionals in their own right and as members of multi-disciplinary teams composed of financial and investigative professionals.

Faculty, Advisors & Staff

Advisory committee

  • Dana Adams – Director of Security Services, Telus Communication
  • Lynn Gifford – Coordinator, Forensic Nursing Services, Surrey Memorial Hospital
  • Taras Hryb – President, Canadian Association of Private Investigators
  • Jared Jung – Computer Crime, ASC Student
  • Lisa Lapointe – Forensic Science and Identification Services, Province of BC
  • Stefano Mazzega – General Manager, Forensic Science and Identification Services, National Forensic Services Laboratory, Vancouver
  • Kevin McQuiggin – Inspector(retd), Tech Crime Unit, Vancouver Police Department
  • Aaron Oliynyk – Crime and Intelligence, Btech Student and Civil Aviation Safety Inspector
  • Jess Ram – Inspector, Criminal Intelligence Services
  • Jagjit Sumra – Director, Investigative Services, Canada Post

Contact Us

Raymond Yu, Program Coordinator
604.453.4092

Questions or comments?

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Programs and courses are subject to change without notice.