The demand for people to investigate such crimes is on the rise. Some cybercrimes are investigated by traditional law enforcement, while others are handled by cybercrime investigators who specialize in the field.
If you’re interested in this type of work, let’s start with exactly what constitutes a cybercrime.
What Is Cybercrime?
Cybercrime is any crime that utilizes either a computer or the internet. The vast majority of cybercrimes are committed for the purposes of financial gain. Examples include ransomware attacks, cyber espionage, identity theft, credit card frauds, and internet scams.
What Is a Cybercrime Investigator?
A cybercrime investigator is an expert at figuring out who is responsible for cybercrimes.
They are typically highly knowledgeable about the internet, computers, networks, and software. They use that knowledge to both collect evidence and ultimately understand how cybercrimes were committed.
They are often asked to testify in court and, therefore, play an important role in prosecuting cybercriminals. Many investigators also assist in cybercrime prevention.
Some investigators specialize in fraud investigations, such as identity theft, while others are responsible for understanding how hackers gain access to restricted servers.
Cybercrime investigators are found in both the public and private sectors. Most large police departments have dedicated cybercrime personnel. Private businesses, such as those in finance and law, also hire people in this role.
The tasks performed by cybercrime investigators include:
Recovering deleted and damaged files. Accessing password-protected accounts and encrypted data. Reconstructing cybercrimes. Writing reports on how cybercrimes occurred. Drafting expert testimony and explaining evidence. Creating procedures for preventing cybercrime. Educating people on cybersecurity. Researching and interacting with potential cybercriminals. Looking for weaknesses in networks and software. Working with law enforcement in other countries.
How to Become a Cybercrime Investigator
There are many different ways to become a cybercrime investigator. Ultimately, it’s a matter of working in roles that will allow you to build the skill set required to do the job.
Entry-level roles exist but most investigators start out by working in either cybersecurity or law enforcement first. It’s a highly specialized role that combines the skillset of both. Any position in IT would also provide valuable experience.
Qualifications aren’t strictly required to work as a cybercrime investigator. Many investigators are entirely self-taught. In saying this, given the high competition for some roles, an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in a related field is likely to help you stand out. Related fields include computer science, law, data forensics, and cybersecurity.
There are also various IT certificates that many employers value just as highly as traditional degrees.
Keep in mind that if you want to work for government or law enforcement, the exact educational requirements are likely to be a lot stricter with some roles only available to holders of specific degrees and certs.
What Skills Are Required?
The exact skills required to be a cybercrime investigator depend on the nature of the crimes being investigated. Some roles are highly technical while others place a great emphasis on finding information. Here are a few of the most important skills.
Computer Expertise
Cybercrimes are carried out using a wide range of different devices and operating systems. Investigators need to have experience with all the popular devices and the capacity to understand new technologies quickly. Many roles also require an understanding of networking concepts.
Cybersecurity Knowledge
You don’t need to be a cybersecurity expert to investigate cybercrime but you do need to know the basics. Cybercrime is typically carried out by exploiting security weaknesses, and it’s important to understand how this is achieved. You will also need to recognize malicious software when it’s being used.
Internet Research Skills
A cybercrime investigator should be an expert at finding information online. This is about more than just using search engines. The average person leaves personal information all over the internet. A criminal investigator should know where to look and even how to automate the process.
Dark Web Experience
If a cybercrime involves the theft of information, that information often ends up being sold on the dark web. Most professional cybercriminals are also members of dark web forums. An effective investigation will often require experience with this part of the internet.
Communication Skills
A cybercrime investigator will often be required to explain highly technical concepts to people who may not have any experience in the area. The steps of an investigation will also have to be thoroughly documented. Technical skills alone are, therefore, not enough to be effective.
Legal Knowledge
To investigate cybercrime, it’s important to understand the laws that perpetrators can potentially be prosecuted. There are also a number of laws that investigators themselves cannot break, such as the criminal’s right to privacy.
Penetration Testing Skills
The most sophisticated cybercrimes are typically committed by hackers. If you’d like to investigate this area of cybercrime, you will need to have ethical hacking and/or penetration testing experience. Keep in mind that many roles, such as fraud investigation, do not require this.
Digital Forensics Knowledge
Professional cyber criminals are very good at covering their tracks. It is, therefore, not uncommon for cybercrime investigators to require access to files that have been deleted. The recovery of such files is typically handled by a computer forensics expert.
Where to Find Cybercrime Investigator Jobs
Cybercrime investigator positions are widely advertised on popular job-hunting websites, such as LinkedIn. It’s important to note, however, that they’re often under different titles.
Depending on the skillset required, a cybercrime investigator role might be referred to as a:
Cybersecurity Expert Fraud Investigator Pentester Cryptographer Forensic Analyst
Freelance work is widely available. If a business or individual has been a victim of cybercrime, they are most likely to hire somebody on a short-term basis. The best way to find such opportunities is through networking and by establishing an online presence as an expert in the field.
Is Cybercrime Investigation Right for You?
If you’re interested in how cybercrime happens, the role of investigator has the potential to be highly rewarding. It’s challenging and highly paid work, and provides the opportunity to make the internet a much safer place.
It’s certainly not an easy field to get into. Depending on your current experience level, it’s something that may require a commitment of many years to enter. Once qualified, however, demand for your skills is only likely to increase.
