DF Community

Six months after I started my master's program, I finally discovered the digital forensics community.  Why did I not think of seeking out prominent people, blogs, and podcasts before? I suppose I was satisfied with what I was learning.  During research last semester on a project that I will talk about in the future, I came across a blog by Eric Huber, the purveyor of A Fistful of Dongles.  I contacted him about my project to get some ideas.  Six months later I contacted him again giving him my results.  At that time I read one of his blog posts that mentioned he was on the current Cybercrime 101 podcast.  I gave it a listen, and he talked a bit about the importance of networking and being involved in the community. I took it to heart. I updated my LinkedIn account, I created a Twitter account, and now here I am blogging away.  I am so glad I did. I am enjoying this field and my degree so much more than I did a week ago. I feel very up to date, and I have better information on opinions of problems we're currently facing.  That's only one week of following others' tweets and listening to podcasts.  I guess I didn't "get" Twitter before. I thought it was to follow <some famous celebrity> so I know when he gets a cheeseburger at McDonald's. Maybe I still don't, but using it as a news feed for my career seems to be an invaluable tool.

This blog is entitled "Practical Digital Forensics: Common Sense Ideas for the Field."  (at least for now) Is it just me, but why is that many ideas in academia (or elsewhere) do not make it to the desk of the investigator as practical suggestions?  Some common sense ideas evade us (or evade me).  It is my goal to contribute to the reversal even as a student. I hope investigators, students, and the military become more involved in the online digital forensics community.  Personal contacts are great, but many people who specialize in a particular area can be found online.  The community provides a large knowledge base.  Articles received through Twitter reduce personal research time and lets you know the latest trends in digital forensics. Visiting others' blogs lets you know who they follow and where to get more information. As an emerging field it is so important to connect with others and learn from them. Get involved.