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Observations In The Land of Experts

  May 1, 2026 Observations In The Land of Experts " It is impossible for a person to begin to learn what he thinks he already knows" -Epictetus Being dubbed an “expert” is a double-edged sword.   It can, and often does, indicate a higher degree of knowledge about a particular topic or practice.   The formal designation of “expert” also frequently means you can demand a higher price for your expertise.   It can also lead to an inflated sense of self-importance, as I’ve observed repeatedly over the years.   I was only ever adjudicated an “expert” once in my time in law enforcement.   The irony was, for all of the trials and testimony I had in my home jurisdiction, it was a case outside of that jurisdiction for which I was put forth as and deemed an “expert” by the Court.   For my time both in and outside of law enforcement, I’ve observed this as a common practice by prosecutors – that is, to NOT have their law enforcement witnesses who may have expertis...
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The Case Against Limited-Scope Warrants for Digital Evidence

  March 1, 2026 The Case Against Limited-Scope Warrants for Digital Evidence " If someone is able to show me that what I think or do is not right, I will happily change, for I seek the truth, by which no one was ever truly harmed." -Marcus Aurelius I don’t work in full-time law enforcement anymore.   I maintain professional relationships and credentials with the training academy, but my days of writing and executing search warrants are (likely) behind me.   However, my current professional landscape has me still in the proverbial mix, particularly with regard to how high-tech investigations are being conducted all over the United States.   While I’m not the one writing the warrants (or other legal demand), I’m very much in the role of reviewing the case files, assessing the merits of the documentation and advising attorneys on the efficacy (or lack thereof) of the investigation and ensuing digital forensic analysis in the criminal arena.   Yes, the majority of ...
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An Exploration of the Grad School Decision in DF/IR

  February 1, 2026 An Exploration of the Grad School Decision in DF/IR " It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows." -Epictetus I recently decided to return to school in pursuit of a Master’s Degree in my chosen field – Digital Forensics.   I often have students ask me whether or not an MS degree is necessary in DF/IR.   I suppose it isn’t, depending on what you want to do.   There was a lot of research and option-weighing that went into this decision.   I’m going to explore some of them here, and hopefully this will help the next person deciding whether or not to pursue a Graduate-level education in Digital Forensics.   At the very least, maybe it will be a good reminder for me to return to when things aren’t as exciting as I’d like them to be in this pursuit. Calculating Options Like a lot of both private and public entities that conduct any kind of technical work that requires continuing education, my employer offers a portion o...
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