January 12, 2025 Effective Advanced Communication in DF/IR “Nothing important comes into being overnight; even grapes or figs need time to ripen.” -Epictetus As my bio and LinkedIn page relay, I teach a lot.   One of those teaching roles is as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Forensic Science teaching an Intro to Digital Forensics course at Virginia Commonwealth University , which also happens to be my Alma Mater.   I teach one semester per year, which, when combined with a list of other responsibilities, is quite enough. For those of you who teach, you know that most semesters start off with excitement and energy and by the time the 15 or 16-week course starts to wind down, it can be a bit of a grind.   Even teaching once a week for 3 hours is grueling at times, especially with regard to assignments, grading, testing, etc… Oh, and FT work too!   Teaching at VCU is also one of the most rewarding roles I fill.   Not only does it help keep me up-to...

  January 1, 2025 What Is “The Philosophy of DF/IR” ? “If it is not right, do not do it, if it is not true, do not say it.” -Marcus Aurelius Welcome to the newest Digital Forensics/Incident Response blog (for now)!   I created this space for several reasons.   First, I have a passion for writing about our industry and the nuances that reside within it and come about because of our practice of forensic data analysis.   The intersection of data, evidence and the law is a fascinating thread on which to pull and the more we pull on it, the more we unravel the tapestry of our practice and work to hone and refine how we conduct our work.   Second, I have been inspired lately by the likes of Brett Shavers (DFIR Training) and others to continue writing.   For those of you who are not already familiar, I wrote a DF blog for my company, Pro Digital Forensic Consulting, before the company and I were acquired by a Nationwide Digital Forensic services provider.   ...