An IT forensics degree will provide graduates with the education and career preparation to serve in several roles. These duties can range from combating crimes against children to file system recovery on servers or computers that have been hacked into or damaged. An IT forensics specialist will be able to recover information that can be used in criminal prosecution. IT forensics experts also may be employed by corporations to test security of information systems.
It is possible to earn a two-year associates degree in IT forensics through a community college, technical or vocational school. Many employers, however, desire to hire IT forensics personnel who have received a four-year college degree. The four-year college experience adds more depth to a prospective employee's educational background and makes a job applicant's standing rise. Bachelor's degrees in computer forensics are most often IT degrees with a major or minor in computer forensics. This type of degree will prepare people for entry-level positions in the computer forensics field.
Because the IT forensics field is relatively new with the growth of digital information, many bachelor's degree programs at universities and colleges are in a developmental phase. More programs will be made available as time goes on. While some institutions may not yet offer IT forensics degrees, their course catalogs may include such programs as internet security, IT security, cyber security or information systems security. A degree in any of these areas would help a graduate find employment in the IT forensics field.
During the course of a bachelor's degree program in IT forensics or related areas, students will learn how to keep computer networks safe from cyber attacks, and they also will learn how to recover data after a cyber crime has been committed. Specific courses in the curriculum for an IT forensics degree could include: securing a network, crime scene investigation techniques, collection and documentation of evidence, network surveillance software use, data recovery, preservation of evidence and forensic analysis of evidence.