Studying Computer Forensics

The incidence of violent crime across the world is falling with each passing year. What it’s being replaced by is digital or cyber crime.

Cyber crime has many objectives. The first is hacking to steal information; this could be financial information (to steal money from online bank accounts), patents and commercial secrets (to sell to rival companies or for own benefit), personal information (photos or emails for blackmailing) or espionage (to snoop on foreign governments and to undermine national security). Another objective could be launching denial of service attacks. In these attacks hackers render certain websites inaccessible, resulting in reputational damage to the companies or government agencies affected.

With an explosion in the numbers of computers and phones being used today and a corresponding rise in cyber crime; the demand for computer forensic experts has never been higher. These professionals are trained to investigate cyber crimes and catch perpetrators. By studying computer forensics, you will develop strong IT and programming skills in addition to analytical, research, communication, time management and teamwork skills.

British universities are at the forefront of computer forensics teaching, learning and research. There are nearly 20 universities offering programmes in this subject area.

Some of the universities where you could study computer forensics are:

• University of South Wales
• University of South Wales
• University of Greenwich
• University of Bedfordshire

Salary and Career Prospects

With an academic background in computer forensics, you could work as Forensics Identification Specialist, Intelligence Researcher, Forensic Lead, Forensic Administrator and Cyber Investigator. You could work in either private sector or with government and police departments.

Salaries vary depending on location, qualifications and experience. Average advertised salaries for computer forensics experts are around £30,500 (28 lakhs INR0 per annum. Although with experience and certifications, this could go up to £90,000 (81 lakhs INR).

Why Study in UK?

The UK is a world-renowned seat of learning, teaching and research with 3 universities in top 10 and 7 in top 50 in THE World Rankings 2018.

The UK has a rich heritage of excelling in computer science. In fact, the world’s first digital computer was invented in Britain during the Second World War to decipher secret messages exchanged by German troops.

The UK is home to many of the world’s most leading technology companies. These include the likes of Adobe, Microsoft, Apple and Intel.

It is possible for students to remain in the UK after finishing their studies, provided they meet all prevailing visa requirements.