Digital Forensics Paper

Digital forensics is not a new phenomenon, therefore, why is it, still to this day, not considered a profession. As mentioned in the article, digital forensics has been around since the 1970s when the government first began to develop tools to investigate web based fraud (Losavio, Seigfried-Spellar, and Sloan, 2016). Social scientists have claimed that due to the progression digital forensics has received, such as, specialized knowledge; specialized training; work that is considered great value; credit emptor relations with clients; a code of ethics; cooperative relations with other members; high autonomy levels; and self regulation, since its original inception, that it is indeed a profession (Losavio, Seigfried-Spellar, and Sloan, 2016).
It can be argued at times that from an economic standpoint that digital forensic analysis can be valued when it saves the companies millions of dollars by ensuring their network is not intruded, however it certainly is not valued oftentimes on the individual level. The criminal side of digital forensics can be quite disturbing, especially when dealing with sensitive topics such as, child pornography. Although it can be quite gratifying for individuals to know they took part in capturing a sexual predator, oftentimes, as observed by Irvine (n.d.), a burnout issue among digital forensic practitioners is more present (As cited in, Losavio, Seigfried-Spellar, and Sloan, 2016). The value in which individuals derive rom the practice of digital forensics if most definitely lower as it can often be viewed as less gratifying as individuals become more sensitive to digital content over long periods of
The stages of this process include creating a full-fledged and distinctive occupation, establishing a national association that is given various responsibilities in regards to the profession, train the future practitioners through university sponsor programs that are established and solidified, and engage in political mobilization to gain political and legal support to give members a specific niche. It is evident that digital forensics is well on its way to being established as a profession due to the fact that many digital forensic programs are being offered and training individuals at universities and many of the law enforcement agencies in the United States staff practitioners. However, digital forensics still possesses many issues to becoming a full fledge profession, due to the fact that they do not have an established national association that represents its interests, educates the public, enforces a code of ethics, etc.; does not have a uniform training program in place; and possesses little to no political mobilization. I believe that if this field continues to advance as it has over the past forty years, it will indeed become a “true” profession in the near