In recent years, personal computers have become increasingly important as sources of evidence in fraud, white-collar crime, and other investigations. Similarly, the proliferation of computer and communications networks over the last decade has aided and abetted fraudsters, extortionists, and other criminals. Law enforcement officers, investigators, computer auditors, network administrators, and other professionals have had to respond by developing tools and techniques to extract computer evidence that is admissible in court. Forensic Computer Science involves the identification, collection, preservation, examination, and analysis of computer evidence stored in the form of magnetically encoded information.
The National Center for Forensic Science (NCFS) , the Schools of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and the Department of Chemistry, jointly sponsor this interdisciplinary certificate program at the University of Central Florida (UCF). In addition, the Liberal Studies Graduate Program, in the College of Arts and Science , offers a Master degree in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Computer Forensics. This certificate program provides a unique opportunity of graduate training to professionals and paraprofessionals who deal directly or indirectly with digital evidence, including Law Enforcement Investigators, Forensic Laboratory Analysts, Lawyers & Judges, and Corporate Computer Security Specialists.