Digital detective (Digitaal rechercheur)
Information on this skill...
A digital detective is a detective who specializes in preventing, detecting and stopping digital crime. As a digital detective, you work for the police or work within the business community. The term digital detective is not only reserved for the police, because the term detective has no further professional protection. The powers that a digital detective will have differ between the police and the business community. Another name for digital investigators working within the business community can also be private digital investigators. For example, a digital detective who works within the business world can work for a company detective agency that conducts research at companies. The real official name digital detective is reserved for the police. The digital investigation is usually called in when digital information carriers have to be read out. Think of computers, mobile phones, digital photo cameras and organizers. A digital detective is therefore a true computer specialist, who even manages to uncover erased information if necessary. But also eavesdropping on telephone conversations and reading mails, text messages and Whatsapp messages can be possible if you work for the police. The profession of digital detective can now be regarded as an important profession, because digital fraud and crime occur in many ways. It is the digital detectives who have specialized in detecting and stopping digital fraud and crime. Digital crime does not only relate to serious and difficult cases. Consider, for example, stopping scammers who try to scam people via a trading platform or website.
A digital detective or private digital investigator can therefore work for the police or the business community. In addition, certain companies can use digital investigators internally. Think, for example, of large companies that have a lot to do with sensitive digital information, such as a bank or insurer. In most cases, it will involve highly specialized ICT work that requires extensive knowledge of the ICT sector. Think, for example, of a programmer who can find all the necessary information on information carriers, or of a data recovery specialist who can find important erased data from a hard drive. A digital detective can also be deployed in other ways within the business community and the government. Think, for example, of preventing problems related to information systems by detecting weak spots in the network, or of fending off hackers who try to steal information or worse. As described earlier, the profession of digital detective should not be underestimated, because being able to detect, repel and stop fraud and crime via the internet is very difficult. In addition, digital investigators can be heavily dependent on international partnerships when it comes to large cases.
PRIVATE DIGITAL RESEARCHER
Nowadays there are several specialists when it comes to information carriers, not all of whom have to work as detectives for the police. Consider, for example, the profession of information security officer, the profession of security specialist ICT and the profession of detective. Nowadays there is also an official four-year MBO course in private digital researcher. As a private digital investigator, you can conduct fraud investigations in the service of a detective agency. A digital detective can be called in for all kinds of cases, such as corporate fraud, internet fraud and criminal investigations. As a private digital investigator, you do not have the same powers as a digital detective who works for the police. Rules that a private digital investigator in the Netherlands must comply with are set out, among other things, in the Act and the Regulation on private security organizations and detective agencies and the Personal Data Protection Act. In addition, detective agencies must have a license from the Ministry of Security and Justice. It may also be necessary to obtain additional permission from the police to be able to use certain investigative methods.
WHAT IS CYBERCRIME
Cybercrime is a collective term for crime that relates to the internet and information carriers. Think, for example, of cyber extortion, cyberstalking, e-mail fraud, identity fraud and sending spam. Sending viruses or carrying out DDoS attacks is also part of cybercrime. A DDoS attack is an attack in which a server will be overloaded by massive visits to a website, causing a website or internet service to stop working. These types of attacks are a major threat to large companies and governments, because the consequences can be large. Consider, for example, a bank or insurer, which may not be reachable for customers for days due to a DDoS attack. In fact, all forms of computer crime fall under the heading of cybercrime. Scamming people via the internet also belongs to the denominator of cybercrime.
WHAT DOES A DIGITAL DETECTIVE DO:
TRAINING TO BECOME A DIGITAL DETECTIVE
If you want to work as a private digital researcher, it is best to follow the MBO digital researcher course, of four years at level four. During this programme, you will learn, among other things, to keep a close eye on the use of ICT, to map out research needs, how to deal with digital traces and how to secure the research material, how to select relevant digital traces and how to carry out a study and draw up a research report. But of course there will also be extensive attention for what exactly you as a private digital researcher can and cannot do. Those who eventually want to work for the police as a digital detective will usually have to follow a further education at hbo level. For example, a follow-up of the MBO programme can be the HBO programme integral safety of four years. In addition, there are also plenty of external training institutes where you can follow a course. Accounting is also important as an entrepreneur.
COMPANIES WHERE A DIGITAL DETECTIVE CAN WORK
A digital detective can work in different ways. Think, for example, of a digital detective who works for a private detective agency, or of a digital detective who works for the government. In that case, a digital detective can usually be regarded as a detective or as a detective. A detective is a police officer who belongs to the higher educated police officers within the investigation department. In addition, a digital detective can work as a civil servant for other intelligence services or ministries. A private digital researcher can also work as an entrepreneur.
COMPETENCES DIGITAL DETECTIVE
The most important competence of a digital detective or private digital investigator is the extensive knowledge of the IT world and everything that comes with it. In addition, you have to be a sleuth and have a lot of perseverance, because retrieving information is not always easy. General investigative skills should also not be lacking as a digital detective. Because most digital detectives work together within a team of other specialists, communication can also be regarded as an important competence. Further training should also be regarded as an important competence, because cybercriminals are constantly applying new techniques. Generally important words are motivation, vigilance, analysis, analytical, stress resistance, laws and regulations, planning and organizing.
LABOUR MARKET PERSPECTIVE AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AS A DIGITAL DETECTIVE
The labour market perspective of a digital detective or private digital investigator can vary greatly. There are usually enough vacancies at the police for the profession of digital detective, but the police only hire the best people. The chances of a job as a digital detective with the police are therefore strongly dependent on the level of education. In order to be able to work for the police as a digital detective, you will have to have at least an appropriate hbo education. As a private digital researcher, there are generally more jobs to be found, depending on your possible further training and your own competencies. With only a completed MBO education in private digital researcher, your employment opportunities are limited. Growing as a digital detective or private digital investigator should therefore be seen in following a higher professional education and possibly working for the police. But starting your own business can also be seen as growing within your career.
TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT AND SALARY DIGITAL DETECTIVE
There are no specific employment conditions for this profession, because you can work for different companies or governments as a digital researcher. Giving a salary indication is also very difficult for this profession, because you can work for different organizations in different positions. The government usually uses fixed salary scales within which you will be classified. What exactly an independently working digital researcher will earn depends of course strongly on the number and type of assignments.
The content on this page has been automatically translated from the Dutch language. For this reason, texts and videos on this page may contain small errors.
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