Data recovery is an important aspect of computer forensics. Computer forensics
involves finding evidence for civil and criminal cases.
Mari DeGrazia works for a computer forensics company in Arizona. She has
worked on many types of cases, including terrorism, financial fraud, insurance
fraud and murder.
"A lot of times, with evidence, we're looking for information that's been
deleted or doesn't exist on the computer [in a form] that the user would typically
see," says DeGrazia.
"So a lot of times we're having to recover deleted text messages, deleted
images, deleted documents -- those types of things -- to help prove or disprove
a case."
DeGrazia has a bachelor's degree in computer science and many other certifications.
"I have a computer background and I guess I kind of stumbled into the
field," says DeGrazia.
"I was looking for a job and someone in the area happened to be hiring
in forensics. One of the things that I love about it is, it kind of takes
a computer and technology background and mixes it with an investigative aspect
of things. And each case is always different that I work on."
Data recovery is part of almost every case that DeGrazia works on. As you
can imagine, when the authorities are investigating a person or corporation,
data tends to disappear! It's the job of data recovery specialists, including
computer forensics experts, to get it back.
"The best attribute one can have in this field of work is a strong level
of communication with clientele," says Ed Fortin. His consulting company provides
IT support for police services and municipal governments.
"Keeping the client informed during each stage of the process, including
and not limited to cost, will help eliminate unwanted stress and pressure,"
says Fortin. "Remember, stress and pressure almost always result in mistakes."
Fortin says those wanting to work in the data recovery field should love
to learn. The field is constantly evolving.
"The best advantage for any person in the data recovery field would be
the continuing education and development of their technical knowledge," says
Fortin. "Also, developing a strong skill set of backup strategies and disaster
recovery planning is always an asset."
It's very satisfying to help people solve their data recovery problems,
says Harry Elver. He owns a computer consulting company in Arizona that does
data recovery.
One of Elver's recent clients was a chiropractor with a big problem.
"He had deleted all of his baby pictures, and needless to say his wife
was pretty upset with him," says Elver.
"He didn't do it on purpose -- you know, things happen. So, anyway, I was
able to get all of the baby pictures back and I gave him a... CD with all
his stuff on it, and everybody was happy in the end."
Elver says clients appreciate it when data recovery specialists speak
plainly and focus on solving their problems.
"They don't want to hear a lot of mumbo jumbo," says Elver. "They just
want you to say, 'Yeah, I figured out what was wrong and I fixed it.' And,
generally, nine-tenths of the time, that's all they need to hear.
"They just want to make sure that when they call you you're going to show
up and get them operational again."