As a digital forensic trainer, educator, and researcher for the past 18 years, I have
witnessed how much the field has progressed. When I first started working in the
field, we were dealing with simple file system data and stand-alone computers or
laptops. During the time since I started, file systems have gotten much more
sophisticated, operating system data is now more plentiful, and mechanisms for
storing it have gotten much better. Add to that is the onslaught on new digital
devices that can now store data and be used to commit cybercrimes, and the world
as we know it has exploded with new knowledge that we have to acquire and
understand. We now, as digital forensic educators, researchers, and practitioners,
have to constantly learn new consumer technologies, new file and operating systems,
and new tools that can be used to acquire evidence of potential interest, and
the list goes on.