Forensic Focus

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An Exploratory Study of Covert Cyber Investigators and the Psychological Factors Impacting on Personal Resilience and Investigative Decision-Making
https://hud.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3gwyXAR281cY12C
Forensic Focus International Well-Being Study
https://www.forensicfocus.com/survey
Carol Brooks, a cyber and organisational psychologist and leadership consultant, joins the Forensic Focus Podcast to discuss her PhD research into covert cyber investigators and the psychological factors that shape their resilience and investigative decision-making. She explains what it really means to work "covertly" online and why inconsistent job titles across law enforcement, cybersecurity and the private sector make it difficult even to define the workforce she is studying.
The conversation explores the significant challenges involved in recruiting participants — from suspicion and cultural barriers to the difficulties of engaging freelancers and small teams — and highlights why anonymity and ethical oversight are critical to building trust. It also examines the importance of bridging the gap between academia and industry if research is to have real-world impact, before concluding with a call for covert cyber investigators worldwide to take part in the study and help give this hidden workforce a much-needed voice.
#DigitalForensics #DFIR #CyberPsychology #InvestigatorWellbeing #CovertInvestigations #mentalhealth
00:00 Introducing Carol Brooks
02:05 Carol's PhD Journey and Research Focus
06:49 Understanding Covert Cyber Investigators
13:11 Challenges in Recruiting Participants
27:18 Psychological Factors in Cyber Investigations
29:54 Setting PhD Goals and Challenges
31:02 Connecting with Covert Investigators
32:25 Overcoming Suspicion and Misconceptions
33:26 Strategies for Accessing Networks
36:37 Supporting Investigator Wellbeing
46:55 Bridging Academia and Industry
52:50 Balancing PhD and Personal Life
58:36 Call to Action for Covert Investigators
👉 Visit Forensic Focus: https://www.forensicfocus.com
🎧 Video/Transcript: https://www.forensicfocus.com/podcast/covert-cyber-investigator-well-being-with-carol-brooks/
📝 Show Notes
An Exploratory Study of Covert Cyber Investigators and the Psychological Factors Impacting on Personal Resilience and Investigative Decision-Making - https://hud.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3gwyXAR281cY12C
British Psychological Society Cyber Psychology Section – https://www.bps.org.uk
Forensic Focus International Well-Being Study - https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/northumbria/forensic-focus-wellbeing-survey
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Phil Anderson from Northumbria University joins the Forensic Focus Podcast to discuss the launch of the Forensic Focus International Well-Being Study — a global research project examining the psychological and physical impact of digital forensic work across both law enforcement and the private sector.
Drawing on his 24-year academic career and long-standing collaboration with Northumbria Police, Phil explains how digital forensics units have evolved and why DFIs are facing unprecedented levels of stress, burnout, and workload pressure.
Together with host Paul, he outlines the four core research themes behind the study — early-life trauma and resilience, the mind-body impact of occupational stress, organisational protective factors, and the role of neurodiversity — and issues a clear call to action for DFIs worldwide to take part and help drive meaningful change.
#DigitalForensics #DFIR #ForensicWellbeing #DFIs #MentalHealth #Neurodiversity #Trauma #PoliceForensics
00:00 Phil Anderson's Journey into Digital Forensics
01:34 Collaboration with Northumbria Police
02:33 The Evolution of Digital Forensics Units
03:34 Planning the Forensic Focus Well-Being Study
11:40 Exploring the Impact of Early Life Trauma on DFIs
19:51 Coping Strategies and Physical Health in DFIs
24:37 Challenges and Stressors in Digital Forensics
27:51 Challenges in Digital Forensics
28:42 Recruitment and Retention Issues
30:18 Acknowledging the Crisis
33:34 Protective Factors Against Trauma
44:08 Neurodiversity in Digital Forensics
47:46 Call to Action: Participate in the Survey
👉 Visit Forensic Focus at https://www.forensicfocus.com
🎧 Video/Transcript: https://www.forensicfocus.com/podcast/forensic-focus-international-well-being-study-have-your-say/
📝 Show Notes
Forensic Focus International Well-Being Study - https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/northumbria/forensic-focus-wellbeing-survey
Forensic Focus and Northumbria University Launch International Well-Being Study for Digital Forensic Investigators - https://www.forensicfocus.com/news/forensic-focus-and-northumbria-university-launch-international-well-being-study-for-digital-forensic-investigators/
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Si and Desi close out the year on the Forensic Focus Podcast with a wide-ranging end-of-2025 wrap-up, reflecting on how the year unfolded for the show and the DFIR community. They discuss the mental health series, guest appearances, and how everyday technologies — from streaming services to wearables — are increasingly intersecting with forensic investigations, even when people don't realise it.
The conversation then broadens to bigger technology shifts, including the rapid rise of AI and its legal, ethical, and societal implications. Si and Desi explore bias, misinformation, validation, and why human oversight still matters, before turning to the resurgence of operating system "wars," Apple's growing market share, Linux's expanding presence, and what changing user behaviour could mean for digital forensics in the years ahead.
#DigitalForensics #DFIR #ForensicFocusPodcast #AI #Wearables #Linux #Apple
👉 Visit Forensic Focus: https://www.forensicfocus.com
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 Welcome to the Forensic Focus Podcast
00:33 Reflecting on the Year 2025
01:32 Challenges and Changes in 2025
02:09 Mental Health Series and Guest Appearances
04:51 Streaming Services and TV Licenses
09:27 Wearable Technology and Forensics
18:11 AI in Legal and Ethical Contexts
44:20 AI's Inevitable Rise
44:37 The Resurgence of Operating System Wars
45:19 Apple's Growing Market Share
46:31 Linux's Increasing Presence
53:14 Challenges for Linux Adoption
01:02:31 The Shift to Mobile and Tablet Usage
01:14:49 AI-Generated Content and Its Implications
01:21:50 Reflections on Free Speech and AI
01:27:57 Looking Ahead to the Future
🎧 Video/Transcript: https://www.forensicfocus.com/podcast/si-and-desis-holiday-special-2025/
📝 Show Notes
Forensic Focus Podcasts - https://www.forensicfocus.com/podcast
Forensic Focus Jobs Board - https://www.forensicfocus.com/jobs
'The old-school landline is having a cultural moment', ABC - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11-16/landline-rotary-phone-social-media-ban-family-connect/106010638
'Judges have become 'human filters' as AI in Australian courts reaches 'unsustainable phase', chief justice says', The Guardian - https://www.theguardian.com/law/2025/nov/21/judges-have-become-human-filters-as-ai-in-australian-courts-reaches-unsustainable-phase-chief-justice-says
'Founder Admits His "AI Transcription" Startup Was Just Him Joining People's Meetings and Taking Notes by Hand', Futurism - https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/fireflies-founder-startup-ai
'Man Alarmed to Discover His Smart Vacuum Was Broadcasting a Secret Map of His House', Futurism - https://futurism.com/robots-and-machines/robot-vacuum-broadcasting
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Keith Lockhart from Oxygen Forensics joins Si and Desi on the Forensic Focus Podcast to examine how remote digital evidence collection is changing investigative workflows across DFIR, eDiscovery, and corporate investigations. Drawing on recent XiB mobile training and real-world deployments, Keith explains where remote and agent-based acquisition delivers practical benefits—and where traditional hands-on methods remain essential.
The discussion covers targeted versus full acquisitions, consent and governance in corporate environments, and the operational realities of collecting data across networks, jurisdictions, and time zones. It also explores over-the-air mobile collection, workstation memory capture, drone forensics, and why parser development remains a constant challenge as apps and platforms evolve.
#DigitalForensics #DFIR #MobileForensics #IncidentResponse #eDiscovery #RemoteCollection #DigitalEvidence #cybercrime
👉 Visit Forensic Focus at https://www.forensicfocus.com
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 Welcoming Keith from Oxygen
01:59 Discussing the XiB Course Experience
05:19 Challenges and Successes in Mobile Phone Extraction
10:22 Remote Collection and Its Evolution
14:38 ROI and Practical Applications of Remote Collection
30:32 Remote Collection in Corporate and Law Enforcement
35:01 Parole Monitoring Challenges 
35:20 Case Study: Faulty Monitoring Software
36:34 The Need for Reliable Monitoring Tools
37:23 Cross-Border Data and Legal Concerns
38:02 Chain of Custody in Law Enforcement
39:26 Remote Acquisition and Targeted Data Collection
41:33 Corporate Use Cases and Data Management
51:04 Drone Acquisition and Challenges
01:00:34 Concluding Thoughts and Future Developments
🎥 Video/Transcript – https://www.forensicfocus.com/podcast/oxygen-forensics-on-smarter-faster-remote-dfir-collections/
📝 Show Notes
Oxygen Forensics – https://www.oxygenforensics.com/
Review: Oxygen Forensics Training – Extraction in a Box (XiB) – https://www.forensicfocus.com/reviews/oxygen-forensics-training-extraction-in-a-box-xib/
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Heather and Jared Barnhart return to the Forensic Focus Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation covering Cellebrite's growing Case-to-Closure Summit, behind-the-scenes insights from building one of the industry's toughest CTFs, and their digital forensic work on one of the most high-profile US murder cases in recent years. They share why the C2C Summit focuses on practitioner-led talks rather than product pitches, what made the first event such a success, and what's planned for the next gathering — including expanded training and a keynote from Terry Crews.
The discussion also dives into how they design complex CTFs, why intentionally frustrating questions teach critical thinking, and how their mobile forensics analysis helped reveal behavioural patterns, intent, and attempts to hide activity in the Idaho murders investigation. They finish by exploring the future of investigations and AI — from cautious, evidence-bounded implementations to the importance of validation and avoiding confirmation bias.
Get 50% off Cellebrite C2C User Summit 2026 registration with promo code: 2026-c2c-ForensicFocus
#DigitalForensics #DFIR #MobileForensics #Cellebrite #CTF #incidentresponse #ForensicFocus #AIForensics
00:00 Introduction and Guest Introductions
01:33 C2C Summit Overview
03:35 C2C Summit Success and Highlights
09:45 Challenges and Insights from CTF
19:56 Introduction to the Idaho Murders Case
25:10 The Slow Process of Justice 
25:53 Key Evidence: The Knife Sheath and the Car
27:46 Digital Footprint and Intent
28:58 Challenges in Mobile Forensics
31:49 Behavioral Patterns and Digital Evidence
42:30 AI in Forensics
43:17 Future of Digital Investigations
44:00 The Role of AI in Investigations
50:52 Validation and Confirmation Bias 
54:24 Closing Remarks and Future Plans
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🎧 Episode Page & Transcript: https://www.forensicfocus.com/podcast/the-idaho-murders-from-behavioural-clues-to-ais-role-in-digital-forensics/
📝 Show Notes
Cellebrite – https://www.cellebrite.com
Cellebrite C2C User Summit 2026 – https://events.cellebritec2c.com/event/2026/overview
CFReDS – https://cfreds.nist.gov/
SANS DFIR Summit & Training 2026 – https://www.sans.org/cyber-security-training-events/digital-forensics-summit-2026
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