Digital forensics involves collecting and analyzing data from digital systems to uncover evidence used in legal, commercial or intelligence investigations.
As digital storage grows and encryption technology advances, digital forensics plays a critical role in combating cybercrime and interpreting digital evidence across diverse systems.
What Is Digital Forensics?
Digital forensics is the practice of identifying, preserving, analyzing and presenting digital evidence from electronic devices. It is used to investigate cybercrimes, data breaches and other incidents involving computers, networks or digital storage systems.
Stages of a Digital Forensics Investigation
Digital forensics can follow a five-step process — identification, preservation, analysis, documentation and presentation — to ensure evidence is properly handled and legally admissible.
1. Identification
The first step of the forensic process is identification, which takes inventory of the evidence that is present, including where and how this evidence is stored, such as within a personal computer or mobile phone.
2. Preservation
The second step is preservation, where data is isolated, secured and preserved to prevent the use of any digital devices for evidence that may be present or tampered with.
3. Analysis
Analysis is the next step, which reconstructs fragments of data to draw conclusions presented by the evidence. This may require multiple iterations to ensure the evidence supports specific theories.
4. Documentation
The documentation step is when records of data are created so evidence can be properly catalogued and presented when needed.
5. Presentation
Finally, the presentation step is to summarize and explain conclusions drawn from the evidence in clear, understandable terms appropriate for non-expert audiences, such as jurors or executives.
What Does a Digital Forensics Professional Do?
Digital forensics professionals collect, analyze and preserve data from digital systems to investigate cybercrimes, resolve security incidents and support legal or organizational proceedings. Their work often supports cases involving network breaches, identity theft and online exploitation.
Roles in digital forensics can include:
- Digital forensics analyst or digital forensic examiner
- Forensic computer analyst
- Computer systems analyst
- Information security analyst
- Incident response analyst
- Malware analyst
Some digital forensics professionals specialize in specific types of crime or cybersecurity, while others handle a broad range of cases that may take weeks or even years to resolve.
Is Digital Forensics a Good Career?
Digital forensics is a growing field with strong demand and opportunities to support high-impact investigations and strengthen cybersecurity practices.
Digital forensics professionals help identify system vulnerabilities, track cyber threats and strengthen cybersecurity infrastructure. Their work not only supports criminal investigations, but can also inform policy decisions and drive improvements in digital security standards.
According to Glassdoor, the 2025 median salary for a digital forensics analyst in the United States is $127,000.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is digital forensics?
Digital forensics is the process of preserving and analyzing evidence from digital devices for use in courts, commercial practices like data recovery or government investigations.
What are the main steps in digital forensics?
The digital forensics process often includes five steps:
- Identification
- Preservation
- Analysis
- Documentation
- Presentation
Is digital forensics a good career?
Yes, digital forensics can be considered a good career as field demand is high. Digital forensics professionals contribute to solving crimes, improving cybersecurity practices and informing new legislation and penalties related to cybercrime.
