Law Enforcement

Special Agent Computer Investigative Skills

Additional Training Opportunities in Recovering Computer Evidence for Special Agents
With an increase in the automation of financial records, there is a need for Criminal Investigation Special Agents to be specially trained in recovering computer evidence. Computer equipment seized for financial records may contain data that has been encrypted, password protected or otherwise hidden. Agents use their investigative skills and specialized equipment to recover this data as substantial evidence to convict individuals on tax law or money laundering violations.

Computer Investigative Specialists receive a laptop, two desktop computers and numerous other equipment and software to assist in their investigations. Extensive training ensures CI Special Agents are the premier financial investigators in law enforcement.

Those Special Agents interested in becoming a Computer Investigative Specialist (CIS) must complete a variety of computer courses which provide the tools and knowledge to perform forensic data recovery and analysis of electronic data.

Training begins with a pre-basic 2-week course, followed by a 3-week Computer Evidence Recovery Training course at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC). A newly trained CIS then attends a 3-week Computer Evidence Analysis Training course at the University of North Texas. Finally, one year after a CIS's initial training, the agent attends a 2-½-week Advanced Computer Evidence Recovery Training course to learn about computer network issues and more advanced data recovery.