Certified Forensic Computer Examiner (CFCE)

The Certified Forensic Computer Examiner (CFCE) program is open to active law enforcement officers and others who qualify for membership in the International Association of Computer Investigative Specialists (IACIS). The external CFCE process can be particularly helpful to qualified examiners who cannot attend the annual IACIS training conference. The applicant must submit an application, along with a required fee, to be considered for the process. IACIS reviews the application and is the sole decision maker in the acceptance or rejection of any application, as it deems appropriate. This is a rigorous testing process that consists of the examination of six specially prepared examinations disks and a specially prepared hard disk drive. Each problem disk must be examined, the technical issues must be solved , and a thorough report must be prepared before continuing to the next problem. Candidates are offered one retake of the six disk problems if they cannot resolve the technical issues in the problem. Candidates may not retake the hard disk drive problem. The reports and evidence must be presented to IACIS in a manner that indicates that sound forensic procedures were used to conduct the examination and that the applicant understands the technical issues. Candidates take a thorough written examination at the conclusion of the process. This process and these disks are the same problems that must be completed by IACIS-trained examiners. There is a five-month time limit to complete the entire process. The cost of the certification process is about $675 and is nonrefundable after the application is accepted. Additional information about the CFCE can be found at http://www.iacis.com/index.htm .