Cybercrime Investigator Degree Requirements

Introduction

Cybercrime Investigators provide valuable forensics, investigative, and incident response services to cases that involve computer-related crimes. It’s also a solid career choice; according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the information security field is projected to grow 32% by 2028. 

If you’re considering a career as a Cybercrime Investigator, you probably have a lot of questions: do I need a degree to become a Cybercrime Investigator? Should I major in Cybersecurity? The easiest way to answer those questions is by taking a peek at the job postings. According to Cyberseek career tool, here’s what job postings for Cybercrime Investigators want to see in terms of education: 

• Sub-BA: 7%
• Bachelor’s Degree: 70%
• Graduate Degree: 23%

As you can see, the overwhelming majority of employers want to see a bachelor’s degree, and quite a few even want candidates to have a graduate degree! If you have a career in cybercrime investigation in your sights, getting a bachelor’s degree will greatly enhance your odds of scoring your first job. 

Education requirements

A bachelor’s degree will go a long way towards helping you secure a job as a Cybercrime Investigator. Majors like computer science and information technology are most likely to catch the eye of a hiring manager. However, since cybercrime investigation has a huge overlap with law enforcement, you may also want to consider earning a minor in criminal justice or legal studies. 

In addition to having a bachelor’s degree, you’ll need to learn some specific technical skills related to cybersecurity investigation. You should have competency in: 

• Computer forensics principles 
• Incident response 
• Network security
• Languages like Python, Java, SQL, C, and PHP 
• Reverse engineering and malware analysis
• Windows, Linux, and UNIX operating systems
• eDiscovery tools like NUIX, Relativity, or Clearwell
• Collection and preservation of digital evidence 
• Forensics (Read more...)