Showing posts with label Employment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Employment. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

MI5 - Tech Vacancies

MI5 (Security Services) is often overlooked as an organisation that invests in technology. The reality is that we have pioneering corporate and operational technology sections which offer careers in technology that are very different from any other organisation.

https://www.mi5.gov.uk/careers/opportunities/technology?adhoc_referrer=011617032006


Also more vacancies here:- https://www.cybersecurityjobsite.com/

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Updated: Employment or Computer Forensics Course 2016

There are many people who would like to go into computer forensics that maybe are working elsewhere, currently studying an associated or indirect subject or generally have an interest to find out more. The prospect of employment is naturally the primary objective.

EMPLOYMENT
There are many ways to objectify and define a career path. Some look at the academic route first, some the employment route and others take measured assessments to determine the best path forward. It is whatever suits you best because work in civilian careers is different when working with a public sector agency.

1) Interested in working in the public sector - seek out the agency that is of interest to you and find their careers webpage. Now visit other agencies and see if there is a common theme of interest e.g. computer and smartphone forensics, digital investigations etc.

2) Are the qualifications or experience you need for the vacancy and any training offered?

3) Write to an agency to ask for their public statement on recruiting civilian employees in computer forensics?

4) Ask for the link to their public webpage that describes the equal opportunities the public sector agency is lawfully bound to publicise.

What if the private sector is more appealing to you. The above should still stand you in good stead.

EMPLOYMENT ADVERTISEMENT
Be smart and understand employment advertisements that are simply asking too much e.g. the applicant should be Einstein, know everything, but work for a pittance. These adverts do more harm than good.  Apply a litmus test - (a) what is the time period of experience the person would need to qualify for each subject and then (b) how old does the person need to be.

An example of an employment advertisement seen recently, we looked at the Job description compared with the experience the person would need for each of the subject matters set out in the job description.

A test criteria was identified as to what knowledge skill and experience the applicant would need:

a) read a book,
b) 6mths,
c) 2yrs,
d) 5yrs,
e) 10yrs

Computer Science/Criminal Justice: ........ -v- ..........Time period of experience
- Teach undergraduate and graduate courses..........read a book, 6mths, 2yrs, 5yrs, 10yrs
- basic and advanced digital forensics and cyber security...read a book, 6mths, 2yrs, 5yrs 10yrs
- Knowledge of digital evidence and analysis..........read a book, 6mths, 2yrs, 5yrs, 10yrs
- network forensics...................read a book, 6mths, 2yrs, 5yrs, 10yrs
- EnCase....read a book, 6mths, 2yrs, 5yrs, 10yrs
- risk management...read a book, 6mths, 2yrs, 5yrs, 10yrs
- information security...read a book, 6mths, 2yrs, 5yrs, 10yrs
- information assurance compliance.....read a book, 6mths, 2yrs, 5yrs 10yrs
- network defense...read a book, 6mths, 2yrs, 5yrs, 10yrs
- incident response.....read a book, 6mths, 2yrs, 5yrs, 10yrs
- vulnerability assessment......read a book, 6mths, 2yrs, 5yrs, 10yrs

Given the title of the knowledge, skills and experience sought in the job description realistically a candidate would need to have had maybe between 3yrs-5yrs on each subject. This suggests between 33 to 55 years exposure to dealing with those subjects. So a candidate having started out learning at 20 years of age should be between the age of 53 to 75 to apply for the vacancy?

Alternatively, if only three subjects were the primary requirement then possibly 10 years of knowledge skill and experience might be necessary and the other subjects might be covered by reading a book on each subject.

EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES
There are many good employment agencies out there who are sensible and reasonable and define to their clients that given the sum of money they want to pay for the vacancy there needs to be incentives defined for extra knowledge, skills and experience being brought in-house that the company sells as a service to customers as value-added services.  And that is a key-point for potential recruits - what VALUE-ADDED knowledge, skills and experience could you offer above the job description. Never, ever agree to provide every bit knowledge, skills and experience defined in an advertisement.

FIND OUT ABOUT EMPLOYER JOB ADVERTS
Absolute goal for research and during interviews:

i) Know the company you want to work for?
ii) Know who are their major competitors?
iii) Seek out the companies market share?
iv) Know whether you can assist maintain their current share or improve on it (e.g. Value Added)?
v) What is the financial status of the company?
vi) Whilst potential employers want to know your life story you equally have the right to know their story, too?
vii) Don't turn down a good job for one thought to be better, only to find out the latter company is using short term government grants to get people off unemployment. Check what is meant by probationary period.

UNIVERSITIES
I have updated, as of today (20/12/2015), a list of Universities in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland offering computer forensic courses for 2016 that are stand alone or incorporated with another subject matter.

These are useful website to find out about the educational qualifications available for computer forensics and related subjects.  I haven't hinted my suggestions about the courses because some fundamental requirements of any forensics discipline is that a person's learns how to:

(1) source information
(2) thoroughly research
(3) identify salient details and facts


University of Bedfordshire
http://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/courses/undergraduate/current-year/computer-security-and-forensics

Birmingham City University
http://www.bcu.ac.uk/courses/forensic-computing

Canterbury Christ Church University
http://www.canterbury.ac.uk/study-here/courses/undergraduate/computer-forensics-and-security.aspx

Cranfield University
http://www.cranfield.ac.uk/courses/masters/forensic-computing.html

De Montfort University
http://www.dmu.ac.uk/study/courses/undergraduate-courses/forensic-computing.aspx

University of Derby
http://www.derby.ac.uk/courses/computer-networks-security-bsc-hons/
http://www.derby.ac.uk/courses/computer-forensics-bsc-hons/

University of Gloucestershire
http://www.glos.ac.uk/courses/descriptors/pages/ct5020-foundations-of-forensic-tools-and-techniques.aspx
http://www.glos.ac.uk/courses/descriptors/pages/ct5021-network-design-security-forensics.aspx
http://www.glos.ac.uk/courses/descriptors/pages/ct5024-cryptography-and-forensics.aspx

University of Greenwich
http://search.gre.ac.uk/s/search.html?collection=website-meta&form=simple-15&profile=_default&query=computer+forensics

University of Central Lancashire
http://www.uclan.ac.uk/courses/bsc_forensic_computing_foundation_entry.php
http://www.uclan.ac.uk/courses/bsc_hons_forensic_computing.php

Leeds Metropolitan University
http://courses.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/computerforensics
http://courses.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/computerforensicssecurity
http://courses.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/digitalforensics_security_msc

Liverpool John Moores University
https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/study/courses/undergraduates/2016/computer-forensics-with-foundation-year-bsc
https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/study/courses/undergraduates/2016/computer-forensics-mcomp
https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/study/courses/undergraduates/2016/computer-forensics
https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/study/courses/postgraduates/computer-forensics

University of East London
http://www.uel.ac.uk/postgraduate/specs/iscf/

London Metropolitan University
http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/2016/computer-forensics-and-it-security---bsc-hons/

University of London - Royal Holloway
https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/isg/prospectivestudents/prospectivestudents-msc/home.aspx

Manchester Metropolitan University
http://www2.mmu.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/2016/13055/

Middlesex University
http://www.mdx.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/computer-forensics

Northumbria University
https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/study-at-northumbria/courses/computer-and-digital-forensics-mcomp-uuscdi1/

The Open University
http://www.open.ac.uk/postgraduate/modules/m812
http://www.open.edu/openlearn/science-maths-technology/computing-and-ict/introduction-computer-forensics-and-investigations/content-section-0

University of Portsmouth
http://www.port.ac.uk/courses/computing-and-creative-technologies/bsc-hons-forensic-computing/

Sheffield Hallam University
http://www.shu.ac.uk/prospectus/course/1097/

Staffordshire University
http://www.staffs.ac.uk/course/SSTK-11000.jsp

University of Sunderland
http://www.sunderland.ac.uk/courses/appliedsciences/undergraduate/computer-forensics/

Teesside University
http://www.tees.ac.uk/prospectus/ug/UG_course.cfm?courseid=121&fos=8&fossub=22
http://www.tees.ac.uk/prospectus/ug/UG_course.cfm?courseid=1797&fos=8&fossub=164
http://www.tees.ac.uk/prospectus/ug/UG_course.cfm?courseid=1311&fos=8&fossub=22
http://www.tees.ac.uk/prospectus/ug/UG_course.cfm?courseid=1798&fos=8&fossub=164

University of the West of England
http://courses.uwe.ac.uk/G4H4/2016
http://courses.uwe.ac.uk/G4HF/2016


Ireland

Blanchardstown Institute of Technology
http://www.itb.ie/studyatitb/bn518.html

University College Dublin
http://www.ucd.ie/cci/education/prospective_students/fcci_programmes/msc_fcci.html
http://www.ucd.ie/cci/education/prospective_students/msc_difc.html

Dublin City University
http://www.computing.dcu.ie/postgraduate/msc-security-and-forensic-computing

Letterkenny Institute of Technology
http://www.lyit.ie/courses/computing/ly737/
http://www.lyit.ie/courses/computing/lyksdfb/

Waterford Institute of Technology
https://www.wit.ie/courses/type/science/department_of_computing_maths_physics/bsc_hons_in_computer_forensics_and_security
https://www.wit.ie/courses/type/science/department_of_computing_maths_physics/diploma-in-computing-with-security-and-forensics-level-7-with-work-placemen
https://www.wit.ie/courses/type/science/department_of_computing_maths_physics/bsc_hons_in_computer_forensics_and_security

Scotland

Edinburgh Napier University
http://www.napier.ac.uk/en/courses/bengbenghons-computer-security--forensics-swe-undergraduate-fulltime
http://www.napier.ac.uk/en/courses/msc-advanced-security-and-digital-forensics-postgraduate-fulltime

University of Glasgow
http://www.gla.ac.uk/coursecatalogue/course/?code=ARTMED5019

Glasgow Caledonian University
http://www.gcu.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/digital-security-forensics-and-ethical-hacking-9373.php?loc=uk


Wales

Cardiff University
http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/course/computer-science-with-security-and-forensics-bsc
http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/course/computer-science-with-security-and-forensics-with-a-year-in-industry-bsc

University of Glamorgan
http://courses.southwales.ac.uk/courses/563-bsc-hons-computer-forensics
http://courses.southwales.ac.uk/courses/264-msc-computer-forensics
http://courses.southwales.ac.uk/courses/972-bsc-hons-computer-forensics-including-foundation-year
http://courses.southwales.ac.uk/courses/1541-mcomp-hons-computer-forensics

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Interest in The Rates of Pay

Do you remember I wrote a small piece back in October 2012 about The Rates of Pay - http://trewmte.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/the-rates-of-pay.html? I also posted at Forensic Focus to allow for open discussion - http://www.forensicfocus.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=9747/. It is useful to see over six months down the line what interest there is on this subject, with over 26,000 viewers of discussion:




Tuesday, October 02, 2012

The rates of pay

The rates of pay

There is an old saying "never apologise for what you can earn"; quoted in the context relating to the provision of a legitimate service. The order of magnitude of chargeable fees have a ceiling, regarding the provision of expert / consultancy etc services in criminal cases (but ciivil cases too for that matter), as set down within the statutory instrument guidance rules set out currently in the UKSI 2011 No. 2065 LEGAL SERVICES COMMISSION, ENGLAND AND WALES The Criminal Defence Service (Funding) (Amendment) Order 2011. The SI identifies fees/fixed costs for various pay that a person may earn (hourly/fixed), which are shown below.




Before rushing into employment consider whether your unique skillsets are being best deployed and whether the tenure of the employment is going to last longer than 3-6 months? Check whether a company has a quick turnaround of staff. Afterall,you don't want to give up your value (knowledge and skills) within that short period, do you?  Moreover, you may wish to consider if, within the offered salary, you are being expected to pay for vehicle expenses, mobile phone expenditure and other expenses, whether the salary actually is at the value promoted vis-a-vis rolling personal expenditure.

It is being noted that erosion technqiues are being applied to employees salaries and wages where such expenditure is being obligated upon the employee and being used to prop up the business. It is one thing if the business is failing and it is "all hands to the helm", it is entirely another. though, when it is used to improve profits, thus payouts of dividends and commission schemes. Some may find the latter points perfectly reasonable and to others who aren't aware they may wish to re-look at employments offers and investigate what is the real bottonline.

With the above rates of pay presenting a guideline, are you being paid as the expert etc £90.00 per hour or £8.50 per hour?