Strengthening the Future of Digital Forensics through Diversity: A Recap of SANS DFIR Summit 2020

At the SANS DFIR Summit 2020, Eoghan Casey and Daryl Pfeif, two prominent figures in the Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR) community, delivered a riveting keynote address. The primary focus was on the importance of diversity in the DFIR landscape and how it can strengthen the community.

Casey, a seasoned professional in the field and a member of the SANS DFIR Summit 2020 advisory board, stressed the importance of creating opportunities and sharing knowledge with underrepresented individuals in DFIR. Pfeif, a founder of a DFIR business and organizer of DFIR conferences and events, highlighted the diversity of problems the community is tackling. These range from intrusions and child sexual assault to crypto-ransomware, larger data breaches, financial fraud, and online scams.

The duo emphasized the need for the DFIR community to be representative of those it serves, and the importance of education in filling the workforce gap. They also highlighted the significance of leveraging unique perspectives and experiences from diverse populations to strengthen the DFIR community. They argued for the need for 21st-century skills like communication and evidence-based reasoning, in education and teaching.

Additionally, they discussed the need to adapt traditional forensic skills to DFIR and introduced the Case Assessment and Interpretation Model (CAI) as a framework for making initial observations, forming hypotheses, documenting evidence, and ranking hypotheses based on observations. This approach allows experts to focus on the strengths of digital evidence and provide a transparent process for readers to critique and verify results.

Casey also shared his experiences with mentoring two women in their technology and education careers, highlighting the importance of access and equity in the digital forensics industry.

The DFIR community has shown progress in increasing diversity, with a significant increase in the number of women in the field. What was once an industry with only 5% women has now grown to nearly 30%. This positive change reflects not only the growing interest among women but also the concerted efforts to welcome more people into the field.

The keynote concluded with an emphasis on the importance of a diverse community in improving the DFIR field. They also discussed their project aimed at teaching underserved youth about digital forensics and cybersecurity, with a call to other organizations to collaborate and share resources to grow and expand their own initiatives.

The powerful message from the SANS DFIR Summit 2020 is clear – diversity in the DFIR community is not just about representation. It's about harnessing unique perspectives to strengthen our response to cyber threats and fostering a community that is capable, inclusive, and resilient.

Know more. Investigate better.