I’ve been asked to explain why, specifically, people chose to nominate the three forensicators below. I have posted some of the comments made by those who nominated them. Personally I’m torn. All three are fully deserving of the award this year (yes, even Cindy).
Kristinn Gudjonsson
“Kristinn is long overdue for some public recognition for his log2timeline tool work. Log2timeline was a breakthrough for the digital forensics community and it made the creation of timelines quick and easy for all digital forensics examiners. Kristinn’s tool has made what was previously a very tedious manual process easy to create for examiners of all skill levels. His contribution to the community has been invaluable and should be recognized.”
“His contributions have been astounding.”
“Kristinn is a unsung hero in digital forensics. I mean… he can move half-way across the world without anyone knowing… Kristinn has unselfishly given so much to the digital forensic community. Log2timeline says it all!!”
Cindy Murphy
“I’m nominating Cindy Murphy because she’s always been consistently one of the brightest, most helpful and kindest members of the community, often going out of her way to help those who ask. This past year she completed her MSc, the culmination of which was a needed dissertation for investigators of child pornography; she has already been invited to present it both at conferences and in a noted textbook. In addition, Cindy teaches digital forensics part time, continues to contribute to the field of mobile device forensics, and is a Board member of the Consortium of Digital Forensics Specialists — all while continuing full time casework.”
“It’s about time you have a female forensicator nominated for this award! Detective Cindy Murphy from Madison, WI Police Department has over 13 years of experience in digital forensics. She has worked tirelessly over those years, not only full time on criminal case work, but also as an extremely active member of the digital forensics community. She has collaborated with NIST on various documetns and projects, shares policy, procedure, and go-by documents that she has developed with the community, she teaches Digital Forensics part time at MATC, presents her work and research at numerous conferences, serves on the boards of WACCI and CDFS, writes and reviews articles and white papers, contributes to podcasts and blogs, etc. She is a well known and respected figure in the DF community, and also just earned her Master’s in Forensic Computing & Cybercrime from University College in Dublin, Ireland. She’d be a great candidate for your Digital Forensic Examiner of the Year!”
“She made Lee go a bright shade of red at the DoD conference. Anyone who does that deserves an award” The person who wrote this has since been banned from nominating/voting 😉
Corey Harrell
“Corey’s work over the past year, not only in exposing VSCs to the masses of examiners, but also in documenting exploit artifacts and the process he used to expose them, have been significant and valuable contributions.”
“He has contributed to the community greatly last year, and continues to add value.”
“His commitment to the field is fantastic. His blog is an excellent resource and he continues to produce exceptional work from his research.”
You can post your votes here: Forensic 4cast Awards
3 responses to “Digital Forensic Examiner of the Year”
I’d suggest having both a lifetime or long term achievement award, kind of like a “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”, as well as having an award for a DF examiner who has contributed over the past year.
Harlan,
First of all, congratulations on being nominated again. It seems like you’re always in the mix – and deservedly so.
We did the lifetime achievement award in our first and second years. When I think of this award for the Oscars, for example, it is usually given to people who are in their twilight years. I don’t want people to think that we are ready for them to retire or anything like that.
I decided to pull that particular award from public voting and pick someone myself. That way I maintain some control 😉 I MAY be presenting this award this year anyway. I have someone in mind already…
I’m also trying to keep the number of awards at a manageable level too. Which is why I’ve rolled up a number of awards into single categories this year. This way the Digital Forensic Examiner of the Year award can be won by anyone based on the work from the previous year.
Best of luck in your category.
To Whom It May Concern:
Please consider this a nonlinkedin endorsement of Madison Police Investigator Cindy Murphy for Digital Forensic Examiner of the Year. I am a 34 year veteran prosecutor who has known Murphy since she started doing this job, and it is a true tribute to a true professional at the cutting edge of her calling that every year that she has grown in her profession has been a year that all of us in Dane County, WI law enforcement have grown in our profession. Murhpy and I have made law together more than once, and this past year, for which she is nominated, her work in digitally tearing apart a self-built homemade master of a computer has resulted in a dangerous terrorist and child sexual assaulter being put away for a very very long time. The patience and good humor she shows in this tedious work, and willingness to jump to help all those in need, is rarely found, and much appreciated and needed. Her master work now in publication this past year as well will go far in advancing the work of those of us who can take child sexual abusers off the streets by infiltrating their electronic storage and retrieval systems. She is a priceless gem. Please give her this pinnacle of an award so she will know how much all of her work in so many areas of her specialty are appreciated.
Sincerely, and with great respect,
Bob Kaiser
Assistant Dane County District Attorney
Madison, WI
(608)267-8889