From crime to court - an experience report of a digital forensics group project module.

Leimich, Petra; Ferguson, Ian; Coull, Natalie

Abstract

This paper discusses the large-scale group project undertaken by BSc Hons Digital Forensics
students at Abertay University in their penultimate year. The philosophy of the project is to
expose students to the full digital crime "life cycle", from commission through investigation,
preparation of formal court report and finally, to prosecution in court. In addition, the
project is novel in two aspects; the "crimes" are committed by students, and the moot court
proceedings, where students appear as expert witnesses for the prosecution, are led by law
students acting as counsels for the prosecution and defence. To support students,
assessments are staged across both semesters with staff feedback provided at critical points.
Feedback from students is very positive, highlighting particularly the experience of engaging
with the law students and culminating in the realistic moot court, including a challenging
cross-examination. Students also commented on the usefulness of the final debrief, where
the whole process and the student experience is discussed in an informal plenary meeting
between DF students and staff, providing an opportunity for the perpetrators and
investigators to discuss details of the "crimes", and enabling all groups to learn from all
crimes and investigations. We conclude with a reflection on the challenges encountered and
a discussion of planned changes.

Citation

Leimich, P., Ferguson, I., & Coull, N. (2014, November). From crime to court - an experience report of a digital forensics group project module. Paper presented at HEA Teaching Computer Forensics Workshop

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: HEA Teaching Computer Forensics Workshop
• Start Date: Nov 14, 2014
• End Date: Nov 14, 2014
• Acceptance Date: Jul 6, 2014
• Publication Date: Nov 14, 2014
• Deposit Date: Jun 8, 2016
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: Group Project; Case Study; Digital Forensics; employability; Simulation
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/id/eprint/10351