Young Cyber-Sleuths
The CyberScience Laboratory (CSL) of the National Institute of Justice’s Office of Science and Technology places students in cyber-crime labs through the Embedded Intern Program. It is part of CSL’s effort to offer computer forensics training and supply local and state law enforcement with personnel to investigate electronic crimes and provide technical support.
“We’re looking for somebody who can bridge the gap between the physical, investigative, law enforcement world and the computer cyber-world,” explains Embedded Intern Program director Robert DeCarlo. He adds that demand for cyber-crime investigators will swell exponentially as the Internet and wireless devices continue to proliferate.
“There aren’t enough computer forensics programs available to grow people in the profession,” notes National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C) computer crimes section manager Robert Hopper, who points to an international need for more trained cybersecurity workers.
Finding the right person for an internship involves a penetrating examination of candidates’ backgrounds, including their extracurricular activities and cover letters.
DeCarlo says the CSL and NW3C programs take care to ensure that interns work on projects of significance, and that their contributions play a vital role in the agencies where they are embedded.
Following the completion of an internship, CSL students are asked to furnish a report that the laboratory features on its Web site and at seminars.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from Government Technology (05/06) Vol. 18, No. 5, P. 30; McKay, Jim .