Exterro introduces free digital forensics training for law enforcement officers
Exterro announced it is offering free training for its FTK Imager software to law enforcement personnel to support their use of forensic tools in the fight against crime.
FTK Imager is one of the most widely used forensic tools on the market and used by leading law enforcement agencies across the world.
As a free tool, FTK Imager enables users to quickly assess electronic evidence by obtaining forensic images of computer data, without making changes to the original evidence. The imager is part of a family of products known as Exterro FTK (Forensic Tool Kit) that enables organisations to perform in-depth analysis of complex investigations using the latest forensic technologies to both comb through and identify evidence, while allowing multiple parties to collaborate and communicate in real-time.
Sarah Hargreaves, Vice President of Global Training at Exterro, said, “We believe the training will be of great benefit to law enforcement personnel to support their fight against crime. FTK Imager is a tool with some really useful features. We want to make sure that whether used in the lab or in the field, our customers can get the best from the tool. Training has such an important part to play in DFIR. Providing access to our FTK Imager 100 class is a great way of supporting the law enforcement community.”
The increasing importance of digital evidence in criminal cases coupled with mounting data volumes has driven demand for forensic tools. However, training in their use is crucial: the forensic imaging process is the most volatile part of a forensic investigation because law enforcement officers must interact with live evidence. Data can be destroyed and inadvertently changed during a process if the correct steps are not followed.
Hargreaves added, “Training is an integral part of any law enforcement workflow. Because it is likely that police personnel will need to convey their evidence in a court of law, it is vitally important that the evidence that they provide is based on a tried and tested workflow and that they can demonstrate both training and competence in the use of any tool or software that is used in the forensic workflow.”
The free, one-day classes will be offered in online and classroom formats over the next three months until June 30th, 2022, after which it will be freely available on demand to law enforcement customers. Hargreaves noted that, while the online format may be more convenient for some users, Exterro has made every effort to ensure that both formats offer a similar experience.