Digital Technologies for Investigators Course (DTIC)

Purpose

Computer and Internet technologies are now prevalent in our lives. More than ever, police officers need to understand these new technologies in order to better perform their daily duties.  This course targets police officers with limited technical skills. During this course, participants will acquire the knowledge, tools and resources required to investigate computer and Internet related offences as well as learn how to secure digital data as it pertains to their cases.

At the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• recognize and identify computer hardware
• recognize Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and obtain subscriber information using the proper legal documentation
• trace the origin of emails
• investigate files involving social networking websites
• investigate files involving peer to peer and instant messaging software
• secure evidence found on the Internet
• recognize the importance of malware and how it can affect their cases
• seize cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDA), pagers and Blackberries®
• seize computers at a search scene
• protect the integrity of digital data
• investigate Internet based offences

Course content

• introduction to the computer environment, its hardware and operating systems
• the Internet’s structure
• email tracking
• social networking websites
• image analysis
• peer to peer software
• instant messaging software
• investigative techniques
• tools and methods used to secure digital evidence
• mandate of technological crime units
• seizing cell phones
• malware
• legal offences dealing with computers and the Internet
• search warrants and other legal documentation pertaining to digital data
• remaining anonymous on the Internet
• wireless networks
• open source intelligence
• seizure of computers and other devices containing digital data
• interview techniques
• educational tools for students and parents on Internet safety

Participant Selection Criteria

This course is offered to officers and civilian personnel of police services and government agencies mandated to investigate offences under the Criminal Code of Canada and various Federal and Provincial Acts.

Participants are required to fulfill the following criteria in order to be admitted on this course. They must:

• be familiar and comfortable with computers and the Windows environment. They should, more specifically, be able to manage files and folders through Windows Explorer (ie. create, copy, move and delete) as well as be able to download and install programs from the Internet.

Participants should be aware that failure to meet this criterion could impact their ability to successfully complete this course.

Participant Assessment

The course consists of interactive lecture sessions and hands-on training exercises provided in the computer classrooms of the Technological Crime Learning Institute. Participants must be present for and participate in all course modules included in the syllabus in order to gain credit for this course.

To obtain certification, participants must successfully pass two (2) written examinations and two (2) practical examinations with an overall mark of 75% or more.

Duration of Course: 8 working days

Location: Canadian Police College campus in Ottawa

Number of Participants: A minimum of 12 participants is required to deliver this course, up to a maximum of 20 participants

Language: This course is presently only offered in English