Champlain College  Digital Forensics Program

See the Champlain College official pages at http://www.champlain.edu/majors/digitalforensics/index.php 

Or our "rogue" server with Program Resources at http://www.poodle.champlain.edu

“We always try to stay cutting edge,” says Cristian Balan. “We work with the latest procedures, research and software. Digital Forensics majors undertake projects that hone their skills in conducting research, synthesizing law and technology, and conducting forensic analysis of computers and networks.”

This is a program for students who are detail-oriented and meticulous about looking for clues that aren’t readily visible, Balan says. “They’re curious enough to look where someone else wouldn’t and figure things out for themselves.”
The student-run Digital Forensics Association is an “important part of the program,” Balan says. It’s the second largest club on campus, with more than 40 members, and hosts guest speakers and program-related events. Students also participate in a Mock Trial with their peers from the Criminal Justice and Paralegal programs and actors from Champlain Theatre; collaborate on work at the Champlain College Center for Digital Investigation (C3DI); attend regional cyber and digital forensics conferences; and undertake two or three internships.

“The work that our students do will have financial and psychological implications on people, families and businesses,” Balan notes. “We teach our students the need for uncompromising ethics, that they are the good guys, the “white hats.” Our students learn powerful tools. Most of them will end up working in situations in which they have access to a lot of information, and our ethical expectation is that they will act responsibly and safeguard that trust.
“We are very close to our students,” Balan says. “We work with them on their academics and on their career plans. I have never seen a Career Services Office that is as fully integrated with students and programs as I have at Champlain. We’re establishing relationships with businesses that require security clearances. We are reaching out to the DOD and the NSA to start the screening process so our graduates can begin working for these firms. Every member of this year’s graduates had a job or a job offer within 30 days of graduating.”

CristianBalan
Assistant Professor
Program Director, Computer & Digital Forensics

BA, Plattsburgh State University, Mathematics
MST, Plattsburgh State University, Secondary Education
Certificate of Advanced Studies in School Administration, Plattsburgh State University
Certified Information System Security Professional