Digital Forensics Analysis: Research Assignment and Discussion

This assignment analyzes the digital forensics market, referencing a news article on its global growth, specifically highlighting the cloud forensics segment. The analysis covers the exponential market expansion driven by technologies like cloud computing and IoT, alongside the rise of cyber-attacks and the need for digital forensic expertise. It addresses the economic and environmental factors influencing the market, the increasing demand for digital forensics experts, and the leading role of North America, with Asia showing rapid development. The assignment also examines the implications of smart cities and the use of IoT, and their influence on the demand for digital forensics. The author connects the field of digital forensics to the growing need for experts capable of analyzing digital data, retrieving hidden digital prints, and addressing cyber-attacks. Finally, it poses research questions regarding the impact of IoT, required skills for digital forensic experts, and the development of relevant policies and regulations.

The cost of digital forensics
Student’s name
Institution Affiliation(s)

APA Article Reference
Global digital forensics market 2018-2025: Cloud forensics would be the fastest growing
segment during the forecast period. (2018, Jun 20). NASDAQ OMX's News Release
Distribution Channel Retrieved from
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/06/20/1527046/0/en/Global-Digital-
Forensics-Market-2018-2025-Cloud-Forensics-Would-Be-The-Fastest-Growing-Segment-
During-The-Forecast-Period.html
Document URL: https://search.proquest.com/docview/2057015093?accountid=45049
Summary of the article
The digital forensic market is expected to grow exponentially from USD $3.08 million in
2017 to USD $6.95 million by 2025. In the past few years, businesses and governments have
grown increasingly dependent on technologies such as cloud computing and the internet of
things due to efficiency and cost advantages associated with these technologies. The growth in
ownership of data and online related business transactions have come up at the cost of other
illegal activities. The intensive use of the internet has also lead to misconduct and illegal
activities such as cyber-attacks, jeopardizing individuals security and privacy of their personal
data and industrial espionage. As this is not enough to worry the digital forensic experts the need
for digital forensic devices and expertise have grown upwards due to the use of anti-forensics in
malware and cyber threats. However, policymakers and forensic experts are constantly adding to
their skills and knowledge on how to get artifacts and hidden digital prints in massive databases.
Economic and environmental factors and the global economy affects how the digital
forensic markets play out. Due to high-cost implications, businesses have been carrying their

operations internally while they have preferred to outsource services such as digital forensic
from third parties. However, with the expansion and diffusion of IoT and in specific in the
Industrial sectors, activities such as cyber-attacks are expected to increase. Also, information
security challenges and cyber threats will pose new and difficult challenges in the future. The
pace at which digitization and use of technology are growing is expected to lead to a demand for
digital forensics and associated services. Digital forensics experts will also be in high demand in
the near future. North America leads the market in terms of revenue in digital forensics.
However, the Asian countries such as Japan and China have also started developing digital
forensics sector in a speedy manner. The advent of IoT in government sectors such as industries,
enterprises, retail, municipalities’, healthcare, and other government services will lead to a surge
in need for digital forensics.
Specific real-life situation
Smart cities and the use of IoT is a developing area that many governments and investors
are working on. Currently, there are smart cities that have already been developed in Nations like
Norway and the US. Other countries such as Spain have Barcelona as a smart City while leading
on this chart is Dubai, which has developed magnificent smart cities in the form of smart palm
trees. The current trend where many nations want to create smart cities, will lead to an upsurge in
need of smart devices and expertise in the field of IoT.
What is your field of study, and how do you see it relating to the event or issue in your news
article?
In the field of digital forensics, the need for digital forensic expertise and devices is
growing. The need to be able to analyze digital data and retrieve hidden digital prints relating to

Cyber-attacks and digital fraud will be on the rise due to intense use of the internet, IoT and
application of artificial intelligence.
List two or more questions that you could pursue as part of your research.
Some of the questions that this article raise and which can be researched further include;
a) How will the development and use of IoT affect the growth of digital forensics?
b) What skills and factors will be needed for one to be qualified to become a digital forensic
expert in the future?
c) Will the growth in digital forensic and the IoT in general lead to more demand in the
development of digital forensic rules, regulations, and policies?