1. How do I register?
Every student must register with a university or college that offers our courses. GES does not offer courses directly to the public. We work in partnership with colleges and universities nationwide. You must locate a school and contact them for registration information.
2. How much do the courses cost?
Our partner colleges set the prices for the courses they offer. You must locate a school for cost and registration information.
3. Why do I have to locate a school?
GES does not offer courses directly to the public. We work in partnership with colleges and universities nationwide. GES is the content developer for the course, but the schools actually offer the courses and provide the certificates upon completion.
4. Can I register for courses if I live outside the United States?
Yes you can! The International zip code locator will determine which school is nearest you. Simply click here to choose your country, and select the course you wish to take.
5. Do I ever have go to the school I register with?
Not in most cases. Most of our partner schools offer telephone or online registration. All of our courses are delivered entirely online, so you never have to go to a class or travel to the school. Locate a school and contact them for more registration options.
6. What if there is not a school in my area that offers the course I want to take?
You can register with the school that is closest to your zip code (even if it is far away). Since GES courses are online, you never have to actually travel to the school. Most schools offer telephone or online registration. Locate a school for more registration information.
7. How long does it take to complete a course?
All of our courses are self-paced and open enrollment. You can start and finish the course at your own pace. Students are given one year to complete this 150 hour course. If you need more time, extensions are available for extenuating circumstances.
8. Do I have to buy additional materials?
Students will be required to provide the following:
- Norton Utilities
- Norton Ghost
- QuickView Plus (a viewing application)
- A good virus-scanning utility
GES courses are non-credit courses, so they do not qualify for federal aid. In some states, vocational rehab or workforce development boards will pay for qualified students to take our courses. Locate a school for more information on this.
GES also provides a loan opportunity for students. Simply go to www.collegeloanapplication.com to apply for an easier qualifying loan. Click here for more information on this loan program.
10. What happens when I complete the course?
Upon successful completion of the course, you will be awarded a certificate of completion from the school you registered with. You must obtain a final passing grade of 70% or greater to be awarded a certificate.
11. Am I guaranteed a job?
GES courses will provide you with the skills you need to obtain an entry-level position in most cases. We do not provide direct job placement services, but our instructors will help you build your resume and are available to give advice on finding your first job. Instructors will also be available to use as a professional reference upon completion of the course. Potential students should always do research on the job market in their area before registering.
12. Who will be my instructor?
Each student is paired up with a facilitator for one-on-one interaction. The facilitator will be available (via email or phone) to answer any questions you may have and to provide feedback on your performance. All of our facilitators are successful working professionals in the fields in which they teach.
13. What do I have to have in order to take an online course, and what are the system requirements?
In order to take our online courses, you must have access to a computer and the Internet (a normal dial-up connection is fine). You can access the course contents from any web-enabled computer. There are no necessary plug-ins. You do not have to use the same computer to log-in to the course every time. We recommend that you have a word processing program (Microsoft Word is best) and the latest version of Internet Explorer.
14. Can I use a Mac computer?
No, you must use a PC.
15. Do I need Windows 98 to take this course?
You will need a computer capable of booting to Windows 98 for the FAT file system portion of the course. This could be accomplished in a number of ways:
- Have a dual boot Windows 98/XP system (which we recommend)
- Have a separate hard drive with Windows 98 on it, and swap it when necessary
- Try to work with our boot CD that loads USB drivers for USB media.
Our courses are all open enrollment. You can register and start the course as soon as you are ready. Locate a school for registration information.
17. How can I get more information on the course?
If you have questions that are not answered on our website, please feel free to contact us via LIVE chat (click the button below). If you are visiting us during non-business hours, please feel free to send us a question using the “Ask a question” button below. You may also call us at 1-866-441-5454. We will answer your questions promptly.
18. Why do I need a computer capable of booting to Windows 98?
The material used in this course is based on the concept of teaching computer forensics from a vendor neutral perspective. This course teaches the low level mechanics of commonly encountered file systems. Computer forensics is not a point and click process, neither is the Key Computer approach to training. If a student can gain a solid understanding of one file system and how it functions at a low level then that student will be prepared to learn other file systems as well.
This course material will teach low level mechanics and functions of both the FAT file system and the New Technology File System (NTFS). Although the FAT file system is not available on new computers, it is the default file system on floppy diskettes and USB devices. Many computer forensic incidents involve USB devices and will continue to involve these devices for years to come. Consequently, students studying to become successful forensic computer examiners must understand the FAT file system which is why it is necessary to use a computer that can boot to Windows 98.
Windows 98 is based on the FAT file system, and a computer formatted with Windows 2000 may be formatted with the FAT file system or NTFS.
NTFS is the native file system for Windows XP and Vista.
The completion of several practical exercises is a requirement of this course. Some include floppy diskettes. Although the floppy diskette is no longer commonly encountered in the field, it is the exercise that is significant and any action taken on a floppy diskette can be replicated on a hard drive.
The CCE BootCamp will train you to not only thoroughly examine digital media, but also clearly document, control, prepare and present examination results.
The CCE BootCamp includes instruction on conducting thorough examinations, identifying where and how data is stored, recovering and interpreting data and drawing appropriate conclusions based on the data.
A sound understanding of the FAT and NTSF file systems is critical to forensic examination. These file systems are important because they are the base of Windows operating systems, portable flash media, storage devices and other digital media in use everywhere today. USB drives, mobile phones, laptops, desktops and cameras are examples of common equipment that use these systems. FAT file system logical structures are utilized by DOS and Windows 9.x. NTFS logical structures are utilized by Windows NT, 2000, XP and Vista.
Forensic Computer Examiner
GES 305 -- 150 hours
FAQs
- Norton Utilities
- Norton Ghost
- QuickView Plus (a viewing application)
- A good virus-scanning utility
- Have a dual boot Windows 98/XP system (which we recommend)
- Have a separate hard drive with Windows 98 on it, and swap it when necessary
- Try to work with our boot CD that loads USB drivers for USB media.
1. How do I register?
Every student must register with a university or college that offers our courses. GES does not offer courses directly to the public. We work in partnership with colleges and universities nationwide. You must locate a school and contact them for registration information.
2. How much do the courses cost?
Our partner colleges set the prices for the courses they offer. You must locate a school for cost and registration information.
3. Why do I have to locate a school?
GES does not offer courses directly to the public. We work in partnership with colleges and universities nationwide. GES is the content developer for the course, but the schools actually offer the courses and provide the certificates upon completion.
4. Can I register for courses if I live outside the United States?
Yes you can! The International zip code locator will determine which school is nearest you. Simply click here to choose your country, and select the course you wish to take.
5. Do I ever have go to the school I register with?
Not in most cases. Most of our partner schools offer telephone or online registration. All of our courses are delivered entirely online, so you never have to go to a class or travel to the school. Locate a school and contact them for more registration options.
6. What if there is not a school in my area that offers the course I want to take?
You can register with the school that is closest to your zip code (even if it is far away). Since GES courses are online, you never have to actually travel to the school. Most schools offer telephone or online registration. Locate a school for more registration information.
7. How long does it take to complete a course?
All of our courses are self-paced and open enrollment. You can start and finish the course at your own pace. Students are given one year to complete this 150 hour course. If you need more time, extensions are available for extenuating circumstances.
8. Do I have to buy additional materials?
Students will be required to provide the following:
GES courses are non-credit courses, so they do not qualify for federal aid. In some states, vocational rehab or workforce development boards will pay for qualified students to take our courses. Locate a school for more information on this.
GES also provides a loan opportunity for students. Simply go to www.collegeloanapplication.com to apply for an easier qualifying loan. Click here for more information on this loan program.
10. What happens when I complete the course?
Upon successful completion of the course, you will be awarded a certificate of completion from the school you registered with. You must obtain a final passing grade of 70% or greater to be awarded a certificate.
11. Am I guaranteed a job?
GES courses will provide you with the skills you need to obtain an entry-level position in most cases. We do not provide direct job placement services, but our instructors will help you build your resume and are available to give advice on finding your first job. Instructors will also be available to use as a professional reference upon completion of the course. Potential students should always do research on the job market in their area before registering.
12. Who will be my instructor?
Each student is paired up with a facilitator for one-on-one interaction. The facilitator will be available (via email or phone) to answer any questions you may have and to provide feedback on your performance. All of our facilitators are successful working professionals in the fields in which they teach.
13. What do I have to have in order to take an online course, and what are the system requirements?
In order to take our online courses, you must have access to a computer and the Internet (a normal dial-up connection is fine). You can access the course contents from any web-enabled computer. There are no necessary plug-ins. You do not have to use the same computer to log-in to the course every time. We recommend that you have a word processing program (Microsoft Word is best) and the latest version of Internet Explorer.
14. Can I use a Mac computer?
No, you must use a PC.
15. Do I need Windows 98 to take this course?
You will need a computer capable of booting to Windows 98 for the FAT file system portion of the course. This could be accomplished in a number of ways:
Our courses are all open enrollment. You can register and start the course as soon as you are ready. Locate a school for registration information.
17. How can I get more information on the course?
If you have questions that are not answered on our website, please feel free to contact us via LIVE chat (click the button below). If you are visiting us during non-business hours, please feel free to send us a question using the “Ask a question” button below. You may also call us at 1-866-441-5454. We will answer your questions promptly.
18. Why do I need a computer capable of booting to Windows 98?
The material used in this course is based on the concept of teaching computer forensics from a vendor neutral perspective. This course teaches the low level mechanics of commonly encountered file systems. Computer forensics is not a point and click process, neither is the Key Computer approach to training. If a student can gain a solid understanding of one file system and how it functions at a low level then that student will be prepared to learn other file systems as well.
This course material will teach low level mechanics and functions of both the FAT file system and the New Technology File System (NTFS). Although the FAT file system is not available on new computers, it is the default file system on floppy diskettes and USB devices. Many computer forensic incidents involve USB devices and will continue to involve these devices for years to come. Consequently, students studying to become successful forensic computer examiners must understand the FAT file system which is why it is necessary to use a computer that can boot to Windows 98.
Windows 98 is based on the FAT file system, and a computer formatted with Windows 2000 may be formatted with the FAT file system or NTFS.
NTFS is the native file system for Windows XP and Vista.
The completion of several practical exercises is a requirement of this course. Some include floppy diskettes. Although the floppy diskette is no longer commonly encountered in the field, it is the exercise that is significant and any action taken on a floppy diskette can be replicated on a hard drive.
The CCE BootCamp will train you to not only thoroughly examine digital media, but also clearly document, control, prepare and present examination results.
The CCE BootCamp includes instruction on conducting thorough examinations, identifying where and how data is stored, recovering and interpreting data and drawing appropriate conclusions based on the data.
A sound understanding of the FAT and NTSF file systems is critical to forensic examination. These file systems are important because they are the base of Windows operating systems, portable flash media, storage devices and other digital media in use everywhere today. USB drives, mobile phones, laptops, desktops and cameras are examples of common equipment that use these systems. FAT file system logical structures are utilized by DOS and Windows 9.x. NTFS logical structures are utilized by Windows NT, 2000, XP and Vista.
