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Cyber Forensic Investigator: Occupations in Alberta - alis
Are you the investigative type? Do you get excited about recovering erased, corrupted, or intentionally hidden information on a computer? Do you have good observation and problem-solving skills? Then a career as a cyber forensic investigator may be in your future.
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Occupations in Alberta
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Emerging Occupations

Cyber Forensic Investigator

This is an emerging occupation. It may have evolved from an existing occupation or emerged in response to consumer needs or technological advancements.

A cyber forensic investigator retrieves and makes sense of the information contained on computer systems, storage devices, and in electronic documents and files. The devices may have been erased, damaged, compromised, or corrupted by unauthorized access or malicious software.

Contents Expand All
Also Known As

Computer Forensic Investigator, Cyber Crimes Investigator, Cyber Forensic Analyst, Intelligence Analyst

NOC Codes

In Canada, the federal government groups and organizes occupations based on a National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This alis occupation may not reflect the entire NOC group it is part of. Data for the NOC group can apply across multiple occupations.

The NOC system is updated every 5 years to reflect changes in the labour market. Government forms and labour market data may group and refer to an occupation differently, depending on the system used.

Here is how this occupation has been classified over time.

2006 NOC

  • 2171.2: Systems Security Analysts*

2006 NOC-S

  • C071: Information Systems Analysts and Consultants*

2011 NOC

  • 2171: Information systems analysts and consultants*

2016 NOC

  • 2171: Information systems analysts and consultants*

2021 NOC

  • 21220: Cybersecurity specialists*

2023 OaSIS

  • 21220.00: Cybersecurity specialists*

*This NOC group is considered similar to the Cyber Forensic Investigator occupation. Because this occupation is only similar to the NOC group, related details and labour market information may not be accurate.

Duties
Updated Apr 08, 2022

Cyber forensic investigators understand all aspects of computers and related devices. This includes how they store and secure data and communicate over a network.

Duties vary depending on the employer and the nature of the data. Specialty fields include mobile digital forensics, computer forensics, cyber crime investigation, and emerging vehicle-system forensics. In general, cyber forensic investigators:

  • Search for digital evidence
  • Advise on the existence and reliability of digital evidence
  • Conduct interviews and take statements
  • Examine, document, and prepare evidence
  • Develop technical reports on how digital evidence was discovered and the steps taken to retrieve it
  • Conduct reverse engineering
  • Conduct data-breach and cybersecurity investigations
  • Ensure digital evidence is managed in accordance with the Canadian Evidence Act
  • Create an image of the original data, validate the image, and search the true copy
  • Assist field investigators such as by attending searches conducted by warrant or by conducting field acquisitions of data
  • Present evidence to a formal committee or court
  • Work closely with field investigators
  • Keep up to date with emerging technology and methodologies
Working Conditions
Updated Apr 08, 2022
  • Strength Required Strength requirements vary

Cyber forensic investigators work in an office or a lab setting. They may have to sit for long periods while using a computer. They may have to travel to crime scenes. They may be called on to testify in court about evidence collected.

Interests & Abilities

In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2006 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.

Systems Security Analysts*

2006 NOC: 2171.2

*This data is for a NOC group that is similar to the Cyber Forensic Investigator occupation.

Interest Codes

Interest Codes for This NOC Group
METHODICAL

Interest in precision working to implement and administer system security infrastructure and security tools, and in maintaining security practices and procedures

INNOVATIVE

Interest in analyzing physical and technical security risks to data, software and hardware in order to develop policies and contingency plans that minimize the effects of security breaches

DIRECTIVE

Interest in consulting to advise on systems security issues and on enhancing security tools, techniques and business practices; in enforcing security practices and procedures, and in addressing security problems such as computer viruses and unauthorized information access, modification or deletion

Your Interest Codes

To identify or change your interest codes, complete the Interests Exercise in CAREERinsite.

Reading Interest Codes
A Quick Guide

The interest code helps you figure out if you’d like to work in a particular occupation. 

It’s based on the Canadian Work Preference Inventory (CWPI), which measures 5 occupational interests: Directive, Innovative, Methodical, Objective, and Social.

Each set of 3 interest codes for this NOC group is listed in order of importance.

A code in capital letters means it’s a strong fit for the occupation.

A code in all lowercase letters means the fit is weaker.

Learn About Interests

Abilities

Typical ability expectations for this NOC group
Your abilities

To fill in or change the values for your abilities, complete the Abilities Exercise in CAREERinsite.

Mental Abilities

General Learning Ability

Verbal Ability

Numerical Ability

Visual Abilities

Spatial Perception

Form Perception

Clerical Perception

Physical Abilities

Motor Coordination

Finger Dexterity

Manual Dexterity

Understanding Abilities

A Quick Guide

You are born with abilities that help you process certain types of information and turn it into action. These abilities influence which skills you can learn more easily.

The abilities or aptitudes shown for this NOC group come from the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB). The GATB measures 9 aptitudes. It groups them into 3 categories: mental, visual, and physical.

The abilities scores range from 1 to 5, with 5 being stronger.

Learn About Abilities

Traits & Skills
Updated Apr 08, 2022

Cyber forensic investigators need:

  • A curious nature
  • The ability to remain unbiased
  • Critical-thinking skills
  • Problem-solving skills
  • The ability to concentrate for long periods of time
  • Speaking, listening, and writing skills
  • Organizational skills
  • Observational skills
  • Pattern recognition, and the ability to see connections
  • The ability to focus on both fine details and the big picture
  • Honesty and integrity
  • The ability to keep things confidential

They should enjoy:

  • Keeping up to date with technology
  • Pursuing ongoing training to maintain certifications and designations
  • Working within a team and collaborating within the industry

In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.

Top 10 Skills Employers Are Looking For

Information systems analysts and consultants*

2016 NOC: 2171

*This data is for a NOC group that is similar to the Cyber Forensic Investigator occupation.

This chart shows which job skills are currently in highest demand for this occupational group. It was created using this occupation's 110 most recent Alberta job postings, collected between Mar 28, 2024 and Apr 19, 2024.

Review these skills to learn:

  • Whether or not this occupation matches your skill set
  • What training you may need to get these skills
  • What skills to highlight in your resumé, cover letter, and interview.
Tasks: Design, develop and implement information systems business solutions
Tasks: Provide advice on information systems strategy, policy, management and service delivery
Tasks: Confer with clients to identify and document requirements
Tasks: Assess physical and technical security risks to data, software and hardware
Tasks: Conduct reviews to assess quality assurance practices, software products and information systems
Tasks: Conduct business and technical studies
Tasks: Develop and implement policies and procedures throughout the software development life cycle
Tasks: Develop policies, procedures and contingency plans to minimize the effects of security breaches
Construction Specialization: Client focus
Experience: 1 year to less than 2 years
Tasks: Design, develop and implement information systems business solutions 100
Tasks: Provide advice on information systems strategy, policy, management and service delivery 92
Tasks: Confer with clients to identify and document requirements 88
Tasks: Assess physical and technical security risks to data, software and hardware 78
Tasks: Conduct reviews to assess quality assurance practices, software products and information systems 75
Tasks: Conduct business and technical studies 72
Tasks: Develop and implement policies and procedures throughout the software development life cycle 71
Tasks: Develop policies, procedures and contingency plans to minimize the effects of security breaches 70
Construction Specialization: Client focus 55
Experience: 1 year to less than 2 years 52
Educational Requirements
Updated Apr 08, 2022
  • Minimum Education 2 years post-secondary

Most emerging occupations develop from more than one occupation. People working in this occupation may come from a variety of education and training backgrounds. Before enrolling in an education program, prospective students should contact associations and employers in this field to investigate education options and employment possibilities.

The minimum requirement for cyber forensic investigators is a specialized diploma in cyber forensics.

Systems and security threats change daily. As a result, cyber forensic investigators must constantly upgrade their knowledge.

Most employers prefer to hire experienced applicants. Ideally candidates should have a 4-year bachelor’s degree. At the least, they should have a 2-year diploma in computer science or a related discipline. They should also have basic training in handling cyber-forensic evidence. Employers normally require successful applicants to complete a security background check.

Employers prefer to hire investigators who have at least the following information security certifications:

  • Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
  • CompTIA Security+
  • GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC)

Some employers seek applicants with further designations, such as:

  • AccessData Certified Examiner (ACE)
  • Certified Cyber Forensics Professional (CCFP)
  • EnCase Certified Examiner (EnCE)
  • GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst (GCFA)
  • X-Ways Professional in Evidence Recovery Techniques (X-PERT)

In Canada, the Canadian Police College offers the Computer Forensic Examiner (CMPFOR) program and the Cyber Crime Investigator’s Course (CCIC). These courses are for those who are authorized by their organization to conduct computer forensic analysis.

To learn more about education and certification, see Other Sources of Information.

Related Education

The following schools offer programs or courses that are related to this occupation but are not required to enter the field.

ABM College
Alberta Educational Centre
Alison College
Athabasca University
Bow Valley College
CDI College of Business, Technology and Health Care - Calgary North
CDI College of Business, Technology and Health Care - Calgary South
CDI College of Business, Technology and Health Care - Edmonton City Centre
CDI College of Business, Technology and Health Care - Edmonton North
CDI College of Business, Technology and Health Care - Edmonton South
CDI College of Business, Technology and Health Care - Edmonton West
Concordia University of Edmonton
Grant MacEwan University
Keyano College
Medicine Hat College
Mount Royal University
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
Northwestern Polytechnic
Peerless College
QCom College of Technology (QCT)
Robertson College - Calgary
Robertson College - Edmonton
Southern Alberta Institute of Technology
The King's University
University of Alberta
University of Calgary
University of Lethbridge

To expand or narrow your search for programs related to this occupation, visit Post-Secondary Programs.

Completing a program does not guarantee entrance into an occupation. Before enrolling in an education program, prospective students should look into various sources for education options and employment possibilities. For example, contact associations and employers in this field.

Certification Requirements
Updated Apr 08, 2022
  • Certification Provincially Regulated

Certain professional titles or duties within this occupation are protected by provincial legislation. Requirements vary if you use these titles or perform these duties.

The related legislation is shown below. If there are multiple related legislations, select a certification heading to learn about each one.

Information Systems Professional

Information systems professionals investigate, analyze, design, develop, or manage information systems based on computer and related technologies. They do so objectively applying specialized knowledge and professional judgement.

Legislation

Information Systems Professional is a protected title under Alberta’s Professional and Occupational Associations Registration Act [pdf]. This means that to call yourself an Information Systems Professional or use the I.S.P. designation, you must be a registered member of the Canadian Information Processing Society of Alberta (CIPS Alberta).

You do not have to be registered if you do not call yourself an Information Systems Professional.

For information on what you need and other details, visit the certification profile Information Systems Professional.

Employment & Advancement
Updated Apr 08, 2022

Emerging occupations typically are the result of:

  • An increased human need
  • Technological advances
  • Greater specialization within an occupation

Often there are too few people working in an emerging occupation to gather survey information. Therefore, it can be difficult to define advancement opportunities or employment outlook. Some Albertans already are working in this emerging occupation, but future demand for it is unknown.

Cyber forensic investigators work for:

  • Law enforcement
  • IT companies
  • Educational and financial institutions
  • Consulting firms
  • Government departments
  • Online retailers

In Alberta, most cyber forensic investigators work in major urban centres. They may work for specialized software development firms. Or they may work for large organizations with a law-enforcement information-systems department. Investigators with graduate degrees and many years on the job may move into management or become consultants.

Industry Concentration

This section shows the industries where the majority of people in this occupation work. The data is based on the 2016 Census.

In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.

In the 2171: Information systems analysts and consultants* occupational group, 79.9% of people work in:

*This data is for a NOC group that is similar to the Cyber Forensic Investigator occupation.

Employment Outlook

Employment outlook is influenced by a wide variety of factors including:

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OCCinfo

Employment Outlook

Employment outlook is influenced by a wide variety of factors. Learn how these factors can affect your career decisions.
  • Time of year (for seasonal jobs)
  • Location in Alberta
  • Employment turnover (when people leave existing positions)
  • Occupational growth (when new positions are created)
  • Size of the occupation
  • Trends and events that affect overall employment

Explore emerging workplace trends in Alberta that could affect this occupation.

In Alberta, the 2171: Information systems analysts and consultants* occupational group is expected to have an above-average annual growth of 2% from 2019 to 2023. In addition to job openings created by employment turnover, 366 new positions are forecasted to be created within this occupational group each year.

*This data is for a NOC group that is similar to the Cyber Forensic Investigator occupation.

Note
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For example, only some of the new positions to be created will be for this occupation. It also applies to other data for the NOC group such as number of people employed.

Source: 2019-2023 Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook

Related Alberta Job Postings
Wage & Salary
Updated Apr 08, 2022

Often there are too few people working in an emerging occupation to gather survey information. Therefore, no current provincial salary data is available for this occupation.

In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.

Information systems analysts and consultants*

2016 NOC: 2171

*This data is for a NOC group that is similar to the Cyber Forensic Investigator occupation.

Average Wage
$45.60
Per Hour
Average Salary
$90,533.00
Per Year
Average Hours
38.3
Per Week
Average Months on Payroll
12
Survey Methodology Survey Analysis

Source
 2021 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey

NOC 2171 Wage Profile

Unless otherwise noted, the data shown here is for all industries and all regions in Alberta.

All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production), and other forms of compensation.

To see the full survey data for this NOC group, visit the wage profile.

Other wage sources
To make an informed wage and salary decision, research other wage sources [pdf] to supplement this data.

A: High Reliability
Data Reliability Code Definition

High Reliability, represents a CV of less than or equal to 6.00% and 30 survey observations and/or represents 50% or more of all estimated employment for the occupation.

Hourly Wage

For full-time and part-time employees
  • Low
  • High
  • Average
  • Median
Starting
Overall
Top

Hourly Wage

For full-time and part-time employees
Wages* Low (5th percentile) High (95th percentile) Average Median
Starting $21.90 $55.07 $35.33 $34.21
Overall $27.67 $63.22 $45.60 $45.67
Top $32.26 $81.63 $54.92 $53.87

Swipe left and right to view all data. Scroll left and right to view all data.

* All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production) and other forms of compensation.

Pay brackets for hourly wages

  • Starting pay: average pay offered for entry-level positions
  • Overall pay: average pay across all employees in this occupation
  • Top pay: average pay offered to top-paid employees

Industry Information

ALL INDUSTRIES
Oil & Gas Extraction
Construction
Manufacturing
Information, Culture, Recreation
Finance, Insurance, Real Estate, Leasing
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services
Educational Services
Health Care & Social Assistance
Public Administration
ALL INDUSTRIES $90,533
Oil & Gas Extraction $115,141
Construction $103,316
Manufacturing $72,145
Information, Culture, Recreation $84,515
Finance, Insurance, Real Estate, Leasing $83,049
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services $88,840
Educational Services $85,632
Health Care & Social Assistance $90,018
Public Administration $92,701

Skills Shortage

Employers that Recruited in the Last 2 Years
37%
37%)
Recruiting Employers that Experienced Hiring Difficulties
17%
17%
Employers with Unfilled Vacancies of over 4 Months
5%
5%
Vacancy Rate
2%
Related High School Subjects
  • Business, Administration, Finance and IT
    • Computing Science
    • Information Processing
    • Management and Marketing
    • Networking
  • English Language Arts
  • Mathematics
  • Science
    • Physics
Related Post-Secondary Field of Study
  • Communications
  • Computer and Information Technology
Other Sources of Information
Updated Apr 08, 2022

Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS) of Alberta website: ab.cips.ca

Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) website: www.comptia.org

Information System Audit and Control Association website: www.isaca.org

International Council of E-Commerce Consultants (EC-Council) website: cert.eccouncil.org

International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, Inc., (ISC)² website: www.isc2.org

International Systems Security Association (ISSA) website: www.issa.org

SANS Institute website: www.sans.org

Software Engineering Institute website: www.sei.cmu.edu

The International Association of Computer Investigative Specialists: www.iacis.com

The International Society of Forensic Computer Examiners website: www.isfce.com

Technology Alberta website: technologyalberta.com

Get information and referrals about career, education, and employment options from Alberta Supports.

Updated Mar 31, 2022. The information contained in this profile is current as of the dates shown. Salary, employment outlook, and educational program information may change without notice. It is advised that you confirm this information before making any career decisions.

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