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Computer Forensics Lab Awarded to New Mexico
UNM anchors regional bid
The University of New Mexico UNM Today
April 29, 2008
The FBI announced recently that the state of New Mexico, in conjunction with the UNM Police Department, UNM Information Technology Services Department (ITS) and the NSA-certified UNM Anderson School of Management’s Center for Information Assurance Research and Education (CIARE), has been awarded the
nation’s 15th Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory (RCFL).
The NM RCFL will be a full-service digital forensics laboratory and training center devoted entirely to the examination of digital evidence in support of local, state, and federal criminal investigations. Digital forensics is the application of science and engineering to the recovery of digital evidence in a legally acceptable method.
The NM RCFL will be the second RCFL that is located on and is closely affiliated with a university campus (the Kentucky RCFL began operations in the Fall 2006 on the University of Louisville’s Shelby campus.)
It is expected that the NM RCFL will follow suit with the other 14 RCFLs across the U.S. and offer internships or student cooperative programs. UNM’s CIARE will work closely with the yet-to-be-named NM RCFL local governing board to develop such programs to give students the opportunity to hone their digital forensic skills in the burgeoning digital forensics area and to work in a cutting edge digital evidence laboratory supporting state, local and federal investigations.
“The cooperative and comprehensive proposal submitted to the RCFL National Program committee by UNM in partnership with CIARE, the national labs, and local, regional and state law enforcement is indicative of the new era here at the University of New Mexico,” said Barney Maccabe, interim UNM chief information officer.
“President Schmidly’s vision of ‘student success through collaboration’ and ‘excellence through relevance’ is manifested in these types of shared endeavors that will not only provide students with practical experience in an area of growing demand but also exemplify New Mexico’s leadership in the region, the nation and the world.”
The NM RCFL will be a one stop, full service forensics laboratory and training center devoted entirely to the examination of digital evidence in support of criminal investigations such as terrorism, child pornography, theft or destruction to intellectual property, Internet crimes and fraud.
RCFL Examiners combine the talents and experience of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Normally, an RCFL consists of approximately 15 people: 12 of the staff members are Examiners and three staff members support the RCFL.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; email: scarr@unm.edu
Posted by scarr at April 29, 2008 01:21 PM