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DEF53122

Diploma of Digital Forensics

Study Method
Online
Institution
Australian Fraud and Anti-Corruption Academy Pty Ltd
Recognition
ASQA, Australian Qualifications Framework, Nationally Recognised Training
Start Date
Enrol anytime
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Course Overview

Step into advanced digital forensics and build the capability to work with complex digital evidence in real investigative environments.

Move beyond the basics to develop skills in acquiring, analysing and interpreting digital evidence across multiple systems and data sources.

Learn through a holistic, process-driven approach—working the full forensic lifecycle from identification and preservation through to advanced analysis and reporting.

Apply your skills in realistic scenarios that reflect modern digital environments, including evolving technologies and competing investigative priorities.

Develop the ability to manage evidence in a structured, defensible way while meeting legal, ethical and organisational requirements.

By the end of the course, you’ll be ready to operate in complex forensic environments, interpret digital evidence with confidence, and contribute to real investigative and intelligence outcomes.

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Who's It For?

Designed for professionals ready to move beyond basic digital forensics into more advanced, specialised roles.

Ideal for those with a background in IT, cyber security, investigations, or digital evidence handling, including Certificate IV graduates or those with practical experience.

Suited to environments where digital evidence is critical—law enforcement, regulatory agencies, corporate investigations, cyber teams, and IT functions.

Addresses the gap between technical ability and structured forensic practice, helping you produce work that is defensible, repeatable, and aligned to legal and organisational requirements.

Builds your ability to interpret complex data, support investigations, and clearly communicate findings to non-technical stakeholders.

Prepares you to step into more complex forensic environments with confidence, judgement, and the capability to deliver real investigative outcomes.

Job Outcomes

Potential career outcomes could include:

  • Senior digital forensics analyst

  • Digital forensics specialist

  • Cybercrime investigator

  • Incident response analyst (digital forensics focus)

  • E-discovery manager / specialist

  • Digital evidence lead (law enforcement or regulatory)

  • Cyber security analyst (forensics focus)

  • Threat intelligence analyst (digital evidence focus)

  • Malware analysis support specialist

  • Corporate investigations specialist (digital evidence)

  • Financial crime investigations analyst (digital forensics focus)

  • Intelligence analyst (technical/digital streams)

  • Forensic technology consultant

  • Digital forensic lab manager / team leader

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What You'll Learn

Build advanced digital forensics capability and the judgement needed to operate in complex environments.

Move beyond basic evidence handling to confidently manage the full forensic lifecycle—from identifying and preserving evidence through to advanced analysis and reporting.

Work across computers, mobile devices, networks and cloud environments, learning how data is stored, altered and recovered while maintaining forensic integrity.

Develop advanced analytical skills to examine complex datasets, correlate multiple sources, and reconstruct events using timelines, logs, metadata and user activity.

Strengthen your ability to form evidence-based conclusions, assess reliability, and apply structured analysis to support investigations and decision-making.

Operate within legal, privacy and organisational frameworks, ensuring your work is defensible, repeatable and compliant.

Learn to communicate findings clearly through professional reports and briefings that stand up to scrutiny.

By the end of the course, you’ll be ready to manage complex digital forensic tasks from start to finish with confidence, precision and professional judgement.

Recognition

Australian Skills Quality Authority
<p>Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) logo.</p>
This course is approved by the Australian Qualifications Framework.
<p>Nationally recognised training logo.</p>
This is a nationally approved vocational course that is recognised throughout Australia

Study Method

  • Online
    Online delivery - online course content with the exception of assessments and work placement
  • Blended
    Blended delivery - both online course content and partial face to face requirements
  • In-class
    In class delivery - predominately face to face course content conducted at a specific location
  • Virtual
    Virtual Delivery - Live and interactive classroom-style learning conducted completely online

Duration Study Load

Students have 18 months to complete the course, with an expected study load of 15 hours per week.

Delivery

The DEF53122 Diploma of Digital Forensics is delivered using the Academy’s holistic, process-driven model, designed to reflect how digital forensic work is actually carried out in practice. Rather than studying tools, techniques, or units in isolation, you work through the full digital forensic lifecycle as a continuous process—moving from identification and preservation of evidence through to advanced analysis, interpretation, and reporting.

Each stage of the process is introduced in context and immediately applied. As you progress, you build on earlier steps, working with the same scenario or evolving case environment. This allows you to see how decisions made at the point of evidence collection affect later analysis, and how findings must be interpreted and communicated in a structured, defensible way. The learning is cumulative, reinforcing both technical skills and investigative judgement.

You will actively engage in tasks that mirror real-world expectations, including examining digital artefacts, correlating data from multiple sources, and forming evidence-based conclusions. The course is supported with practical tools, guided instruction, and one-on-one engagement with a trainer, ensuring you can apply the content to realistic situations and your own work context.

This approach ensures that you are not simply learning advanced techniques—you are applying them within a complete forensic process. By the end of the program, you have worked through digital forensic activities as they occur in practice, developing the capability to operate effectively in complex environments where accuracy, structure, and professional judgement are critical.

Entry Requirements

Nil

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Course Features

The course is delivered using a holistic, process-driven model that reflects how digital forensics is actually performed in practice. Rather than learning tools, techniques, or units in isolation, you work through the full digital forensic lifecycle as a continuous, connected process—moving from identification and preservation of evidence through to advanced analysis, interpretation, and reporting.

Learning is built around realistic, evolving scenarios. You don’t complete disconnected tasks; instead, you work on the same case as it develops, applying each new concept directly to it. This allows you to see how early decisions—such as how evidence is acquired or documented—impact later stages like analysis and reporting. It creates a clear line of sight between actions, outcomes, and professional accountability.

Each stage combines targeted theory with immediate application. You are introduced to concepts, tools, and methodologies in context, then apply them straight away using practical exercises and forensic software. This ensures that technical skills are reinforced through use, not just explained.

The course is supported by guided instruction, including step-by-step demonstrations of tools and equipment, as well as one-on-one tutorials with a trainer. This allows you to test your approach, receive feedback, and apply the learning to your own work environment or interests.

By working through the process in this way, you develop more than technical capability. You build the judgement, structure, and discipline required to operate in real digital forensic environments, where decisions must be defensible, methods must be repeatable, and findings must be clearly explained.

Recognition Of Prior Learning

The Academy’s approach to Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for the Diploma of Digital Forensics is designed to ensure that experience is both validated and current. While students may already have hands-on exposure to IT, investigations, or digital evidence, the RPL process requires them to demonstrate that their skills align with contemporary digital forensic standards.

Students complete a set of core theory elements while they gather and submit evidence from their workplace or prior experience. This ensures they understand the full digital forensic process—from identification and preservation through to analysis and reporting—and can explain the principles that underpin their work, not just demonstrate past activity.

The process is supported through one-on-one engagement with a trainer, allowing students to contextualise their evidence, address any gaps, and align their experience with required outcomes. This approach ensures that RPL is not a tick-and-flick exercise, but a structured process that confirms both competence and understanding. The result is a qualification that reflects real capability in handling digital evidence in a professional and defensible manner.

Assessment

Student will undertake the following assessments:

·         Online quizzes

·         Online tutorials (oral questioning)

·         An online interview of a subject

·         Acquisition and assessment of digital evidence

·         Written Assignments covering each stage and element  of an investigation

·         An online  Moot court

Materials

Students will require their own laptop and access to high speed internet to undertake the course.

Students will be provided with the necessary digital forensics software and training, along with the Academy’s own digital forensics investigation manual to keep and use after the course.

Subjects

Core
BSBOPS502 Manage business operational plans

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to develop and monitor the implementation of operational plans to support efficient and effective workplace practices and organisational productivity and profitability.

The unit applies to individuals who manage the work of others and operate within the parameters of a broader strategic and/or business plans.

Core
DEFFOR012 Assess, control and examine digital incident scenes

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to assess, control and examine digital incident scenes, including determining the resources required to examine the scene and plan a search for digital equipment that will require forensic examination.

This unit applies to those working in the gathering and analysis of digital information.

The skills and knowledge described in this unit must be applied within the legislative, regulatory and policy environment in which they are carried out. Organisational policies and procedures must be consulted and adhered to, particularly those relating to work health and safety (WHS) and assessing, controlling and examining digital incident scenes.

Those undertaking this unit would work independently, with minimal supervision, while performing complex tasks, including making complex judgements. They would use discretion and judgement and take responsibility for the quality of their outputs.

Core
DEFFOR015 Conduct digital data search and analysis

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to analyse digital data that has been acquired through a range of digital forensic methodologies. It includes analysing digital storage devices for artefacts that may become evidence.

This unit applies to those working in the gathering and analysis of digital data.

The skills and knowledge described in this unit must be applied within the legislative, regulatory and policy environment in which they are carried out. Organisational policies and procedures must be consulted and adhered to, particularly those relating to work health and safety (WHS) and the conducting of digital data search and analysis.

Those undertaking this unit would work independently, with minimal supervision, while performing complex tasks, including making complex judgements. They would use discretion and judgement and take responsibility for the quality of their outputs.

Core
DEFFOR017 Detect, collect and record digital evidence

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to conduct activities involved in the detection, recording and collection of digital evidence prior to laboratory examination.

This unit applies to those working in the gathering and analysis of digital information.

The skills and knowledge described in this unit must be applied within the legislative, regulatory and policy environment in which they are carried out. Organisational policies and procedures must be consulted and adhered to, particularly those relating to work health and safety (WHS) and the search for and seizure of digital evidence.

Those undertaking this unit would work independently, with minimal supervision, while performing complex tasks, including making complex judgements. They would use discretion and judgement and take responsibility for the quality of their outputs.

DEFFOR019 Give evidence of digital media crime

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to give evidence as a digital forensics’ expert witness in legal proceedings. The unit includes preparation for proceedings, presenting evidence and following up on outcomes of proceedings. Proceedings may be to criminal, coronial, civil or military courts.

This unit applies to those working in the gathering and analysis of digital information.

The skills and knowledge described in this unit must be applied within the legislative, regulatory and policy environment in which they are carried out. Organisational policies and procedures must be consulted and adhered to, particularly those relating to work health and safety (WHS) and the search and seizure of digital evidence.

Those undertaking this unit would work independently, with minimal supervision, while performing complex tasks, including making complex judgements. They would use discretion and judgement and take responsibility for the quality of their outputs.

DEFFOR021Produce a digital media image for forensic purposes

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to employ a range of digital media forensic methodologies to produce an image of a digital storage device.

This unit applies to those working in the gathering and analysis of digital information.

The skills and knowledge described in this unit must be applied within the legislative, regulatory and policy environment in which they are carried out. Organisational policies and procedures must be consulted and adhered to, particularly those relating to work health and safety (WHS) and the search and seizure of digital evidence.

Those undertaking this unit would work independently, with minimum of supervision, while performing complex tasks, including making complex judgements. They would use discretion and judgement and take responsibility for the quality of their outputs.

MSL974023 Capture and manage scientific images

This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge to capture accurate and reproducible images of scientific (environmental, medical and technical) subjects using a scientific approach and workplace procedures/protocols to ensure the integrity of the image. It also includes the ability to generate and maintain pre- and post-image capture records to ensure that images can be reproduced.

This unit applies to laboratory technicians in all industry sectors.

PSPGEN142 Refine complex workplace documents

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to refine complex written workplace communication at a level where preliminary research or documents may have been prepared by others as input, and final documents are being prepared.

This unit applies to those working in generalist and specialist roles within the public sector. Those undertaking this unit work autonomously, performing complex tasks in a range of familiar and unfamiliar contexts.

The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State or Territory legislation, Australian standards and industry codes of practice.

PSPLEG008 Manage compliance with legislation in the public sector

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to manage compliance with public sector legislative requirements.

This unit applies to those working in the management of public sector legislation compliance. Those undertaking this unit work autonomously and have supervisory responsibilities. They perform complex tasks in a range of contexts.

The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State or Territory legislation, Australian standards and industry codes of practice.

PUACOM003Manage information

This unit of competency involves the skills and knowledge required to manage information to support the achievement of organisation’s objectives. It includes identifying information needs and sources, collecting and analysing information and using information management systems to record and support results.

The unit is applicable to personnel who have responsibility for ensuring that information is collected and disseminated to team members and that data and information is stored in organisational information systems.

PUAOPE015 Conduct briefings and debriefings

This unit of competency involves the skills and knowledge required to lead and conduct a briefing and/or a debriefing in operational and nonoperational situations, in a range of environments. It includes planning and preparing for briefings and debriefings, conducting briefings and debriefings and concluding briefings and debriefings.

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Payment Options

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About Australian Fraud and Anti-Corruption Academy Pty Ltd

The Australian Fraud and Anti-Corruption Academy is a registered training organisation specialising in practical, real-world education in fraud control, anti-corruption, digital forensics, cyber security, and government investigations. Its programs are designed for working professionals and delivered online with a strong focus on applied learning, combining theory with realistic scenarios to build job-ready capability. Led by experienced practitioners, the Academy equips students with the skills to prevent, detect, and respond to fraud and integrity risks in complex organisational environments.

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