Digital Forensics Principles

Course

Duration: 10 weeks
Start: Sept 2025
Costs: € 3.150,-

Een weergave van digitale verbindingen over een foto van een stad en een snelweg

Our digitally transformed world creates many new opportunities for misconduct. Criminals are rapidly shifting their field of activity to the digital domain providing a growing need for trained forensic IT specialists who can act quickly and effectively in digital forensic investigations.

For whom

You are a professional with a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree working in the digital forensic field looking to develop or improve your research skills.

Docent geeft les aan studenten van de opleiding Forensisch ICT

About the Course

The course Digital Forensics Principles, provides a solid basis for developing the fundamentals of Digital Forensics. The course is a mix of investigation methodologies, basic forensic skills and technology. In addition to theory and assignments, this module also encompasses practical components.

The Digital Forensics Principles course is part of the Master Digital Forensics, a two-year part-time program. The course has a study load of approximately 140hrs (5 ECTS). Our education is offered in a hybrid format, providing the option to follow lectures online except for several mandatory on-campus meetings. The curriculum combines theory and practice. Participants are expected to carry out practical projects and assignments in their own workplace or at the Digital Forensics Lab at the Digital Forensics & E-Discovery lectorate based at the HSD-campus in the Hague.

Topics

The following topics are covered during the course:

Digital forensic investigations, stakeholders and their role
Digital forensic frameworks
Preliminary investigation, place of evidence identification, and analyses
Scenario-based investigation
Digital evidence, acquisition, admissibility, authenticity
Chain of custody (CoC), the chain of evidence (CoE), integrity and forensic solidity
E-Discovery
Timeline analyses
Forensic reconstruction
Automation and Forensics tooling (hardware and software)
Design and setting up digital forensic laboratory facilities
Reporting and presenting evidence
Advising stakeholders about digital forensic investigation
The role of computational forensics

Admission requirements

The admission requirements for this course are:

Bachelor's degree ICT, Computer Science or Digital Forensics or completed pre-master program Digital Forensics.
Sufficient knowledge of the following subjects: Calculus & Statistics, Forensic IT basics, Organization & Business Processes, Computer Architecture basics, Computer Networking
Relevant work experience in the Digital Forensics field
Good command of the English language (minimum B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)
Resume check to review if you meet the entry-level requirements of the module (if needed to determine this, you will be invited for an introductory interview)

About the Master Digital Forensics

The Master of Digital Forensics is specifically tailored to professionals who would like to:

advance their technical skills in modern day digital forensics and investigations.
acquire the necessary management and communication skills required to perform forensic investigations.
be prepared for the technology paradigm shift towards IOT forensics.
learn how to use analytics, AI, and ML methodologies and apply forensic frameworks to control huge investigations.
learn to develop state of the art forensic tools.

Read more about the complete master’s program.

Purely practical

Duration and location

Duration
10 weeks (September through November 2025)*

On-campus day
Monday

Extent
5 ECTS (140hrs)

Combination of self-study, on-campus lectures & practical assignments.
Option to follow lectures online with the exception of several mandatory on-campus meetings.

Location
HSD-Campus, the Hague

*Schedule subject to change

Cost and planning

Cost per module
€ 3.150,- VAT exempt (excl. literature)
subject to indexation

Start
September 2025*

Registration
Register at latest by 15 August 2025.

*Course will only be confirmed when there is sufficient participation.
*Schedule subject to change