08/4/2024

Davin Teo shared his views on Digital Forensics during his TED talk in Hong Kong. He outlines his journey in a simplistic, yet entertaining way that truly provided information regarding the field. As a digital forensic investigator, you must use your skills in electronic devices, collect and analyze data, and use digital evidence tools to investigate crimes. When relating this to social sciences, one can see how they relate as digital forensics would require investigators to dive into the mind and behavior of criminals to understand why the crime was committed and ultimately solve the case.

Teo first started as an accountant before pursuing his career in digital forensics. His background did include that of computer science, and he used this knowledge to work with different organizations to gain experience within digital forensics. Teo’s experiences emphasize how social sciences that he garnered helped support him to excel in his newfound career field. The particular behaviors that he describes when reading a person are what helps Teo understand what needs to be done in order to obtain the appropriate results when viewing certain human behaviors and social constructs that are in the area of operation. Patterns can be found within the data and social structures that he mentions, and while he maintains a discrete approach to remain hidden, he is still able to interpret the data needed to help solve the cases.

I think that his career pathway is very interesting and shows that there are many types of people that can flourish within a technical field without necessarily having the large technical expertise of others. Social Sciences and learning about people and how to maintain a sense of learning others behaviors and solving problems would be a massive upside considering you need to learn about people’s motives and behaviors, especially within digital forensics. Teo was not necessarily the highest experienced computer scientist to begin with, but the fact that his social science skills were being used helped to perpetuate his career. Social interactions will always be a major component in any career field and should always be considered when looking at candidates and skills that candidates should possess.

References
Teo, D. (2015, December 9). Digital forensics | Davin Teo | tedxhongkongsalon. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf-JnQfAEew