Co-Founder
Barry Franklin
THE FORENSIC SCIENCE EDUCATION BLOG
The blog provides specific information to help you decide if forensic science is the right choice for you. With the inside scoop on forensic science professors, schools and training programs, as well as detailed information on the steps and requirements to become a forensics professional, the ForensicsColleges.com blog is a fine place to begin your research.
Big Employers in Forensics: Environmental Protection Agency
December 6, 2023
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a federal agency tasked with protecting human health and the environment. To accomplish that mission, it performs a variety of functions, one of which is the enforcement of environmental regulations and the investigation of potential violations. The cases that EPA investigates can have wide-reaching effects: they’ve helped enforce standards around clean air, clean water, and the ways hazardous chemicals are handled.
Forensic AI: Using AI & Automation in Fraud Investigation
November 9, 2023
Regarding fraud investigation, there are a couple of new deputies in town. Generative AI in the vein of ChatGPT can help identify and investigate sophisticated financial crimes, while ML-powered automation can improve detection and prevent reoccurrence. These new capabilities are particularly important in an era where every company is a de facto software company, with data, intellectual property, and financial assets that must be protected.
Top Employers in Forensics: What’s it Like to Work at ATF?
November 2, 2023
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is far more than the sum of its parts. A domestic law enforcement agency with over 5,000 employees, it has a long history of forensic excellence. ATF’s first laboratory traces back to 1886 when two scientists convened in the attic of a US Treasury building. Today, the main hub of ATF’s forensic work occurs at the National Laboratory Center in Beltsville, Maryland, including the Fire Research Laboratory, National Firearms Examiner Academy, and one of ATF’s two forensic science laboratories.
Forensics, Fentanyl & New Drug Detection
October 25, 2023
What you don’t know can kill you. Consider America’s drug overdose epidemic, which according to CDC estimates, claimed over 100,000 lives in 2022. Many of those deaths resulted from fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that often masquerades as heroin, but can be up to 50 times stronger in its effects.
Forensic Investigations Career Guide: What to Know
October 16, 2023
Careers in forensic investigation merge lab work with field work, and science with criminal justice. Under the broad umbrella of forensic investigations sit a dozen career titles, each related to its own specific type of evidence or aspect of modern investigation.
Social Engineering: How Hackers Trick People Into Giving Up Secure Data
September 21, 2023
Social engineering is the act of manipulating someone into giving up secure data. Unlike more technical types of cyber attacks, which target the zeroes and ones, social engineering’s methods can appear almost charmingly analog, but that makes them no less dangerous. Hackers using social engineering know that the most vulnerable element in any network is often the human being using it.
The Role of Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) in Investigations
September 18, 2023
Open-source intelligence (OSINT) is the collection and analysis of data gathered from public sources. Dating back to the 20th century, and once purely the domain of the military and intelligence communities, today’s internet-connected and data-driven world has brought OSINT into a wide array of investigations and firmly placed it in the mainstream.
Top Employers in Forensics: Four FBI Professionals’ Perspectives
August 28, 2023
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the principal federal law enforcement agency of the United States. Its investigative authority is the broadest of all federal law enforcement agencies, and the Bureau’s workforce is similarly large, employing approximately 35,000 people, including both special agents and support professionals, to serve its mission of protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution.
Before co-founding Sechel Ventures Partners LLC, Barry Franklin was a VP at a Silicon Valley software company. He is an investor and advisor for DataSimply and Impellia. Barry believes that education and lifelong learning are paramount. Barry met his wife at Carnegie Mellon University and they have two beautiful daughters. He also volunteers for various committees at his kids’ high school.
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