Passed ACE

I passed the AccessData Certified Examiner test on the 12th. It wasn't a cert that I had heard very much about, but it was the final for my Advanced Digital Forensics class. Does anyone else have it, and does it actually hold any weight?

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reubs6

I've never heard of it in my Security research, however I am still new to the field. When trying to find out more about the demand for a cert, I usually try putting it in a search on Careerbuilder, Dice or LinkedIN to see what type of results I get.

5ekurity

I have it as well; due to the nature of the test I think it establishes your proficiency in using the AD suite of products to conduct a digital forensics investigation. It would probably hold more weight if you go into a forensics focused role, as opposed to something else. Then again, if you work for an EnCase shop, throw that knowledge out the window.

zxshockaxz

5ekurity wrote: »

I have it as well; due to the nature of the test I think it establishes your proficiency in using the AD suite of products to conduct a digital forensics investigation. It would probably hold more weight if you go into a forensics focused role, as opposed to something else. Then again, if you work for an EnCase shop, throw that knowledge out the window.

My thoughts exactly. I really don't have a HUGE forensic interest. I'm definitely going more towards the offensive security route, but I figured it would at least be helpful knowledge for anti-forensics.

5ekurity

I understand what you mean; knowing the tools and where to look from a forensics side can help you to be more stealthy as a offensive security professional. Take a look at Harlan Carvey's blog Windows Incident Response if you want more info on forensics.

bigdogz

I was thinking about getting this cert.
How much experience with this software would you think I would need to pass the exam?

5ekurity

It's not an extremely difficult cert to obtain. I had primary workings with FTK and Triage, but it asked some questions about their other Forensic related products too. I would say if you have off/on a few months of experience, it shouldn't be much trouble. It really is just knowing how to use the software to find what you are looking for, if I remember correctly.

si20

I think the thing with the ACE is that: If you learn the techniques behind the answers to the exam, you'll be much more respected than someone who has sat it, failed it then retried. I know a girl who is (to put it politely) not the sharpest knife in the draw and she passed it by finding the answers online along with a few answers she knew. It makes a bit of a mockery of this cert. Congrats on passing it, it's a shame not everyone takes this exam in an honest way.

zxshockaxz

si20 wrote: »

I think the thing with the ACE is that: If you learn the techniques behind the answers to the exam, you'll be much more respected than someone who has sat it, failed it then retried. I know a girl who is (to put it politely) not the sharpest knife in the draw and she passed it by finding the answers online along with a few answers she knew. It makes a bit of a mockery of this cert. Congrats on passing it, it's a shame not everyone takes this exam in an honest way.

I agree with this 100%. Unfortunately, the nature of the exam allows this. I could list several people that passed the exam this way. It really was not a terribly hard exam; I actually had fun taking it. As for the experience needed, I read about 3/4 of the FTK training manual and did about half of the labs. I honestly got bored with it, which is why I didn't finish all of the material. So I finished my studies for it by simply playing with FTK and doing my own digging through evidence drives.

I'll also mention that this was not foreign knowldeg to me; I had just never used FTK. And I also took the "intro to digital forensics" class at the same time, so I'm sure that was beneficial.

fuz1on

I just passed the AccessData Certified Examiner (ACE) exam...right now. I'm certified in Sumuri RECON Mac OSX so it was actually pretty interesting to learn about this tool for Windows vs. Passware. BTW, they have a new free cert - AccessData Mobile Examiner (AME).

BlackBeret

I had a college forensics class at one point in time, then about a year later went to work for a police department as a cop. The detectives had FTK and before the academy everyone "interned" one week in each department. I spent about two days on FTK and passed the exam without trying. The exam in 2011 might have been different than it is now but at the time it wasn't really a forensic test, it was a test on how to use their product to perform the basics of forensics. I've since moved on to fed contracting and everyone I see now uses EnCase.

Having experience and training in anything is always useful, but maybe not to the level you want.