Luke Thomas
Durham
Summary
Passionate, professional and driven. I am a digital forensic practitioner with 4+ years of industry experience. Within that time I have worked through all the stages of digital forensic investigation from seizure to presenting the evidence in court. I am always ready to adapt to new challenges and continuously learn in any environment, always aiming to improve myself and those around me.
Overview
4
4
years of professional experience
Work history
Digital Forensic Examiner
Durham Constabulary
Durham, Durham
10.2023 - Current
Responsibilities include
- Managing complex and highly volatile workloads with deadlines.
- Writing streamlined forensic reports and witness statements often, detailing complicated forensic findings.
- Keeping contemporaneous notes to ensure work can be second checked / validated.
- Assisting officers with digital forensic enquiries.
- Attending court to present findings.
- Conducting forensic examinations of various types of digital storage such as mobile phones and hard drives.
- Communicating with various parties such as Crown Prosecution Service and solicitors.
- Working and adhering to various industry standards and regulations such as ISO17025 and the Forensic Science Regulators Code of Conduct.
- Carrying out audits on processes and procedures within the unit to ensure compliance with above standards
- Obtaining and examining cloud based data.
Digital Forensic Technician
Durham Constabulary
Durham, Durham
11.2021 - 10.2023
- Obtaining forensic images from various types of devices such as hard drives and mobile devices.
- Triaging numerous operating systems such as Windows, IOS, Android and macOS.
- Managing a queue style workload which involved cases with varying levels of risk and complexity.
- Communicating findings with officers in charge of the investigation.
- Training members of staff and carrying out competency assessments.
- Assisting officers on scene, dealing with live digital forensic evidence to ensure best practice and maximum data retention.
- Ensuring all work carried out adhered to industry standards and regulations such as ISO17025.
Education
Master of Science - Digital Forensics and Cyber Investigation (PT)
Teesside University
Middlesbrough 09.2025 -
Bachelor of Science - Computer and Digital Forensics
Teesside University
Middlesbrough 09.2018 - 07.2021
Level 3 - Extended Diploma - Computing
New College Durham
Durham, England 09.2015 - 07.2017
Skills
- Numerous external courses and certifications in softwares such as Cellebrite UFED and Physical Analyser, Magnet Griffeye, Magnet Axiom, Encase and XRY
- Mobile device examination, explaining and interpreting system artefacts
- Acquiring digital forensic evidence
- Understanding in how to deal with live and challenging digital forensic devices
- Cloud Forensics
- Easy to follow and understand report and witness statement writing
- Computer forensic examinations explaining findings and their meaning within the computer system
- Experience in software(s) such as Cellebrite UFED, Cellebrite Physical Analyser, Cellebrite premium, Magnet Graykey, Magnet Axiom, Magnet Griffeye, EnCase, XRY and X-Ways
- Real world courtroom experience
- Clear and concise note-taking
- Training and carrying out competency examinations alongside audits
- Excellent workload and time management skills ensuring timely communication with third parties surrounding work
- Database analysis and examination ensuring validity of tool reported values
Timeline
Master of Science - Digital Forensics and Cyber Investigation (PT)
Teesside University
09.2025 -
Digital Forensic Examiner
Durham Constabulary
10.2023 - Current
Digital Forensic Technician
Durham Constabulary
11.2021 - 10.2023
Bachelor of Science - Computer and Digital Forensics
Teesside University
09.2018 - 07.2021
Level 3 - Extended Diploma - Computing
New College Durham
09.2015 - 07.2017