A degree course is being introduced to teach students how to tackle computer-related crime, including the downloading of child pornography. The degree in forensic computing, for which students are enrolling through the Central Applications Office (CAO) process for the first time this year, will cater for up to 60 students at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) from September.
Students will learn how to identify possible criminal activity, including the downloading of child pornography, and to recover and analyse data that has been deleted from or hidden on computers, mobile phones and personal digital assistants.
They will also learn how to help prevent technology crimes, examine computer systems and networks, break codes, lock down systems after an incident, and solve computer-related crimes.
WIT says it has already received inquiries about the new course from prospective employers, and believes that the increased focus in criminal trials on forensic evidence will boost demand for places.
The institute says the popularity of US television programmes such as Crime Scene Investigates will encourage student interest in the course.
Under WIT's plans, a computer forensics stream is being introduced to its existing four-year Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in applied computing. Students who avail of the new course will eventually emerge with a BSc in applied computing (forensic computing.)
The institute has also introduce the new stream as an option for students currently enrolled on the applied computing degree.
While similar courses are already available at postgraduate level in Ireland, WIT says this is the first time students have been offered the opportunity to study an undergraduate computer forensics degree through the CAO process.
The relatively new area of computer forensics has aided Garda investigations into child pornography, murders, "people-trafficking" rings, and credit card scams.
WIT course leader Maireád Meagher says computers and computer-related technologies are increasingly used to solve crimes against the person and against companies.
She said graduates could expect to be employed by large companies, or by firms that specialise in the forensic computing area.
"There will also be a substantial legal and ethical component to the course," she said.
"When somebody downloads child or other pornography, for example, what they are going to do is to delete all the evidence.
"What our students are going to be able to do is to recover all that."