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How to become a Digital Forensics Specialist

Preserves, investigates and analyses digital data after information leaks, tampering, disruption of computers and networks, or attempts to do these things.

How to become one

This job appeared after 2000, and there is still no standard way in. Some people studied IT at a kosen (college of technology) or senmon gakko (vocational college), and others are university or postgraduate graduates. People imagine science graduates, but many come from humanities backgrounds. Students who have taken part in Security Camp (a programme run by the Information-technology Promotion Agency to give students advanced training in information security and find and develop the next generation of security talent) are sometimes hired because it shows interest and knowledge in the field. Some people move into digital forensics after working in system development, system operations or vulnerability assessment. Some move from other companies in the same field. New graduates often have about six months of training, starting with workplace basics and computer basics and then learning digital forensics in practice. After training you are placed in the relevant department, do basic work such as preserving digital data, and then investigate and analyse real cases with senior colleagues. You broaden your knowledge and build your skills while working in the team, gradually becoming able to work on your own. From the second year there is training to build business skills such as presenting, training in more advanced digital forensics knowledge and techniques, and training in running projects. Some of this is in-house and some is external. Mid-career hires are expected to contribute straight away and are placed where their strengths are. There are international digital forensics skill certifications, and some people work towards them while working. Among the Information-technology Promotion Agency exams, the Registered Information Security Specialist is relevant, and some companies support staff to gain it. Because the job is new, in-house career paths are not fixed, but some people sharpen their skills and become technical leaders in their team, while others take on management roles leading a group. Others use their digital forensics experience to become incident handlers (people responsible for handling a whole security incident), EDR analysts (EDR, Endpoint Detection and Response, detects, analyses and responds to suspicious activity on users' computers), security consultants or security trainers. You need knowledge of building and running computers, networks and the cloud, malware analysis, attack methods and threat intelligence (collected and analysed information about security threats and insight into them), along with knowledge and skills in penetration testing and vulnerability assessment, and in security for endpoints, networks and the cloud. Much of the latest information on security comes from overseas, so you need to be able to read articles in English. With new systems and new attack methods appearing all the time, you must always be curious and keen to improve. Digital forensics on accounting fraud may need the specialist knowledge of a certified public accountant. Even more than investigation and analysis skills, this job demands strong ethics and a sense of duty. You handle clients' confidential and personal information, and your findings can have a big social impact, affecting what happens to the client company afterwards or the outcome of court cases.

Ways in

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How do I become a Digital Forensics Specialist?

This job appeared after 2000, and there is still no standard way in. Some people studied IT at a kosen (college of technology) or senmon gakko (vocational college), and others are university or postgraduate graduates. People imagine science graduates, but many come from humanities backgrounds. Students who have taken part in Security Camp (a programme run by the Information-technology Promotion Agency to give students advanced training in information security and find and develop the next generation of security talent) are sometimes hired because it shows interest and knowledge in the field. Some people move into digital forensics after working in system development, system operations or vulnerability assessment. Some move from other companies in the same field. New graduates often have about six months of training, starting with workplace basics and computer basics and then learning digital forensics in practice. After training you are placed in the relevant department, do basic work such as preserving digital data, and then investigate and analyse real cases with senior colleagues. You broaden your knowledge and build your skills while working in the team, gradually becoming able to work on your own. From the second year there is training to build business skills such as presenting, training in more advanced digital forensics knowledge and techniques, and training in running projects. Some of this is in-house and some is external. Mid-career hires are expected to contribute straight away and are placed where their strengths are. There are international digital forensics skill certifications, and some people work towards them while working. Among the Information-technology Promotion Agency exams, the Registered Information Security Specialist is relevant, and some companies support staff to gain it. Because the job is new, in-house career paths are not fixed, but some people sharpen their skills and become technical leaders in their team, while others take on management roles leading a group. Others use their digital forensics experience to become incident handlers (people responsible for handling a whole security incident), EDR analysts (EDR, Endpoint Detection and Response, detects, analyses and responds to suspicious activity on users' computers), security consultants or security trainers. You need knowledge of building and running computers, networks and the cloud, malware analysis, attack methods and threat intelligence (collected and analysed information about security threats and insight into them), along with knowledge and skills in penetration testing and vulnerability assessment, and in security for endpoints, networks and the cloud. Much of the latest information on security comes from overseas, so you need to be able to read articles in English. With new systems and new attack methods appearing all the time, you must always be curious and keen to improve. Digital forensics on accounting fraud may need the specialist knowledge of a certified public accountant. Even more than investigation and analysis skills, this job demands strong ethics and a sense of duty. You handle clients' confidential and personal information, and your findings can have a big social impact, affecting what happens to the client company afterwards or the outcome of court cases.

How much does a Digital Forensics Specialist earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥6,097,600 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Other data processing and communication engineers, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Digital Forensics Specialist?

Usually. In this job's census occupation group, 61% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of a Digital Forensics Specialist?

Generative AI could change some tasks in this job, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026