CEIC 2015 STUDENT SERIES: Champlain College graduate’s Perspective of CEIC 2015
Students from Champlain College and the Leahy Center for Digital Investigation (LCDI) attended multiple training sessions while at the Computer Enterprise Investigation Conference (CEIC) 2015. Champlain College Graduated Senior Jonathan Lazarus presents some highlights from his time at CEIC 2015.
This year I was lucky enough to attend CEIC 2015 with Champlain College and the LCDI. The conference took place from May 18th-25th inside the many halls at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. But before any of the Champlain student or faculty arrived, we registered a personal schedule of classes and seminars that CEIC offered, ranging from technical demonstrations of Digital Forensic tools to lectures detailing trends and actions that are being seen within our industry. Time between seminars, lunches, and afternoon mixers were spent in the Expo hall. Here vendors of services and products demonstrated the effectiveness of their wares and explained the improvements made since the past year’s conference.
One of the most notable aspects of the conference was the sheer number of seminars. These ensured individuals had the ability to attend seminars only pertinent to their interests and also meant it was unlikely that two individual’s schedules matched. Thankfully we were able to swap stories from each and every seminar, allowing us to share the experiences and knowledge each seminar had to offer.
The first day consisted of checking in, an opening keynote, and one class. Worth noting about check in is that each attendee receives a badge containing their personal seminar schedule on the back, along with an RFID sticker in the middle. This sticker contained the same printed information and was used to check in to each seminar by tagging a nearby kiosk.
Guidance Software went above and beyond in their efforts to ensure everyone regardless of skill level or involvement in the industry felt welcome.
The next two days consisted of seminars and similar lunch and happy hour receptions, along with an industry keynote delivered by Brian Krebs. One of the most interesting and enjoyable seminars was the presentation by Ben LeMere, who represented the Berla Company. LeMere showcased the wealth of information his company can obtain from vehicle entertainment systems and other vehicle systems found in most cars. The seminar was also a chance for him to prove how this aspect of digital forensics is becoming necessary. LeMere told of a case in which incriminating evidence found on a stolen vehicle led to multiple convictions. His insight into the future of the field, including the potential for motorcycle forensics, was truly valuable.
The last day of the conference was a half day of classes which allowed many of us time to gather our things and prepare for the long journey home. Many of us found ourselves in the Expo hall discussing the week’s events, our favorite seminars, and people we had met.
More detailed information about many of the sessions at CEIC 2015 can be found on the LCDI Blog where other attending students have written about their experiences.
You can read more on the classes Champlain College students attended while at CEIC 2015 on the LCDI Blog Page. To read about current LCDI information visit our website at www.lcdi.champlain.edu.
