From evidence to courtroom. The digital evidence course built for the justice system.
No technical background required.
Download the course overview (PDF)Phones, cameras, smart speakers, and GPS data now sit at the center of investigations and trials. Digital Forensics Essentials (DFE-101) gives the people who encounter, handle, adjudicate, or prosecute these cases the practical literacy to work with digital evidence confidently, using plain language, real-world case studies, and hands-on labs. It is the foundational cornerstone of NDG's digital forensics curriculum.
Patrol officers, first responders, detectives, and investigators who encounter devices at the scene.
Cyber crime prosecutors, assistant DAs, federal prosecutors, and defense attorneys handling digital evidence.
Judicial officers who rule on warrants, admissibility, and the weight of digital evidence.
Paralegals and litigation staff who prepare, organize, and manage digital evidence.
Legal technology consultants and eDiscovery attorneys who need fluency in digital evidence.
Insurance and fraud investigators, plus learners entering digital forensics.
No prior technical or forensics experience required, just basic computer literacy.
Modern investigations turn on the devices people carry, drive, and live with. In DFE-101 you examine the evidence domains that show up in real cases, in a safe browser-based virtual lab.
Call logs, messages, photos, app data, and location history from smartphones and tablets.
CCTV, body cameras, dashcams, and doorbell footage: metadata, timestamps, and authentication.
Smart speakers, video doorbells, and home automation logs, and where that data actually lives.
License plate readers, GPS tracking, and cell-site location data, including the law that governs them.
A dedicated module covers AI and emerging technology: AI-assisted analysis, deepfake detection, and the reliability of AI-generated evidence.
DFE-101 follows digital evidence through its entire life cycle, so you understand not just what the evidence is, but how it holds up when it matters most.
You work in a real forensic workstation that runs in your browser. Nothing to install.
All evidence is fictional and synthetic. Labs run fully sandboxed, with no real case data.
Each module pairs plain-language instruction with guided and applied lab exercises and a quiz. The course finishes with an end-to-end case simulation.
DFE-101 maps to foundational objectives from digital-forensics certifications including IACIS CFCE, ISFCE CCE, GIAC GCFE, and EC-Council CHFI, and to CompTIA Security+. It also aligns with the NICE Framework, NIST SP 800-86, SWGDE standards, and DOJ electronic-evidence guidance.
Maps to foundational objectives. This course is not a certification exam or a guarantee of certification.
No. DFE-101 is a foundational course written in plain language for justice-system professionals. You need only basic computer literacy: opening files, using a web browser, and navigating a desktop.
Mobile devices, video (CCTV, body cameras, dashcams, and doorbells), IoT and smart-home devices, and vehicle and location data (license plate readers, GPS, and cell-site location). A dedicated module covers AI and deepfake evidence.
It maps to foundational objectives from IACIS CFCE, ISFCE CCE, GIAC GCFE, and EC-Council CHFI, and to CompTIA Security+. It also aligns with the NICE Framework, NIST SP 800-86, SWGDE standards, and DOJ electronic-evidence guidance.
About 22 to 26 hours across 12 modules. You work with Autopsy, ExifTool, MediaInfo, and SQLite Browser in a forensic workstation that runs in your browser, with nothing to install and no real case data.
Yes. You can teach it in a class or buy access for a team. Use the 'Teach this in a class' option to set up a class, or contact us about team and bulk options.
NDG Online runs the lab environment right in your browser, with no installs and no hardware. Network Development Group has built lab-based IT training for educational institutions, government, and industry since 1999. DFE-101 uses NDG's "practice as you read" approach: coursebook, labs, and assessments together.
Training a team or a department? We have options for that too.
