Digital forensicsStudents Take Witness Stand in Virtual Courtroom
USC students took the stand as part of the capstone project in their advanced digital forensics class at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. In years past, students in the class traveled to a real courtroom, but this year the COVID-19 pandemic pushed them to a digital venue: a videoconference on Zoom.
In intern at a defense firm gains access to top-secret information, steals it and tries to sell it to a foreign power.
Called in to investigate as a cybercrime expert, you must carefully piece together the plot using evidence from the intern’s laptop, records of online video calls and other digital information.
Then you step into the hot seat: the witness box in a criminal courtroom. Attorneys interrogate you relentlessly as you testify, searching for weaknesses in your knowledge as a judge watches solemnly from the bench.
USC says that thirteen USC students faced that precise scenario this month. They took the stand as part of the capstone project in their advanced digital forensics class at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. In years past, students in the class traveled to a real courtroom, but this year the COVID-19 pandemic pushed them to a digital venue: a videoconference on Zoom.
But the students felt just as much pressure as ever, said Joseph Greenfield, an associate professor of information technology practice who has held the mock trial each May for the past 12 years.
He even brought in two seasoned prosecutors — from the cybercrime divisions of the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office and U.S. Attorney’s Office — to grill the expert witnesses. And a retired L.A. County Superior Court judge presided from his home office, complete with black robes.
“Let me tell you, the attorneys did not hold back,” Greenfield said. “They were there to win, and you could tell by the questions they were asking and how they asked them. Anyone in law enforcement who watched it knows, these attorneys came to play.”
Students Showcase Cybersecurity Skills for Potential Employers During Mock Trial
Dozens of industry professionals from tech firms, consulting companies and cybercrime investigation agencies also watched carefully.
Although perhaps not as intense as a real-life court case, the exercise had high stakes. Perform well, and the students might get a job offer on the spot. Past graduates drew interest from the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, Apple and major consulting and investigative firms.
“It’s a great way to show off talent,” Greenfield said. “Every year, we have 30 to 40 guests from across the L.A. area. The biggest advantage this year is we had worldwide attendance. We had people from Microsoft logging in from all over the world.”
