An award-winning Open University student got the chance to put his newly-acquired knowledge into practice when he spent a day working with one of the country's leading forensic computing companies.
Dave Lancaster shadowed laboratory manager and senior forensic analyst Richard Peake, observing how real-life digital crime investigations are carried out at the Milton Keynes HQ of Evidence Talks Ltd.
Dave, a 45-year-old probation officer, was voted Best Student after being awarded a distinction on the OU's first ever course in Computer Forensics and Investigations.
As part of his prize he got to spend a whole day observing Evidence Talks experts in action.
He said: "It was excellent. It certainly put the OU course into context and established practice, not theory. It was fascinating to watch some of the messages covered in the course being carried out in real life. Nothing quite compares."
The budding computer detective certainly made a good impression on managing director Andrew Sheldon and the rest of the team at Evidence Talks.
Said Andrew: "It is no surprise to us that Dave won the Best Student award. He has just the right temperament and the balance between methodical thinking and creativity to make an excellent forensic analyst.
"He fitted in well during his day at Evidence Talks, and the whole team here was impressed by his logical approach and ability to assimilate relevant facts quickly.
"With his background in the criminal justice system and IT skills he is exactly the sort of person the forensic computing industry is desperate to recruit at the moment."
The OU's senior lecturer in computing, Blaine Price, was also impressed. He said: "Computer forensics is a very tough course for many students as they learn that it is a lot more involved than the version you see on TV.
"Several students really impressed us with their dedication and
performance but Dave really stood out - it was a real pleasure to present
him with his award."