Former FBI agent invited as guest speaker | News

March 2026

Digital forensics under investigation by cyber security students

By Claire Huggins

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Read time: approx 6 mins

Main photo L-R: Sean Preston, Craig Porter and Yash Bhootra.

Cyber Security BSc (Hons) students had their eyes opened to the scope and scale of digital forensics, as they welcomed Craig Porter as a guest speaker. Currently touring a select few UK universities in his role as Senior Account Executive and academia lead for OpenText™, Craig is a specialist in digital forensics, cyber intrusion, and physical and data security.

So far…so relevant, but the students weren’t expecting the breadth of Craig’s lived experience which really brought the session to life.

“He was telling us stories that really caught our attention,” said Diya Tioruthimmal after the session.

“I really got interested when he was talking about his investigations because I am planning to work in forensics in the future, so I’ve got a clear picture about which part I should concentrate on.”

Honing his lifelong interest in cyber security, Craig began his career in military intelligence for the US Army before spending over 20 years with the FBI. And one look at his experience record will testify to a career spent applying his skills and experience to cyber security, digital forensics, incident response and research across multiple operating systems.

“Because I’m old, I feel like I am a bit of a pioneer in this area,” Craig joked.

“The fact is, that when I started with the FBI, the internet was just kicking off, Wi-Fi was very unknown, and it’s crazy to think about that, so I had to grow with it. I can talk about it because I did it.”

As part of his role with OpenText, Craig gets to draw on his previous experience as a lecturer and spends two weeks a year in the UK, presenting to students at the universities already working with the company. Instead of going into technical detail, he shares some of his ‘war stories’ from his previous roles, with the aim of highlighting the possibilities open to cyber security graduates and excite them about working in the field.

“It’s been great that this was arranged for us,” said Amdad Siddikee Ovi.

“We’ve been able to learn what is going on in the industry, how trends are going and what is the demand.

“The best thing was that Craig gave us a way to connect it to himself and professional experience. We looked in depth at digital forensics and understood that there are many things you could do.”

"The most important part of these visits for students, is that they get to know what’s happening in the industry...guest speakers’ experience of how they got to where they are is the exciting part."

Yash Bhootra Cyber security lecturer

Craig was on hand to demonstrate the value of their software programme, OpenText Forensic (EnCase)- a software programme born out of the need for digital investigative work and today, trusted the world over by businesses, governments and law enforcement to gather and store vital digital evidence while maintaining its integrity.

“EnCase gives you the capability to ‘sterilise’ the evidence you need from a person’s computer,” explained Craig.

“You wouldn’t work on the original, you’d need to keep that intact, so you’d take a copy that has the same digital footprint as the original. Then you’re able to take a deep dive into that copy, to find what you need to assist your investigation.”

Sean Preston, Deputy Dean - School of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment, was keen to expand on the value EnCase has for students:

“EnCase is a global industry leader in digital forensics and is widely used by law enforcement agencies in the UK and internationally. Through our collaboration with Craig and his team at OpenText, we have invested in the software and hardware needed to provide our students with access to this powerful, widely used suite of forensic tools. This investment reflects the school’s strong commitment to ensuring students gain practical, real-world experience with the same technologies used by professionals in the field.

"I would like to thank Craig for visiting us here at UCB.”

“The most important part of these visits for students, is that they get to know what’s happening in the industry,” added Yash Bhootra, cyber security lecturer.

“As a lecturer, it can be difficult to guide students as to what the exact thing is they should be looking out for to get into a specific domain; guest speakers’ experience of how they got to where they are is the exciting part.”

Rounding up the session, Craig was clearly in his element:

“I love to teach, I love to learn and, in this role, I get to help students, so I feel like I’m still giving back,” he said.

“This is the first time I’ve been at this university and it’s a great pleasure for me to be here.”

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