Cyber Campus NRW bids farewell to its first cohort of digital forensics students

“Digital forensics demonstrates how important it is to translate scientific findings into practical skills. During their studies, students combine knowledge from computer science, IT security and criminology, and learn to systematically investigate complex digital issues. Our collaboration with Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg and the Ministry of the Interior enables us to incorporate the technical requirements of digital investigative work into our academic training. The first cohort to graduate demonstrates what this approach can achieve,” says Prof. Dr Susanne Meyer, President of the University of Applied Sciences Niederrhein.

Halfmann: A clear commitment to the future of the CCNRW

“In our digitalised world, the frequency of cyber-attacks has risen sharply. In close cooperation with the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, we offer tomorrow’s cybercrime investigators a practice-oriented degree programme at the Cyber Campus NRW to prepare them comprehensively for their challenging role,” says the President of the Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, Prof. Dr Marion Halfmann. In doing so, the two universities are demonstrating their social responsibility. “We are delighted about the extension of the cooperation agreement with the North Rhine-Westphalian Ministry of the Interior. It is a clear commitment: to the future of digital forensics, to the future of the Cyber Campus NRW, and to a long-term, reliable partnership between academia and the security authorities,” said Halfmann. “I am firmly convinced that the police officers trained here will, with their IT expertise, make our digital world a little safer.”

Preparation for digital investigative work

The bachelor's degree programme in Digital Forensics imparts applied knowledge and practical skills in computer science, IT security and criminalistics. The focus is on how digital traces can be secured, analysed and evaluated as evidence. Among other things, students learn how to solve crimes in which information technology is used or which are directly targeted at IT systems and networks.

The Digital Forensics degree programme is offered at the HSNR’s Cyber Management Campus in Mönchengladbach and is run as part of the Cyber Campus NRW (CCNRW) in cooperation with the University of Applied Sciences Bonn-Rhein-Sieg. Since 2021, the Cyber Campus NRW has received separate funding from the NRW Ministry of Science (MKW). The programme can be completed on a full-time or part-time basis and is aimed not only at first-year students but also at those already in employment. Among other things, it offers law enforcement officers the opportunity to gain further qualifications in digital investigative work whilst continuing to work.

Cooperation to continue until 2035

With increasing digitisation and rapid developments in the field of artificial intelligence, the importance of specialists in this area is growing. Businesses, public authorities and critical infrastructure are increasingly affected by cyberattacks. At the same time, investigative authorities must be able to solve digital crimes and reliably analyse digital evidence. The academic training of police officers to become cybercrime investigators is therefore a key component of the collaboration between the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and the universities. The Ministry of the Interior had already signed an initial cooperation agreement with the partner universities in 2023 regarding the academic training programmes.

With the extension now agreed, the successful collaboration will continue beyond the previous term. The agreement governs the design, implementation and evaluation of the academic training programmes.