The trip was lovely, the conference bag not so lovely but acceptable, the accomodation (student halls of residence) acceptable but painful (there IS a reason I haven’t stayed in a hall of residence for the last 8 years!!) the schedule interesting, the other presentations equally interesting, the conversations VERY VERY interesting.

What was more interesting, however, was the whole experience and the thoughts it evoked.

Naturally, the conference (being criminology-oriented) was attended by non-geeks, specifically sociologists, psychologists, social sciences people, lawyers, police/police-related people and a whole host of others who are naught directly to do with either Digital Forensics or Network Security. I was alone in the role of a Digital Forensic Scientist untill the rest of my team showed up on Thursday, and again alone in that role after they left the same day.

The numerous parallel sessions had little to do with Digital Forensics, with the exception of my panel, the ID theft panel and the small cybercrime/hypercrime panel.

Okay, enough with the descriptions, on with the thoughts.

Perhaps the wisest thing I was told in that conference came from someone I spoke to in the conference dinner…I was saying that my background was computer science-oriented so I could not be called a criminologist. But this gentleman told me that criminology also involves the issues I am dealing with in my PhD, namely the study of network attacks, network attackers and their impact on the Net and society in general, therefore to them I am also considered to be a criminologist.

Interesting, as I’ve never thought of it from this perspective. Here I was, thinking I was the sole non-criminologist there, and yet I was not.

So, for the bad now…

I am NOT a politically correct person, as I consider this lip-service political correctness we have nowadays to be hypocritical and deceitful. As such, the notion of Ethics Committees annoys me. Perhaps I will get used to them as time passes, but I know I still won’t like them.

It was also both extremely funny and scary to see and hear how and what some people think about Digital Forensics and Network Security in there. The T-word dominated some of the presentations and discussions (either directly or by association) and that tells a story in and by itself.

So, all in all the conference was a success. Presentation performed superbly, exchanged ideas, made friends and found acceptance in a field I didn’t I guess fully realise I was a part of as well, had long discussions, and even drank beer and wine(an achievement, to be sure!).