It seems like every day when you turn on the news, there’s a story about someone caught up in fraud, hacking, identity theft, or breaching new bank security measures. These stories may or may not apply to your life right now. For the highly trained individuals whose job it is to protect the common citizen from these kinds of shady deals, stories like this apply. An online criminal justice school is one of many types of schools that offer a degree in areas such as forensics, computer security, and legal studies. With this in mind, you may also wonder what these people are actually DOING to make their news station headlines.

FORENSICS

A forensic accountant is not your usual accountant.

• They are highly trained people who can take what they have learned as accountants, where balanced and legal numbers are made, and work backwards.
• They examine accounts that have unusually high and unexplained numbers and trace them back to the source, often uncovering fraudulent schemes and actions.

A forensic investigator is another highly trained person who does the “nitty-gritty” of investigating a crime scene.

• They evaluate the evidence, recreate scenes to discover how a murder occurred, and work closely with the investigative team to solve the case.

A day in the life of these two professions is sure to be an interesting one.

• They may work in an office setting, but may be required to travel if they are gathering more evidence or meeting with other investigators or witnesses.
• They usually have a set of daily tasks that need to be done, but they also have individual cases that they need to work on as well.

education requirements They vary by position, but an online criminal justice school may offer the necessary entry-level degree: a bachelor’s degree.

INFORMATIC SECURITY

An IT security professional has likely helped design and implement some of the most common security features in your Internet browser and antivirus software.

• They create security firewalls for banks, businesses, the government, and individuals to protect sensitive information.
• They help victims of identity theft online or in a place like a bank ATM and try to prevent more from happening.

Information security professionals also have an interesting work environment.

• Most of the time they will be behind a computer working on coding or figuring out new ways to catch security hackers, whether at home or in a corporate office.
• If they work for a company, they may find that traveling is a normal part of the job: they are sent to help customers at their company or at home.
• Many work for security companies, banks, law firms, and other companies with sensitive information.

education requirements for IT security specialists it is usually a bachelor’s degree for most entry level positions in any company. For more specialized or management positions in a company, more advanced education and specialized training is needed.

LAW AND LEGAL STUDIES

This broad field of studies is broad for a reason. Paralegals and paralegals do so much, in fact, that it might be better to ask what they DON’T do.

• Legal assistants and paralegals assist attorneys by performing a wide variety of different tasks. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics states that paralegals help attorneys “prepare for closings, hearings, trials, and corporate meetings.”
• They also do a lot of research of laws, codes and legal studies for each case.
• In reality, the only thing they cannot do is set legal fees, provide legal advice, and file cases in court.

Paralegals and paralegals may spend a lot of time in the office, but they also travel with or for attorneys on court cases.

• Most paralegals will have a set number of daily tasks to perform: research, court preparation, or presentation.
• Depending on how much responsibility they are given, paralegals may conduct their own research, draft contracts, file motions in court, and assist attorneys during trials.

Employment and salary levels will definitely be correlated with the amount of education obtained. Anything from an associate’s degree to a master’s degree is offered at an online criminal justice school or field school. The responsibility awarded in the workplace will depend on work experience and level of education.

A diverse collection of different types of jobs is available to online criminal justice school students. Most, if not all, of these jobs offer exciting “behind the scenes” experiences in some of the most exciting and evolving fields. Just as criminals are finding new ways to circumvent the law, so are these innovative men and women who continue to protect our security.