Simon Steggles is a UK data computer forensic specialist.
His company, Disklabs, is specialized in hard disks and associated services. From the initial data recovery service, computer forensics were added. After computer forensics came mobile phone forensics, satellite navigation forensics, data destruction, and forensic data recovery, (specifically for law enforcement agencies).
Simon tweets under the account name @Disklabs.
For DCC, he answered these seven questions:
1: What’s your most favourite part of the day?
It sounds pathetic, but that first beer or glass of wine with my wife at home after a hard day…
2: What’s the worst kind of person you ever sat next to on a flight?
A guy who decided to have a cigarette – but thought no one would notice if he faced the bulkhead.
3: Which trial/case still haunts you till today?
We provided a defense that proved to be a better prosecution that the prosecution.
The prosecution claimed that the suspect had 1200 Indecent Images on his computer – we found over 12,000 Indecent Images. The guy got a suspended sentence by the judge who said he couldn’t send him down because the Home Secretary said not to send any more people to prison.
4: If you have a blog, how did you get started? Who or what inspired you to blog?
I rarely blog, when I do, it’s generally about work related activities which are technical. I do this because I am not a wordsmith. My websites include: www.disklabs.com, www.mobilephoneforensics.com, and www.computer-forensics.co.uk.
5: Did you end up in the profession of your childhood dreams?
Yes. I always wanted to be a sailor! I joined the Royal Navy at 16 and 25 days old. I only stuck it for 6 years though, and then got into technology.
6: Tell us about your most embarrassing experiences in a restaurant, opening a bottle of wine, or do-it-yourself projects. Pick one and tell all!
A cartoon in a gent’s toilet in a good restaurant depicted the Sommelier asking the customer what wine he wanted. The customer said I will have a Margaux 82 and give the dog a Beaune. I didn’t know what Beaune was! Fortunately, I have now had the privilege of not only enjoying some great Beaunes, but also visiting there too. Shameful.
7: What is your worst vacation experience?
Staying at the Canary Islands in a ‘we sort your accommodation when you get there’ last minute holiday. They tried to put me in the equivalent of Butlins for those that had been kicked out of Butlins, no air conditioning and a disco in the next room to us.