Hi, I’m
Sam Brothers
Director of Digital Forensics
Alexandria,VA
Summary
Accomplished leader in digital and mobile forensics with over 15 years of experience supporting national security, law enforcement, and international anti-corruption efforts. Founded U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Digital Forensics Program and authored policies cited in Riley v. California (U.S. Supreme Court, 2014). Expert in advanced mobile extraction techniques, SQLite analysis, and building scalable, accredited forensic laboratories. Led the RSSDFL under a $6M U.S. Embassy contract in the Caribbean, strengthening cross-border casework and anti-corruption operations. Graduate of CBP’s prestigious CBPLI leadership program (GS-15 level), with demonstrated strengths in strategic alignment, technical mentorship, and interagency collaboration. Frequent speaker and technical commentator, including multiple expert appearances on Court TV.
Overview
21
years of professional experience
24
GCIH, GCFE, CFCE, EnCE, ACE, CCFP, AME, CCME, CCUDME, MPSC, CCLO
Work History
Hive International
Director of Digital Forensics
05.2020 - Current
Job overview
- Spearheaded the digital forensics capacity-building initiative for the RSSDFL, Caribbean.
- Procured and trained regional staff in using GrayKey and enterprise storage systems.
- Authored and delivered mock-trial-based prosecutor training for digital evidence use in court.
- Designed and implemented the Index Server to link case intelligence across jurisdictions using a fully open-source, server-based architecture. The system ingested hundreds of cases totaling thousands of terabytes and over 2 million data elements, enabling sub-2-second search across all indexed text and numbers, delivering Palantir-like functionality for regional law enforcement.
MITRE Corporation
Principal Cybersecurity Engineer
12.2016 - 05.2020
Job overview
- Led the development of a national digital forensic framework for federal implementation.
- Served as Assistant Capability Area Lead for MITRE’s Digital Forensics portfolio.
- Reduced software installation times using Docker and Chef from 2 hours to just 20 minutes, to be fully automated.
- Delivered mobile forensic strategy to INL and U.S. Government stakeholders.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Senior Digital Forensics Examiner
03.2010 - 12.2016
Job overview
- Authored forensic policy cited by the U.S. Supreme Court.
- Developed and led 200+ digital/mobile forensic proficiency exams for 45+ CBP examiners.
- Managed national forensic standards and secured lab accreditation (ASCLD/ISO).
QinetiQ North America
Digital Forensics Specialist / Network Engineer
06.2004 - 03.2010
Job overview
- Led LAN Engineering Team; improved test processes from 187 days to 3 days.
- Improved customer satisfaction rates through proactive problem-solving and efficient complaint resolution.
- Implemented new training programs for staff, leading to higher employee retention rates and better overall performance.
Education
Champlain CollegeBurlington, VT
Master of Science from Digital Forensic Science
05.2017
Radford UniversityRadford, VA
B.B.A. from Information Systems, Minor: Mathematics
05.1991
Skills
- Mobile Device Forensics (GrayKey, Cellebrite, Magnet)
- SQLite Analysis iOS/Android Internals
- Digital Evidence Frameworks & Policy Development
- Lab Accreditation (ASCLD, ISO/IEC 17025)
- Technical Leadership Program Management
- Digital Forensics Instruction (1000 hours)
- Enterprise Storage Indexing & Case Management Systems
Certification
GCIH, GCFE, CFCE, EnCE, ACE, CCFP, AME, CCME, CCUDME, MPSC, CCLO, CCPA, CJPTE, DFCP, CDFR, CCE, CEH, CIFI, A+, Security+, iNet+, Network+, DEASTP
Accomplishments
- Founded CBP’s Digital Forensics Program; led first ASCLD ISO/IEC 17025 lab accreditation.
- Cited in Riley v. California (U.S. Supreme Court, 2014) for forensic contributions.
- Built regional forensic capacity across the Eastern Caribbean through INL support.
- Chair or Co-Chair for AAFS, OSAC, SWGDE, and served as Guest Scientist at NIST.
- Interviewed live on CourtTV (Aug 2023) on mobile forensics best practices.
Affiliations
- Chair, Digital & Multimedia Section – AAFS
- Co-Chair, Digital Evidence Subcommittee – OSAC
- Guest Scientist (Mobile Forensics) – NIST
- Chairman, Forensics Committee – SWGDE
Languages
English
Native or Bilingual
Timeline
Director of Digital Forensics
Hive International
05.2020 - Current
Principal Cybersecurity Engineer
MITRE Corporation
12.2016 - 05.2020
Senior Digital Forensics Examiner
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
03.2010 - 12.2016
Digital Forensics Specialist / Network Engineer
QinetiQ North America
06.2004 - 03.2010
Champlain College
Master of Science from Digital Forensic Science
Radford University
B.B.A. from Information Systems, Minor: Mathematics
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