The DFRTI Academy
Free to read. Structured to learn. The knowledge pages explain the ground, the courses teach it on real devices with a mentor and the certifications show an employer what you can do.
Three ways to learn here
- Open knowledgeRead without signing in39 discipline pages, 53 tool profiles, 19 standards guides and the insights. Each one sourced, reviewed and dated.
- Structured coursesLearn it on real devices27 courses in seven tracks, each with a syllabus, labs, tools and FAQs. Online, on campus, corporate or in a workshop, with a mentor who reviews your reports.
- MembershipOnline lessons, being preparedLessons, video demonstrations, downloads, assessments and progress tracking in your dashboard. Terms are published only when DFRTI confirms them.
Seven tracks
Every track has its own page with the courses in order, the devices they cover and the certification they lead to.
Digital Storage Forensics5 courses · HDD, SSD, file systems and data recovery
Mobile & IoT Forensics5 courses · Android, iOS, SIM cards and IoT devices
Network & Cloud Forensics4 courses · Traffic, logs, cloud accounts and virtual environments
Incident Response & Malware Analysis3 courses · Malware analysis, memory forensics and threat investigation
Surveillance & Image / Video Forensics3 courses · CCTV and DVR footage, metadata and deepfake detection
Advanced & Specialised Forensics4 courses · Crypto wallet tracing, AI forensics, OSINT and drones
Foundation & Legal Courses3 courses · Forensic principles, chain of custody and court procedureHow learning works at DFRTI
- 01Read the ground
Start with the discipline pages, the tool profiles and the standards guides. They are free, sourced and reviewed, and they tell you what the work is before you pay for anything.
- 02Pick a track
Seven tracks, 27 courses. Foundation and legal courses first if you are new; storage, mobile or network next; malware, cloud, video or the advanced track when you know where you are going.
- 03Learn it on devices
Online, on campus, as a corporate group or in a workshop. Every course has lab work with real exhibits, a syllabus you can read before you join and tools listed by name.
- 04Prove it
DCFA, DCMFE and DCNI are earned through the courses and labs behind them. Three specialised certificates cover malware, IoT and drones, and cloud and network work.
- 05Work on cases
The internship puts you on practice cases with a mentor who reviews each stage. The career guides say what each role needs and the job board lists what DFRTI is hiring for.
Training formats
Online TrainingLive classes with expert trainers. Learn from home at your own pace.
On-campus TrainingHands-on practice inside DFRTI labs with real devices and tools.
Corporate TrainingIncident response, malware and investigation skills for your team.
Workshops & BootcampsShort, practical sessions on HDD, SSD, mobile, network and cloud.
Internship & MentorshipWork on real cases and learn from people who do this every day.Your student account
A free account keeps your shortlist of courses, your requests to the institute and your profile in one place. Sign in with your email address and a six-digit code sent to it. There is no password. When membership opens, the same account is where lessons, videos and assessments will live.
The dashboard already shows the courses of your chosen track, which certification each shortlisted course counts towards and the status of every request you have sent.
Questions people ask
Is the Academy free?
The knowledge pages are free and need no account: every discipline, tool profile, standards guide and insight. Courses, certifications and the internship are paid programmes; ask a counsellor for the current details. Membership for online lessons is being prepared and its terms will be published only when DFRTI confirms them.
Do I need an account to read?
No. A free student account lets you save courses to a shortlist, send requests to the institute and keep your details in one place. Sign in with your email and a six-digit code; there is no password to remember.
What will membership add?
Online lessons, video demonstrations, downloadable material, assessments and progress tracking in the student dashboard. Who it is for, what each option includes, validity, renewal and the refund policy will all be published on the membership page when they are confirmed. Nothing is on sale before that.
Are the courses vendor certifications?
No. DFRTI is an independent institute. Its courses teach the principles and workflows behind tools such as Cellebrite, Magnet AXIOM, X-Ways and the PC-3000 family, and its certifications are DFRTI's own. They are not manufacturer certifications and DFRTI is not a vendor training centre.
I am already working in IT or policing. Where do I start?
Read the career guide closest to your role, then the discipline pages it points to. Most working professionals skip the foundation track and join a core track directly. A counsellor can confirm the fit before you enrol.
Not sure where to begin?
Tell a counsellor what you do now and what you want to do next. They will suggest the pages to read first and the course to start with.