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Brett Shavers

Goodreads Author

Born

The United States

Website

http://www.brettshavers.com

Twitter

Brett_Shavers

Genre

Nonfiction, Crime

Member Since

April 2013

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/bshavers

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I've had a fantastic career in law enforcement, starting in a municipal police agency (Renton WA PD) where I took on various roles. I was selected for detectives, later assigned to a state (VNET) task force, and then recruited to a federal (DHS) task force. Along the way, I was appointed as a bicycle patrol officer, SWAT officer, use-of-force instructor, undercover officer, and computer forensics examiner.

My cases spanned coast-to-coast in the USA. I even ventured outside the USA, working undercover and infiltrating international organized crime rings for various alphabet agencies in foreign countries. I’ve bought, sold, and seized tons of drugs, along with seizing hundreds of illegal firearms. I smuggled bulk currency across borders and as I've had a fantastic career in law enforcement, starting in a municipal police agency (Renton WA PD) where I took on various roles. I was selected for detectives, later assigned to a state (VNET) task force, and then recruited to a federal (DHS) task force. Along the way, I was appointed as a bicycle patrol officer, SWAT officer, use-of-force instructor, undercover officer, and computer forensics examiner.

My cases spanned coast-to-coast in the USA. I even ventured outside the USA, working undercover and infiltrating international organized crime rings for various alphabet agencies in foreign countries. I’ve bought, sold, and seized tons of drugs, along with seizing hundreds of illegal firearms. I smuggled bulk currency across borders and assumed undercover roles as a drug trafficker, drug manufacturer, arms trafficker, human trafficker, and hit man. But rescuing children from trafficking after witnessing their tragedies made me cry. That changed me more than anything else I’ve ever done.

I’ve also been an adjunct instructor at the University of Washington’s Digital Forensics Program, qualified in courts as an expert witness, appointed as a Special Master, and consulted on digital forensic at every court level. I speak at lots of conferences, write blogs on digital forensics (www.brettshavers.com and www.dfir.training), am an honorary life member and former President of the Computer Technology Investigators Network (https://ctin.org/), and am a founding member of DFIR Review (https://dfrws.org/dfir-review/). I have worked on all kinds of criminal and civil cases, from harassment to national security matters. Of all my training and experiences, my most effective “teachers” have been those I wined and dined with while undercover.

And long, long ago, I served as an active-duty Corporal of Marines (I was in 2/3, for you Devil Dogs out there wondering). Now, I am but a humble member of the Marine Corps League and the Marine Corps Cyber Auxiliary.
You can find me rambling away at www.brettshavers.com. ...more

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Brett Shavers’s books

Average rating: 4.28 · 80 ratings · 5 reviews · 12 distinct works • Similar authors

	Placing the Suspect Behind the Keyboard: Using Digital Forensics and Investigative Techniques to Identify Cybercrime Suspects 4.37 avg rating — 19 ratings — published 2012 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	X-Ways Forensics Practitioner's Guide by Brett Shavers (Goodreads Author), Eric Zimmerman 4.38 avg rating — 16 ratings — published 2013 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Placing the Suspect Behind the Keyboard: DFIR Investigative Mindset by Brett Shavers (Goodreads Author), Lee Harris (editor) 4.42 avg rating — 12 ratings — published 2024 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Hiding Behind the Keyboard: Uncovering Covert Communication Methods with Forensic Analysis by Brett Shavers (Goodreads Author), John Bair 4.17 avg rating — 12 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Cybercrime Investigation Case Studies: An Excerpt from Placing the Suspect Behind the Keyboard 4.75 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2012 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Ultimate DFIR Cheats! X-Ways Forensics liked it 3.00 avg rating — 3 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	WinFE: Windows Forensic Environment liked it 3.00 avg rating — 2 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Ultimate DFIR Cheats! Geolocation Forensics: Geolocating suspects really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Ultimate DFIR Cheats! Windows Forensic Environment 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	X-Ways Forensics Practitioner's Guide 1st (first) by Shavers, Brett, Zimmerman, Eric (2009) Paperback 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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When the Investigation Gets Lost in the Machine

Somewhere along the way, we stopped investigating people and started interrogating machines. I harp constantly on this topic because it is important. I’ve seen investigations where the goal was clear. Follow the evidence to the truth and the technica...

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Published on October 12, 2025 09:25

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Brett Shavers wrote a new blog post When the Investigation Gets Lost in the Machine Somewhere along the way, we stopped investigating people and started interrogating machines. I harp constantly on this topic because it is important. Read more of this blog post »
Oct 14, 2025 02:32AM · like
Brett Shavers rated a book it was amazing PROOF: Placing the Suspect Behind the Keyboard: DFIR Investigative Mindset by Brett Shavers (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 20, 2024 01:26PM · 1 like · like
Brett Shavers has read Ultimate DFIR Cheats! Windows Forensic Environment by Brett Shavers (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 20, 2024 12:51PM · like
Brett Shavers has read Cybercrime Investigation Case Studies: An Excerpt from Placing the Suspect Behind the Keyboard by Brett Shavers (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 20, 2024 12:51PM · like
Brett Shavers has read Ultimate DFIR Cheats! X-Ways Forensics by Brett Shavers (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 20, 2024 12:51PM · like
Brett Shavers has read Ultimate DFIR Cheats! Geolocation Forensics: Geolocating suspects by Brett Shavers (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 20, 2024 12:51PM · like
Brett Shavers has read WinFE: Windows Forensic Environment by Brett Shavers (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 20, 2024 12:51PM · like
Brett Shavers has read X-Ways Forensics Practitioner's Guide 1st (first) by Shavers, Brett, Zimmerman, Eric (2009) Paperback by Brett Shavers (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 20, 2024 12:51PM · like
Brett Shavers has read PROOF: Placing the Suspect Behind the Keyboard: DFIR Investigative Mindset by Brett Shavers (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 20, 2024 12:51PM · like