- Nationwide Digital Forensic & Cyber Investigation Services
Digital forensic expert
Robert McCallum is a digital forensic expert and a recently retired FBI Special Agent with more than twenty one years as a federal criminal investigator, primarily in digital forensics and financial crime. He served as an FBI Certified Digital Forensic Examiner and as the Computer Analysis Response Team coordinator for the FBI Jacksonville office, and he worked as a CPA and financial accountant for a decade before entering federal service.
His examinations cover Windows, Mac, and Linux systems and their file systems, Android and iOS mobile devices, live acquisition and memory capture, web browser artifacts, loose media, servers, cloud provider search warrant returns, connected and IoT devices, SQL databases, vehicle infotainment systems, and encryption. That work is paired with an accounting background that makes complex financial evidence readable to a jury.
Practice areas
Computer forensics
Mac and Linux forensics
Cell phone forensics
iPhone forensics
Android forensics
Memory and live acquisition
Cloud account returns
Vehicle infotainment forensics
Incident response
Financial and corporate fraud
Securities and mortgage fraud
Public corruption matters
Expert testimony
Digital forensic expert witness
As a digital forensic expert witness, Robert McCallum brings the discipline of federal forensic laboratory practice to private engagements. He has worked extensively with case agents and prosecutors, and he understands both how the government builds a digital evidence case and where those cases are weakest under independent review.
Court qualified expert witness
Qualification is decided case by case by the presiding judge and turns on training, certification, experience, and the reliability of the methods applied to the evidence in that matter. Robert McCallum's record rests on federal certification as a digital forensic examiner, years of laboratory casework, and testimony given in criminal proceedings as both a fact and expert witness.
| Qualification factor | What it means | How it applies here |
|---|---|---|
| Training | Formal instruction in forensic acquisition and analysis | Federal examiner certification track, advanced incident response training, and annual proficiency examinations |
| Certification | Independent testing of examiner competency | FBI Certified Digital Forensic Examiner, GIAC GCFE, ACE, CompTIA A+ and Network+, CCNP and CCNA, CPA |
| Experience | Volume and variety of real casework | Two decades of federal criminal and national security investigations across digital and financial evidence |
| Methodology | Repeatable, documented, testable process | Verified imaging, hash validation, documented chain of custody, laboratory best practice |
| Communication | Ability to explain findings to a jury | Testimony and hundreds of investigative interviews across criminal matters |
Has testified in state and federal courts
Client names, jurisdictions, dates, and identifying case facts are withheld, and no outcomes, verdicts, or settlement figures are stated. Select a matter type to see the kinds of questions his examinations and testimony address.
Criminal defense
Independent review of government examinations, attribution of files and accounts to a specific user, timeline reconstruction from operating system artifacts, deleted data questions, and the reliability of extraction reports and hash based identification.
Financial and white collar
Corporate fraud, securities fraud, mortgage fraud, and bank fraud questions where spreadsheets, accounting systems, email, and device evidence must be reconciled into one defensible narrative.
Corporate and civil
Data exfiltration and trade secret questions, removable media and cloud sync history, spoliation analysis, insider misuse, and authentication of digital records under Federal Rules of Evidence 901 and 902(14).
Cloud and account data
Interpretation of provider returns from major platforms, what account logs establish about access and device use, and the limits of what a provider record can prove about who was at the keyboard.
Testimony formats
Deposition
Pretrial testimony on methodology, findings, and the reliability of the underlying data sources.
Evidentiary hearing
Testimony on admissibility, authentication, and the integrity of the acquisition and chain of custody.
Trial
Direct and cross examination before a jury, using exhibits built from the examined data rather than narrative summaries.
Recognized digital forensic expert witness
Robert McCallum is a recognized digital forensic expert witness whose credibility comes from federal laboratory practice, a certification record tested by annual proficiency examinations, and a willingness to state plainly what the evidence does not show. He received a United States Attorney's Award for investigative work in the Southern District of Texas and maintains a top secret security clearance.
Working principles
- The evidence sets the conclusion. The retaining party does not.
- Every finding must be reproducible by another qualified examiner from the same image.
- Absence of an artifact is reported as absence, not as proof of an act.
- Original media is preserved and analysis runs against verified images.
- If a question cannot be answered reliably with the available evidence, that is the answer given.
Experience
2019 to 2024
FBI Special Agent, Digital Forensic Examiner and CART Coordinator, Jacksonville, Florida
- Conducted digital forensic examinations covering collection, analysis, preservation, and reporting of evidence in criminal and national security investigations.
- Examined Windows, Mac, and Linux systems and file systems, Android and iOS devices, live acquisitions and memory captures, browsers, loose media, servers, cloud search warrant returns, IoT devices, SQL databases, vehicles, and encryption implementations.
- Directed the office Computer Analysis Response Team program, including case assignment, search warrant and incident response support, tool acquisition and licensing, and hiring and training of examiners.
- Provided fact based and expert testimony and worked closely with case agents and prosecutors.
2017 to 2019
FBI Special Agent, Digital Forensic Examiner, Greater Houston Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory
- Performed forensic examinations across operating systems, mobile devices, memory, browser artifacts, databases, and encryption in a regional laboratory environment.
- Supported the execution of search warrants and incident response operations.
- Applied laboratory best practice in evidence collection, chain of custody, and evidence handling.
2004 to 2017
FBI Special Agent, Complex Financial and Economic Crimes and Public Corruption, Houston, Texas
- Investigated corporate fraud, securities fraud, mortgage fraud, and bank fraud.
- Investigated criminal violations involving corruption of elected public officials.
- Conducted hundreds of subject, witness, and victim interviews, and numerous background investigations for federal appointments.
1993 to 2003
Accounting and financial management
- Controller and accounting supervisor roles with responsibility for financial reporting, budgeting, tax reporting, and year end audits.
- Consulting on business planning, financial modeling, projections, and investor relations.
- Investor accounting and reconciliation work for a national funding division.
Certifications, education, and training
| Credential | Year | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| FBI Certified Digital Forensic Examiner | 2018 | Federal certification for forensic examination of digital evidence |
| GIAC Certified Forensic Examiner (GCFE) | 2018 | Host based forensic analysis and artifact interpretation |
| AccessData Certified Examiner (ACE) | 2017 | Forensic examination and analysis of computer media |
| CompTIA A+ and Network+ | 2002, 2017, 2018 | Hardware, operating systems, and networking fundamentals |
| Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) | 2003 | Advanced networking and routing |
| Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) | 2002 | Network infrastructure and protocols |
| Certified Public Accountant (CPA), North Carolina, inactive | 1999 | Accounting, audit, and financial reporting |
| B.S. Accounting, State University of New York at Albany | 1992 | Accounting and financial analysis |
| United States Attorney's Award, Southern District of Texas | 2013 | Recognition for investigative work |
Selected training
- Advanced incident response, threat hunting, and digital forensics, 2023.
- Advanced computer forensics, 2022, and analog forensics, 2022.
- Federal digital forensic examiner capstone and moot court, 2018.
- Mobile device analysis, Windows forensic analysis, Apple Mac and iOS forensics, and Linux command line, 2017.
- Digital forensic examiner I and II, with concentration on operating system artifacts, browser artifacts, and file systems, 2017.
- Annual proficiency examinations in Windows, Mac, and mobile device forensics, 2019 to 2024.
Examinations are performed with the forensic imaging, write blocking, and analysis platforms used by federal laboratories, validated before results are relied on in a report.
How Elite Digital Forensics helps
Elite Digital Forensics provides independent forensic examination and expert witness testimony to attorneys, businesses, and private clients nationwide. Engagements begin with a confidential consultation to define scope, identify the devices and accounts involved, and set expectations before work is authorized.
- Confidential consultation and scope definition with counsel or the client.
- Evidence acquisition under documented chain of custody, with hash verification.
- Analysis directed at the specific questions the case requires.
- Written report prepared for attorney review, negotiation, or court.
- Deposition and trial testimony where the matter proceeds.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Robert McCallum?
Robert McCallum is a digital forensic expert and retired FBI Special Agent with more than twenty one years as a federal criminal investigator working digital forensic and financial crime investigations. He served as an FBI Certified Digital Forensic Examiner and as a Computer Analysis Response Team coordinator.
Is he a court qualified expert witness?
Yes. He has provided fact based and expert testimony in criminal proceedings in state and federal courts and is available for deposition, evidentiary hearing, and trial testimony.
What certifications does he hold?
FBI Certified Digital Forensic Examiner, GIAC Certified Forensic Examiner, AccessData Certified Examiner, CompTIA A+ and Network+, CCNP and CCNA, and an inactive North Carolina CPA license.
What evidence types can he examine?
Windows, Mac, and Linux systems, Android and iOS devices, memory and live acquisitions, servers, loose media, cloud provider returns, IoT devices, SQL databases, vehicle systems, and encrypted volumes.
Does his accounting background matter in a forensic case?
Yes. In fraud, embezzlement, and white collar matters, the financial records and the digital artifacts have to be reconciled. CPA level accounting experience makes that analysis faster and clearer to a jury.
How is a retention started?
Counsel or the client requests a confidential consultation, scope and devices are identified, a written engagement follows, and evidence is acquired under documented chain of custody before analysis begins.
Get in touch with Robert McCallum
Email Bob directly, or book a case update meeting on his calendar.
Email Robert McCallumbob@elitedigitalforensics.com
Book a case update meetingPick a time on Robert McCallum's calendar.
Email bob@elitedigitalforensics.com
Book a meeting
References
- Federal Rule of Evidence 702, Testimony by Expert Witnesses
- Federal Rule of Evidence 902(14), Certified Data Copied From an Electronic Device
- NIST Computer Forensics Tool Testing Program
This content is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Elite Digital Forensics provides independent digital forensic services and expert witness testimony; we do not provide legal representation. Every case is fact specific; outcomes depend on the evidence, jurisdiction, and counsel. Retain qualified legal counsel for advice about your matter.
