David Ference

David Ference is a senior investigative professional with more than 12 years of experience conducting high-stakes investigations across federal cybersecurity, private-sector consulting, and law enforcement environments. His career spans the full investigative lifecycle — from proactive threat detection and digital evidence collection through witness interviews, root cause analysis, and the preparation of executive-ready investigative reports for legal, compliance, and regulatory stakeholders. Mr. Ference holds dual certifications from Carnegie Mellon University's Software Engineering Institute as both a Certified Insider Threat Analyst (ITA) and a Certified Insider Threat Program Manager (ITPM), and he has supported federal cybersecurity operations at the IRS for seven years, conducting and overseeing investigations in coordination with the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). He also operated an independent investigative practice for seven years, where he provided expert consultation to legal counsel in civil litigation and arbitration matters — including a precedent-setting wrongful death case that resulted in a landmark U.S. court ruling. His credentials include active federal clearances (IRS Public Trust and DoD Secret), law enforcement and federal special agent service, and proficiency with industry-leading investigative and forensic platforms. Mr. Ference is available to serve as an expert witness, consulting expert, or technical advisor in matters before courts, arbitration panels, regulatory bodies, and internal corporate investigations. I. INSIDER THREAT INVESTIGATIONS & PROGRAM MANAGEMENT Mr. Ference possesses deep operational and programmatic expertise in insider threat — one of the most technically complex and legally sensitive categories of workplace investigation. Over seven years at the IRS, he served as the lead analyst responsible for detecting, investigating, and resolving insider-origin incidents across a federal workforce of thousands of employees and contractors. Operational Experience He has personally led end-to-end investigations into 400+ unauthorized access and insider misconduct incidents, applying both behavioral analytics and technical forensic methods to identify the nature, scope, and impact of each incident. His investigative approach integrates endpoint telemetry, SIEM log analysis, Data Loss Prevention (DLP) outputs, and User Activity Monitoring (UAM) data to build a complete evidentiary picture of insider activity — including distinguishing between malicious actors, negligent employees, and compromised accounts. Program Design & Standards As a Certified Insider Threat Program Manager (Carnegie Mellon SEI), Mr. Ference is qualified to opine on industry standards and best practices for insider threat program design, use-case development, detection methodology, policy compliance, and program maturity assessment. He has validated 12+ detection use cases, authored investigation SOPs and playbooks, and trained both government and contractor personnel on insider threat workflows and investigative standards. Relevant Expert Opinion Areas • Whether an organization's insider threat program met applicable standards (NISPOM, NIST) at a given point in time • Whether investigative methodology applied in a specific insider threat matter was consistent with industry best practices • Attribution and scope analysis of alleged data exfiltration or IP theft events • Adequacy of monitoring, detection, and escalation procedures • Design and sufficiency of insider threat policies, use cases, and response protocols II. WORKPLACE MISCONDUCT & POLICY VIOLATION INVESTIGATIONS Mr. Ference has conducted sensitive workplace misconduct investigations across both federal and private-sector environments throughout his career. His investigative practice covered a broad spectrum of misconduct matters — including unauthorized access, data theft, harassment, workplace violence, financial fraud, and policy violations — in environments requiring strict confidentiality, impartiality, and legal defensibility. Interview Methodology He is experienced in conducting structured, legally defensible interviews with complainants, subjects, and witnesses across a wide range of misconduct matters. His interview methodology prioritizes fact development, credibility assessment, and the preservation of an accurate evidentiary record — consistent with recognized investigative standards including those promoted by the Association of Workplace Investigators (AWI) and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). Investigation Reporting Mr. Ference has extensive experience preparing clear, concise, and well-reasoned investigation reports suitable for review by HR, Legal, Compliance, and executive stakeholders — and, where applicable, for use in legal proceedings. His reports are structured to clearly separate facts from analysis, support root cause conclusions, and withstand adversarial scrutiny. Relevant Expert Opinion Areas • Whether an investigation into workplace misconduct was conducted thoroughly, fairly, and in accordance with applicable standards • Whether interviewing methodology used in a specific matter was appropriate and complete • Adequacy and defensibility of investigation documentation and reporting • Whether HR, Legal, and Compliance coordination protocols were appropriately followed • Root cause analysis and systemic risk identification in workplace misconduct patterns III. DIGITAL EVIDENCE COLLECTION, PRESERVATION & FORENSIC ANALYSIS Mr. Ference has extensive hands-on experience with the collection, preservation, and forensic analysis of digital evidence in both federal and private investigative contexts. He is proficient in the technical platforms most commonly implicated in digital evidence matters — including Splunk Enterprise Security (SIEM), Splunk SOAR, Palo Alto Cortex XSIAM, Code42, DLP tools, endpoint telemetry systems, and UAM platforms — and holds current certifications in Splunk and Palo Alto Cortex investigation and analysis. Chain of Custody & Forensic Methodology He has applied strict chain-of-custody protocols across hundreds of investigations, ensuring evidentiary integrity from initial collection through analysis, reporting, and legal production. He is knowledgeable in the standards governing digital evidence handling in both federal and civil contexts, including documentation requirements, forensic imaging best practices, and the identification and preservation of relevant artifacts. Relevant Expert Opinion Areas • Whether digital evidence in a specific matter was collected, preserved, and analyzed in accordance with recognized forensic standards • Adequacy of chain-of-custody documentation and evidentiary handling procedures • Interpretation of SIEM logs, endpoint telemetry, DLP alerts, and UAM data in the context of alleged misconduct or data exfiltration • Whether digital artifacts support or contradict a specific factual allegation • Technical sufficiency and reliability of forensic analysis methodology applied in a matter IV. CORPORATE FRAUD, FINANCIAL MISCONDUCT & DUE DILIGENCE During his seven years as an independent Principal Investigator, Mr. Ference regularly handled investigations involving employee theft, medical fraud, financial abuse, IP theft, and complex due diligence matter for legal counsel and corporate clients. He is knowledgeable in fraud indicators, investigative methodology, and evidentiary standards applicable to fraud and financial misconduct matters and is actively pursuing the Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) credential through the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Relevant Expert Opinion Areas • Whether investigative methodology applied in a fraud or financial misconduct matter met applicable professional standards • Adequacy of due diligence processes and procedures in corporate transactions or employment decisions • OSINT and background investigation methodology and scope • Identification and documentation of fraud indicators and red flags V. BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS & SECURITY SUITABILITY Mr. Ference has conducted classified federal background investigations at two distinct points in his career — as a U.S. Office of Personnel Management Special Agent in the Federal Investigative Services (2007–2009) and as a Background Investigator at CACI International (2017–2019). His experience encompasses the full spectrum of federal background investigation requirements, including subject interviews, associate and collateral interviews, record searches across law enforcement, financial, and institutional sources, and the preparation of adjudicative reports. Relevant Expert Opinion Areas • Whether a background investigation was conducted in accordance with federal adjudicative guidelines and applicable OPM/DCSA standards • Adequacy and completeness of investigative scope in a suitability or clearance matter • Interview methodology and documentation standards in background investigations • Whether identified derogatory information was appropriately developed, documented, and reported CREDENTIALS AT A GLANCE • 12+ years combined investigative experience across federal, private, and law enforcement environments • Certified Insider Threat Program Manager (ITPM) — Carnegie Mellon University SEI • Certified Insider Threat Analyst (ITA) — Carnegie Mellon University SEI • Palo Alto Cortex XSIAM — Investigation and Analysis Certified (2026) • Splunk Certified Power User (2024) • M.S., Criminal Justice (Research & Policy Analysis) — University of Cincinnati • B.S., Administration of Justice — Pennsylvania State University • Former U.S. OPM Special Agent, Federal Investigative Services • Former Law Enforcement Officer — NGA Police; Durham Police Department • Active IRS Public Trust Clearance and DoD Secret Clearance • In Progress: Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) — ACFE; Digital Forensics Certificate — Carnegie Mellon SEI ENGAGEMENT & CONTACT Mr. Ference is available for retention as a testifying expert witness, consulting expert, or technical advisor in civil litigation, arbitration, regulatory proceedings, and internal corporate investigations. He is available to provide case consultation, expert report preparation, deposition testimony, and trial testimony. Engagements are accepted nationwide.