- CECI
- DoD COOL
- Missouri DHE
- POST Approved for CLEE
- NICCS aligned
Certified Expert in Cyber Investigations (CECI)
Lead Complex Cyber Investigations Across Digital, Intelligence, and Criminal Domains.
The Certified Expert in Cyber Investigations program develops advanced investigative capability across open-source intelligence, social media, cybercrime, counterintelligence, fraud, organized retail crime, electronic discovery, computer forensics, mobile forensics, and professional case development.
- 4.8
- 34 reviews
- 100
- Hours
- 100
- CPE credits
- Lifetime
- Access
- 1 Year
- Exam License
- FBI
- DHS
- FedEx
- Citi
- Mossberg
- DEA
- DoD
- 3-Day Money-Back Guarantee
- Full Lifetime Access
- 1 Year Exam License
- Official Study Manual
- Official Online Training
- Official Prep Review Quizzes
or pay over time with Affirm · Sezzle
Military / Gov COOL and TA eligible
Complex cyber investigations rarely stay inside a single system, platform, or investigative discipline.
A digital investigation may begin with a social media account, online transaction, mobile device, insider concern, fraud allegation, or organized criminal network. Investigators must be able to move across digital sources, investigative disciplines, evidence types, and legal considerations without losing the continuity of the case. CECI is designed for professionals who need a broader investigative framework—one that connects intelligence collection, cyber-enabled activity, behavioral context, digital evidence, analytical reasoning, and defensible reporting.
Critical connections are missed when cyber, fraud, intelligence, and criminal-investigation information remain separated.
Evidence loses value when collection, preservation, analysis, and documentation are handled inconsistently across sources and devices.
Complex cases become difficult to explain when technical findings are not connected to identities, timelines, behaviors, events, and investigative conclusions.
CECI provides a multidisciplinary framework for investigating complex cyber-enabled activity—from intelligence collection and online research through fraud, counterintelligence, electronic discovery, forensics, case development, and professional reporting.
What sets this program apart
Multidisciplinary Investigative Scope
Integrates cyber investigations with OSINT, social media intelligence, fraud, organized retail crime, counterintelligence, electronic discovery, computer forensics, mobile forensics, and traditional investigative methods.
Built for Complex Casework
Develops the ability to connect digital artifacts, people, behaviors, transactions, devices, networks, and events across investigations that do not fit neatly within one specialty.
Applied Investigative Development
Combines structured coursework, simulated cases, tool-based exercises, analytical methods, evidence-handling principles, and professional reporting across 100 hours of instruction.
Expert-Level Assessment
Certification requires completion of the applicable training, eligibility, assessment, and proctored examination requirements. Access to the program alone does not result in certification.
Choose your enrollment path
Self-pay, military/government funding, or employer sponsorship — we'll take you to the right option.
All 6 Certifications — Earned on Completion
You'll receive 6 digital certificates and badges — plus the physical CECI certification and diploma cover shown below.
CFHI and CEFI are available exclusively through this program.
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- INCLUDEDSMIASMIA
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- CAPSTONECECICECI
A board-issued credential, recognized where it counts
- DoD COOL
- Missouri DHE
- POST Approved for CLEE
- NICCS aligned
Board certification programs: Students must submit all course quizzes, score 70% or better on all sections of the course and obtain a 70% or better on the final online examination, and submit proof eligibility up completion of your exam application. All fees must be paid in full. Upon successful completion of your program, the McAfee Institute will issue your board certification. Students who successfully complete the program before meeting the eligibility will be put into a holding pattern until the eligibility is met at which time the credentials will be issued.
Completion of training does not guarantee employment, promotion, security clearance eligibility, or acceptance by any agency or third party.
Eligible for military & government credentialing assistance
Select certification programs may be eligible for use with military and government credentialing or tuition assistance benefits, subject to agency and individual eligibility requirements. Participation does not imply endorsement by any agency.
State & Federal Regulatory Approvals
Missouri DHEWD
State-certified to operate under 6 CSR 10-5.010
Dept. of Higher Education and Workforce Development
NICCS Education & Training Catalog
Listed training provider, NICCS Education & Training Catalog
Mapped to NIST NICE framework · operated by CISA
Missouri POST
100 CLEE hours approved · Control #14975
49 legal studies · 51 technical studies
Officers should confirm acceptance with their licensing agency.
What You'll Learn
The CECI program develops advanced knowledge and applied investigative capabilities across the following areas:
Joshua A. McAfee · Founder & CEO, McAfee Institute
15 years building credentials for the professionals who actually do the work. CECI was developed alongside practitioners from federal, state, and corporate investigation teams.
Built for professionals responsible for complex investigations
CECI is designed for experienced professionals whose investigations involve cyber-enabled activity, digital evidence, intelligence collection, fraud, organized criminal conduct, internal threats, or complex online behavior.
This course is perfect for
Active & Veteran Law Enforcement
Expand into cyber casework with advanced investigative tools, courtroom-ready evidence handling, and tactical expertise.
Intelligence Professionals
Sharpen OSINT, counterintelligence, and covert-investigation skills to detect threats before they escalate.
Fraud & Financial Investigators
Master eCommerce fraud detection, trace illicit transactions, and build prosecutable cases.
Corporate Security & Incident Responders
Strengthen incident response, threat hunting, and internal investigation capabilities.
Specialized Investigators (organized crime, retail loss, counterintelligence)
Gain cyber skills to extend investigative reach and accelerate case resolution.
This course may not be for you if
You are looking for a general IT, help-desk, network-administration, or entry-level cybersecurity course.
You do not currently work in investigations, intelligence, fraud, compliance, security, law enforcement, or a closely related field.
You want a narrow, vendor-specific digital-forensics certification rather than a multidisciplinary investigative program.
You are seeking a short introductory course with limited technical or investigative depth.
You are primarily interested in software development, penetration testing, or defensive system administration rather than investigative casework.
Is this program right for you?
Program-fit questions candidates ask before they enroll.
CECI is an expert-level, 100-hour program designed for experienced professionals. Its scope spans multiple investigative disciplines, including intelligence, cybercrime, fraud, counterintelligence, electronic discovery, and digital forensics.
Eligibility & requirements
McAfee Institute trains military, law enforcement, and investigative professionals. Eligibility reflects that. Verification is the reason the credential carries weight in the field.
Education & experience
Any one of the qualifying paths below. Experience must be in investigations, law enforcement, criminal justice, military, or similar fields with direct criminal investigation or intelligence responsibilities.
Path A Bachelor's or higher + 4 years experience
Path B Associate's degree + 6 years experience
Path C HS diploma or equivalent + 7 years experience
Relevant fields include investigations, law enforcement, criminal justice, military, and/or another similar field with direct criminal investigation and/or intelligence responsibilities.
Conduct requirements
Applicants are not eligible with any felony conviction or pending felony charge, or any conviction or pending charge involving violence, dishonesty or breach of trust, or crimes against persons, or other disqualifying offenses. Criminal history must be disclosed at enrollment and may be verified.
International enrollment
McAfee Institute is a U.S.-based institution serving a primarily U.S. professional audience. International enrollments may be subject to additional review, identity verification, professional affiliation verification, and compliance screening. Applicants located in certain countries or regions, or associated with restricted persons or entities under U.S. law, may be ineligible for enrollment.
- 3-Day Money-Back Guarantee
- Full Lifetime Access
- 1 Year Exam License
- Official Study Manual
- Official Online Training
- Official Prep Review Quizzes
or pay over time with Affirm · Sezzle
Military / Gov COOL and TA eligible
Read the full eligibility and conduct policyDisclosure & verification
Applicants must disclose criminal history as requested during enrollment. McAfee Institute may verify eligibility through documentation and/or a background check when required by a program component, partner environment, exam vendor, or when reasonably necessary to protect program integrity. Disclosures are required to the extent permitted by applicable law.
False information
Any material falsification or omission is grounds for denial of admission, removal from the program, and/or denial of certification.
No guarantee of outcome
Completion of training does not guarantee employment, promotion, security clearance eligibility, or acceptance by any agency or third party.
The CECI curriculum progresses from intelligence foundations and online research into specialized investigations involving fraud, organized retail crime, counterintelligence, electronic discovery, computer and mobile forensics, surveillance, informants, and complex case development. Across 43 modules and 100 hours of instruction, learners examine how distinct investigative disciplines connect within cyber-enabled cases.
About this Course
Certified Expert in Cyber Investigations (CECI): Your All-in-One Cybercrime Mastery. Become the expert organizations rely on to uncover, prevent, and solve digital crimes. The Certified Expert in Cyber Investigations (CECI) program brings together six industry-recognized certifications into one powerful credential, giving you the most complete training in cyber intelligence, counterintelligence, and digital forensics.
Designed by leading experts, this program equips you with the real-world skills needed to take on complex cases from cyber fraud and insider threats to digital espionage and cyberterrorism.
Dive into the critical disciplines that define today’s top cyber investigators:
Cyber Intelligence: Gather, analyze, and apply data-driven intelligence to detect and prevent cyber threats before they strike.
Counterintelligence: Protect sensitive information and identify insider threats before they can cause damage.
Digital Forensics: Master advanced tools to recover, preserve, and interpret digital evidence—ensuring accuracy and integrity in every case.
Why Choose CECI
Whether you’re in law enforcement, intelligence, or private-sector security, CECI gives you the competitive edge to stand out in the world of cyber investigations.
You’ll graduate with:
A multi-disciplinary skillset trusted by global intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
The confidence to lead high-stakes investigations with precision and integrity.
The credentials to open doors to specialized and higher-paying roles.
Everything you need to certify
One enrollment includes the full course library, the official manual, the proctored exam license, and your board credential on completion.
- Official study manual
- Prep review quizzes
- Online training program
- Exam license (1 year)
- 100+ hours of instruction
- Mobile & desktop access
- Board certification (digital + physical)
- 100 CPE / CEU credits
- Closed captions
More Than Just Certifications
Join a comprehensive professional development platform designed exclusively for law enforcement, intelligence, and investigation professionals.
Active Community
Engage with verified professionals in law enforcement and intelligence
Exclusive Jobs
Access career opportunities not listed elsewhere
CPE Tracking
Automatic continuing professional education credit management
Expert Network
Connect with federal agents and industry leaders
Communities
Join private discussion groups with peers
Resources
Articles, whitepapers, tools and more
Three ways to fund your certification.
Self-pay · Military / Gov COOL · Employer-funded
Pay once. Lifetime access included.
3-day money-back guarantee
Interest-free via Affirm or Sezzle. 6–12 month plans available.
Military / Gov COOL eligible? Use DoD/Navy/Army/Coast Guard/Air Force COOL or TA funding — switch to the tab for the invoice request flow.
Need financial help? — available for self-paying students demonstrating financial need.
Enrollment, examination, and policy FAQs
- Our certifications are trusted by more than 4,500 employers, including government agencies, law enforcement departments, intelligence units, and private-sector organizations. Programs are recognized by POST (various states), DoD COOL & CA, NICCS, and the Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development.
Not sure if this is the right credential?
Talk to an advisor about eligibility, fit, and funding paths.
Develop the range to lead investigations that cross digital, criminal, and intelligence boundaries.
Complete the CECI certification process and document advanced education and assessment across cyber investigations, intelligence collection, fraud, counterintelligence, digital evidence, forensic methods, and complex case development.