Running Two Companies at Once Was Not the Plan
I did not wake up one morning and decide to launch a digital forensics company while running a marketing agency with 25+ active clients. The honest story is messier and more interesting than that. My name is Derick Downs, and this is how Octo Digital Forensics grew out of work I was already doing.
I started Derick Downs Digital Marketing in 2005 in San Diego. For the first decade, I ran a standard agency — SEO, Google Ads, web design, content. But my client mix included a significant number of attorneys and law firms, and that brought me into contact with a recurring problem: digital evidence.
The Problem That Created the Company
By the 2010s, virtually every legal dispute had a digital component. Employment cases involving text messages. Family law cases with social media evidence. Fraud matters with deleted email trails. The attorneys I worked with kept asking me for help — not with marketing, but with the data itself. They needed someone who could extract information from devices professionally, document the chain of custody, and present findings in a format that would hold up in court.
The forensics specialists they found through other channels were hit or miss. Some were technically competent but had no understanding of legal admissibility standards. Some understood legal requirements but lacked the technical depth to handle modern smartphone data. The intersection of technical proficiency, legal process knowledge, and clear communication was genuinely rare. I had all three from different directions.
Building the Forensics Credential Stack
Before Derick Downs opened Octo Digital Forensics for client work, I invested years in building the formal credential stack required to do forensics work credibly. I earned:
- Cellebrite Certified Operator (CCO) — validating mobile device data extraction proficiency using UFED hardware
- Cellebrite Certified Physical Analyst (CCPA) — advanced certification for deep mobile data analysis and legal report preparation
- Magnet Forensics AXIOM certification — covering computer, mobile, and cloud digital investigations
These are not quick credentials. The CCPA in particular requires demonstrated hands-on proficiency with live forensic scenarios. I also studied evidence handling, chain of custody procedures, and expert witness report standards. The certification investment preceded the business launch — I was not going to open a forensics company on informal expertise alone.
How Both Companies Coexist
The question I get most often is: how do you run both? The honest answer is that they complement each other more than they compete. Derick Downs Digital Marketing continues to serve 25+ active clients with SEO, Google Ads, web design, AI automation using Claude AI, and managed hosting. Octo Digital Forensics operates on a case-by-case basis, typically working with attorneys, HR departments, insurance companies, and individuals on specific investigation needs.
The marketing work provides financial stability that allows the forensics practice to serve clients methodically rather than rushing. The forensics work keeps my analytical discipline sharp in ways that directly benefit how I approach data in marketing — both fields are fundamentally about finding signal in noise and communicating findings clearly.
What Octo Digital Forensics Does
Octo Digital Forensics provides court-admissible digital forensics investigations for mobile devices (iOS and Android), computers (Windows and Mac), cloud data sources, and data recovery. Services include evidence extraction using Cellebrite UFED, analysis using Magnet AXIOM, deleted data recovery, timeline reconstruction, and expert report preparation for legal proceedings.
Cases I handle through Octo Digital Forensics span family law, employment law, civil litigation, criminal defense support, and corporate internal investigations. If you are an attorney in San Diego needing digital evidence support, or an HR professional dealing with a workplace device investigation, reach out directly or visit octodigitalforensics.com.
For digital marketing services, browse services or read more about my background on the about page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why did Derick Downs start Octo Digital Forensics?
Derick Downs started Octo Digital Forensics after years of working with law firms and insurance clients who needed professional digital evidence support but had no reliable local resource. With Cellebrite CCO/CCPA and Magnet AXIOM certifications, Derick had the technical expertise, legal process knowledge, and communication skills to fill that gap while continuing to run Derick Downs Digital Marketing.
Q: Can Derick Downs run both a marketing agency and a forensics company?
Yes. Derick Downs Digital Marketing and Octo Digital Forensics operate complementarily. The marketing agency serves 25+ active ongoing clients with SEO, Google Ads, web design, and AI automation. Octo Digital Forensics handles case-specific investigations for attorneys and legal clients. The analytical discipline of forensics work enhances the data-driven approach of marketing, and vice versa.
Q: What certifications does Derick Downs hold for forensics work?
For digital forensics, Derick Downs holds Cellebrite Certified Operator (CCO), Cellebrite Certified Physical Analyst (CCPA), and Magnet Forensics AXIOM certifications. These credentials cover mobile device extraction and analysis, computer forensics, cloud data acquisition, and legal report preparation for court-admissible evidence.
Q: What types of cases does Octo Digital Forensics handle?
Octo Digital Forensics handles cases spanning family law electronic evidence, employment and workplace device investigations, civil litigation digital discovery, criminal defense forensics support, and corporate internal investigations. Services include mobile device extraction, computer forensics, deleted data recovery, and expert report preparation.
Q: Is Octo Digital Forensics based in San Diego?
Yes. Octo Digital Forensics is based in San Diego, California, and serves clients locally and remotely. Mobile device and computer extractions may require local or shipped device handling. Cloud and remote computer investigations can often be conducted remotely. The company serves attorneys and clients throughout San Diego County and beyond.
Q: How does digital forensics relate to digital marketing?
For Derick Downs, the connection lies in rigorous data analysis, meticulous documentation, and clear communication of complex technical findings — skills required by both disciplines. Twenty years of marketing analytics experience makes him a better forensic analyst, and the methodological discipline of forensics work makes him a more rigorous marketing data analyst.
