About

The examiner behind the evidence.

Ryan Purita is the principal examiner at Sherlock Forensics in Vancouver BC. He holds CISSP-ISSAP and ISSMP certifications and has over 20 years of experience in digital forensics and cybersecurity. He is a court-qualified expert witness in computer forensics across multiple Canadian jurisdictions.

Principal Examiner

Ryan Purita, CISSP-ISSAP, ISSMP

Ryan Purita founded Sherlock Forensics in 2004 and has served as its principal digital forensic examiner for over two decades. He has conducted thousands of forensic examinations spanning criminal prosecution, criminal defence, civil litigation, corporate fraud and regulatory compliance.

Ryan has been a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) since 2002 and holds the ISSAP (Information Systems Security Architecture Professional) and ISSMP (Information Systems Security Management Professional) concentrations. He is co-author of No Hiding Place in Cyberspace with David Crear of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP.

His forensic findings have been admitted as evidence in BC Supreme Court, BC Provincial Court and Newfoundland Provincial Court. He has been qualified as an expert witness in computer forensics and security in each of these jurisdictions. For case details see the expert witness page.

Training & Credentials

Certifications that withstand cross-examination

Ryan's credentials are validated through rigorous examination and decades of continuous professional development. These certifications are regularly tested under cross-examination in court.

CISSP

Certified Information Systems Security Professional

Issued by (ISC)². Held since 2002. Eight domains of security architecture, engineering and risk management.

ISSAP

Information Systems Security Architecture Professional

Advanced (ISC)² concentration in security architecture and design.

ISSMP

Information Systems Security Management Professional

Advanced (ISC)² concentration in security management and leadership.

BCIT

Advanced Specialty Certificate in Forensic Investigations

Completed with Distinction at the British Columbia Institute of Technology.

EnCase

EnCase Forensic Training

Guidance Software (now OpenText) certified training in EnCase forensic examination.

AccessData

AccessData FTK Training

Certified training in Forensic Toolkit (FTK) analysis and evidence processing.

Mobile

Mobile Forensics

Specialized training in mobile device forensic acquisition and analysis.

CCNA

Cisco Certified Network Associate

Cisco certification in networking fundamentals and network exploit analysis.

Recognition

Awards and nominations

Canada's Top 40 Under 40
Nominated three times (2004, 2005 and 2008) for national leadership and achievement.
Business in Vancouver 40 Under 40
Two-time honouree recognizing business leadership in British Columbia.
Canadian IT Hero Nominee
Nominated by the Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC) in 2005.

Expert Witness

Court-qualified in computer forensics and security

Ryan Purita has been qualified as an expert witness in BC Supreme Court, BC Provincial Court and Newfoundland Provincial Court. He has testified in matters involving computer forensics, digital security, mobile forensics and internet infrastructure for both prosecution and defence.

View Case History

Public Profile

Media and speaking

Ryan has appeared as a cybersecurity expert on CBC Marketplace (three appearances), Global National with Kevin Newman, CTV and Breakfast Television. His analysis has been quoted in the Globe and Mail, National Post, Vancouver Sun and dozens of other publications.

He has presented at the Institute of Internal Auditors IT Conference in Orlando, the Security & Privacy Conference in Victoria and the Canadian Bar Association Criminal Subsection among other events.

History

Two decades of forensic work

2002
Ryan Purita earns CISSP certification from (ISC)². Begins work in digital forensics and information security.
2003
First national media appearances on Breakfast Television CityTV and City Pulse CityTV covering cybersecurity topics.
2004
Sherlock Forensics established in Vancouver BC. Georgia Straight front cover feature on white-hat hackers. First Canada's Top 40 Under 40 nomination. Appearances on Global National and CBC Radio.
2005
CBC Marketplace debut ("Sc@mmed"). Canadian IT Hero nominee (ITAC). Globe and Mail Report on Business feature. Second Top 40 Under 40 nomination.
2006
Featured speaker at IIA IT Conference in Orlando and Security & Privacy Conference in Victoria. Presenter at Techvibes Massive Technology Show at Science World Vancouver. First expert witness testimony (Canadian Metals v. Wiese, BCSC).
2007
Second CBC Marketplace appearance ("Can You Hack It?"). Expanded forensic capabilities to mobile devices.
2008
Third nomination for Canada's Top 40 Under 40. Expanded into civil litigation support and eDiscovery.
2010
Third CBC Marketplace appearance ("Who's Minding the Store?"). Penetration testing added to service portfolio.
2013
Expert witness testimony in Newfoundland Provincial Court (R v. Kelly and R v. Mills). Guest speaker at Canadian Bar Association Criminal Subsection.
2018
Opened second office in Coquitlam. Expanded incident response to 24/7 operations.
2024
20th year of operation. Added AI-generated deepfake detection and post-quantum encrypted memory forensics to service portfolio.

Standards & Frameworks

Aligned to recognised authorities

NIST
NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF 2.0) - Risk management and incident response alignment
MITRE ATT&CK
MITRE ATT&CK Framework - Adversary tactics and techniques reference for threat modelling
(ISC)²
(ISC)² Cybersecurity Certifications - CISSP, ISSAP and ISSMP certification body
SANS / GIAC
SANS Digital Forensics and Incident Response - Training and certification body

Get Started

Ready to secure your digital evidence?

Order a forensic examination online. No calls required.

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Next Step

Engage our team

Whether you require forensic analysis, a security assessment or expert testimony, Ryan Purita and his team are prepared to assist.