Her Work
Heather Ngwenya is a digital forensics professional with a rare hybrid background that spans hands-on investigative casework and applied data science. She holds an MS in Global Management with a Data Science concentration from the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University (2026), and a BSc (Hons) in Forensic Science, Computer Science, and Physics from the University of Zimbabwe — with a dissertation on blockchain applications for real estate title fraud prevention that earned a distinction.
Heather spent approximately three years at ARS Digital Forensics in Harare, progressing from intern to Junior Supervisor across fraud, cybercrime, and identity theft investigations. She worked with a comprehensive suite of forensic tools including EnCase, Magnet AXIOM, Cellebrite UFED, FTK, Belkasoft, and X-Ways, alongside Python-based data analysis — building deep practical competency in digital evidence acquisition, analysis, and court-ready reporting.
An active ISACA member and CISA candidate, Heather has also served as a Research Grant Reviewer at ASU's Graduate Student Government and as a Scholarship Application Reviewer for ISACA — bringing analytical rigour and professional ethics to every evaluation context. She is multilingual in English, Shona, Ndebele, and Zulu, and is based in Phoenix, Arizona.
Areas of Expertise
Digital Forensics & eDiscovery
Hands-on experience in digital evidence acquisition, preservation, and analysis across fraud, cybercrime, and identity theft cases — using EnCase, Magnet AXIOM, Cellebrite UFED, FTK, Belkasoft, and X-Ways.
Cybercrime & Fraud Investigation
Investigative casework across cybercrime, financial fraud, and identity theft — building court-ready evidentiary chains and producing documentation suitable for legal proceedings.
Data Science & Analytics
Applying Python, SQL, and data analytics to forensic and investigative datasets — bridging the gap between raw digital evidence and actionable analytical insights for complex investigations.
IT Audit, GRC & Blockchain
Expertise in IT audit, Governance, Risk & Compliance frameworks, and blockchain applications in forensic and fraud prevention contexts — including dissertation-level research on blockchain for title fraud prevention.
Her Career
Junior Supervisor & Forensic Data Analyst — ARS Digital Forensics
Nearly three years at ARS Digital Forensics in Harare — progressing from intern to Junior Supervisor across fraud, cybercrime, and identity theft investigations. Developed practical expertise in digital evidence handling, chain-of-custody documentation, and forensic tool operation across EnCase, AXIOM, Cellebrite, FTK, and Python-based analysis workflows.
Research Grant Reviewer — Arizona State University
Selected to review graduate student research grant applications for ASU's Graduate Student Government — applying analytical skills and academic judgment to evaluate research merit, feasibility, and impact across disciplines.
Scholarship Application Reviewer — ISACA
Evaluated scholarship applications for ISACA, focusing on candidates in cybersecurity, IT audit, and information systems — using structured scoring rubrics to ensure fair, transparent, and ethically grounded selection processes.