Professional Overview

John Cate is a digital forensics examiner and owner of Vigilant Digital Security, LLC, with nearly two decades of technical experience spanning software and application development, digital forensic analysis and consultation, hard drive and account recovery, and system and database development.

Based in Nashville, TN, John provides independent forensic consulting services to attorneys and private clients. His work spans a wide range of cases including murder trials, drug trafficking investigations, and civil litigation. He is also an experienced CLE instructor, bringing forensic education directly to the legal community.

John is committed to rigorous chain of custody protocols, thorough documentation, and court-ready reporting — ensuring that every piece of digital evidence is handled with the highest standards of professional integrity.

Core Competencies

• Mobile Device & Hard Drive Analysis
• Data Recovery & File Extraction
• Expert Witness Services
• Chain of Custody Documentation
• Security & Body Camera Analysis
• Evidence Collection & Documentation
• EDR / Vehicle Black Box Analysis
• CLE Instructor

Forensic Analysis

• Cellebrite
• Axiom Examine
• Autopsy
• Cyber Triage
• Velociraptor

Network & Security

• Wireshark
• NMAP
• Network Miner
• Encrypted Disk Detector
• RAM Capturer

Specializations

• Cloud Backup Recovery
• Metadata Analysis
• Email Header Analysis
• Corrupted Drive Recovery
• Cell Phone Data Parsing