Company
About TIERS Group
A founder-led digital forensics and technical exploitation company built for disciplined work, direct communication, and useful outcomes.
Senior technical judgment without unnecessary layers.
TIERS Group is a Virginia-based digital forensics, eDiscovery, litigation-support, and technical-exploitation company built for matters where evidence handling, technical depth, discretion, and clear communication matter. The company is founder-led and designed around a flat operating model: experienced people closest to the problem are expected to communicate directly, make informed decisions, and remain accountable for outcomes.
Leadership
TIERS Group was founded by Micah Lippold, a digital forensics and technical exploitation practitioner with experience supporting federal, military, intelligence, scientific, and public-sector environments. That background informs a practical approach to difficult evidence, operational constraints, quality, training, and communication with non-technical decision-makers.
Experience foundation
Professional experience associated with TIERS Group includes work connected to the Defense Intelligence Agency, United States Marine Corps, United States Navy, NASA, and the U.S. Department of Education. These references describe experience environments; they do not imply endorsement, current contracts, or authorization to speak for any agency or organization.
How we intend to operate
- Mission before hierarchy. The best-informed person contributes directly, regardless of title.
- Truth before certainty. Findings distinguish facts, interpretation, assumptions, and limitations.
- Scope before tools. Technical work begins with the question and authority, not a favorite product.
- Quality before volume. We would rather deliver a smaller, defensible answer than an impressive but unfocused data dump.
- Discretion by default. Sensitive matter information is shared only as needed and through appropriate channels.
- Continuous professionalization. Training, validation, peer learning, and documented improvement are part of the operating model.
What TIERS means
Technical Intelligence. Exploitation. Research. Solutions.
TIERS stands for Technical Intelligence, Exploitation, Research, and Solutions. The name describes the operating disciplines we bring together rather than a single tool, platform, or market.
Technical Intelligence
Turn complex technical data, systems, artifacts, and operational context into information that counsel, clients, and mission leaders can understand and use.
Exploitation
Lawfully and defensibly extract, examine, correlate, and operationalize information from devices, media, systems, and data within documented authority and scope.
Research
Develop, test, validate, and improve methods, workflows, training, and technical approaches for difficult or emerging problems.
Solutions
Deliver practical outputs: clear findings, review-ready data, repeatable workflows, complete training programs, and mission-focused technical support.
Operating values
What clients should expect.
Direct access
Senior practitioners remain involved in scope, methodology, high-impact findings, and communication.
Measured claims
Capabilities, qualifications, relationships, and findings are represented accurately and with appropriate limits.
Useful outputs
Reports and data packages are designed for the next decision, review process, or mission step.
Founder experience
Senior experience behind every engagement.
TIERS Group is founder-led by Micah J. Lippold, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and former combat engineer with more than 25 years across military, technical, and intelligence operations, including 20+ years dedicated to digital forensics and forensic laboratory operations.
His work has included full-cycle forensic examinations, evidence preservation and analysis, forensic lab management, multidisciplinary team leadership, worldwide technical exploitation support, training program development, and executive-level reporting for complex matters.
Professional experience spans
- Defense Intelligence Agency / National Media Exploitation Center
- U.S. Navy
- NASA
- U.S. Department of Education
- U.S. Marine Corps
Selected forensic credentials and advanced training
- FLETC Seized Computer Evidence Recovery Specialist
- Cellebrite Certified Mobile Examiner
- Cellebrite Certified Recovery Specialist
- Cellebrite Certified Operator
- Cellebrite Certified Physical Analyst
- Advanced Smartphone Analysis
- Chip-Off Forensics & In-System Programming
- TeelTech Advanced BGA Chip-Off
- CompTIA A+ / Network+ / Security+
- SANS FOR500 / FOR508 / FOR572 / FOR585 / SEC504 training
These are founder qualifications and career training; TIERS Group scopes and staffs each engagement according to the matter, authority, and technical requirements. Agency and vendor names identify prior experience or training only and do not imply endorsement.