
The two most common techniques are physical and logical extraction.
#FORENSIC SOFTWARE FOR CELL PHONES SOFTWARE#
What tools & techniques are commonly used in mobile forensics?įorensic software tools are continually developing new techniques for the extraction of data from several cellular devices. Photos and Videos as Evidence: They can be a tremendous source of evidence, but their relevance to crime and authentication is crucial. They include the relevant information such as: Text messages leave electronic records of dialogue that can be presented in the court as evidence. SMS: Text messaging is a widely used way of communication. This data can be a primary source of evidence to the court. For example, photo or video editing apps request permission to access media files, camera, and GPS for navigation. In fact, many apps seek permission during the installation process to access these data. Presently, a GPS system includes 27 satellites in operation.Īpp Data: Many apps store and access data the user is not aware of.

Furthermore, it helps in finding phone call logs, images, and SMS messages. GPS also locates the movements of the suspect from a crime scene to the hideout. If the suspect has an active mobile device at the crime scene, GPS can pinpoint his location as well as his criminal acts. Global Positioning System (GPS): GPS data is an excellent source of empirical evidence. Every state has different laws in this regard. However, the collection of this information depends on the policies of the concerned state. The forensic specialist can collect these records if he requires. Whether the call was outgoing or incomingĪlmost all service providers retain these important records for a certain time.However, they can provide useful information to investigators, as well. Also, both current and deleted data types can be extracted from a mobile device.Ĭall Detail Records (CDRs): Service providers frequently use CDRs to improve network performance. The common data types include contacts list, call log, SMS, images, audio, video, GPS data, and apps data. Students should understand data types before the collection of data from a mobile device. What data types can you collect from a mobile device? For example, iTunes backup is used to make a logical image of an iPhone or iPad. A software tool is used to make a copy of the files.

However, some vendors describe logical extraction narrowly as the ability to gather a particular data type, such as pictures, call history, text messages, calendar, videos, and ringtones. Logical Acquisition, or logical extraction, is a technique for extracting the files and folders without any of the deleted data from a mobile device. Later on, some methods are applied to convert that data into a human readable form. Initially, the received data is in raw format and cannot be read. It allows the forensic tool to collect remnants of deleted data. Physical Acquisition, also known as a physical memory dump, is a technique for capturing all the data from flash memory chips on the mobile device. The data can be gathered from mobile devices in two ways, namely, physical acquisition and logical acquisition. How do you gather data from mobile devices? However, the selection of tools and techniques during an investigation depends on the type of mobile device and its associated media. There are many tools and techniques available in mobile forensics.
