Book Image

Mobile Forensics ??? Advanced Investigative Strategies

By : Oleg Afonin, Vladimir Katalov
Book Image

Mobile Forensics ??? Advanced Investigative Strategies

By: Oleg Afonin, Vladimir Katalov

Overview of this book

Investigating digital media is impossible without forensic tools. Dealing with complex forensic problems requires the use of dedicated tools, and even more importantly, the right strategies. In this book, you’ll learn strategies and methods to deal with information stored on smartphones and tablets and see how to put the right tools to work. We begin by helping you understand the concept of mobile devices as a source of valuable evidence. Throughout this book, you will explore strategies and "plays" and decide when to use each technique. We cover important techniques such as seizing techniques to shield the device, and acquisition techniques including physical acquisition (via a USB connection), logical acquisition via data backups, over-the-air acquisition. We also explore cloud analysis, evidence discovery and data analysis, tools for mobile forensics, and tools to help you discover and analyze evidence. By the end of the book, you will have a better understanding of the tools and methods used to deal with the challenges of acquiring, preserving, and extracting evidence stored on smartphones, tablets, and the cloud.
Table of Contents (18 chapters)
Mobile Forensics – Advanced Investigative Strategies
Credits
Foreword
About the Authors
About the Reviewer
www.PacktPub.com
Preface

Logical acquisition (backup analysis)


Many devices (Apple iOS, BlackBerry, and a limited number of Android models, for example, Sony Xperia) are able to produce offline backups via the software installed on the user's computer. Apple iTunes, BlackBerry Link, Sony PC Companion, and many other tools can be used to produce and restore phone or tablet backups. Depending on the OS, an offline backup may or may not be password-protected. Depending on the protection status, experts may be able to extract all, some, or none of the information.

Offline backups, if available for a particular platform, tend to have as much or more information available compared to cloud backups.

Logical acquisition benefits include the following:

  • One of the easiest acquisition methods

  • No special expertise required

  • Device disassembly not required

  • Non-destructive process

Major drawbacks of logical acquisition are as follows:

  • Limited amount of information extracted

  • Android: Manufacturers and app developers control what is and...