A proper forensic workstation setup is required prior to conducting investigations on an Android device. Using open source methods to acquire and analyze Android devices requires the installation of specific software on the forensic workstation. If the method of forensic acquisition requires the Android device to be unlocked, the examiner needs to determine the best method by which to gain access to the device. The various screen lock bypass techniques explained in this chapter help an examiner to bypass the passcode under different circumstances. Depending on the forensic acquisition method and scope of the investigation, rooting the device should provide complete access to the files present on the device.

Now that the basic concepts of gaining access to an Android device have been covered, we will cover acquisition techniques and describe how data is pulled using each method in Chapter 9, Android Data Extraction Techniques.