A logical acquisition captures a part of what is accessible to the user, in other words, what is included in an iTunes backup. It means we won't get any deleted files, but thanks to SQLite databases free lists and unallocated space, we can recover deleted records, including SMS and other chats, browsing history, and so on. We will discuss recovering SQLite data and deleted artifacts in Chapter 5, iOS Data Analysis and Recovery.

A logical acquisition is the simplest way to ascertain if the device is unlocked, as it simply uses the built-in backup mechanism. Most tools and methods that support logical acquisition of iOS devices will fail if the device is locked. Some think that if a physical image is captured, there is little to no need for a logical acquisition. However, not all data is parsed in a physical image, which is why having access to a logical image, resulting in readable data, will assist in digging deep into the physical image for artifacts to support your forensic...