Mobile Device Forensics: A Modern Crime Fighting Tool

Mobile device forensics. What is it? You’ve probably heard of (or seen) shows like Bones or CSI. On those T.V. shows, investigators use advanced forensic tools and discovery methods to solve crimes. Digital forensics is sort of like that…for electronic devices. Here’s how it works.

What Is Digital Forensics?

The latest trend in forensic science is mobile forensics, and companies like Prudential Associates are leading the way with high-tech devices and software that can recover deleted emails, deleted text messages, scrape phone call logs and even recorded messages.

Digital forensics is a method of gathering and analyzing data from a mobile phone or some other mobile device. A variety of methods are used, including hardware that can capture data from a mobile device’s flash drive and software that can undelete files.

Data recovery is a big deal, because many people who commit crimes try to cover their tracks through file deletion. Digital forensics employs strategies that overcome this.

Like traditional forensics, an investigator’s job is to piece together pieces of a puzzle to solve a case. Sometimes, the case is a crime. other times, it’s not.

So, for example, police investigators may use digital forensics as part of an ongoing investigation to uncover evidence of child pornography, sexual assault, kidnapping, or murder. But, an individual can also hire a PI to do investigative work to uncover possible adultery or infidelity.

Our Lives Are Intertwined With The Internet

The reason that digital forensics is becoming so important is because our lives are becoming more and more intertwined with the Internet. More and more of our information is ending up online, from bank statements and credit cards to photos to public statements about mundane everyday occurrences (think Facebook and Twitter updates).

These sources of information are important for law enforcement, government agencies, and private investigators, who now have an almost unlimited data repository to draw from when conducting an investigation.

Even mobile phone calls can now be traced more efficiently, and call logs, text messages, and voice mails recovered and analyzed using new digital forensic tools. Voice recognition, speech patterning, and so-called “voiceprints” promise to make identifying suspects much easier than what was possible just 10 years ago.

Carrier Data Is Downloadable

Data from mobile phone and tablet carriers is simple for law enforcement and government to access with a warrant. The data can be downloaded and fed through an agency’s database. From there, it can be analyzed any number of ways to aid in an investigation.

Legal Issues

Of course, the technology is not without its critics. Privacy advocates claim that tech like “voiceprinting” – a method of capturing and analyzing a person’s voice patterns – violates a person’s right to privacy because some companies, like Wells Fargo, capture customers’ voice and speech patterns without their knowledge.

Governments can also do this through standard data collection processes. Ultimately, the technology does serve a valid purpose. It can help catch criminals and make law enforcement’s job easier. But, there’s a price to pay for it. What that is remains to be seen.

Jared Stern is a critical incident management and threat assessment specialist. He has a wealth of force protection and risk mitigation experience, and is a well-known terrorism advisor. A U.S. Marines veteran, he now serves as the CEO and president of Prudential Associates. His articles can be found on many criminal science and forensics websites.