The usage of mobile devices increases as the internet and the World Wide Web increase their span. Smartphones and tablets are popularizing every day, and consequently, it is boosting the technology of securing the devices from digital threats. The rapid development involves digital crimes and digital investigations too. Android & iPhone forensics software have become abbreviated terms describing the process of applying mobile forensics trading in the digital world, providing well-defined procedures to extract and analyze data from mobile devices. Here are two distinctive methods to acquire data for evidence from mobile devices.

Non Invasive Method

Manual Extraction

Manual extraction of data requires definite skills. The forensics examiners need prolific mobile forensics training to complete the task. You are not allowed to physically touch or handle the mobile devices’ touchscreen or keypad. One needs to discover the information of interest on the phone by documenting it photographically. The manual process is used for most of the phones, being the simplest of all. However, there are defined forensics tools too to make the process easier. As a drawback, you cannot restore data using this method.

Logical Extraction

The logical extraction process is much more physical than the previous one. You use a USB cable, Bluetooth, Infrared, or RJ-45 cable to institute a connection between a mobile device and the forensic workstation. Meanwhile, the computer sends command requests to the device, and in turn, the device sends data to form its memory. A digital forensics expert knows that a majority of cellphone forensics tools like Android forensics software support the process of logical extraction. Short-term training also enables a forensics examiner to use this method. As a flaw, the way may add data to the mobile device and eventually alter the integrity of the evidence.

JTAG Method

When the forensics examiner gets a device that has minor damages, locked, or encrypted, they employ the JTAG method. JTAG stands for Joint Test Action Group. The process is an advanced level data acquisition that involves connecting to Test Access Ports (TAPs) to transfer the data in the connected memory chips.
One comes across this standard feature across various mobile phone models, providing low-level interface manufacture outside the operating system. Interestingly, the cellphone forensics investigators use JTAG to access directly to the mobile device’s memory without messing or threatening with it. The procedure is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and requires advanced knowledge of cellphone forensics tools like iPhone forensics software.

Hex Dump

Flash memories are pretty common nowadays. From a school kid to an expert IT professional uses a flash drive to store data for their use on the go. Just like the previous method, JTAG, Hex dump method is worthy of extracting raw data from the flash memories. One can perform the operation by connecting the forensics workstation to the drive. Using an unsigned code or a bootloader, a forensics examiner can dump memory from the device to the computer. Although a technical person from here onwards analyzes further, the data received is all in binary format. The process is inexpensive, possesses abundant data, and can recover deleted data too.

Invasive Methods

Chip Off

Microchips are like cells in the human body. They are the structural and functional units of the recently made computing systems. In the chip-off method, a forensics investigator with thorough mobile forensics training detaches the chip from the acquired device and extracts the data for investigation using a card reader or another phone. The process is challenging, as the market is full of a variety of mobile chips and expensive as you require specific training and hardware to detach the chip off the phone. One cannot commit any mistake as it will damage the memory chip and lose the data irrevocably.

Micro Read

A more minute and detailed knowledge is required to use the micro read process. You need an electron microscope to analyze the data seen on the memory chip. The physical gates of the chips are crucial in this process. The forensics investigators need an utmost level of expertise that is also costly and time-consuming. Such experts are reserved for severe national security issues.
Digital crimes are increasing daily and digital forensics experts are the only hope. As the world moves towards the artificial intelligence era at a tremendous pace, people either need to be more tech-savvies or depend upon the cellphone forensics tools like the Android & iPhone forensics software. Paraben Corporation has been producing professional tools for protecting everyone, from corporates to federal agencies. Paraben Corporation is a 23 year experienced elite DFIR Company focusing on building a threat-free digital world. For further information, visit the page.