Why would you need your phone forensically extracted and analyzed? Here are a few reasons to do so.
Example 1: Deletion of Personal Information –
A Client requested a “dump” of her cellphone. Dump meaning data extraction. Even though she had backed up the phone to the cloud some photos were not there, and she could not access text messages that she had deleted in a moment of anger from her device. The messages contained attached photos and information required by her employer.
Example 2: Evidence Needed for Court –
An attorney requested to have his Client’s phone Cloned. Cloned meaning a Forensic Extraction of Data. He was in the pre-liminary stages of representing his Client in an Employment Sexual Harassment Case. His Client’s boss was in the process of divorce and was also having an affair with her. When their relationship started to create issues for her at work, she decided the affair needed to end and he decided it did not. For a couple of weeks, they would meet outside of the workplace and she repeatedly told him it would be in both of their best interests to stop seeing each other. She had refused any further meeting, but he continued to send her very explicit text messages. When she demanded he stop he informed her he no longer needed her services and terminated her employment.
Example 3: Metadata –
A client was accused of causing a personal injury while on vacation. The client stated that they could not have been in the location where the injury occurred and happened to have taken a video at the same time the incident took place. By extracting the video and analyzing the metadata contained within the file we were able to overlay GPS coordinates and time stamps over a digital map to show that the client could not have been responsible for the alleged injury.
Example 4: Spyware or Malware Analysis –
There are risks involved when using a cellular device. Outside of the “Health Risks” reported there is a possibility that your device may have had a spyware or malware application installed. Most spyware applications we have found have been installed by having possession of the device. There are applications available to the public, usually sold by a dealer or manufacture outside of the US that have the capability of being installed remotely. This type of spyware is most likely sent as an attachment. We strongly advise our Clients to avoid downloading any attachment or opening an email from a number or email not familiar to them. There are multiple reasons a Client would request an Analysis of their cellular device if they believed spyware has been installed. Infidelity, Divorce, Stalking, and Disgruntled Employees are the majority of reasons one party would install some type of spyware/malware application on the other party’s phone to be privy to confidential information, text messages, location, contact lists and email communications.
To conduct a spyware analysis or any of the procedures above, we work off the extraction and not the device, therefore our results can be used in court without having any modifications made to the phone. The extracted data is kept in an encrypted format during the process so that your information remains secure.
