Authors
Gladwel Kubwalo, Tejasvi Bhatia
Abstract
Crimes have been taking place since time in memorial. These crimes are committed differently and that is the reason why they have different names with respect to the factors that determine the offence. It is the core duty of investigators in law enforcement agencies as well as other relevant stake holders to crack down and identify the perpetrators of crimes. It is empirical to mention that the identification of perpetrators of crime is based on the piece of evidence that has been collected. Evidence most of the times is collected at the scene of crime in physical form or from eye witnesses who are people that are present when an offence is being committed. Sometimes evidence is circumstantial depending on how the events surrounding the criminal act occurred. In the modern world, mobile devices are playing a very significant part in our day to day life. These days, mobile devices are being used by individuals of all classes as opposed to a distant past whereby usage of mobile devices was limited only to high class people. The wide usage of mobile phones provides vast availability of evidence. Potential piece of evidence is collected from electronic devices such as mobile phone in digital form. It is advisable that all sorts of evidence that has been scientifically collected and analysed must be treated bearing in mind the set out legal standards so that they can be accepted in court. Forensic investigators are mandated to make sure that they follow proper legal standards when handling forensic evidence. This paper will highlight some forensic evidences and the methodologies on how to collect them from mobile devices. It will also highlight some of the tools that are employed in order to recover data or forensic evidences found in mobile devices. Keywords: Forensic Evidence, Mobile devices, Forensics, Drone Forensics, Data Acquisition, potential evidences, electronic devices, forensic investigator
Introduction
Forensic evidence found in mobile devices is studied under the field of digital forensics. Mobile devices in this case shall mean electronic equipment like mobile phones, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) devices, Global Positioning System (GPS) devices and tablet computers (Bennett, 2012). Digital forensics is generally a branch of forensic science that deals with the investigation and recovery of evidence in mobile devices normally that are connected to computer crimes (Daware et al, 2012). This definition collaborates to the explanation that digital forensics also comes under the field of forensic science but its main objective is to see to it that potential evidence which can be traced in digital devices as a result of a computer crime is thoroughly collected, examined and stored according to the set legal standards (Anghel, 2019).
Digital forensics has been defined as a sub-set of forensic science that constitutes the elements of law and computer science to retrieve and examine data that can be acquired from digital devices, different types of networks and storage devices based on the set legal standards and procedures to guarantee admissibility of the evidence in the criminal justice system (Pernik et al, 2016). Mobile forensics on the other hand is a field under digital forensics whose goal is the recovery of potential evidence from mobile devices (Casey, 2009). This branch of mobile forensics has as of late gained much recognition as a result of the increase in the number of people that are in need of the services which are available in mobile devices (Kylämies, 2019). This increase in the number of people in need of mobile device services has created the availability of mobile devices throughout the whole world. Since mobile devices demand connectivity, this has resulted in the fast-growing Internet of Things (IoT) technology to supplement the availability of the desired services (Al-Dhaqm et al., 2020). The onus to select a specific forensic methodology when examining evidence is based on the quality and quantity of the evidence in question.
The major aim for a sound forensic examination of digital evidence in question is that the original evidence must not be modified at all costs ((Kylämies, 2019). It is therefore the responsibility of forensic investigators to present evidences to the courts without any modifications. Any modification or alteration made to forensic evidence renders it invalid and therefore not accepted in court (Jain and Chhabra, 2014). This situation has negative repercussions to the justice system as the genuine case may end up being thrown out of court simply because the evidence was mishandled at a certain point in course of the investigations. Mobile devices are defined as portable electronic equipment that has the capability to connect to the internet (Sathiyanarayanan, 2016). Mobile devices are used to commit various types of crimes by ill-minded people. Some examples of nefarious activities that are done using mobile gadgets are defamation, forgery, terrorism, cyber harassment, cyberstalking among others (Yeboah-Boateng and Amanor, 2014).
References
Ahmed, Rizwan, et al. “Mobile Forensics: The Study of Collecting Digital Evidence from Mobile Devices.” International Conference on Computer Networks and Security (ICCNS 2008), 2008, pp. 246–53.
Aitken, Colin, and Franco Taroni. Statistics and the Evaluation of Evidence for Forensic Scientists. Wiley, 1995.
Al-Dhaqm, Arafat, et al. “A Review of Mobile Forensic Investigation Process Models.” IEEE Access, vol. 8, 2020, pp. 173359–75.
Alghafli, Khawla Abdulla, et al. “Forensics Data Acquisition Methods for Mobile Phones.” 2012 7th International Conference for Internet Technology and Secured Transactions (ICITST), IEEE, 2012, pp. 265–69.
Al-Hadadi, Mubarak, and Ali AlShidhani. “Smartphone Forensics Analysis: A Case Study.” International Journal of Computer and Electrical Engineering, 2013, pp. 576–80.
Al Mutawa, Noora, et al. “Forensic Analysis of Social Networking Applications on Mobile Devices.” Digital Investigation, vol. 9, 2012, pp. S24–33.
Anghel, Cătălin. “Digital Forensics – A Literature Review.” The Annals of “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati. Fascicle III, Electrotechnics, Electronics, Automatic Control and Informatics, vol. 42, no. 1, 2019, pp. 23–27.
Bali, Akanksha, et al. “Biometrics Security in Mobile Application Development & Its Applications.” International Journal of Scientific and Technical Advancements, vol. 5, no. 1, 2019, pp. 51–60.
Banday, M. Tariq. “Techniques and Tools for Forensic Investigation of E-Mail.” International Journal of Network Security & Its Applications, vol. 3, no. 6, 2011, pp. 227–41.
Beebe, Nicole Lang, and Jan Guynes Clark. “A Hierarchical, Objectives-Based Framework for the Digital Investigations Process.” Digital Investigation, vol. 2, no. 2, 2005, pp. 147–67.
Bennett, David. “The Challenges Facing Computer Forensics Investigators in Obtaining Information from Mobile Devices for Use in Criminal Investigations.” Information Security Journal: A Global Perspective, vol. 21, no. 3, 2012, pp. 159–68.
Biggs, Stephen, and Stilianos Vidalis. "Cloud computing: The impact on digital forensic investigations." 2009 International Conference for Internet Technology and Secured Transactions, (ICITST). IEEE, 2009.
Bommisetty, Satish, et al. Practical Mobile Forensics. Packt Publishing, 2014.
Bouafif, Hana, et al. “Drone Forensics: Challenges and New Insights.” 2018 9th IFIP International Conference on New Technologies, Mobility and Security (NTMS), 2018.
Bouafif, Hana, et al. “Towards a Better Understanding of Drone Forensics: A case study of parrot AR drone 2.0.” International Journal of Digital Crime and Forensics, vol. 12, no. 1, 2020, pp. 35–57.
Brügger, Niels. “Website History and the Website as an Object of Study.” New Media & Society, vol. 11, no. 1–2, 2009, pp. 115–32.
Cain, Neralie, and Michael Gradisar. “Electronic Media Use and Sleep in School-Aged Children and Adolescents: A Review.” Sleep Medicine, vol. 11, no. 8, 2010, pp. 735–42.
Carvey, Harlan. Windows Forensic Analysis DVD Toolkit. Maarssen, Netherlands, Elsevier Gezondheidszorg, 2018.
Casadei, Fabio, et al. “Forensics and SIM Cards: An Overview.” International Journal of Digital Evidence, vol. 5, no. 1, 2006.
Casey, Eoghan. Handbook of Digital Forensics and Investigation. 1st ed., Academic Press, 2009.
Chávez, Kerry, and Dr. Ori Swed. “Off the Shelf: The Violent Nonstate Actor Drone Threat.” Air and Space Power Journal, 2020.
Chernyshev, Maxim, et al. “Mobile Forensics: Advances, Challenges, and Research Opportunities.” IEEE Security & Privacy, vol. 15, no. 6, 2017, pp. 42–51.
Clarke, Nathan L., and Steven M. Furnell. “Authentication of Users on Mobile Telephones – a Survey of Attitudes and Practices.” Computers & Security, vol. 24, no. 7, 2005, pp. 519–27.
Daware, Shubhangi, wt al. "Mobile forensics: Overview of digital forensic, computer forensics vs. mobile forensics and tools." Int. J. Comput. Appl 2012, 2012, pp. 7-8.
Fukami, Aya, and Kazuhiro Nishimura. “Forensic Analysis of Water Damaged Mobile Devices.” Digital Investigation, vol. 29, 2019, pp. S71–79. Crossref, doi:10.1016/j.diin.2019.04.009.
Garfinkel, Simson L. “Digital Forensics Research: The Next 10 Years.” Digital Investigation, vol. 7, 2010, pp. S64–73.
Guo, Hong, et al. “Analysis of Email Header for Forensics Purpose.” 2013 International Conference on Communication Systems and Network Technologies, 2013.
Jain, Anu, and Gurpal Singh Chhabra. “Anti-Forensics Techniques: An Analytical Review.” 2014 Seventh International Conference on Contemporary Computing (IC3), 2014.
Kennedy, Robert B. “Uniqueness of Bare Feet and Its Use as a Possible Means of Identification.” Forensic Science International, vol. 82, no. 1, 1996, pp. 81–87.
Kroski, Ellyssa. On the Move with the Mobile Web: Libraries and Mobile Technologies (Library Technology Reports). Amer Library Assn, 2008.
Kubi, Appiah Kwame, et al. “Evaluation of Some Tools for Extracting E-Evidence from Mobile Devices.” 2011 5th International Conference on Application of Information and Communication Technologies (AICT), 2011.
Kumar, Krishan, and Prabhpreet Kaur. “Vulnerability Detection of International MobileEquipment Identity Number of Smartphone AndAutomated Reporting of Changed IMEI Number.” International Journal of Computer Science and Mobile Computing, vol. 4, no. 5, 2015, pp. 527–33.
Kylämies, Ville. “Mobiiliforensiikan Nykytilakartoitus.” Theses and Publications of Polytechnics, 2019. Thesis.
Maguire, John MacArthur, and Charles S. S. Epstein. “Preliminary Questions of Fact in Determining the Admissibility of Evidence.” Harvard Law Review, vol. 40, no. 3, 1927, p. 392.
Makabira, D. K., and Dr. Ester Waiganjo. “Role of Procurement Practices on the Performance of Corporate Organizations in Kenya: A Case Study of Kenya National Police Service.” International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, vol. 4, no. 10, 2014.
Muzyleva, Inna, et al. “Practical Aspects of Creating a Teacher’s Information Space.” 2020 V International Conference on Information Technologies in Engineering Education ( Inforino ), 2020.
Pandey, Pushkal Kumar. The Law of Evidence: Commentary on Evidence Act, 1872. OrangeBooks Publication, 2020.
Patel, Nandini, and Arne Tostensen. Parliamentary-Executive Relations in Malawi 1994–2004. Chr. Michelsen Institute, 2006.
Pernik, Piret, et al. "National cyber security organisation: United States." NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence, Tallinn, Estonia, 2016.
Prakasam, V. "The Indian Evidence Act 1872: a lexicogrammatical study." J. Gibbons et al., 2004.
Riadi, Imam, and Arizona Firdonsyah. “Forensic Analysis of Android-Based Instant Messaging Application.” 2018 12th International Conference on Telecommunication Systems, Services, and Applications (TSSA), 2018.
Schachter, Ron. “Mobile Devices in the Classroom.” District Administration, vol. 45, no. 10, 2009.
Schmersahl, Aaron R. Fifty Feet above the Wall: Drug Cartel Drones in the U.S. - Mexico Border Zone Airspace, and What to Do About Them. Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, United States, 2018.
Song, Helena S. Y., et al. "Mobile devices for learning in Malaysia: Then and Now." ASCILITE-Australian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education Annual Conference. Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education, 2013.
Srivastava, Himanshu, and Shashikala Tapaswi. “Logical Acquisition and Analysis of Data from Android Mobile Devices.” Information & Computer Security, vol. 23, no. 5, 2015, pp. 450–75.
Tajuddin, Taniza Binti, and Azizah Abd Manaf. “Forensic Investigation and Analysis on Digital Evidence Discovery through Physical Acquisition on Smartphone.” 2015 World Congress on Internet Security (WorldCIS), 2015.
Taylor, Brooke. “Teaching Introductory Forensic Chemistry Using Open Educational and Digital Resources.” Teaching Chemistry with Forensic Science (ACS SYMPOSIUM SERIES), American Chemical Society, 2019, pp. 79–91.
Yeboah-Boateng, Ezer Osei, and Priscilla Mateko Amanor. “Phishing, SMiShing & Vishing: An Assessment of Threats against Mobile Devices.” Journal of Emerging Trends in Computing and Information Sciences, vol. 5, no. 4, 2014, pp. 297–307.
Zhang, Huiqi, and Ram Dantu. “Predicting Social Ties in Mobile Phone Networks.” 2010 IEEE International Conference on Intelligence and Security Informatics, 2010.
How to cite this article?
| APA Style | Kubwalo, G. & Bhatia, T. (2022). Forensic Investigation of the Basic Digital Evidences in Mobile Devices. Academic Journal of Forensic Science, 05(02), 08–20. |
| Chicago Style | |
| MLA Style | |
| DOI | |
| URL |