Mobile Forensics

Powerhouse Forensics provides expert mobile forensics investigations in Houston, Texas.

Mobile phones and smartphones can contain large amounts of relevant information. These mobile devices can be a critical source of contact between parties.

Regardless if the communication is in the form of text or email, the evidence may be recoverable regardless of whether it has been deleted or not.

The only way to know what is in the mobile device is to perform a technically correct forensic image for electronic discovery (eDiscovery).

What is Mobile Forensics?

Mobile forensics is a branch of digital forensics dedicated to retrieving and analyzing information from mobile devices.

It's like a jigsaw puzzle for digital detectives, where every bit of data could be the key to solving a case.

From text messages to emails, photos to apps, a mobile device is a treasure trove of information. Mobile forensics professionals use a range of tools to extract this information.

They look at everything from call history to GPS data, searching for the digital fingerprints that can reveal a user's actions.

Mobile forensics is crucial in various fields, such as law enforcement and cybersecurity.

Our mobile forensics services help investigators solve crimes, and cyber specialists thwart hackers.

Mobile Forensics Process

Assessment:

Our digital forensics experts will discuss with you the details of your case. What is the basis of your request? First, is the mobile device in question recoverable? Many major standard cellular phones, smartphones, and other mobile devices can be imaged, data extracted, and the details of the devices downloaded and put in a format that is most usable for you. However, some phones and smart devices can’t be recovered.

Imaging

Create an adequate forensic copy of the mobile device is critical in the process. The tools available online can sometimes recover a few text messages.

However, these tools do not create an extensive recovered copy usable in court.

Imaging a smartphone is similar to the process we use to image a computer hard drive, as smartphones and laptops are becoming increasingly similar.

If the case may end up in court, we recommend keeping a forensic copy of the digital image. This lets you know your evidence is safe, secure, and ready for court.

Reporting

Once the forensic image is created, we extract the information and put it in a format that is searchable and can be reviewed quickly and intelligently.

The reports highlight the deleted emails and text messages. The reports also report web history, documents, searches, and other discoverable digital information.

• Sample Mobile Phone Report — This report shows the analysis of a mobile phone. This phone provided lists, including calls made and received, the phonebook, and SMS messages. Others may contain more, including calendars, pictures, and recordings. Not all data types are available or can be recovered from all phones.
• Sample Chat Report — Some chat programs log the conversations that take place. This report shows what information may be found on computers used to chat via the Internet.

Powerhouse Forensics uses the latest technology to interface directly with mobile phones to look at a much deeper level of the phone than just the visible apps.

We use several tools, including the Cellebrite UFED Physical Pro forensic phone analyzer and Paraben Device Seizure, and BitPim, to able to connect to and query mobile phones, obtain and download file system dumps, and perform full physical phone images for mobile forensics.

We then use the information obtained and imaged from the phone to search it against our database of mobile phone spyware utilities, tracking apps, and monitoring programs.

Cases handled by Powerhouse Forensics have included:

• iPhone forensics, including the recovery of phone logs, contact lists, text, email, web history, and images
• Android-based smartphones, including recovery of phone logs, contact lists, text, email, web history, and images
• Microsoft CE-based smartphone, including phone logs, contact lists, text, email, web history, and images
• Non-Smart, basic cellular phones, including recovery of text, phone logs, and contact lists

Make sure you choose a licensed and certified provider! An improper gathering of mobile forensic information by someone without a Private Investigators’ license and certification as a Digital Forensic Expert can compromise the use of information in civil or criminal court.

Challenges of Mobile Forensics

Despite its importance, mobile forensics faces numerous challenges—these range from the sheer diversity of mobile devices to the rapid pace of technological change.

Even legal and ethical considerations come into play, adding another level of complexity to the field.

Future of Mobile Forensics

Given the ubiquity of mobile devices and the exponential growth of technology, the future of mobile forensics is promising. As technology advances, so will the tools and techniques used in mobile forensics.

From the rise of IoT devices to the advent of 5G and beyond, mobile forensics will continue to evolve and adapt.

Contact Powerhouse Forensics - Mobile Forensics Experts

The mobile forensics tools used by the digital forensics experts at Powerhouse Forensics are high-end, one-source solutions for electronically discovering electronically stored information such as texts, emails, web history, phone directories, and other types of data stored on today’s mobile devices. Our tools can often change recovery user passwords and GPS locations.

Powerhouse Forensics can handle over 3,000 cellular phones, smartphones, tablets, and GPS devices.

Mobile Forensics FAQs

What does a Mobile Forensics professional do?

A mobile forensics professional retrieves analyzes, and reports on data from mobile devices. This could be anything from recovering deleted messages, tracking location data, understanding app usage, or even identifying malware or hacking attempts.

How important is Mobile Forensics in law enforcement?

Mobile forensics plays a critical role in modern law enforcement. As mobile devices hold a wealth of information about an individual's activities, they can provide crucial evidence in criminal investigations, helping to solve cases and bring offenders to justice.

What are some challenges faced in Mobile Forensics?

One of the main challenges in mobile forensics is the sheer variety of mobile devices, operating systems, and apps available. Additionally, the rapid pace of technological change means that new tools and techniques must be constantly developed. Legal and ethical considerations also present significant challenges.

How is the future of Mobile Forensics looking?

Given the ubiquity of mobile devices and the exponential growth of technology, the future of mobile forensics is promising. As technology advances, so will the tools and techniques used in mobile forensics. From the rise of IoT devices to the advent of 5G and beyond, mobile forensics will continue to evolve and adapt.

What are the uses of mobile forensics?

Mobile forensics can be used in a variety of investigations, including:

• Criminal investigations: Mobile forensics can be used to collect evidence in criminal cases such as murder, theft, and child pornography.
• Civil investigations: Mobile forensics can be used to collect evidence in civil cases such as divorce, child custody, and employment disputes.
• Corporate investigations: Mobile forensics can be used to collect evidence in corporate investigations such as fraud, intellectual property theft, and trade secrets.

What are the different types of mobile forensics?

There are two main types of mobile forensics: physical and logical. Physical forensics involves extracting data from the physical memory of the device, while logical forensics involves extracting data from the operating system and applications.