Digital Forensic Technology: Evidence Recovery and Future Challenges

CO4514 Digital Forensic Technology
Your G Number
Assignment One

The Digital Desktop
1. Introduction
This report discuses about digital forensic technology and how it is important in conducting crime investigation. A scenario is developed in this report for
providing context to the digital desktop components. Among the various devices, two of the devices that are considered for analysing digital evidence
recovery process are iPhone and iCloud. A detailed description has been provided in this aspect. This description includes evidence collection techniques,
usefulness of acquisition techniques, strengths and weakness of acquisition tools and usefulness of acquired tools. Along with that a detailed description is
provided which analyses future challenges, specifically technical challenges of digital forensic techniques for executing the crime investigation efficiently.
2. My Digital Technology
No Device Justification Crime Available Evidence
1 Samsung S3 mini not as expensive as iPhone 4s, but
offers almost similar functionalities
and access to millions of android
apps
Calling someone to instruct about
planed criminal activity such as
robbery.
call log of phone either through
manual evidence acquisition or file
based acquisition
2 Google Drive Provides expanded storage options
with enhanced security
To save confidential document such
as financial data hacked without
authorization of owner
Document saved or stored in iCloud
through online backup
3 Microsoft Surface Pro 3 It has powerful processor, good
display quality and access to
windows platform which is great
advantage
Record personal video and harass
someone or even demand money
Access storage on iPad or iCloud or
even consider file recovery system
in case it is deleted
4 Chromecast Cheap, portable and offers access to
applications that are installed on
mobile and computer
Watch illegal content that are
criminally offensive
Watch history of TV from personal
account

3. Evidence Recovery
3.1 Evidence Recovery – Device 1
Detailed information here about how to recover evidence from one of your devices.
3.1.1 Evidence Acquisition Techniques: There are various acquisition techniques that is
considered for collecting evidence from mobile device. Some of the popular data
acquisition techniques are manual acquisition, logical acquisition, file system
acquisition, physical acquisition.
3.1.2 Usefulness of acquisition techniques: Mobile or tablet often goes through forensic
investigation to identify important information regarding investigation. Smartphones
are today excessively used for various purpose regarding communication like making
phone calls, sending messages, storing media files and various other things. During
crime investigation a little piece of information often proves to be significant to
identify victim. Data acquisition tool lets recover information regarding phone call,
any deleted messages or any other files that might be required for the investigation
and hence these data acquisition tools available for the mobile device is very
significant and hence these tolls are often considered for acquiring information from
mobile device to execute investigation properly to identify criminal efficiently while
investigating the case and gathering information. Cell phones contain call history,
contacts, text messages, web browser history, email, a Global Positioning System
(GPS), and other location information that police and law enforcement agencies
thinks valuable. Evidence acquired from cell phones provide assistance to the
investigators combine together motives and events and provide new leads that
often helps in the investigations.
3.1.3 Acquisition Tools: Strengths and Weaknesses
Acquisition Tools Strengths Weaknesses
Manual acquisition it requires less effort and
technical complexity for
acquiring evidence from phone
Although it requires less effort
and technical complexity, it is
time consuming and it relies on
regular interfaces as provided
on the device for examining
contents on the device and
contents which are not present
on the phone or deleted are
only accessible which is a big
drawback for the investigation
as most of the time the focus is
to collect contents that are
either deleted or not present on
the phone as criminal do not
want others to access content
that might provide evidence to
the crime
Logical acquisition A logical acquisition provides
more detailed and elaborate
This type of acquisition, if need
to execute properly requires to