In today’s world, mobile devices are becoming far more commonplace. Most people today have at least one device that is mobile and that allows them many of the same functions that the old desktop computers once did. From the smartphone to the tablet, PDAs and cameras, everyone seems to have some type of device today that allows them to store data at the very least. The majority also allow connections to the web. Because there are so many different types of devices out there, it makes keeping up with all of the techniques for retrieving data more difficult.
More Variety Equals More Problems
Those who are in the field of computer forensics and who are going through computer forensics training need to make sure that they are always keeping abreast of the newest and latest technologies out there. The forensics tools used for these devices need regular updates and tweaks to make sure that they have the improvements needed to retrieve data, even hidden or deleted data, from those devices. Taking information from a PC or a Mac is much easier, according to many experts who are working actively in the field.
The makeup of these devices mean it is not as simple as removing a hard drive either. For the larger computers, the hard drive is where all of the data is going to be, but accessing the drives in the smaller devices, because of the differences and the current inadequacies of the tools, takes more time, and it could mean that the forensics team misses some of the information that they could need to break a
Better Tools Needed
Of course, when you start your schooling for a computer forensics degree today, you will find that you do have many opportunities to practice with the mobile devices, and they do introduce you to many of the tools currently in use, such as Blacklight Forensics Software, Lantern, and Ufed. However, each of the different software tools might not be right for every device out there. No single mobile forensics tool will work with all of the different devices and that means it takes more time to learn more pieces of software so that the forensic specialist is going to be able to do the job right.
According to a recent interview, a professor at Pace University names Darren Hayes said that he believe less than 40% of the smartphone models on the market today would be able to be imaged. They find that both Android and Apple devices are hard to read, and the security on the Apple iOS is quite difficult to bypass for many investigators.
Law Enforcement and the Manufacturers
Law enforcement officials will need to talk with manufacturers about the devices and what might be done to make them easier for forensics to work with during investigations. With so many people using mobile devices today, it is imperative there be some type of method by which they can get complete images from the devices. It does seem as though it will take time to have satisfactory answers when it comes to all of the mobile devices.
What does this mean for those who are going to be taking classes in computer forensics training now? Keep up with the studies for all of the different aspects of computer forensics and pay special attention to the new tools that will surely start to be coming along for mobile devices. Mobile computing is here to stay, and it is the job of the forensics experts to keep learning so that they will be able to complete each of their investigations satisfactorily.
Anita Schepers provides advice and information on computer forensics recruiter programs at Computer-Forensics-Recruiter.com.
Obtaining Computer Forensics Data From Mobile Devices
