Mobile Forensics - The File Format Handbook
Mobile Forensics - The File Format Handbook

Author: Christian Hummert

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2022

Total Pages: 276

ISBN-13: 3030984672

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This open access book summarizes knowledge about several file systems and file formats commonly used in mobile devices. In addition to the fundamental description of the formats, there are hints about the forensic value of possible artefacts, along with an outline of tools that can decode the relevant data. The book is organized into two distinct parts. First, Part I describes several different file systems that are commonly used in mobile devices: APFS is the file system that is used in all modern Apple devices including iPhones, iPads, and even Apple Computers, like the MacBook series. Ext4 is very common in Android devices and is the successor of the Ext2 and Ext3 file systems that were commonly used on Linux-based computers. The Flash-Friendly File System (F2FS) is a Linux system designed explicitly for NAND Flash memory, common in removable storage devices and mobile devices, which Samsung Electronics developed in 2012. The QNX6 file system is present in Smartphones delivered by Blackberry (e.g. devices that are using Blackberry 10) and modern vehicle infotainment systems that use QNX as their operating system. Second, Part II describes five different file formats that are commonly used on mobile devices: SQLite is nearly omnipresent in mobile devices with an overwhelming majority of all mobile applications storing their data in such databases. The second leading file format in the mobile world are Property Lists, which are predominantly found on Apple devices. Java Serialization is a popular technique for storing object states in the Java programming language. Mobile application (app) developers very often resort to this technique to make their application state persistent. The Realm database format has emerged over recent years as a possible successor to the now ageing SQLite format and has begun to appear as part of some modern applications on mobile devices. Protocol Buffers provide a format for taking compiled data and serializing it by turning it into bytes represented in decimal values, which is a technique commonly used in mobile devices. The aim of this book is to act as a knowledge base and reference guide for digital forensic practitioners who need knowledge about a specific file system or file format. It is also hoped to provide useful insight and knowledge for students or other aspiring professionals who want to work within the field of digital forensics. The book is written with the assumption that the reader will have some existing knowledge and understanding about computers, mobile devices, file systems and file formats.

Handbook of Digital Forensics and Investigation
Handbook of Digital Forensics and Investigation

Author: Eoghan Casey

Publisher: Academic Press

Published: 2009-10-07

Total Pages: 594

ISBN-13: 0080921477

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Handbook of Digital Forensics and Investigation builds on the success of the Handbook of Computer Crime Investigation, bringing together renowned experts in all areas of digital forensics and investigation to provide the consummate resource for practitioners in the field. It is also designed as an accompanying text to Digital Evidence and Computer Crime. This unique collection details how to conduct digital investigations in both criminal and civil contexts, and how to locate and utilize digital evidence on computers, networks, and embedded systems. Specifically, the Investigative Methodology section of the Handbook provides expert guidance in the three main areas of practice: Forensic Analysis, Electronic Discovery, and Intrusion Investigation. The Technology section is extended and updated to reflect the state of the art in each area of specialization. The main areas of focus in the Technology section are forensic analysis of Windows, Unix, Macintosh, and embedded systems (including cellular telephones and other mobile devices), and investigations involving networks (including enterprise environments and mobile telecommunications technology). This handbook is an essential technical reference and on-the-job guide that IT professionals, forensic practitioners, law enforcement, and attorneys will rely on when confronted with computer related crime and digital evidence of any kind. *Provides methodologies proven in practice for conducting digital investigations of all kinds*Demonstrates how to locate and interpret a wide variety of digital evidence, and how it can be useful in investigations *Presents tools in the context of the investigative process, including EnCase, FTK, ProDiscover, foremost, XACT, Network Miner, Splunk, flow-tools, and many other specialized utilities and analysis platforms*Case examples in every chapter give readers a practical understanding of the technical, logistical, and legal challenges that arise in real investigations

Mobile Forensic Investigations: A Guide to Evidence Collection, Analysis, and Presentation, Second Edition
Mobile Forensic Investigations: A Guide to Evidence Collection, Analysis, and Presentation, Second Edition

Author: Lee Reiber

Publisher: McGraw Hill Professional

Published: 2018-12-06

Total Pages: 561

ISBN-13: 1260135101

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Master the tools and techniques of mobile forensic investigationsConduct mobile forensic investigations that are legal, ethical, and highly effective using the detailed information contained in this practical guide. Mobile Forensic Investigations: A Guide to Evidence Collection, Analysis, and Presentation, Second Edition fully explains the latest tools and methods along with features, examples, and real-world case studies. Find out how to assemble a mobile forensics lab, collect prosecutable evidence, uncover hidden files, and lock down the chain of custody. This comprehensive resource shows not only how to collect and analyze mobile device data but also how to accurately document your investigations to deliver court-ready documents.•Legally seize mobile devices, USB drives, SD cards, and SIM cards•Uncover sensitive data through both physical and logical techniques•Properly package, document, transport, and store evidence•Work with free, open source, and commercial forensic software•Perform a deep dive analysis of iOS, Android, and Windows Phone file systems•Extract evidence from application, cache, and user storage files•Extract and analyze data from IoT devices, drones, wearables, and infotainment systems•Build SQLite queries and Python scripts for mobile device file interrogation•Prepare reports that will hold up to judicial and defense scrutiny

File System Forensic Analysis
File System Forensic Analysis

Author: Brian Carrier

Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional

Published: 2005-03-17

Total Pages: 895

ISBN-13: 0134439546

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The Definitive Guide to File System Analysis: Key Concepts and Hands-on Techniques Most digital evidence is stored within the computer's file system, but understanding how file systems work is one of the most technically challenging concepts for a digital investigator because there exists little documentation. Now, security expert Brian Carrier has written the definitive reference for everyone who wants to understand and be able to testify about how file system analysis is performed. Carrier begins with an overview of investigation and computer foundations and then gives an authoritative, comprehensive, and illustrated overview of contemporary volume and file systems: Crucial information for discovering hidden evidence, recovering deleted data, and validating your tools. Along the way, he describes data structures, analyzes example disk images, provides advanced investigation scenarios, and uses today's most valuable open source file system analysis tools—including tools he personally developed. Coverage includes Preserving the digital crime scene and duplicating hard disks for "dead analysis" Identifying hidden data on a disk's Host Protected Area (HPA) Reading source data: Direct versus BIOS access, dead versus live acquisition, error handling, and more Analyzing DOS, Apple, and GPT partitions; BSD disk labels; and Sun Volume Table of Contents using key concepts, data structures, and specific techniques Analyzing the contents of multiple disk volumes, such as RAID and disk spanning Analyzing FAT, NTFS, Ext2, Ext3, UFS1, and UFS2 file systems using key concepts, data structures, and specific techniques Finding evidence: File metadata, recovery of deleted files, data hiding locations, and more Using The Sleuth Kit (TSK), Autopsy Forensic Browser, and related open source tools When it comes to file system analysis, no other book offers this much detail or expertise. Whether you're a digital forensics specialist, incident response team member, law enforcement officer, corporate security specialist, or auditor, this book will become an indispensable resource for forensic investigations, no matter what analysis tools you use.

Mastering Mobile Forensics
Mastering Mobile Forensics

Author: Soufiane Tahiri

Publisher: Packt Publishing Ltd

Published: 2016-05-30

Total Pages: 319

ISBN-13: 1785281062

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Develop the capacity to dig deeper into mobile device data acquisition About This Book A mastering guide to help you overcome the roadblocks you face when dealing with mobile forensics Excel at the art of extracting data, recovering deleted data, bypassing screen locks, and much more Get best practices to how to collect and analyze mobile device data and accurately document your investigations Who This Book Is For The book is for mobile forensics professionals who have experience in handling forensic tools and methods. This book is designed for skilled digital forensic examiners, mobile forensic investigators, and law enforcement officers. What You Will Learn Understand the mobile forensics process model and get guidelines on mobile device forensics Acquire in-depth knowledge about smartphone acquisition and acquisition methods Gain a solid understanding of the architecture of operating systems, file formats, and mobile phone internal memory Explore the topics of of mobile security, data leak, and evidence recovery Dive into advanced topics such as GPS analysis, file carving, encryption, encoding, unpacking, and decompiling mobile application processes In Detail Mobile forensics presents a real challenge to the forensic community due to the fast and unstoppable changes in technology. This book aims to provide the forensic community an in-depth insight into mobile forensic techniques when it comes to deal with recent smartphones operating systems Starting with a brief overview of forensic strategies and investigation procedures, you will understand the concepts of file carving, GPS analysis, and string analyzing. You will also see the difference between encryption, encoding, and hashing methods and get to grips with the fundamentals of reverse code engineering. Next, the book will walk you through the iOS, Android and Windows Phone architectures and filesystem, followed by showing you various forensic approaches and data gathering techniques. You will also explore advanced forensic techniques and find out how to deal with third-applications using case studies. The book will help you master data acquisition on Windows Phone 8. By the end of this book, you will be acquainted with best practices and the different models used in mobile forensics. Style and approach The book is a comprehensive guide that will help the IT forensics community to go more in-depth into the investigation process and mobile devices take-over.

Mobile Forensics – The File Format Handbook
Mobile Forensics – The File Format Handbook

Author: Christian Hummert

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2022-06-02

Total Pages: 269

ISBN-13: 9783030984663

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This open access book summarizes knowledge about several file systems and file formats commonly used in mobile devices. In addition to the fundamental description of the formats, there are hints about the forensic value of possible artefacts, along with an outline of tools that can decode the relevant data. The book is organized into two distinct parts: Part I describes several different file systems that are commonly used in mobile devices. · APFS is the file system that is used in all modern Apple devices including iPhones, iPads, and even Apple Computers, like the MacBook series. · Ext4 is very common in Android devices and is the successor of the Ext2 and Ext3 file systems that were commonly used on Linux-based computers. · The Flash-Friendly File System (F2FS) is a Linux system designed explicitly for NAND Flash memory, common in removable storage devices and mobile devices, which Samsung Electronics developed in 2012. · The QNX6 file system is present in Smartphones delivered by Blackberry (e.g. devices that are using Blackberry 10) and modern vehicle infotainment systems that use QNX as their operating system. Part II describes five different file formats that are commonly used on mobile devices. · SQLite is nearly omnipresent in mobile devices with an overwhelming majority of all mobile applications storing their data in such databases. · The second leading file format in the mobile world are Property Lists, which are predominantly found on Apple devices. · Java Serialization is a popular technique for storing object states in the Java programming language. Mobile application (app) developers very often resort to this technique to make their application state persistent. · The Realm database format has emerged over recent years as a possible successor to the now ageing SQLite format and has begun to appear as part of some modern applications on mobile devices. · Protocol Buffers provide a format for taking compiled data and serializing it by turning it into bytes represented in decimal values, which is a technique commonly used in mobile devices. The aim of this book is to act as a knowledge base and reference guide for digital forensic practitioners who need knowledge about a specific file system or file format. It is also hoped to provide useful insight and knowledge for students or other aspiring professionals who want to work within the field of digital forensics. The book is written with the assumption that the reader will have some existing knowledge and understanding about computers, mobile devices, file systems and file formats.

iOS Forensic Analysis
iOS Forensic Analysis

Author: Sean Morrissey

Publisher: Apress

Published: 2011-09-22

Total Pages: 365

ISBN-13: 1430233435

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iOS Forensic Analysis provides an in-depth look at investigative processes for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad devices. The methods and procedures outlined in the book can be taken into any courtroom. With never-before-published iOS information and data sets that are new and evolving, this book gives the examiner and investigator the knowledge to complete a full device examination that will be credible and accepted in the forensic community.

Mobile Forensics – Advanced Investigative Strategies
Mobile Forensics – Advanced Investigative Strategies

Author: Oleg Afonin

Publisher: Packt Publishing Ltd

Published: 2016-09-30

Total Pages: 401

ISBN-13: 178646408X

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Master powerful strategies to acquire and analyze evidence from real-life scenarios About This Book A straightforward guide to address the roadblocks face when doing mobile forensics Simplify mobile forensics using the right mix of methods, techniques, and tools Get valuable advice to put you in the mindset of a forensic professional, regardless of your career level or experience Who This Book Is For This book is for forensic analysts and law enforcement and IT security officers who have to deal with digital evidence as part of their daily job. Some basic familiarity with digital forensics is assumed, but no experience with mobile forensics is required. What You Will Learn Understand the challenges of mobile forensics Grasp how to properly deal with digital evidence Explore the types of evidence available on iOS, Android, Windows, and BlackBerry mobile devices Know what forensic outcome to expect under given circumstances Deduce when and how to apply physical, logical, over-the-air, or low-level (advanced) acquisition methods Get in-depth knowledge of the different acquisition methods for all major mobile platforms Discover important mobile acquisition tools and techniques for all of the major platforms In Detail Investigating digital media is impossible without forensic tools. Dealing with complex forensic problems requires the use of dedicated tools, and even more importantly, the right strategies. In this book, you'll learn strategies and methods to deal with information stored on smartphones and tablets and see how to put the right tools to work. We begin by helping you understand the concept of mobile devices as a source of valuable evidence. Throughout this book, you will explore strategies and "plays" and decide when to use each technique. We cover important techniques such as seizing techniques to shield the device, and acquisition techniques including physical acquisition (via a USB connection), logical acquisition via data backups, over-the-air acquisition. We also explore cloud analysis, evidence discovery and data analysis, tools for mobile forensics, and tools to help you discover and analyze evidence. By the end of the book, you will have a better understanding of the tools and methods used to deal with the challenges of acquiring, preserving, and extracting evidence stored on smartphones, tablets, and the cloud. Style and approach This book takes a unique strategy-based approach, executing them on real-world scenarios. You will be introduced to thinking in terms of "game plans," which are essential to succeeding in analyzing evidence and conducting investigations.

Android Forensics
Android Forensics

Author: Andrew Hoog

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2011-06-15

Total Pages: 394

ISBN-13: 1597496510

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"Android Forensics" covers an open source mobile device platform based on the Linux 2.6 kernel and managed by the Open Handset Alliance. This book provides a thorough review of the Android platform including supported hardware devices, the structure of the Android development project, and implementation of core services (wireless communication, data storage, and other low-level functions).

SQLite Forensics
SQLite Forensics

Author: Paul Sanderson

Publisher:

Published: 2018-05-12

Total Pages: 315

ISBN-13: 9781980293071

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SQLite is a self-contained SQL database engine that is used on every smartphone (including all iOS and Android devices) and most computers (including all Macs and Windows 10 machines). Each computer or phone using SQLite often has hundreds of SQLite databases and it is estimated that there are over one trillion SQLite databases in active use. Given the above, the importance of examining all of the data held in these databases in an investigation is paramount, and of course this includes examining deleted data whenever possible.In this book we cover the format of the SQLite database, and associated journal and Write-Ahead Logs (WAL) in great detail. We show how records are encoded, how to decode them manually and how to decode records that are partially overwritten. We also describe how the workings of SQLite, and in particular the journal and WAL, can be used to ascertain what has happened in a manner that cannot be determined from the data alone. We cover basic SQL queries and how they can be used to create a custom report that includes data from different tables, and we show how we can use SQL queries to test hypothesises about the relationships of data in different tables.This book is aimed mainly at forensic practitioners, and it is assumed that the reader has some basic knowledge of computer forensics; it will also be of interest to computer professionals in general particularly those who have an interest in the SQLite file format.