Mobile Face Recognition Might Replace Password/PIN

Mobile Face Recognition Might Replace Password/PIN
One exciting aspect about forensic examination of mobile handsets is the constant exposure to innovation and change in the variety of handsets with which we are exposed, sometimes on a daily basis. Legality and privacy are two imposing factors when in comes to dealing with content on mobile phones and the right of access. Where PIN and/or

Linux - out-of-memory (L-OOM)

Linux - out-of-memory (L-OOM) Whilst researching on mobile phones using Linux OS I came across a report on guidelines for creating robust embedded systems (published in 2009). The report's discussion arrived at the topic out-of-memory (OOM) and perceived flaws with Linux overbooking the kernel. The report calls this 'OOM Killer' The report noted:"One Linux detractor says this about the

Chipping, flashing, jailbreaking

Chipping, flashing, jailbreaking.Past discussion here and at Forensic Focus have highlighted that when examining mobile phones avoid causing damage etc to them and about ownership of seized mobile phones..A seized mobile phone remains the property of the owner until the owner is found guilty (then particular legal mechanisms come into play) or the owner has conducted certain activity or until an

Forensic Science Regulator

Forensic Science Regulator.I would urge all of you who examine mobile telephones and computers that if you want to do public sector work for evidence in civil and criminal proceedings in the UK and you are not on the Forensic Science Regulator's (FSR) list of approved suppliers then you may not get any work at all..Dr Chris Pamplin from the UK Register of Expert Witnesses has presented some open

Exploding Cell Phone Battery

Exploding Cell Phone Battery.A reminder for examiners to take care when examining mobile phones that require recharging the battery before examining the device. The horror story of a man's who had his neck artery burst by the exploding mobile phone in his breast pocket and died. Prior to putting it in his pocket the man had recharged the battery. Production line (bang it on, bang it out) mobile

Nokia 6233 Clock

Nokia 6233 Clock I have mentioned Vinny Parmar's name on this webblog previously. Vinny has just sent to me an email setting out a quirk that he has noted with the Nokia 6233 Clock. .Vinny Parmar, Lead Forensic Examiner:"Basically I was working on a Nokia 6233. I used XRY and Oxygen Phone Manager (OPM) to read the data. No issues with the content as far as the text was concerned. XRY, as always

Counterfeit Mobile Phones

Counterfeit Mobile PhonesMany thanks to my good friend Vinny Parmar for this contribution he has made exclusively to http://trewmte.blogspot.com.Vinny has prepared a report for the webblog about "Dummy" mobile phones that are counterfeit Nokia N95, which are currently in circulation. His expert report is well illustrated and Vinny imparts good advice inkeeping with his long term expertise and

Dual International Mobile station Equipment Identity (IMEI)

Dual International Mobile station Equipment Identity (IMEI) When we think of mobile telephones we mostly think in terms of them of having a single International Mobile station Equipment Identity number. For two decades, whether for an analogue or digital mobile 'phone, we have often associated, to assist in showing importance of, and drawing anology about, that mobile 'phone serial numbers are

Looking back at the future of SIM in 2002

Looking back at the future of SIM in 2002.I have always thought looking to the future is important, but equally looking back at what we know or think might be happening, from an historical perspective, can help see what problems can occur in the future and also to note whether foreseeable problems have been addressed or not, over time..I have selected a summary of issues discussed in training

Writing To Mobile Phones Under Examination

Writing To Mobile Phones Under ExaminationThere is always the debate as to what amounts to "forensic" processes and whether that can be left to human intervention to do that, whether a device alone can do that or whether it is the combination of human intervention and the device working together that can fulfil the objective? Perhaps germane and relevant to the above question is (1) knowing the

Nokia 6280 Black Out

Nokia 6280 Black OutThere appears to be a problem that can occur with some Nokia 6280. I am not the first to notice this. When SMS or MMS memories are full or scrolling the Menu the handset suddenly blacks out. For an examiner this can imply the examination has somehow gone wrong, causing blood pressure to rise and an increase pulse and heart rate. It appears to be a fault with some (I hasten to

Smith's LND Dilemma

Smith's LND DilemmaIn real cases of mobile 'phone and SIM Card examination, as opposed to theoretical discussion about them, entries found in elementary file Last Number Dialled (EFLND) on a SIM Card can be quite complex to determine and today do not have a clearly defined pattern as to the origin of data, as one might think is suggested by the GSM Standard 11.11. This is largely due to

Mobile Telephone Evidence - Handset examination

Handset examinationFor those who have not as yet considered the examination procedure for video-phones or mobiles that have no forensic data acquisition programs, perhaps the following observations may be of use.1. Video the examination2. Ensure video has date/timestamp and other traceable signatures3. Keep the Master copy safe4. Make Working copies from Master copy (see 7,8)5. During examination

WHERE INTERCEPTION STOPS AND DATA PROTECTION STARTS?

WHERE INTERCEPTION STOPS AND DATA PROTECTION STARTS?Professional examiners have been grappling for some months now with the task of trying to define what constitutes interception, when examining mobile 'phones. Most noticeably, the issues associated with received SMS text messages arriving after seizure or during examination, and downloading voicemail messages. There has been no shortage of

Deleted SMS text messages

Deleted SMS text messagesGSM 11.11 (ETSI TS 100 977) is a Standard containing mandatory and optional requirements relevant to Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards. An optional service that an Operator may provide to a subscriber of its services is Short Message Service (SMS) text messaging. The requirements relating to storing sent and received SMS text messages, in the user memory area of the

Mobile Telephone Evidence

MCC AND MNC CODESAs examination of SIM Cards and Handsets is on the increase internationally, thus roaming is relevant, the list below identifies Mobile Country Codes (e.g. 234) and Mobile Network Codes (e.g. 44) for global Mobile Operators. Please note the data are subject to change.20201 Cosmote Greece20205 Vodafone Greece20209 Q-Telecom Greece20210 Telestet Greece20404 Vodafone

Mobile Telephone Evidence

GSM radio coverage bounces backwardA characteristic of radio signals is that they reflect off surfaces. Not startling or new news in itself, unless one considers its impact on radio coverage propagated North, but due to reflection, can be detected for instance in the South East or South West, behind the Sector of the Mast. In yet another case, I am told that at the Central Criminal Court evidence

Mobile Telephone Evidence

Code and Data go hand in handExaminers are familiar with the fact that from time to time found appended to SMS text messages there appears unintelligible code that cannot be read in context with the user's message itself. Such code as @@@ or /./@@ and so on may raise the notion that the SIM reader has not decoded the message correctly. On the contrary, the SIM reader is most likely to have done

Mobile Telephone Evidence

Mobile Telephone Call RecordsCall Records obtained from the network operator provide the factual evidence of communications between parties to illustrate contact and association. Since July 2000 Single Point of Contact rules, the operator needs to exhibit call records and serve a statement of that fact. However, a compilation may be created by an case officer, served as an Exhibit using material

Mobile Telephone Evidence

SMS texts to audio - mobile to landlines For those for you who are unaware, SMS messages can now be sent to landline telephones by dialling a landline destination number. The landline telephone receiving the message does not need to have text capability to read the messages. Instead, the text messages are translated andconverted into audio speech. Whilst this seems a good idea, some problems