7 Problems with Cell Phone Forensics

Cell phones don’t feel newfangled but in truth they are. With innovation comes swift change, sometimes so swift that it is difficult for forensic scientists to keep up. Criminals use cell phones in a variety of crimes and it is up to the forensic scientists to uncover their transgressions. But where do they start? What are some complications that scientists encounter?


  1. Innovation - Change is the number one issue for forensic scientists to overcome. Even the cell phone manufactures don’t always know how to retrieve information stored in new phones, so how can scientists retrieve the information? Staying up-to-date on new cell phones is challenging but not impossible. As fast as they are created, criminals come up with ways to abuse them. Strangely enough, this can be beneficial for forensic scientists. Using online tips can allow scientists to simply access information that would otherwise remain unreachable.
  2. Charge – Unlike computers, much of what is stored in a phones memory is reliant upon the battery. When the electricity goes, so does the information. Depending on what information you are looking for and how it is stored, battery or charger power is an essential thing to think about.
  3. SIM cards and removable media - SIM cards are the soul of a cell phone. They carry vital user information. Likewise, removable media, such as SD cards, can have lots of stored data on them. It is important that forensic scientists have the appropriate equipment to read and evaluate the data.
  4. Passwords – Password protection on cell phones is challenging to overcome, though not impossible. Depending on the model, passwords can be circumvented in several ways.
  5. Internet connection – The smarter cell phones become, the harder they are to examine. Using an internet connection instead of SMS or voice makes a forensic scientist’s job much more difficult.
  6. Quarantine – One thing that is often disregarded is the need to sequester the cell phone before analyzing it. New text messages can overwrite old material, and connections to the internet can invalidate old data. It is imperative to make sure the phone is isolated.
  7. Security augmentations - Forensic scientists must be especially alert when dealing with cell phones that have been improved in some way. Some users have the capability of putting in dead man’s switches, effectually wiping the contents after an action or a period of time. Malware can also be downloaded onto the phone, placing the computer systems in danger.

There are many more problems for forensic scientists to watch out for, but these are the seven most common. Tracing cell phone data is a laborious task, but it can be done. All it takes is a little investigation, a few tools, and a lot of persistence.

This is a guest post by Coleen Torres, blogger at Phone Internet. She writes about saving money on home phone, digital TV and high-speed Internet by comparing prices from providers in your area for standalone service or phone TV Internet bundles.

Talkback and comments are most welcome

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