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Evolution in Cell Forensics

NCJ Number
221143
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 34 Issue: 11 Dated: November 2007 Pages: 62,64,66,70
Author(s)
Jeannine Heinecke
Date Published
November 2007
Length
7 pages
Annotation
With the evolution of cell phone capabilities, this article examines the use of cell phone seizure devices as a crucial component of the forensic examiner’s toolkit.
Abstract
When developing a toolkit, cell phone forensic examiners must first determine what types of handheld digital devices are being used in the area. It is recommended that multiple toolkits be tailored for GSM devices, non-GSM devices, smartphones such as Blackberrys and iPhones, and applications that have the ability to acquire data from SIMs (subscriber identity module) present in GSM devices. The capabilities of handheld digital devices have expanded dramatically from simply being phones with limited contact information to incorporating digital cameras/video cameras, MP3 players, and more. With the ability of cell phones to contain vast amounts of useful information and potentially powerful evidence, cell phone seizure devices are a critical component of the forensic examiner’s toolkit.