Practical Mobile Forensics - Third Edition

Mobile forensic tool leveling system

Mobile phone forensic acquisition and analysis involves manual effort and the use of automated tools. There are a variety of tools that are available for performing mobile forensics. All the tools have their pros and cons, and it is fundamental that you understand that no single tool is sufficient for all purposes. So, understanding various types of mobile forensic tools is important for forensic examiners.

When identifying the appropriate tools for the forensic acquisition and analysis of mobile phones, a mobile device forensic tool classification system developed by Sam Brothers (shown in the following figure) comes in handy for examiners:

Cellular phone tool leveling pyramid (Sam Brothers, 2009)