Mobile phones are nowadays almost anything but just phones. With the introduction of the 3G generation and the likes of iPhone, Blackberry etc. the mobile phones are a comprehensive tool that includes a portable computer, internet connection infrastructure, GPS for satellite navigation, cameras, and even Office suites, wireless connection to keyboards and printers; they are as complicated as it can get.

Until a few years mobile forensics was concentrated to retrieving SMS messages, photos, address books and details of the last connection with a mast. Today we can extrapolate incredibly more information. We can get deleted photos and videos, messages, call records, and even deleted documents. We can also retrieve internet browsing activity, instant messaging logs and wireless connections logs. We can also use the (in the GPS enabled phones) the SATNAV applications in order to trace where the phone has actually been.

Today, live tracing facilities allow companies to locate their employees through their mobiles, and parents to know where their children are, especially if they are vulnerable and very young.  

Once a mobile phone is under investigation, the relevant USB write blocker (either hardware of software) is used, to ensure there is no alteration to the suspect mobile or the suspect SIM card.

The amount and quality of the information that can be recovered, is subject to a series of factors.

Please feel free to discuss what can and can not be recovered in an investigation and why. You can also download the relevant White Paper.