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ELL Hone Orensics: Reference Manual Volume No. 12-006
ELL Hone Orensics: Reference Manual Volume No. 12-006
FORENSICS
Reference Manual
Volume No. 12-006
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CELL PHONE FORENSICS Vol. # 12-006
Columbus
(Live and via Webcast)
Featuring:
Detective Christine Roberts;
President, Cellular Recovery Information Specialist, LLC;
Columbus Police Department; Columbus
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Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 1
Evidence Found on Cell Phones ........................................................................................................... 1
Electronic Evidence .................................................................................................................. 2
Electronic Evidence Found on a Cell Phone ........................................................................... 2
Address Book ............................................................................................................................ 2
Call History .............................................................................................................................. 3
Text Messages .......................................................................................................................... 3
Cell Phone Companies Don’t Store Messages ........................................................................ 3
Calendar ................................................................................................................................... 3
Voicemail .................................................................................................................................. 3
Pictures and Videos.................................................................................................................. 4
Expansion Cards ...................................................................................................................... 4
Remote Wipe ............................................................................................................................. 5
Why We Preserve it.................................................................................................................. 5
Criminal/Civil Evidence on a Cellular Phone ..................................................................................... 5
YouTube .................................................................................................................................... 5
Fatal Accidents ......................................................................................................................... 5
Ohio’s New Texting Ban ............................................................................................. 5
When Should You Order Phone Records? ................................................................. 6
Cell Phones, Text Messaging, and Car Accident Information for All Drivers ........ 6
Can “Texting While Driving” Lead to a Manslaughter Charge? ............................. 6
Ohio .............................................................................................................................. 7
Federal Ban on Texting for Truck and Bus Drivers ................................................. 7
Sexting/Cyberbullying ............................................................................................................. 8
What Is Sexting? ......................................................................................................... 8
What Is Cyberbullying? .............................................................................................. 8
Similarities/Differences .............................................................................................. 8
Why Are Teens Sexting? ........................................................................................... 10
Why Do Kids Cyberbully? ......................................................................................... 10
Legal Issues ............................................................................................................... 10
Sexting Laws ................................................................................................ 10
Sexting Offenses ........................................................................................... 11
Ohio Law....................................................................................................... 11
House Bill 473 .............................................................................................. 11
Ohio Rev. Code § 2907.324 .......................................................................... 12
Bullying/Cyberbullying Laws ................................................................................... 12
What Does the Law Require Schools to Do? ............................................................ 13
Ohio Rev. Code § 2917.21 Telecommunications Harassment ................................ 14
Jessica Logan Act ...................................................................................................... 14
The “Shaq Shield” ..................................................................................................... 15
Sextortion ............................................................................................................................... 15
Sex Trafficking ....................................................................................................................... 16
Damaged Phone ..................................................................................................................... 16
Financial Cases ...................................................................................................................... 16
Banking...................................................................................................................... 16
Mobile Peer-to-Peer (P2P) ........................................................................................ 17
Mobile Wallet ............................................................................................................ 17
Airline Tickets ........................................................................................................... 18
Hotel Keys ................................................................................................................. 18
Cloud Storage ..........................................................................................................................18
How It Works .............................................................................................................18
iCloud .........................................................................................................................19
Domestic, Divorce, and Child Custody Cases .......................................................................19
Cyberstalking .............................................................................................................19
Geotagging .................................................................................................................20
Spy Software ..............................................................................................................21
GPS forensics .............................................................................................................22
Detection of Spyware .................................................................................................23
Legalities of Spyware ................................................................................................24
Phone Examiner ........................................................................................................24
Retrieving the Evidence ......................................................................................................................24
Retained Data Evidence ......................................................................................................................24
Cell Phone Tracking ...............................................................................................................25
Why Is This Information Important? .......................................................................25
Carrier Records ..........................................................................................................25
Acquiring Cell Phone Carrier Evidence ...................................................................26
Forensic Expert ..........................................................................................................26
How Tracking Is Done ............................................................................................................26
Cell Phone Towers .....................................................................................................26
Per-Call Measurement Data .....................................................................................27
Cell Phone Tracking Disadvantages ........................................................................27
Legal Issues..........................................................................................................................................28
Searching a Cell Phone ..........................................................................................................28
When Do You Need a Court Order or Subpoena? .................................................................29
Spyware ...................................................................................................................................29
GPS ..........................................................................................................................................29
Cell Site Data ..........................................................................................................................29
Record Retention Times ......................................................................................................................31
Order Requesting Cell Phone Information ........................................................................................33
Cell Phone Contact List.......................................................................................................................35
Cell Phones Analysis for the
Legal Profession
Detective Christine Roberts
President
Cellular Recovery Information Specialist, LLC
Columbus Police Department
Columbus, Ohio
INTRODUCTION
Mobile phones are one of the most important developments in technology in
the courtroom in the last five years.
Don’t overlook the importance of using cell phone evidence in your cases!
Cellular records can also be used in court to show exactly where someone was
or wasn’t and to whom he or she was talking at a particular time.
If you decide to use cell phone evidence in your cases, then you must first
determine exactly what kind of evidence can be found on the phone.
There are two types of evidence that can be retrieved from mobile phones:
© 2012 by Christine Roberts. All rights reserved. The material appearing here are copyrighted and
owned by Christine Roberts. The works that follow was created to provide seminar attendees
examples to use for their own personal use and these materials may not be reproduced without the
express written permission of Christine Roberts. No license has been granted to a seminar attendee
or third party and these materials shall not be sold, redistributed, given, lent, rented, leased,
sublicensed, or otherwise transferred without the prior written permission of Christine Roberts.
Cell Phones Analysis for the Legal Profession • 1
Retained data evidence is telecommunication records involving the details of
calls made and received and geographical location of the mobile phone when
a call is made.
Electronic evidence is, by its very nature, fragile. It can be altered, damaged,
or destroyed by improper handling or improper examination.
A. Electronic evidence.
5. Call history logs (received calls, missed calls, and dialed calls);
C. Address book.
The address book stores different contact information. With the help of
the address book, it is possible to gain an insight in the social network
of the suspect. It can be used, for example, to link a suspect to a victim.
Beware the address book can store more than just a name and phone
numbers (e-mail addresses and physical addresses).
2 • Cell Phones Analysis for the Legal Profession
D. Call history.
The call history offers a deeper insight into the activities of the owner
before the acquisition of the mobile phone occurs. One can see the last
incoming and outgoing calls, as well as their duration. This
information can be used to draw indirect conclusions as well.
E. Text messages.
Verizon Wireless agreed that the only way to keep a message is to keep
it on the handset. Verizon keeps text messages on their servers for
three days.
G. Calendar.
H. Voicemail.
Picture data sometimes can be used to determine the exact date and
time a picture was taken, and in some cases, even location.
J. Expansion cards.
Mobile phones use a wide array of memory cards, ranging from the size
of a contact lens to that of a matchbook. Removable media extends the
storage capacity of mobile phones, allowing individuals to store
additional files beyond the device’s built-in capacity and to share data
between compatible devices.
When faced with evidence from expansion cards, verify that the picture
was taken with the cellular device. Almost all digital cameras and
smart phones save JPEG files with EXIF (exchangeable image file)
data.
1. Date;
2. Time; and
Photos—fine mode:
1. 2 GB—770 photos;
2. 4 GB—1540 photos;
3. 8 GB—3080 photos;
5. 32 GB—12,320 photos.
Many of the major cell phone companies are starting to offer the lost
phone tool, where if you lose your phone, you can log onto the website
and send a command out to erase all the information in the phone,
including your phone book, recent calls, and text messages.
It’s important that you identify and contact the carrier to lock down
the user account so as not to allow the remote wipe feature to be
enabled. Most carriers will respond to a court order.
Most mobile phones will allow you to watch videos from the popular
website YouTube on their handsets. YouTube keeps copies of all videos
placed on YouTube indefinitely. A subpoena will allow you to obtain
copies of the videos. All you need is the user ID that posted the video.
B. Fatal accidents.
The measure bans drivers under age 18 from using cell phones,
iPads, laptops, or other electronic devices. They can’t make calls
or browse the Web while driving. Texting or using an electronic
device is a primary offense for minors.
3. Cell phones, text messaging, and car accident information for all
drivers.
5. Ohio.
Even if you put the phone down after texting while driving, that
text may still be evidence that you had been driving in a
distracted state, which too often has life-ending consequences.
Truck drivers who text message while on the road are 23 times
more likely to get into an accident.
C. Sexting/cyberbullying.
New cell phones, computers, and the Internet are capable of connecting
people instantly. This has created the issues we face today regarding
sexting and cyberbullying.
1. What is sexting?
2. What is cyberbullying?
3. Similarities/differences.
a. Sexting.
i. Texts (SMS);
iii. E-mail;
v. BBM.
b. Cyberbullying.
ii. Tweets;
viii. Hacking.
The main difference between the two has to do with content and
intent.
i. Child pornography;
c. Ohio law.
f. Bullying/cyberbullying laws.
D. Sextortion.
Online “sextortion” of teens is on the rise. It’s the biggest growing trend
on the Internet.
The suspect creates a fake profile or chat posing as someone else who
then makes a request to “friend” or otherwise have contact with the
individual. The suspect sends a picture or video depicting the fake
persona and requests return pictures/videos. Believing that he or she is
sending a picture to a known friend, the victim snaps a few revealing
images and hits send.
The suspect then begins to threaten the victim. The victim is told to
send more compromising pictures or the suspect will post the previous
images on a porn site. The suspect will often send links to the porn site
in order prove that he or she is serious about the threat. In an effort to
further control the victim, the suspect often gathers information from
social networking sites, and then threatens to send the compromising
pictures to parents, friends, etc.
Trafficker/pimp tactics.
The current trend is to use younger, “junior” pimps. They assist with
recruiting young girls. They may get paid a finder’s fee. They pose
themselves as potential boyfriends, possibly with an older brother or
uncle who has connections to modeling, singing, dancing, etc.
F. Damaged phone.
Don’t let a damaged phone stop you from obtaining your evidence. The
majority of all damaged cell phones can be repaired and processed.
G. Financial cases.
The number of consumers paying for items via their mobile devices will
shoot past 141 million this year.
That figure is a 38.2 percent increase over 2010, when mobile payment
users hit 102.1 million.
1. Banking.
Today almost all banks make banking easy on your cell phone.
You can check account balances, pay bills, and transfer money
using a smart phone.
Instead of driving to the bank, you can deposit your check with
your bank account. Just snap a picture of the front and back of
your endorsed check and send it using your mobile app.
3. Mobile wallet.
iPhone will use Passbook, an app for storing and using things
like credit cards, tickets, and boarding passes. It doesn’t require
NFC capability to function, but it is thought that the feature will
be added in for the iPhone 5.
5. Hotel keys.
Guests will securely receive their room number and room key on
any phone type or carrier network prior to arriving at the hotel.
After proceeding directly to their room, they can open the door.
H. Cloud storage.
1. How it works.
With iCloud you can use it to back up and restore data on your
Apple iOS devices. iCloud is capable of taking daily backups of
your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch when it’s connected to the
Internet using Wifi.
1. Cyberstalking.
2. Geotagging.
So you take pictures with your smartphone and then post them
online. What’s the worst thing that could happen? What
personal information could possibly be exposed? Where’s the
threat?
If you like this feature, then just don’t upload to any social
network sites (Flickr, Facebook, etc.) without first stripping the
metadata out of the photo.
3. Spy software.
We are familiar with the idea that house phones can be tapped.
However, cell phones are not exempt. In fact, your cell phone
can act like a blazing hot trail for the mischievous to follow.
Sprint and AT&T phones will send out a notification that the
phone is able to be located. The account holder can specify
whether the notification comes every time the phone is located
or whether the phone receives a notification periodically.
Did you know that GPS enables very precise tracking, down to
as little as one meter (roughly 39 inches)?
4. GPS forensics.
a. Track logs;
b. Trackpoints;
c. Waypoints;
d. Routes;
f. Security location;
g. Recent addresses;
Some of the best steps may be among the simplest. Enable the
password feature on your phone, and set it to lock your phone
after a short delay. Contact your cell phone service provider and
ask them to put a password on your account so that nobody who
does not know the password can change the account.
6. Legalities of spyware.
Whether the evidence will come before the court comes down to
the facts surrounding how the evidence was obtained.
Whether the police would prosecute and the court would allow
the information to be used as evidence would come down to the
specific facts of the case, including how the information gleaned
from the tracker is used and who owns the vehicle.
7. Phone examiner.
Preserve the phone as evidence, if possible. Have your client sign a consent to
search form.
Remember: if you take the pictures of the evidence and those pictures are
used in court, then you may be called as a witness.
Carrier records.
Cell phone records can be used in court to show exactly where someone was
and whom the person was talking with at a particular time.
Attorneys in civil, divorce, and child custody cases can get court orders for
cell tower records, with which wireless companies must comply.
Attorneys in civil, divorce, and child custody cases can get court orders
for cell tower records, with which wireless companies must comply.
You can use these records to help you find people, confirm and/or
refute statements/beliefs in the investigation, and put cell
phones in approximate geographic areas during certain dates
and times.
2. Carrier records.
Useful websites.
a. www.nanpa.com.
b. www.wirelessamberalerts.com.
c. www.searchbug.com.
4. Forensic expert.
The expert should also able to assist in obtaining the court order
request by providing both the technical language and the
testimonial support to gain judicial approval for the request.
You may already know this, but your cell phone happens to be a
miniature tracking device that can be used to monitor your location
from afar.
Keep in mind that tracking a cell phone tells you where the cell
phone is or has been; it does not identify the person carrying the
phone.
The Supreme Court of Ohio has order that if a police officer wants to look at a
suspect’s cell phone, then the police officer will need a search warrant unless
there are exigent circumstances. The ruling comes from State of Ohio v.
Smith. See the case below.
(Dec. 15, 2009) The Supreme Court of Ohio ruled that the Fourth
Amendment prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures
requires police to obtain a warrant before searching data stored in a
cell phone that has been seized from its owner in the course of a lawful
arrest when the search is not necessary to protect the safety of law
enforcement officers and there are no exigent circumstances.
It’s like the difference between an open briefcase and one that is
locked. There is a greater expectation of privacy if the phone is locked.
C. Spyware.
D. GPS.
Illegal interceptions are felonies and also carry potential civil liability
for the greater of actual damages, $200 per day of violation or $10,000,
along with punitive damages, attorney fees, and litigation expenses.
There is a two-year statute of limitations to bring a civil action.
Cell site data is not a wire communication because it does not involve
the transfer of the human voice at any point along the path between
the cell phone and the cell tower. United States v. Forest, 355 F.3d 942,
949 (6th Cir. 2004) (“cell site data clearly does not fall within the
definitions of wire or oral communication”). Although voice
communications obviously do take place over a cell phone, this is
accomplished on a channel or frequency entirely separate from the
control channel that transmits the cell site data necessary to set up the
call.
CINGULAR/AT&T
Cell Site 30 days
Cell Sector 30 days
SMS No storage
IP History No storage
Email No storage
CDR’s 5 - 7 years
T-MOBILE
Cell Site 30 days
Cell Sector 30 days
SMS No storage
E-mail 30 days
CDR’s 2 years on prepaid accounts and longer for monthly accounts
SPRINT
Cell Site 18 months
Cell Sector 18 months
SMS No storage
IP History 7 - 14 days or any saved SMS
E-mail 7 - 14 days or any saved SMS
CDR’s 18 months
NEXTEL
Cell Site 18 months
Cell Sector 18 months
SMS No storage
IP History 7 - 14 days or any saved SMS
E-mail 7 - 14 days or any saved SMS
CDR’s 18 months
This matter comes before this Court pursuant to the Certification of (Name) of the
(Name of Law Office) which application requests that an Order be issued as follows:
2.) Call origination/termination location, A list of any and all applicable cellular
site(s)’ number(s), location(s), address (es), and/or latitude and longitude of any said
site(s.) along with the azimuth and bandwidth. Also, that cellular site(s)’ list(s),
latitude(s) and longitude(s), be provided, via electronic mail, in an electronic format,
if available and/or possible.
5.) Further, that any data provided pursuant to this Order shall be provided in a
commercially reasonable electronic format specified by the designee; and that those
records be delivered forthwith via electronic mail, and/or designee that is authorized
to receive and analyze all information and records provided pursuant to this Order.
If e-mail is not available/possible, that the provider(s) provide the required data
electronically on a common storage medium, such as CD-ROM (compact disc read
only memory) disc(s), Also, that all provider(s) provide, when possible and so
requested, all requested data in ASCII, comma separated values (.csv). Only where
this is not possible, to provide information in dark, clean typeface, machine-
scanable/Optical Character Recognition (OCR) interpretable hardcopy. This
includes the faxing of any necessary requested records at the highest possible
quality setting. Further, that upon the specific request of designee(s), that any
provided data be provided by the necessary provider(s) in a business records
affidavit format that complies with the laws of the State of Ohio. The concerned
communications carriers are also ordered to retain, indefinitely, hard and soft
copies of all records and/or data provided as a result of this order.
IT IS SO ORDERED
__________________________________
Judge - Franklin County Court of Common Pleas
___________________________________
Date / Time
34 • Cell Phones Analysis for the Legal Profession
CELL PHONE CONTACT LIST