Guidelines on Cell Phone Forensics

Did you ever wonder how much information about you and your transactions is stored inside that cell phone you carry on your belt or in your purse? Whether you're a criminal or a cop, a spy or security chief, you should be very concerned about what cell phone transactions reveal about you.

The bad news is the criminals and spies already know. That's why they've begun using prepaid disposable cell telephones or illegally modified phones that conceal true ownership and are nearly impossible (but not quite) to intercept.

The worse news is that the cops and security chiefs often don't know. To help them get a better understanding of cell phone vulnerabilities, the National Institute of Standards and Technology has published the Guideline on Cell Phone Forensics. This 104-page publication:

"...provides basic information on the preservation, acquisition, examination, analysis, and reporting of digital evidence on cell phones, relevant to law enforcement, incident response, and other types of investigations. The guide focuses mainly on the characteristics of cell phones, including smart phones having advanced capabilities. It also covers provisions to be taken into consideration during the course of an incident investigation.

For those true crime writers who read this blog, this publication is a wealth of information about cell phone use in crime.