Archive for the ‘Tips & Tricks’ category

When equipping a forensic lab, having a diverse set of tools is extremely important due to their diverse, rarely overlapping capabilities, and the need for cross-checking the results. With that many tools, compatibility is crucial. This is why we went a long way to ensure that any data extracted with our mobile forensic tools can be opened in many popular forensic analysis tools.

In the world of digital forensics, there are various ways to analyze computer systems. You might be familiar live system analysis or investigating forensic disk images, but there’s yet another method called cold system analysis. Unlike live analysis where experts deal with active user sessions, cold system analysis works differently. It’s like a middle ground between live analysis and examining saved images of a computer’s storage. But why and when would someone use cold analysis? What can you do with it, and how does it compare to the usual methods?

Elcomsoft iOS Forensic Toolkit (EIFT) is a powerful software designed to acquire data from various Apple devices, ranging from iPhones to HomePods. However, to make the most of this tool, you’ll need more than just the software itself. In this article, we will quickly review the mandatory and optional accessories that are essential for the effective use of the product.

We have exciting news: iOS Forensic Toolkit 8 is now available for Windows users in the all-new Windows edition. The new build maintains and extends the functionality of EIFT 7, which is now approaching the end of its life cycle. In addition, we’ve made the Toolkit portable, eliminating the need for installation. Learn what’s new in the eights version of the Toolkit!

We are excited to announce the release of an open-source software for Orange Pi R1 LTS designed to provide firewall functionality for sideloading, signing, and verifying the extraction agent that delivers robust file system imaging and keychain decryption on a wide range of Apple devices with iOS Forensic Toolkit. This development aims to address the growing security challenge faced by forensic experts when sideloading the extraction agent using regular and developer Apple accounts.

In the ever-evolving landscape of digital investigations, mobile forensics has become a critical aspect of law enforcement work. The challenges of extracting, handling, and analyzing data obtained from various sources have led to a growing demand for universal solutions. We’d like to emphasize the importance of every stage of mobile forensics, the significance of extraction, and the critical importance of expertise in this field.

Acquiring data from locked, broken, or inaccessible devices poses significant challenges. However, there are ways to retrieve valuable information from such devices by obtaining the data from iCloud, including old data that has been deleted with no chance of recovery. In this article, we will explore the classic acquisition methods available for iOS devices and focus on the crucial role of Apple iCloud in forensic investigations.

Acquiring data from Apple devices, specifically those not susceptible to bootloader exploits (A12 Bionic chips and newer), requires the use of agent-based extraction. This method allows forensic experts to obtain the complete file system from the device, maximizing the amount of data and evidence they can gather using the iOS Forensic Toolkit. In this article, we will discuss some nuances of agent-based iOS device acquisition.

For forensic experts dealing with mobile devices, having a reliable and efficient forensic solution is crucial. Elcomsoft iOS Forensic Toolkit is an all-in-one software that aids in extracting data from iOS devices, yet it is still far away from being a one-button solution that many experts keep dreaming of. In this article, we will walk you through the preparation and installation steps, list additional hardware environments, and provide instructions on how to use the toolkit safely and effectively.

A while ago, we introduced an innovative mechanism that enabled access to parts of the file system for latest-generation Apple devices. The process we called “partial extraction” relied on a weak exploit that, at the time, did not allow a full sandbox escape. We’ve been working to improve the process, slowly lifting the “partial” tag from iOS 15 devices. Today, we are introducing a new, enhanced low-level extraction mechanism that enables full file system extraction for the iOS 16 through 16.3.1 on all devices based on Apple A12 Bionic and newer chips.