Forensic Implications of Apple’s “Stolen Device Protection”
March 10th, 2025 by Oleg Afonin
With the release of iOS 17.3, Apple introduced a new security feature called “Stolen Device Protection.” This functionality is designed to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data in cases where a thief has gained knowledge of an iPhone’s passcode. While this feature significantly enhances security for end users, it simultaneously creates substantial obstacles for digital forensic experts, complicating lawful data extraction.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Power Connectors Melting Again
March 6th, 2025 by Oleg Afonin
Just a week ago, we published an article about NVIDIA’s new generation of Blackwell-based graphics cards. Despite a noticeable price hike, performance gains in this generation are minimal, with one notable exception: the flagship GeForce RTX 5090 significantly outperforms its predecessor in all key aspects. However, this GPU has also revealed a potential issue that could make its use in workstations running 24/7 problematic and potentially unsafe.
NVIDIA Blackwell is Out: Should You Upgrade?
February 27th, 2025 by Oleg Afonin
The newly introduced NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 series (Blackwell architecture) brings significant changes. Notably, NVIDIA claims a doubling of integer (INT32) computation throughput per clock cycle compared to the previous Ada Lovelace architecture; this is described in the company’s whitepaper.
Apple Disables Advanced Data Protection for iCloud in UK
February 25th, 2025 by Oleg Afonin
In the beginning of February, Apple may have received a secret order requiring the company to create an encryption backdoor. According to a leak, the UK government demanded blanket, covert access to all sorts of encrypted data globally. After that demand, Apple decided to disable Advanced Data Protection for iCloud in the UK, issuing an official statement. What does that mean for the law enforcement, and what consequences are expected for the end users?
The Evolution of iOS Passcode Security
January 31st, 2025 by Oleg Afonin
Over the years, Apple has continuously refined its security mechanisms to deter unauthorized access to their devices. One of the most significant aspects of this evolution is the increasingly sophisticated passcode protection system in iOS devices. This article explores how the delay between failed passcode attempts has evolved over time, highlighting changes that have made iOS screen lock protection more secure.
iPhone and iPad Acquisition Methods: Yet Another Comparison
January 10th, 2025 by Oleg Afonin
Welcome to the world of mobile forensics, where extracting data is the first (and arguably the most critical) step. Whether you’re working with an ancient Apple device or attempting to break into the latest iPhone 16 Pro Max, there is a method for every gadget – each with its own share of challenges. We love explaining the differences between the extraction techniques, detailing their pros and contras, but sometimes you are limited to the one and only method that is the most likely to succeed.
Extraction Agent and Firewall: Software vs. Hardware
December 30th, 2024 by Oleg Afonin
Using a firewall is essential to secure the installation of the extraction agent when performing low-level extraction from a variety of iOS devices. We developed two solutions: a software-based firewall for macOS and a hardware-based firewall using a Raspberry Pi (or similar microcomputer) with our own custom firmware. This guide will help you choose the best option for your needs.
Intelligent Load Balancing: Optimizing Password Recovery Across Heterogeneous Units
November 14th, 2024 by Oleg Afonin
In the latest update of Elcomsoft Distributed Password Recovery (EDPR), we’ve introduced a revamped load-balancing feature. The new feature aims to enhance resource utilization on local workstations across diverse hardware configurations. This update has drastically reduced the time required to break passwords in certain hardware configurations, thanks to a refined load distribution algorithm. In this article, we’ll share some technical details on how load balancing leverages a mix of GPUs and CPU cores.
When Speed Matters: Imaging Fast NVMe Drives
October 21st, 2024 by Vladimir Katalov
At first glance, imaging a high-speed SSD seems a lot faster than dealing with a slower one. However, fast storage devices introduce a range of issues that are not typically encountered with slower SATA drives. Here are just a few:
Outlook Forensic Toolbox Helps Access Deleted Messages
October 15th, 2024 by Vladimir Katalov
What can a forensic expert find in an Outlook data file? Can they recover deleted emails, contacts and appointments from Microsoft Outlook? Can users erase unwanted correspondence from Outlook? In this article, we’ll demonstrate how experts can recover valuable information from Outlook data files (PST/OST), including deleted emails, contacts, attachments, and appointments. Even when users attempt to erase unwanted correspondence, traces often remain within the database. With the right tools, experts can extract and analyze this hidden data to uncover critical evidence.
