Using the Extraction Agent in 2026: Compatibility, Signing, Firewall, and Extraction Tips
May 11th, 2026 by Oleg Afonin
Over the years, we have published several articles about the extraction agent. However, the underlying technology changes quickly, and incremental changes often have significant cumulative effects. As a result, many of our older posts are no longer relevant and can be misleading if followed to the letter today. While last year’s recap, Installing and Troubleshooting the Extraction Agent (2025), remains a solid foundation for general setup, it does not account for the most recent hardware and software developments. This article serves as the definitive point of reference, providing an up-to-date recap of everything you need to know about the extraction agent as of May 2026.
Elcomsoft System Recovery UEFI Support
June 16th, 2016 by Oleg Afonin
As you may already know, we’ve released an update to Elcomsoft System Recovery, a tool allowing to reset or recover Windows and Microsoft Account passwords by booting from an external USB drive. The new build allows creating bootable USB drives for devices exclusively relying on UEFI bootloaders. Why was this change needed? Read below for an answer!
Breaking BitLocker Encryption: Brute Forcing the Backdoor (Part I)
June 8th, 2016 by Vladimir Katalov
Investigators start seeing BitLocker encrypted volumes more and more often, yet computer users themselves may be genuinely unaware of the fact they’ve been encrypting their disk all along. How can you break into BitLocker encryption? Do you have to brute-force the password, or is there a quick hack to exploit?
Fingerprint Unlock Security: iOS vs. Google Android (Part I)
June 6th, 2016 by Oleg Afonin
Biometric approach to unlocking portable electronics has been on the rise since late 2013 when Apple released iPhone 5S. Ever since, manufacturers started adding fingerprint scanners to their devices. In the world of Android, this was frequently done without paying much (if any) attention to actual security. So how do these systems compare?
Dealing with a Locked iPhone
April 15th, 2016 by Oleg Afonin
So you’ve got an iPhone, and it’s locked, and you don’t know the passcode. This situation is so common, and the market has so many solutions and “solutions” that we felt a short walkthrough is necessary.
Apple Two-Factor Authentication vs. Two-Step Verification
April 1st, 2016 by Oleg Afonin
Two-step verification and two-factor authentication both aim to help users secure their Apple ID, adding a secondary authentication factor to strengthen security. While Apple ID and password are “something you know”, two-step verification (and two-factor authentication) are both based on “something you have”.
BitLocker: What’s New in Windows 10 November Update, And How To Break It
March 29th, 2016 by Oleg Afonin
BitLocker is a popular full-disk encryption scheme employed in all versions of Windows (but not in every edition) since Windows Vista. BitLocker is used to protect stationary and removable volumes against outside attacks. Since Windows 8, BitLocker is activated by default on compatible devices if the administrative account logs in with Microsoft Account credentials. BitLocker protection is extremely robust, becoming a real roadblock for digital forensics.
Smartphone Encryption: Why Only 10 Per Cent of Android Smartphones Are Encrypted
March 21st, 2016 by Oleg Afonin
“Had San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook used an Android phone, investigators would have had a better chance at accessing the data”, says Jack Nicas in his article in The Wall Street Journal. Indeed, the stats suggest that only 10 per cent of the world’s 1.4 billion Android phones are encrypted, compared with 95 per cent of Apple’s iPhones. Of those encrypted, a major number are using Nexus smartphones that have encryption enforced by default.
Apple vs. the Government: Follow-up
February 22nd, 2016 by Oleg Afonin
We are closely following the case of Apple battling the US government on unlocking the iPhone of San Bernardino mass murderer Farook who killed 14 in December 2015. In our previous post we looked at what the FBI was asking, and why Apple opposes the motion.
