Smartphone Triage is becoming more and more important with the exponential increase in the number of devices and explosion of digital data. Mobile device forensic examiners can use smartphone triage as a first step in early case assessment of incoming devices.
In the case of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), for instance, mobile phone forensic software such as Mobile Device Investigator (MDI) can automatically flag a device when digital evidence is collected and Project VIC hashes are matched. Built to leverage Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML), MDI can also alert investigators for the presence of pictures of weapons, drugs, money, or other data which might warrant further investigation.
Digital forensic triage of mobile devices gives field agents the speed and flexibility to search smartphone devices based on the nature of the investigation for evidence from suspects, witnesses, victims, or unknown devices.
In the case of Mobile Device Investigator, field operators can not only collect and analyze evidence quickly, but they can preview and capture screenshots from phones and tablets during forensic acquisition to make decisions on the next steps in the case:
The field triage approach has been used by the military for years in sensitive site exploitation and in countries such as the United Kingdom which adopted digital forensic triage as a methodology early as a way to prevent forensic backlogs with front line Digital Media Investigators.
No matter if you are part of a High Tech Crime Unit, Cyber Security Team, Human Resources Policy Manager, or a member of the legal or justice community, finding the right forensic tools to support early case assessment in the field or in the lab is important. Here are a few tips for what to look for in a Smartphone Triage tool:
Mobile Device Investigator is the best Smartphone Triage tools for on-scene, field, and forensic lab investigations. MDI is affordable for individuals and teams with advanced logical acquisition, built in instant smartphone preview capabilities, screenshots with OCR, keyword search, automated classification, case management and sharable reports.