ICCID
Definition
Integrated Circuit Card Identifier. The serial number of the physical SIM card itself, stored in EF_ICCID. It identifies the card as a piece of hardware, independent of the subscriber account loaded onto it. Forensically useful for linking a physical card to a subscriber record held by the network operator.
- Length
- 19 to 20 digits
- Identifies
- The physical SIM card, not the subscriber
- Location
- Printed on the SIM card body
Common questions
What does ICCID stand for?+
ICCID stands for Integrated Circuit Card Identifier. It's the serial number printed on the physical SIM card that uniquely identifies that specific card.
How long is an ICCID and where do you find it?+
An ICCID is 19 to 20 digits long and is printed directly on the body of the SIM card. You can read it without needing to activate or query the card.
Does the ICCID identify the person using the phone?+
No. The ICCID identifies the physical SIM card itself, not the subscriber. A person may change SIM cards or use multiple SIMs, so the ICCID tracks the hardware, not the user.
Related terms
- IMSI
- International Mobile Subscriber Identity. A 15-digit number stored in EF_IMSI on the SIM that uniquely identifies the subscriber account on the mobile...
- IMEI
- International Mobile Equipment Identity, a 15-digit identifier of the handset hardware. Format is 8-digit TAC + 6-digit serial + 1-digit Luhn check....
- APDU
- Application Protocol Data Unit. The command and response message format used to communicate with a smart card over the ISO 7816 interface....
- CDR
- Call Detail Record. Telco-side log of A-party, B-party, start time, duration, IMEI, IMSI and serving cell ID. Lawful-intercept output under the IT...
- Chip-Off
- NIST SP 800-101 R1 Level 5 acquisition. Desoldering the NAND or eMMC chip from the PCB and reading it directly with a...
- EF_SMS
- Elementary File for Short Message Service. A fixed-size record file on the SIM that stores SMS messages. Each record has a status...
- EPC / 5GC
- Evolved Packet Core (LTE) and 5G Core (5G NR), the all-IP packet cores that replaced the circuit-switched GSM core. 5GC is service-based,...
- Faraday Bag
- A signal-blocking pouch with conductive mesh lining that prevents cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC signals from reaching a seized phone. The standard...
- FDE
- Full Disk Encryption. Default on modern Android (file-based encryption since Nougat) and iOS. Encryption keys are tied to the user passcode and...
- Ki
- The 128-bit secret authentication key stored on the SIM and in the operator's Authentication Centre (AuC). Never leaves either party in cleartext...
- LOCI
- Location Information file (EF_LOCI on SIM, EF_LOCI and EF_EPSLOCI on USIM). Stores the Location Area Identity (LAI) last received from the network...
- MSC
- Mobile Switching Centre, the GSM core node that routes calls and SMS between the cellular network and the PSTN, and queries the...
Explained in these topics
- Mobile Phone Forensics: Acquisition and ExaminationIntegrated Circuit Card Identifier. Up to 19-digit serial of the physical SIM card, printed on the SIM body.
- Mobile Technologies: 2G to 5G, GSM/CDMA, SIM and IMEIIntegrated Circuit Card Identifier, the 19 to 20 digit serial number printed on the SIM card body. Identifies the physical SIM, not the subscriber.
- SIM Card ForensicsIntegrated Circuit Card Identifier. The serial number of the physical SIM card itself, stored in EF_ICCID. It identifies the card as a piece of hardware, indep...