Mobile and Network Forensics: Mobile Acquisition Types Basics

UGC-NET Forensic Science Unit VII drill on mobile device acquisition methods and foundational mobile forensics concepts. Covers the acquisition pyramid in full: manual examination, logical acquisition via device API, file-system acquisition accessing app sandboxes beyond the logical layer, physical acquisition producing a full bit-stream NAND dump, JTAG acquisition using the test-access port for bootloader-locked handsets, and chip-off forensics involving NAND desoldering and BGA chip readers. RF isolation using a Faraday bag, IMEI and IMSI and ICCID definitions and their storage locations, SIM card elementary files (EF_ADN, EF_SMS, EF_LOCI), and introductory coverage of Cellebrite UFED, MSAB XRY, Magnet AXIOM, and Oxygen Forensics are all tested at the definitional level aligned with Tamma and Tindall (Practical Mobile Forensics, 4th edition) and NIST SP 800-101 R1.

The Indian regulatory and institutional context covers the admissibility of electronic records under Section 63 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) 2023 (formerly Section 65B of the Indian Evidence Act 1872), the scope of mobile-related interception authority under the Indian Telegraph Act 1885 as amended, and the relevance of the Information Technology Act 2000 to the seizure and examination of mobile devices as electronic records. CFSL Hyderabad operates a dedicated mobile forensics unit that handles high-volume handset examination for central agencies, providing the institutional anchor for this syllabus domain.

Topics covered:

• Acquisition pyramid: manual, logical, file-system, physical, JTAG, chip-off
• Faraday bag and RF isolation for evidence preservation
• IMEI, IMSI, and ICCID: definitions and storage locations
• SIM card elementary files: EF_ADN, EF_SMS, and EF_LOCI
• Cellebrite UFED, MSAB XRY, Magnet AXIOM, and Oxygen Forensics
• NIST SP 800-101 R1 scope and SWGDE guidelines
• IT Act 2000, BSA 2023 Section 63, and Indian Telegraph Act 1885
• CFSL Hyderabad mobile forensics unit and chain of custody

Calibrated for first-pass UGC-NET Forensic Science Paper II preparation and NFSU MSc Digital Forensics entrance revision. Allow 30 minutes.