Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Switch On, Update, Lose Evidence

Switch On, Update, Lose Evidence

The focus of this article relates to what can happen when switching on a mobile telephone and how data can change on a SIM Card. Essentially how a mobile telephone updates a SIM card relating to location data is down to how each make and model of mobile telephone has been programmed. When dealing with location data in SIM Cards it should not be assumed that every make/model updates location data immediately or within a prescribed period. Certain events trigger location update data and therefore it is important to determine on a case by case basis how a mobile telephone and its SIM card should be examined.

I have received several comments from different sources saying that they found location data was not updated when the mobile telephone was held within a shielded device or bag. This is fine, but it has been found that data can change in such environments and it is not the case that it was only a few times, but the fact that it happened at all can mean unilaterally ignoring that such an event (loss of data) might occur may mean losing vital evidence.

A best practise methodology has been outlined in the article for those that wish to follow it and the justification for using such a stated methodology.

http://www.filebucket.net/files/1579_ov3rx/Switch%20On%20Update%20Lose%20Evidence%20.pdf

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