Android Forensic and Anti-Forensic Technicques – a Survey

Abstract

Technology concerning mobile devices has presented revolutionary growth during the last decade. Mobile phones do not serve only as a means of communication, but also as portable computers with advanced communication capabilities. Smartphones are able to store a rich set of personal information and at the same time provide powerful services, such as location-based services, Internet sharing via tethering, and intelligent voice, thus increasing the likelihood of a such devices being involved in a criminal activities. Mobile forensics is the science of recovering digital evidence from a mobile device under forensically sound conditions using accepted methods. During the last few years, a significant amount of research has been conducted, concerning various mobile device platforms forensics, data acquisition schemes, and information extraction methods. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the field, by presenting a detailed assessment of methodologies regarding Android forensic and anti-forensic techniques.