Digital Forensics in Mobile Phones: An Overview of Data Acquisition Techniques and its Challenges

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Over the past decade, advances in hardware, software, and networking have led to the evolution of modern-day smart devices, which are no longer simply mobile phones, but have significant computing power. Such a phenomenal increase in the performance and capabilities of smartphones, tablets, and personal digital assistants, along with the convenience of using them, has practically led them to replace computers and notebooks. However, their small size makes them susceptible to theft. Also, the data they contain coupled with continuous network connectivity makes them susceptible to malicious activities and attacks. Investigation of such incidents as well as the increasing technical difficulties in extracting evidence from mobile devices has resulted in the emergence of mobile forensics within the digital forensics discipline. Mobile forensics is specialized in retrieving and processing evidence from mobile devices such that it is admissible in a court of law. While the scope of mobile forensics includes advanced evidence analysis and threat intelligence to thwart attacks or malicious activities, data acquisition still remains its main focus. This paper presents an overview of the research conducted in the domain of forensic acquisition of mobile phones during the past decade, identifying the challenges and opportunities in the field.