Document Type

Article

Source of Publication

Digital Investigation

Publication Date

1-1-2015

Abstract

In this research we forensically acquire and analyze the device-stored data and network traffic of 20 popular instant messaging applications for Android. We were able to reconstruct some or the entire message content from 16 of the 20 applications tested, which reflects poorly on the security and privacy measures employed by these applications but may be construed positively for evidence collection purposes by digital forensic practitioners. This work shows which features of these instant messaging applications leave evidentiary traces allowing for suspect data to be reconstructed or partially reconstructed, and whether network forensics or device forensics permits the reconstruction of that activity. We show that in most cases we were able to reconstruct or intercept data such as: passwords, screenshots taken by applications, pictures, videos, audio sent, messages sent, sketches, profile pictures and more.

ISSN

1742-2876

Publisher

Elsevier Ltd

Volume

14

First Page

S77

Last Page

S84

Disciplines

Computer Sciences

Keywords

Android (operating system), Message passing, World Wide Web, Android forensics, Application security, Datapp, Instant messaging, Network forensics, Mobile security

Scopus ID

84938984557

Indexed in Scopus

yes

Open Access

yes

Open Access Type

Hybrid: This publication is openly available in a subscription-based journal/series

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