Issue link: http://lawandordermag.epubxp.com/i/98779
FEATURE Cell Phone Analysis, Part 2 SUMMARY MORE INFORMATION www.paraben.com www.secureview.us www.cellebrite.com The detective can��t prove the owner of this phone was on the flight. However, this airline Mobile Boarding Pass QR code is evidence someone with this phone boarded an American Airlines flight from Chicago to San Diego on Sept. 29, 2012. Also look on cell phones for hotel room check-in keys. CELL PART 2 Cell phones and smartphones have taken over personal communications. More than that, they contain a wealth of information: contacts, text messages, bank info, airline boarding passes, hotel reservations, money transfers. Of course, they can be used for both live tracking and historical tracking. PHONE ANALYSIS Ping uses GPS, Track uses towers. By Ed Sanow with Chris Roberts (Ed. Note: Part One of this article was published in the November 2012 issue of LAW and ORDER. It is also available online at www. hendonpub.com, Resources, Article Archives.) T wo types of evidence can be retrieved from a cell phone. Electronic evidence (discussed in Part One) and retained data evidence. Retained data evidence is telecon records involving the details of calls made and received, and the geographic location of the mobile phone when a call is made. This information from the cellular service provider can be used to compare with other investigative facts or theories. This can identify discrepancies or corroborate statements. This can also be used to identify other people who may be involved. Most importantly, this info will put cell phones in approximate geographic areas during specifc dates and times, i.e., historical tracking. Finally, most service providers are able to provide real-time, live tracking, AKA, pinging. Real Time Versus Historical There is a huge difference between real time tracking and historical tracking. Real time uses GPS. Historical tracking uses cell towers. Every cell phone sold through a U.S. carrier contains a tiny GPS unit. This is done for the E-911 systems to allow law enforcement to fnd the caller if they dial 9-1-1. The latitude and longitude of a GPS signal is fairly precise, usually within 700 yards. The GPS precision location services do not deliver any call data, i.e., length of call, number dialed. However, they do indicate a date/time stamp and a lat/long pair. If the cell phone is on, the phone hits the closest tower every so often. 52 LAW and ORDER I December 2012