NAIROBI, Kenya- In recent days, we may have all seen an outpouring of accusations against Safaricom, charging that the firm is playing a collaborator role with Kenya’s security agencies.
While this remains a matter of conjecture in a low-trust environment, it’s also instructive to note that security forces can undertake digital analysis, tracking, surveillance, and even data extraction with minimal input from mobile phone companies.
Technology systems have evolved and developed over time, with numerous solution providers offering enterprise-grade data extraction, cell site analysis, surveillance, and related tools.
Many of these tools were initially developed in military environments to support security and justice system players in collecting digital evidence and building alibis through forensic methods.
While the systems may have been built with good intentions for the developed world, the same tools are being misused in developing countries to curtail democratic rights.
While addressing the media late last year at the height of femicide incidents, DCI Director Mohamed Amin was clear that mobile network providers contribute to only 1 percent of the sleuth investigations.
In most cases, investigators can successfully investigate cases through forensic analysis and the collection of crucial evidence.
The DCI or the National Police Service agencies, he said, do not entirely rely on the mobile service providers.
Investigative agencies, he noted, have historically executed their functions even before the advent of the current mobile telephony age.
This confirms that, while many would imagine security agencies are reliant on mobile network operators, the agencies appear to have acquired and integrated software and related systems that enable them to work independently, without relying on Airtel, Safaricom, or Telkom Kenya in their investigative pursuits.
For example, online, you have Digital Evidence Ventures, which prides itself on being a boutique digital forensics firm comprised of some of the most experienced experts in the industry, trusted by top law firms and businesses nationwide.
Under its Cell Phone Location & Analysis suite of services, the firm confirms that it can recover information, including deleted text messages, emails, location data, cell tower data, photos, call logs, and voicemail messages, as well as analyse recent activity.
The firm’s cell tower location services can help an investigation by pinpointing the location of a phone at a certain point in time. The firm affirms that it has the tools and expertise to analyse not only cell phones but also call detail records from cell phone providers.
“We have been certified by courts as experts and provided testimony regarding cell phone forensics and cell tower location analysis, both in civil court and criminal cases,” the firm assures potential clients.
From Israel, Cellebrite DI Ltd, a digital forensics company headquartered in Petah Tikva, provides tools for law enforcement agencies, as well as enterprise companies and service providers to collect, review, analyse, and manage digital data.
Their flagship product series is the Cellebrite UFED. Still, they have also recently introduced Cellebrite Inseyets, the definitive digital forensics suite that includes the industry-leading capabilities needed to close more cases.
Cellebrite has cutting-edge capabilities that help security agencies to access the broadest range of Mobile Devices. Its software tools also provide access to critical digital evidence lawfully from features and smartphones, as well as from drones, SIM cards, SD cards, GPS devices, and more.
The Cellebrite Universal Forensics Extraction Device (UFED) forensics system “empowers law enforcement, anti-terror, and security organisations to capture critical forensic evidence from mobile phones, smartphones, and PDAs.
In the UK, Forensics Analytics offers the CSAS Find software solution. It is billed as the first SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) solution that revolutionises frontline policing across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.
It empowers officers to work more efficiently in missing and wanted person investigations, saving forces time and money. The firm says, “CSAS is built to ingest data from major evidential data sources with fidelity. Telecommunications providers, Handset download solutions, ANPR systems and more.”
At Oxygen Forensics, the 25-year-old US-based firm opened its doors in 2000 as a people-first company, creating PC-to-mobile software.
In 2004, it evolved into a solutions provider that provides law enforcement, government agencies, and enterprises with the tools they need to address the challenges posed by growing digital evidence.
After more than 20 years, Oxygen Forensics offers tools that can quickly extract data from any device with ease. The firm says it’s on a mission to bring innovation, solutions, and visibility to digital evidence, making the world a safer place.
The firm has solutions and tools that can collect data from any remote location—whether it’s remote iOS or Android devices, cloud servers, remote desktops, or IoT devices.
Oxygen Forensics says, “We are the leaders in digital forensics and incident response. Our company is based in the United States and serves customers in over 150 countries. We work with the best people around the world and provide the tools and solutions that benefit law enforcement, government agencies, organisations, and enterprises globally. We make it easy to gather the complete data set, no matter where it resides.”
Among other solutions, the firm provides the Oxygen Forensic® Detective, a digital forensic software designed to extract, decode, and analyse data. The software extracts data and artefacts from multiple devices with the capability for both mobile and computer forensic investigations.
The software is so powerful it can easily extract data from locked and encrypted smartphones and tablets. For security agencies, the software enables the rapid collection of evidence from multiple sources, thereby accelerating investigations.
While you strive to secure passwords on your phone and messaging apps, the firm’s software can extract data from over 25,000 apps, including social media and messaging platforms, ensuring a comprehensive investigative picture. It can also retrieve messages from over 50,000 app versions, including social media platforms.
With its Breakthrough encryption capabilities, the Oxygen Forensic® Detective software can unlock encrypted data without passwords or PINs, ensuring crucial evidence is always accessible.
This is achieved by decrypting data without requiring passwords and bypassing modern encryption barriers, thereby facilitating the smooth progression of investigations.
Given that these solutions are developed for the justice system, they also facilitate access to protected evidence that would otherwise be inaccessible.
By bypassing modern encryption barriers, the systems enable investigations to move forward, effectively supporting law enforcement.
Still from the US, Envista Forensics also boasts a reputable and experienced practice with its digital forensics experts specialising in investigations and the collection of data on computers, mobile devices, servers, the cloud, complex network environments, and other electronic devices.
Envista’s Digital Forensics team utilises sophisticated technology, once exclusively reserved for military and law enforcement, to unlock password-protected iPhone and Android cellphones.
The firm also provides Cell Site Location Forensics, which involves retrieval of Call Detail Records (CDRs) for use in legal cases to determine the historical location and user activity of a person of interest.
“Our team historically used this technology to unlock cellphones involved in complex legal and insurance matters.
However, we now also offer password-cracking, breaking, and bypassing technology to the public to assist those dealing with the loss of a loved one, business owners, and many others,” affirms Envista.
So, if you think DCI, NIS and other security agencies rely on Mobile Firms for tracking, surveillance and data extraction, you certainly need to think twice as clearly security agencies are spoilt for choice with all these digital and mobile forensics tools at their disposal.
Perhaps also, never forget that modern-day mobile phone technology is just a civilian version of the historical military communication systems.
