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GPS forensics is a relatively new area of mobile device forensics and therefore not many tools are available to facilitate examinations. Companies like Berla Corp and Forensic Navigation are pioneering the way. There are several key factors to consider when evaluating GPS forensic examination tools:
- Support to multiple manufacturers
- One way data flow
- Embedded mapping component
- Export of information into common formats
Depending on the type of environment an examination is taking place, some or all of these factors may be important. For example, in a tactical environment, an operator should not have to be concerned about using multiple applications to communicate and download the information from a GPS device. One program or application should communicate with multiple manufacturers’ devices. Another concern in a tactical environment is internet connectivity. Products that rely on web based mapping components, in most cases, would not plot or display the information downloaded until a connection has been established. This could hamper the ability to retrieve actionable information.
In a lab environment, most computers used for forensic examinations are not connected to the internet and therefore any product or tool used would need to have embedded maps or the ability to export the results to be viewed on a different machine. Multiple applications or products to examine different manufacturers is less of a concern, but many agencies have their own mapping applications like Falcon View or ESRI and need to be able to transfer their findings to those applications.
The subsequent reviews are not meant to be critical of the developers but to provide the pros and cons of each tool set from the viewpoint of an examiner or operator in the field. If you would like to write a review for a tool, provide an update or contribute in any other way, please use the contact form to reach the site contributors.