MSAB Digital Forensics Glossary
Key Terms and Definitions
Welcome to Our Digital Forensics Glossary — A resource for clear, concise definitions of key terms used in digital forensic investigations. This glossary includes terminology used in the field of smartphone investigations, mobile data extraction, and the analysis of digital evidence from mobile devices.
As mobile phones become central to cybercrime and digital investigations, it’s essential to understand critical concepts such as IMEI, mobile data acquisition, app artifacts, and SIM card analysis. You’ll also find definitions of broader digital forensics terms like hash values, metadata, and chain of custody — all explained in a straightforward, accessible format. Whether you’re a mobile forensics specialist, law enforcement officer, cybersecurity professional, or student, this glossary offers up-to-date explanations to help you navigate the rapidly evolving field of mobile forensics.
TAC Type Allocation Code – Mobile Device Forensics
The initial eight-digit portion of the 15-digit IMEI, identifying a mobile device’s model and manufacturer, extracted in forensics to trace hardware origins or verify authenticity.
Read full termTag – Digital Forensics
A label or marker applied to evidence (e.g., files, events) for organization and filtering, that can be used with tools like Report Builder in XAMN Pro using templated reports to tag data efficiently.
Read full termTCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)
The foundational protocol suite for internet communication, analyzed in forensics to interpret network traffic, reconstruct connections, or detect anomalies.
Read full termTEE (Trusted Execution Environment) in Mobile Forensics
A Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) is a secure, isolated area within a mobile device’s processor that ensures the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive data and code execution. TEEs are designed to protect critical applications, such as mobile payments, digital rights management, and biometric authentication, from unauthorized access or tampering. The presence of TEEs in mobile […]
Read full termTemporary File
A short-lived file created by applications or systems, recovered in forensics from disk or memory to uncover user activity or deleted evidence.
Read full termTerrorist Financing – Crypto Forensics
The funding of designated terrorist groups via cryptocurrencies, investigated in forensics to trace blockchain transactions and disrupt illicit financial networks.
Read full termText Analytics – Investigative Analytics
The process of analyzing unstructured text data to extract relevant information (e.g., keywords, entities), used in tools like MSAB XAMN Pro to enhance investigations.
Read full termThreat Intelligence
Data about potential cyber threats (e.g., malware signatures, attacker tactics), integrated into forensics to contextualize evidence or attribute incidents.
Read full termThumbnail Cache
A system-stored collection of image previews (e.g., Windows Thumbs.db), analyzed in forensics to recover visual evidence even if original files are deleted.
Read full termTimeline Graph – Digital Forensics
A visual representation of events plotted over time, used in forensics to correlate evidence (e.g., file access, communications) and reconstruct case chronologies.
Read full termTimestamp – Mobile Device Forensics
The exact time an event occurred (e.g., message sent), recorded in tools like MSAB XAMN Pro to establish precise timelines or verify alibis in investigations.
Read full termToken Smart Contract – Crypto Forensics
A blockchain-based asset governed by a smart contract, sent and received via wallets, analyzed in forensics to trace ownership, transfers, or fraudulent token schemes.
Read full termTokens – Computer Forensics
Username and password data saved on a Windows computer (e.g., in credential manager), extracted in forensics to access accounts or verify user identity.
Read full termTOM TOM – Mobile Device Forensics
A term potentially referring to TomTom navigation data on mobile devices, analyzed in forensics to extract GPS routes or location history (context may vary; clarification welcome).
Read full termTor Network
An anonymity network routing traffic through multiple nodes, investigated in forensics to trace dark web activity or unmask users despite encryption layers.
Read full termTracked to Self – Crypto Forensics
A category of cryptocurrency transactions where value sent by an entity is later received back, analyzed to detect laundering patterns or obfuscation attempts.
Read full termTranslation – Mobile Device Forensics
An option in MSAB XAMN Pro assisting examiners in translating foreign language data, enabling analysis of multilingual evidence like texts or app content.
Read full termTriage
A rapid forensic assessment prioritizing critical evidence (e.g., at a crime scene), often applied to mobile devices to identify key data before full extraction.
Read full termTrojan Horse
Malware disguised as legitimate software, examined in forensics to uncover its deployment, payload, or impact on a compromised system.
Read full termTwo-Factor Authentication – Mobile Device Forensics
A security process requiring two verification steps (e.g., password + SMS code), analyzed or bypassed in forensics to access protected mobile data or accounts.
Read full termTypes – Mobile Device Forensics
Categories or classifications of data (e.g., file types, app data) in tools like XRY, used to filter and prioritize evidence during analysis.
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