MSAB Digital Forensics Glossary

Key Terms and Definitions

 

Welcome to Our Digital Forensics GlossaryA 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.

Cache

A temporary storage area for frequently accessed data (e.g., a browser cache), which can contain forensic evid […]

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CAID (Child Abuse Image Database)

CAID is a UK centralized database maintained by the UK Government and is used by UK Law Enforcement such as th […]

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Call Detail Record (CDR)

Telecommunications log recording metadata about phone calls or messages (numbers, time, duration, cell tower). […]

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Call Log Analysis

Call log analysis is a crucial aspect of mobile device forensics, involving the examination of call records an […]

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Cell Phone Data Recovery

Cell phone data recovery is a critical aspect of mobile device forensics, focusing on the retrieval of deleted […]

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Cellular Network Forensics

Cellular network forensics is a branch of digital forensics that focuses on investigating mobile communication […]

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Cellular Tower Dump Analysis

Cellular tower dump analysis is a forensic technique used to investigate mobile device activity within the ran […]

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Chain of custody

The chronological documentation of who handled a piece of evidence, when, and under what conditions. This is e […]

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Chip Off

An advanced forensic technique where the memory chip is physically removed from a device (usually a smartphone […]

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CLI (Command Line Interface)

In digital forensics, the CLI (Command Line Interface) refers to the use of text-based commands to interact wi […]

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Cloud Forensics

The application of forensic techniques to data stored in cloud services. It often involves acquiring data via […]

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Cross-Device Analysis

Cross-device analysis is a technique in mobile forensics that involves examining and correlating data from mul […]

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Cross-platform Mobile Forensics

Cross-platform mobile forensics refers to the process of acquiring and analyzing data from mobile devices that […]

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