Strictly speaking a mast is just that, a tower or pole that sticks up into the air – usually 15m. The parts that actually enable us to send and receive calls are separate elements; antennas and radio base stations. The mast itself simply lifts the antennae to the height where they can transmit and receive radio waves.
When you make a call your phone converts voice or data into radio waves that are transmitted to the nearest base station. The base station determines if the call is to another mobile phone or to a landline and routes the call accordingly. If it is to someone on the same network then the call can be directed via base stations to the site closest to the recipient and transmitted via the antennae.
The role of Cells
The mobile phone network operates on the cell principle. The network operators divide a territory up into thousands (in the case of the UK) of discrete areas – cells – that contain a base station and antennae, plus a mast if required. Each cell provides coverage for a specific area and because their coverage overlaps calls can be passed between cells as people move around.
Cell density and positioning are driven by population distribution and topography. There are more cells in the urban area to cater for higher traffic levels and, sometimes, to mitigate interference caused by tall buildings. Low power cells called “picocells” can also be deployed inside buildings such as airports where there is a high concentration of users.
Cell Site Analysis
How mobile networks work and the way in which they are configured is extremely important to Disklabs. We need to understand the coverage of the mobile networks in precise detail when conducting Cell Site Analysis, a technique for identifying the movement and use of mobile phones and communications devices. Details about the height of masts, local geography and cell types can mean the difference between a guilty or not guilty verdict, or whether a suspect is apprehended.
Visit the website for more information on Disklabs range of digital forensics and data recovery services or contact us today.
Call us on +44(0)1827 50000 or use our contact form to let us know your requirements.
Cell Site Analysis is a legally accepted process which identifies the location and movement of a mobile phone over a period time.
The Cell Site Analysis process cross-references of historic call records (including voice, SMS and multimedia messaging) with readings from the cell site masts that transmit and receive mobile communications signals.
Investigators can review Call Data Records (CDR) from the mobile telecommunications providers and carry out field strength surveys. Surveys are required because of variations in signal strength at particular locations caused by distance from a Cell Site or interference from structures or local topography.
Cell Site Analysis allows forensic investigators to;
The evidence gathered from the Cell Site Analysis can be further correlated with other outputs from the digital forensics process related to specific content such as computer files or CCTV footage, or to digital metadata.
In the context of an investigation Cell Site Analysis can:
Disklabs provides Cell Site Analysis services to criminal defence solicitors, law enforcement agencies and corporations. We have the expert forensic capability to extract and analyse data and the communications skills to create easy-to-follow reports.
Visit our website for further details on Disklabs Cell Site Analysis capability, as well as our wider set of digital forensics services or, get in contact. Call us today on +44(0)1827 50000 or use our contact form to let us know your requirements.
Back in 2009 Disklabs was featured in a Computer Weekly article entitled “Forensic mobile phone work reveals threat to all of us“.
The article revealed exactly how much detailed information could be gleaned about an individual from text messages, emails, contact databases and apps. Information that could be used to get access to bank accounts, to determine the best time to burgle your home or, more insidiously, for both cyber and physical stalking.
Six years on the situation has only got worse.
93% of UK adults now own mobile phones (source: Mobile Operators Association) and more than two thirds have a smartphone (source: Mobile Consumer 2014: The UK Cut. Deloitte). Our smartphones and tablets contain even more details of our personal and business lives. Â Not only have the devices themselves been given greater processing power and capacity but they plug us in more effectively than ever to a myriad of apps, social media sites and eCommerce opportunities.
It is true that manufacturers and content providers have introduced various security measure and features to help protect us from prying eyes. Fingerprint scanners and facial recognition on our phones and tablets; Two-step verification log-ins and secure encrypted sessions for websites and apps.
However here are two statistics that make those measures sound less reassuring.
One. A 2014 study by Consumer Reports suggested that 34% of smartphone owners in the US don’t use any security features at all – it isn’t likely that the UK will be better in this respect.
Two. A staggering 183, 523 smartphones, tablets, laptops and USB drives were reported to the Police as lost or stolen in 2013-2014 (source: V3.co.uk). Â EE (source: Explore.EE.co.uk) actually suggested the figure was as high as 10 million.
It all adds up to a massive risk for both individuals and organisations.  Reported UK cybercrime in 2013-2014 was valued at £670m but this is likely to be a massive underestimate.  Disklabs has provided its digital forensic investigation capability for a variety of public and private bodies and maintaining privacy has been the watchword in every case.
So what can you do to be more secure?
• Set up lock screens and use a pin number or better still a password with a mix of alphanumeric characters, upper and lowercase.  Pattern unlocks can be detected by greasy finger trails on the screen.
• Use apps to provide antivirus, antitheft, device location and privacy protection features. Providers include Norton, AVG, BullGuard and Sophos.  Don’t use any apps that come from unknown sources.
• Switch off automatic wifi, Bluetooth and NFC connections to stop your device from connecting with spoof networks.
• Consider encrypting your smartphone and SD card. This offers very strong protection to your phone but there are some disadvantages.  It may slow your phone down and once you have enabled it you can’t go back to non-encrypted use without a factory reset.
Most people don’t willfully leave their doors and windows open, a stack of money laying on the kitchen table and a list of the location of their most valuable belongings pinned to the fridge when they go out.  Don’t do the equivalent on your mobile device.
Visit our website for more information on Disklabs’ range of digital forensics and data recovery services or get in contact. Â Call us today on +44(0)1827 50000Â or use our contact form to let us know your requirements.
Image courtesy of Stuart James at FreeDigitalPhotos.net</>
As with computer forensics, mobile phone forensics refers to the process of extracting, analysis and reporting on evidential data contained on a variety of mobile electronic devices.
While such devices contain similar digital content to computers there are some additional investigatory dimensions related to the existence of communications related content (voice recording and text messaging) and logging of both activity and location.
The proliferation of mobile phones (93% of UK adults own one) and devices has been accompanied by a massive increase in people using them to conduct a variety of electronic transactions.
Mobile phones and devices store a great deal of valuable personal and commercial information.  This means that forensic analysis of them is now frequently required to understand their use as criminal tools (e.g. in fraud cases) or as digital media containing data that can be used as evidence.
Disklabs provides mobile phone forensics services for a variety of clients;  defence solicitors, law enforcement agencies and the business sector. We have a team of experts working in a state of the art forensic laboratory operating to ACPO guidelines to create a rigorous chain of evidence.
One of the key challenges for any mobile phone forensics supplier is that there are greater number of variances in the way mobile phones operate than with computers.  This means that multiple tools and techniques are required to extract data from all devices. Disklabs has risen to that challenge and we utilise the latest technology to stay ahead of the game.
The Disklabs forensics team has the capability to extract data that has been lost, damaged, deleted or encrypted including;
• SMS text messages
• Emails
• Call logs
• Contacts
• Documents, images and video
• Browsing history
• GPS location
Separately Disklabs also provides a Cell Site Analysis service that cross references call logs with readings from cell site masts to understand the location, movement and use of a mobile device.
Our mobile phone forensics services are used by a variety of clients.
Criminal Defence
We frequently support criminal defence solicitors in investigations and prosecutions.  Disklabs staff are often deployed to review and question evidence and act as expert witnesses.
Law Enforcement
Law enforcement agencies, such as Hi Tech Crime Units, use Disklabs’ capability to manage fluctuations in investigatory workloads.
Corporate Investigation
Disklabs conducts investigations into issues such as misuse of data and IP theft as well as providing precautionary advice and guidance to a variety of UK and multinational corporations.
For more information on how we can support you call us today on +44(0)1827 50000Â or use our contact form to let us know your requirements.
© Disklabs Ltd 2017
