Experts Reveal The Mobile ‘Spy’ In Your Pocket

24 November 2008, 5:26pm

A mobile phone is now used by most people every day – but how many of us know how much they can reveal about what we’ve been doing and even where we are?

A leading expert in the field of mobile phone forensics – the hi-tech analysis of phones thought to have been used in criminal activity – will give a free talk on the subject at the Heap Lecture Theatre, at the University of Derby’s Kedleston Road site, at 6.30pm on Wednesday 3 December. Tea and coffee will be served on arrival

The lecture – What is your phone telling us about you? – will be given by Simon Steggles, of the Disklabs group of companies.

It is the latest in a series of free public talks hosted by the Derbyshire Information Security Consortium (DISC). The new group – part of the University’s School of Computing – is raising the profile of computer security with local companies, encouraging firms to offer computing students work placements to gain them real experience and inviting speakers to talk about the latest information technology innovations.

Harjinder Lallie – University of Derby Lecturer in Networks, Forensic Computing and Security – set up the DISC.

He said: “I think it would come as a real surprise to people just how much the innocent looking mobile phone in their pocket could tell another person about their life and movements.

“Ultimately, these talks are about making people more aware of IT security and the kind of help that DISC and the University can offer, particularly to small to medium-sized local firms without the resources to employ a full-time person to update their methods of guarding computer and other data.”

Simon will talk about Disklabs’ work in:

1. Retrieving phone data vital for criminal cases such as stored numbers, text messages, pictures, video and audio information;

2. Using a phone to establish the user’s general location when it was last used and even any overseas network providers that may have been used;

3. Giving expert testimony for prosecution and defence in court cases.

Former clients of the company based in Tamworth, Staffordshire, have included South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Dorset Police forces; the City of London authority, Mercedes-Benz and HBOS plc.

Simon said: “Mobile phone forensics is one of the fastest growing areas of digital forensics.

“I aim to give the audience examples of the kinds of evidence found on mobile phones that we have forensically worked on for many police forces throughout the country and overseas.

Simon’s talk is the third in a series hosted by DISC, with more to come. Previous speakers have included Robert Schifreen, the first person in the world to face a jury trial in connection with computer hacking, and John Walker, Managing Director of consultants Secure-Bastion Ltd, on the growth of electronic crime.

A list of forthcoming DISC talks is available at website www.derby.ac.uk/disc. Book places to attend through the website or by contacting Jenny Baldwin at the University of Derby, on 01332 591404 or email: j.baldwin@derby.ac.uk


For further information about the DISC group contact Harjinder Lallie on 01332 591731 or email: h.s.lallie@derby.ac.uk.

www.derby.ac.uk

Location Based Services and Privacy

GeoConnexion UK