NEW MOBILE ‘PHONE-SHIELD’ SET TO IMPROVE POLICE PROSECUTION RATES

A new mobile phone faraday bag called the ‘Phone-Shield’, launched today by Tamworth-based Disklabs, is set to increase the ability of the police to successfully and cost-effectively prosecute in cases where mobile phone data comprises an essential element of evidence.

[UKPRwire, Sun Dec 16 2007] The new Phone-Shield has been designed by Disklabs to ensure that data on a suspect’s mobile phone can be investigated without that data being compromised when the phone connects to its relevant network. Disklabs used ACPO’s guidance on mobile phone seizure and examination as the blueprint for their design, and extensive subsequent testing has been successful in proving that the Phone-Shield successfully keeps suspects’ mobile phones secure from any incoming communications from the networks at the point of police capture, irrespective of the type of phone, frequency or network.
Not having the mobile phone switched on safeguards against network interference and ‘tainting’ but it also means that critical time and date stamps cannot be verified, leading to evidence captured being questioned in court. However, the ‘Faraday’ window on the Phone-Shield allows the police examiner to view the phone in a ‘Faraday’ condition, thus enabling an ‘immediate preview of evidence’.
Simon Steggles, MD of Disklabs, believes Phone-Shield will save police forces several hundred thousand pounds by transforming both the initial arrest process and subsequent prosecution approach. Simon explained: “Mobile phones are becoming increasingly associated with a number of street crimes, particularly violent crime involving several people or gangs where at least one person is tempted to video the crime on their mobile phone. In this scenario the traditional police approach would involve the entire group being taken to the police station and bailed whilst mobile phone evidence was examined. Using the new Phone-Shield, a police officer can place each suspect’s phone in a Faraday bag and search for any incriminating evidence without fear of it being compromised by connection to any network. Using the new Phone Shield however the process is transformed and the number of phones requiring expensive examination is drastically reduced, thus saving potentially hundreds of thousands of pounds per police force across a year. Furthermore, the reduction in unnecessary mobile phone investigations ensures that crimes are investigated considerably faster. In addition, the prospects for successful prosecution are increased because defending counsel will be less able to argue that mobile phone evidence has been tainted during examination through connection to a network.”

Disklabs believe that the new Phone Shied will speed up investigation times, and will save up to 80% of all mobile phones from needing an examination which would generally result in no relevant data found. In addition, suspects would not be able to hinder investigation by PIN or PUK locking their phone.

The Phone-Shield is re-usable and inexpensive, with purchase costs easily recovered by the use of the Shield for just a single examination, and of course by the fact that a much more expensive Faraday Cage will no longer be needed.



NOTES TO EDITORS

Disklabs (http://www.disklabs.com) is a company specialising in data recovery, RAID data recovery, computer forensics, mobile phone forensics and auditable data destruction. It is a European leader in Data Recovery and Computer Forensics services. With over 10 years experience in all aspect of data recovery and digital investigations, (including mobile phones, PDA’s, Blackberrys and satellite navigation devices), Disklabs has now developed a Faraday Bag for mobile phone forensics, as it found that there was a hole in most police forces evidence gathering procedures: ACPO State, (in their guide for ‘mobile phone seizure & examination’ within the Good Practice Guide for Computer-Based Electronic Evidence – Official Release Version the following:

a. Page 14 “If a device suspected of having WiFi or Bluetooth or mobile phone capability is recovered at the crime scene, investigators should consider placing the device in a shielded box, as per the principles for the seizure of mobile phones (see page 45).”
b. Page 49 “Place device in shielded container/bag”
c. Page 49 Use a shielded room - RECOMMENDED
d. Page 49 Use a shielded container/box
e. Page 50 Cables into the box must be fully shielded to prevent intrusion by network signals.
f. Page 54 Carefully package, seal and label so that accidental or deliberate operation of the keys or buttons is prevented. Consider use of shielded box/packaging.

All these points request that a shielded device is used for capturing mobile phone or PDA evidence. The KDG/1 Phone-Shield Faraday Bag by Disklabs was developed specifically for this reason.

Simon Steggles is a director of Disklabs and can be contacted for more information or interview on +44 1827 50000

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