Guidance Adds Forensic Support for the iPad

Guidance Software has added iOS support to its EnCase Neutrino forensic solution, giving digital investigators the ability to perform forensic analysis and e-discovery on the iPad, which represented almost 90 per cent of the media tablets shipped worldwide in 3Q10, according to IDC, as well as other popular Apple devices.

According to a November survey of 1,641 business information technology buyers, corporate use of tablet devices is set to double in the next three months. Despite the flood of new tablets hitting the market, the Apple iPad remains the overwhelming choice of business buyers going forward, with 78 per cent of respondents saying their company plans to buy iPads.

Guidance Software notes that the iPad, iPhone 4 and iPod touch frenzy on both the consumer and corporate fronts accelerates the need for law enforcement, security analysts and e-discovery specialists to review and collect forensic data from these devices. As a result, Guidance Software has expanded the mobile device support in the latest version of its EnCase Neutrino solution to help customers acquire critical data from these devices in a matter of minutes.

“As we do digital investigations, we’re encountering more Apple devices including iPads and iPhones,” says Detective Andy Kleinick, Officer-in-Charge at the Los Angeles Police Department, Computer Crimes Unit. “EnCase has been our primary digital forensics software for more than 10 years. By supporting these popular devices, Guidance Software will greatly assist my department in collecting and analysing these new forms of evidence through a court-vetted and effective tool.”

Andrew Hay, senior security analyst on the Enterprise Security Program for The 451 Group notes that few organisations allow the connection of personal computers to a corporate network but, for some reason, many are fine with allowing employees to bring personal smart phones into the office – some going so far as to allow wi-fi-capable devices to connect to the corporate wireless network.

“With this new support for iPhone and iPad, Guidance Software can help analysts using its products to overlay traditional forensic and incident response strategies to one of the most prolific mobile device architectures in use today,” says Hay.

Guidance Software’s EnCase Neutrino also supports acquisition on devices running Android 2.1 and 2.2. This includes popular Android models like the Motorola Droid series and the HTC Evo.