Passe-Partout: A General Collection Methodology for Android Devices

Like computers, mobile devices are both used to commit and are the subject of crimes. Digital forensics collection and analysis techniques need to adapt to cope with the unique characteristics of mobile devices. Fortunately, the rapid adoption of such devices has also resulted in a relatively homogeneous set of software platforms. In this paper, we describe a general methodology for performing digital forensic data collection on Android-based devices. By re-purposing a special Android boot mode, comprehensive extraction of evidence, with minimal potential for data corruption or omission, is possible.