A USA Today article from earlier this summer was just re-published on Officer.com, and it definitely grabbed my attention, given all the talk of iPhones and security lately.

Of course, a site called Officer.com would focus on police topics, and this one was about a growing area of forensics focused on the Apple smartphone. The police are increasingly becoming better versed with iPhone technology, especially since cell phones can be key in drug trafficking, and Apple’s brand is the most popular one.

Even before roughly 1.7 million customers nabbed the latest iPhone 4, Apple moved 50 million+ of its previous models. That’s an awful lot of people. And, say law-enforcement professionals, these devices are easier to mine for information — more so than Androids and BlackBerry phones. Part of this has to do with many users not really knowing how to securely wipe data off their phones.

Just think of it — for most iPhone owners, the handset is more than just for calling; it’s a productivity and total life management tool. That’s actually one of the benefits for everyday users. However, in illicit hands, all that functionality easily winds up documenting criminal activity.

While it’s true that pulling off call histories and texts have helped bust homicide cases wide open, there’s a myriad of other data, ripe for the picking.

Did you know:

• Whenever you close Google Maps, the device takes a screenshot of it and stashes it in your phone? (That’s certainly one way to bust a perp’s alibi.) But it’s not just the Maps app — your phone takes hundreds screenshots and saves them, often when you’re just switching from one app to another. Those screen grabs could reveal texts, emails and other things.
• iPhone photos are GEO-tagged and saved with identifying info? And authorities don’t have to grab your phone — if you post photos online, anyone could know where you took the pic as well as the serial number of the device that snapped it.
• Your browsing history gets stored? The purpose is direct targeted ads to you, but in the hands of the police, it could shed some serious light in an investigation.
• The virtual keyboard logs your keystrokes? There’s a keyboard cache, and the device saves what you type for autocorrection purposes. That cache isn’t extremely secure, so a pro with a little savvy could hack your phone and uncover months’ (or even a year’s) worth of what you typed — regardless of whether you deleted the associated email or text.
• Location services leaves a GPS record of where you’ve been? A lot of people use it for apps like Urbanspoon (to find nearby restaurants), but your locations are saved. In the hands of investigators, this can pin you to a particular time and place.
• Even if you’re careful to get rid of data, it may still be stored in a hidden “Recycling Bin” or “Trash” area? This may not come as any surprise to hackers, IT professionals and other tech-savvy users, but for many mainstream users, it can be quite a shock to know that deleted information isn’t really gone.

Phone information can prove really useful for a variety of investigations. According to one expert, “There are some terrorists out there who obtained some information about a network from an iPhone.” Another pro, a customs agent, hypothesizes about how the handset could crack a case:

“Let’s say you have a gang and somebody’s killed a gang member on the street. The killer takes a picture on his iPhone. … We as law enforcement may retrieve that image and might have proof not only of the death, but the time of death.”

Maybe you’re thinking, “Who cares? I’m not a criminal. I have nothing to fear.” But consider this: Aside from privacy concerns (in some states, it’s not even clear if a warrant is needed to search a phone, much less what kind of warrant), the fact that your info is readily available to anyone with some hackery know-how (or href="http://www.todaysiphone.com/2010/08/spy-stick-usb-accesses-iphones-deleted-data/" target="_self">this accessory) should make you extra vigilant about ever letting your iPhone out of your sight.

Via: href="http://www.officer.com/online/article.jsp?siteSection=1&id=54223" target="_blank">Officer.com

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