Digital Forensics in Automobile Industry

Digital vehicle forensics is a fascinating field that involves recovering digital evidence stored in a vehicle’s modules, networks, and messages sent across operating systems. In this blog post we will further explore:

1. Definition and Purpose:
Digital vehicle forensics is a branch of digital forensics that involves recovering digital evidence or data stored in a vehicle’s modules, networks, and messages sent across operating systems. Its purpose is to provide evidence for criminal cases, root cause analysis, and accident investigations. Essentially, it’s like investigating a car’s digital footprint. [1]

2. Data Sources:
Almost all vehicles are equipped with on-board information systems.
The vehicle information system includes two parts: the vehicle information display system and the information communication system.

A) Vehicle Information Systems: Most vehicles have on-board information system is composed of three parts:
Vehicle condition monitoring components, monitors the working conditions of the engine, braking system, power supply system and sensors.
On-board computer, provides information on safety, fuel economy and passenger comfort.
Electronic instruments.
Among them, the status information of the vehicle’s operation can be obtained by observing the display of the dashboard, and the outside information needs to be obtained through the communication equipment in contact with the outside. [1]

B) Vehicles store various types of data that can be useful for forensics:
Car speed information
Accelerator/brake status
Location changed information.
Collision data
Communication logs
Entertainment system data

3. Investigation Process:
In digital vehicle forensics investigations, experts analyze electronic data from vehicles to uncover evidence related to accidents, crimes, or other incidents. Digital forensics investigators use specialized software (like Autopsy, Cellebrite) to extract and analyze data from vehicles.

Applications include traffic accident investigation, criminal case tracking, and vehicle management. The Event Data Recorder (EDR) and insurance black-box are two crucial automotive components for the forensic investigator. The EDR is continually recording information from the telematics and overwriting information about your journey. In case of accident or faults the recording is stored and the EDR data can be extracted. Some vehicles also have Video EDR’s which record footage from a camera on the dashboard. [3]


Sources:

1. https://www.salvationdata.com/knowledge/what-is-digital-vehicle-forensics/

2. https://taltech.ee/en/news/article-automotive-digital-forensics

3. https://taltech.ee/en/news/article-automotive-digital-forensics
   
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hashtag #DigitalForensics #AutomobileForensics #AutomotiveIndustry #CyberSecurity

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