Digital forensic investigation of two-way radio communication equipment and services

Historically, radio-equipment has solely been used as a two-way analogue communication device. Today, the use of radio communication equipment is increasing by numerous organisations and businesses. The functionality of these traditionally short-range devices have expanded to include private call, address book, call-logs, text messages, lone worker, telemetry, data communication, and GPS. Many of these devices also integrate with smartphones, which delivers Push-To-Talk services that make it possible to setup connections between users using a two-way radio and a smartphone. In fact, these devices can be used to connect users only using smartphones. To date, there is little research on the digital traces in modern radio communication equipment. In fact, increasing the knowledge base about these radio communication devices and services can be valuable to law enforcement in a police investigation. In this paper, we investigate what kind of radio communication equipment and services law enforcement digital investigators can encounter at a crime scene or in an investigation. Subsequent to seizure of this radio communication equipment we explore the traces, which may have a forensic interest and how these traces can be acquired. Finally, we test our approach on sample radio communication equipment and services

Effects of Power Line Communication on Radio Communication Equipment

Radio communication is a wireless transfer of information via power cable by Power Line Communication (PLC) and its dissemination through radio communication equipment.. However, this information causes signal interference, noise and distortion with the power line communication. This work analyzed the effect of PLC on radio communication equipment by interconnecting two high-speed PLC modems communicating with a data rate of up to 250 Mbit/s using telephone distribution wiring for radio spectrum to reduce the interference radiation that emanates from a power line. The measurements were made using a reference antenna at a distance of 3 m from the power line. The peak field-strength values were measured and recorded in the 30-350 MHz frequency range in horizontal and vertical polarization. The result shows that interference radiation occurring at frequencies up to 305 MHz, includes the FM band as well as the Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) band. It is expected that as the data rate of high speed modems increases, a corresponding increase in the interference radiation occurs at frequencies above 300 MHz. To this regard, administrations should take all practicable and necessary steps to ensure that the operation of power and telecommunication distribution networks do not cause harmful interference to a radio communication service. Keywords: PLC, Radio Communication, Interference, Noise, Distortion, Communication Equipment, Field Strength, DAB DOI: 10.7176/JNSR/9-16-04 Publication date: August 31st 201

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Forensic Investigation Process: Dji Phantom 3 Drone As A Case Study

Drones (also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, UAVs) is a potential source of evidence in a digital investigation, partly due to their increasing popularity in our society. However, existing UAV/drone forensics generally rely on conventional digital forensic investigation guidelines such as those of ACPO and NIST, which may not be entirely fit_for_purpose. In this paper, we identify the challenges associated with UAV/drone forensics. We then explore and evaluate existing forensic guidelines, in terms of their effectiveness for UAV/drone forensic investigations. Next, we present our set of guidelines for UAV/drone investigations. Finally, we demonstrate how the proposed guidelines can be used to guide a drone forensic investigation using the DJI Phantom 3 drone as a case study

INVESTIGATIVE STUDY OF VOICE AND DATA COMMUNICATION OVER POWER LINE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

Communication is the transfer of information from one point to another over a channel. However, as technology is growing, more information is needed to be passed over large distances for the realization of the world being a global village. There is the need to place a reliable communication system that will transmit effortlessly both data and voice over a channel. Power Line Communication (PLC) also known as Broadband over Power Line (BPL) technology offers high speed and broadband communication services to homes connected to the power lines. This makes use of the electrical lines for transmission of data up to the last mile and there is no need of separating copper cables, short haul satellite systems, optical fibre cable and Wi-Fi. This work presented an overview of a voice and data communication over PLC in terms of the various types, equipment use, method of communication, application, regulatory activities on PLC and the challenges facing the implementation of power line for transmitting voice and data. Therefore, PLC is a viable alternative to all other methods of transmission as it is readily available and can be easily implemented in rural areas where other communication systems are not implemented for the transmission of voice and data communication. Keywords: Communication, Power Line Communication, Broadband over Power Line, Voice and Data Communication, Broadband over Power Line, Transmission, Electrical Line. DOI: 10.7176/MTM/9-8-03 Publication date: August 31st 201

Application-based Simulation on the Digital Trunking Radio Communication System to Predict the Area Coverage

A radio communication system (RCS) based on digital trunking of the digital mobile radio (DMR) type of Tier-III with any of the brands is installed, consisting of mobile radio devices, portable radio devices, repeater devices, devices antenna, and power supply device. The technical specifications for these types of equipment have been approved by institution-owned. This paper describes a radio communication system infrastructure based on a digital trunking RCS for predicting the area coverage for independent or private use. The research contributions of this study include (a) predicting the signal of area coverage of the repeater and radio devices and (b) observing results of communication performance on the DMR Tier-III Trunking radio communication system. Research methods for achieving research objectives, including five main parameters are required connectivity, the DMR application for predicting radio signal area coverage of the repeater system, and observation of the communication performance. Tuning on the repeater system include five conditions, while on radio equipment includes four conditions. Prediction and observation of the coverage area based on seven parameters as input. The simulation results are in the form of a screenshot with an area coverage of 140.938 kilometers. The observation of communication performance through dummy loads in the form of providing types of artificial condition calls. In general, after the research objectives are obtained, it is expected that the system is well connected

Digital Forensic Readiness: An Examination of Law Enforcement Agencies in the State of Maryland

Digital forensic readiness within the law enforcement community, especially at the local level, has gone mostly unexplored. As a result, a current lack of data exists that examines the digital forensic readiness of individual agencies, the possibility of proximity relationships, and correlations between readiness and backlogs. This quantitative, crosssectional research study sought to explore these issues by focusing on the state of Maryland. The study resulted in the creation of a digital forensic readiness scoring model that was then used to assign digital forensic readiness scores to thirty (30) of the one-hundred-forty-one (141) law enforcement agencies throughout Maryland. It was found that an agency’s proximity to a major resource center (hub) did not positively or negatively influence readiness. It was also found that agencies with higher digital forensic readiness scores may be more likely to exhibit backlogs as a result of external agency dependencies. It should be noted, however, that digital forensic readiness scores should not be viewed as a reliable predictive indicator for the existence of backlogs. These findings establish a baseline for the state of Maryland that can be used to monitor, sustain, or improve levels of digital forensic readiness within the state or in a broader national context; it has the potential of enhancing public safety and the field at large

Metodología de detección de intrusos para radios que utilizan protocolo radio móvil digital (DMR), que permitirá identificar ataques de denegación de servicios que afectan la disponibilidad en la transmisión de datos para empresas de seguridad privada

En los diferentes sectores empresariales tanto privados como públicos se deben escoger plataformas de comunicación que soporten las necesidades del medio, no sin antes priorizar y evaluar variables de suma relevancia en la parte técnica, gerencial y económica. Factores tales como el costo, respaldo de marca, disponibilidad del servicio y monitoreo se vuelven fundamentales a la hora de escoger la plataforma de comunicación. Luego de ser evaluadas estas variables en algunos casos son elegidas las tecnologías análogas ya que tienen ventajas de disponibilidad para el uso en infraestructuras críticas o son usadas en forma común las tecnologías más propagadas u económicas como la telefonía celular GSM, sin considerar que estas últimas pueden colapsar ante eventos naturales o incidentes por saturación. Específicamente los sectores críticos de seguridad privada y pública se apropian de las tecnologías análogas por radio frecuencia conocidas como las comunicaciones por RF; las cuales tienen un índice muy alto de consumo e implementación en el mercado por la alta disponibilidad que ofrecen sobre diferentes agentes externos adversos. Cabe decir que este tipo de tecnologías están limitadas (en la mayoría de los casos) a solo recibir y entregar mensajes de voz. Dentro de la tecnología RF existen muchos estándares los cuales vienen tomando fuerza para los radios digitales que son tendencia en la actualidad y que permiten soportar gran cantidad de servicios adicionales que aumentan la productividad, divididos en una capa de voz y otra capa de datos sobre la misma infraestructura y transmitidas por una sola cadena de conexión. Uno de los estándares que toma importancia y toma los principios mencionados es el protocolo Radio Móvil Digital DMR, diseñado por la ETSI en 2005. Las comunicaciones por DMR admiten el envío de datos heredando las vulnerabilidades conocidas del espacio radioeléctrico y de TCP/IP que pueden ser atacados, vulnerados y explotados afectando la disponibilidad de estos servicios complementarios. La investigación está estructurada por capítulos, primero se abordará el contexto de la tesis, luego el estado del arte, seguidamente un marco teórico, luego la caracterización de servicios y tecnologías implicadas dentro del protocolo, después se realizará un análisis de riesgos sobre los servicios/tecnologías previamente listadas y por último se expondrá la metodología orientada a la detección de DoS sobre comunicaciones DMR. Siguiendo los pasos de la metodología se podrá detectar intrusos y tratar ataques tipo DoS que afecten la disponibilidad dentro de la cadena de conexión del protocolo DMRIn the different business sectors, both private and public, communication platforms must be chosen that support the needs of the medium, but not before prioritizing and evaluating highly relevant variables in the technical, managerial and economic areas. Factors such as cost, brand support, service availability and monitoring become fundamental when choosing the communication platform. After evaluating these variables, in some cases analogous technologies are chosen because they have availability advantages for use in critical infrastructures or the most widespread or economic technologies such as GSM cellular telephony are used in common, without considering that the latter can collapse before natural events or saturation incidents. Specifically, the critical sectors of private and public security appropriate the analogous radio frequency technologies known as RF communications; which have a very high rate of consumption and implementation in the market due to the high availability they offer on different adverse external agents. It should be noted that this type of technology is limited (in most cases) to only receive and deliver voice messages. Within RF technology there are many standards which are gaining strength for digital radios that are currently trending and that allow to support a large number of additional services that increase productivity, divided into a layer of voice and another layer of data on the same infrastructure and transmitted by a single connection string. One of the standards that takes importance and takes the mentioned principles is the Mobile Digital DMR protocol, designed by the ETSI in 2005. The DMR communications support the sending of data inheriting the known vulnerabilities of the radioelectric space and TCP / IP that can be attacked, violated and exploited affecting the availability of these complementary services. The research is structured by chapters, first the context of the thesis will be addressed, then the state of the art, then a theoretical framework, then the characterization of services and technologies involved in the protocol, then a risk analysis will be performed on the services / previously listed technologies and finally the methodology aimed at detecting DoS over DMR communications. Following the steps of the methodology, it will be possible to detect intruders and to deal with DoS attacks that affect availability within the DMR protocol connection chainMagister en Seguridad Informátic