Relativity - Capturing the Value of Mobile Data

Insights for Litigation and Investigations Reviews

Reviewing data capture in a holistic way and transforming mobile data into understandable formats, inevitably saves time and costs. For litigation and investigations, this valuable evidence is not collected as much as it should be. Using Relativity, Kelly Czurajewski and Scott Gillard explore some of the technical challenges, identify tips and provide simple solutions to capture value from mobile data.

With the majority of Australians (89%) owning a mobile phone1 and many working from home, the use of mobile devices is part of everyday life. For litigation and investigations, this valuable evidence is not collected as regularly as it could be. We explore some of the technical challenges, identify quick techniques and provide simple solutions to uncover the value of mobile data.

It is generally accepted that mobile devices contain valuable data. Yet, why is it that these devices are less frequently collected in litigation and investigations as compared with traditional data sources, like email servers and computers?

Considering how our smartphones have become an essential part of our lives and an intrinsic element in our working days, mobile data is still an after-thought when it comes to collecting potential sources of relevant information. More and more, parties are no longer able to turn a blind eye towards this valuable source of evidence.

The challenges with mobile devices are two-fold: the challenge of getting access to the mobile device and the technical challenge of the extraction and presentation of the data found on the device.