The short answer I keep hearing is: You Can't!
Even though your cell phone shows all the classic signs of spyware, NYC forensic experts say they may NOT be able to positively confirm the presence of spyware on your cell phone or provide ANY details about the type of spyware being used.
Identifying the type of spyware is important because it reveals the sophistication of your adversaries. Did they buy a cheap parental monitoring program on the Internet or are they using NSA grade spyware?
I'm a whistleblower who is also engaged in a contentious family estate legal dispute against a brother who spent 20 years in Army intelligence and retains a top level security clearance. For me, determining the type of spyware being used is important.
Here's My Experience:
NYC Tech Lawyer - who assisted the defense in an Internet case. He said I might not find anything despite the symptoms and told me his brother had just gotten a Cellibrite system that could recover everything off my cell phone for $1,000. He couldn't describe the malware module and was not familiar with the recent Hacking Team breach.
Googling: NYC forensics cell phone
Large Manhattan Investigation Service Close to City Hall - I met with a senior manager who said his cell phone techs were out of the office. He sent me a proposal for $5,500 which he later WITHDREW saying it's very uncommon to find snooping malware on devices. He also said it is often impossible to determine how it was installed, much less whom may have done it.
Rockefeller Center Address (Long Island Office) - In an email the COO says: "It looks like the chances of finding the spyware are pretty slim because if there is anything there then it is probably in the code/programming of the phone but there is still a chance that Cellebrite and the others might find it, but then I’d have to know exactly what line or lines of code to look for."
"For the Blackberry we use Cellebrite, Oxygen Forensics Suite, Lantern Forensics, and Mobile Phone Examiner. We are using the latest release versions of all the software. As far as the procedure goes, we log in the evidence, then run it through each program one by one and search for what is requested. The end product that you will receive is the reports from each program either confirming or denying the existence of spyware/malware and our report."
The cost (verbal) is $900 with an additional $3,000 if JTAG is used.
NYC Virtual Forensics & E-Discovery - Talked to the head of forensics twice on the telephone who said the cost was $525 for a Cellibrite scan. I'm waiting for his SOW, Statement of Work proposal to hit my gmail describing what what they will do.
Large NYC Investigation Firm close to Grand Central - Waiting to meet with the principal who has been out on vacation.
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