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How-to-know-if-someone-mute-you-on-Telegram

7 Easy Ways to Know If Someone Muted You on Telegram [2022]

How to / May 8, 2023

If you’ve been muted on Telegram, there are some tell-tale signs you can look out for to find out.

The Telegram mute action hides pop-up notifications. This means that the person will not be notified of your incoming messages.

However, all of your sent messages will still be visible when the person opens the Telegram app. So it’s up to them to decide if they want to read them.

Also read: How to know if someone muted you on Whatsapp

Table Of Contents

How Do You Know If Someone Has Muted Your Telegram Messages?

How Do You Know If Someone Has Muted Your Telegram Messages?

Here are the seven (7) ways you can use to see if someone has muted your Telegram messages.

1. Presence of pop-up message notification

telegram-notification-message-pop-up-mute

Be present while the target phone is being used, such as when it is set down on a desk.

Make sure you are close enough to feel the phone vibrate and that you can see the screen of the phone.

Now, send your Telegram message to the target phone.

Observe if the phone has any notification rings when you send the message.
Even if you are not being muted, your Telegram messages should have a visual pop-up notification on their screen.

Observation

You are likely to be muted if there are no visual pop-up notifications of your message.

2. Observing too many unread messages

telegram-notification-too-many-messages-unread-mute

A double-tick beside your sent message indicates the “read” state in Telegram settings. This suggests that the recipient has received and read your message.

Since they are not immediately informed when someone mutes your Telegram chat, a sizable portion of your delivered messages are frequently “unread.”

The person may continue to use Telegram as usual, as they will still be notified of incoming messages from other people who are not muted.
Your message will eventually be “read” when that person decides to review it. In this case, you can see that all sent, but “unread” messages become “read” at the same time.

Observation

Observe if your messages often get delayed “read,” and a significant portion of them get “read” at the same time.

3. Send a Test message (e.g. using tempting or urgent content)

send-tempting-urgent-curious-message-as-testing-if-muted-telegram

Our goal here is to test in real-time if the person has muted their Telegram message.

If the person doesn’t reply to you in a reasonable amount of time, there is a high chance that they have muted you.

The closer you are physically to the person, the better the results. For example, if your girlfriend’s Telegram messages remain “unread” even though she checks her phone regularly, you’re muted.

Observation

Send a tempting, curious or even urgent message to the person, and give it reasonable time for a reply.

4. Analysis of Last Seen Timestamp

telegram-last-seen-recently-muted-timestamp-analysis

It would help if you compared the timestamp of your message to the recipient’s most recent sighting.

If you sent a Telegram message an hour ago, and the recipient’s last saw timestamp was recent, but your message is still listed as “unread,” you may have been muted.

Observation

The person’s last seen timestamp was very recent on Telegram, but your messages remain “unread” for hours or longer.

5. Mute Duration

telegram-mute-notifications-configure-duration-options

Currently, there are four (4) mute durations available in Telegram.

1 hour
8 hours
Mute for 2 days
Disable

The <Disable> option is a permanent mute duration until the person un-mutes it.

Sometimes the best thing to do is wait til the mute duration is over and hope you aren’t muted permanently.

After the muting duration has passed, your Telegram messages will return to normal, and the other person will receive your message notifications again.

Observation

Wait for the mute duration to expire since it can be set to 1 hour, 8 hours or 2 days.

6. Presence of Mute Icon

You can take the phone, open Telegram, and check to see if the “Mute” icon appears next to your name.

You are muted if you see this icon (see the image above).

To unmute yourself, long-press your name and click on the ringtone icon on the top menu.

7. Use Telegram Calling

This applies to both Telegram’s voice and video calling features.

When you initiate a Telegram call, the other party will be notified (unless they specifically set it to <Nobody> under the Calls option in Settings)

Even if you are muted, the Telegram audio/video call will be sent to that person’s phone, and they will have to accept or decline your call.

Conclusion

Make a Telegram Voice call to the person.

If this is not picked up, there will still be a pop-up notification on the phone screen.

Your Telegram messages are more likely to be read now that the recipient has been notified.

7 Easy Ways to Know If Someone Muted You on Telegram [2022] Read More »

How-do-you-know-if-Someone-Muted-Your-Whatsapp-Message

7 Easy Ways to Know If Someone Muted You on Whatsapp [2022]

How to / May 8, 2023

When you are being muted on Whatsapp, there are several signs you can look out for to know this.

The mute action on WhatsApp makes the pop-up notification disappear, meaning that the person will not be notified of your income messages.

However, all your sent messages will remain visible when they open their Whatsapp. So it is up to them to decide if they want to read them.

Also read: How to know if someone muted you on Telegram

Table Of Contents

How Do You Know If Someone Has Muted Your WhatsApp Messages?

How Do You Know If Someone Has Muted Your WhatsApp Messages?

Here are the seven (7) signs you can use to see if someone has muted your Whatsapp messages.

1. Presence of pop-up message notification

Be physically near the person and the target phone, for example, when it is placed on a desk. Make sure you can visually see the phone screen and close enough to detect if the phone is vibrating.

Now, send your WhatsApp message to the target phone.

Observe if the phone has any notification rings when you send the message.

Even if you are not being muted, your Whatsapp messages should have a visual pop-up notification on their screen.

Observation

You are likely to be muted if there are no visual pop-up notifications of your message.

2. Observing too many unread messages

In Whatsapp settings, a double-tick (grey or blue) equates to the “read” status. This means your message has been delivered and read by the person.

When someone mutes your WhatsApp message, a good chunk of your sent messages are often “unread” since the person does not get notified in real-time.

The person is likely to be using Whatsapp as usual since they still get notified of incoming messages from others they did not mute.

Your messages will eventually get “read” once the person decides to check them out. When this happens, you will notice that all your sent, but “unread” messages will get “read” at the same time.

Observation

Observe if your messages often get delayed “read,” and a big portion of them get “read” at the same time.

3. Sending a tempting or urgent message

whatsapp-send-temping-curious-urgent-fake-message

The aim here is to test whether the person has muted your Whatsapp messages in real-time.

If the person did not reply to you in a reasonable time, you could be sure that they had muted you.

The results will be better if you are physically near the person. For example, if the person checks their phone regularly, but your Whatsapp messages remain ” unread”, you have been muted.

Observation

Send a tempting, curious or even urgent message to the person, and give it reasonable time for a reply.

4. Analysis of Last Seen Timestamp

You need to observe the timestamp of your sent message versus the last seen timestamp of the person.

If you had already sent your Whatsapp message an hour ago and the last seen timestamp of the person was recently, but yet your message remains “unread”, this is an indicating sign of you being muted.

Observation

The person’s last seen timestamp was very recent on Whatsapp, but your messages remain “unread” for hours or longer.

5. Mute Duration

Currently, there are three (3) mute durations available in Whatsapp.

8 hours
1 week
Always

Sometimes the best way is to wait it out and hope it is not muted to “Always” (permanent).

After the mute duration, your Whatsapp messages will return to normal, and the person will receive your message notification.

Observation

Wait for the mute duration to expire since it can be set to 8 hours or 1 week.

6. Presence of Mute Icon

Depending on your situation, you can take the phone, open Whatsapp, and see if this “Mute” icon is next to your name (see image above).

This icon means you are being muted.

To unmute yourself, press the three dots menu on the top-right and select <Unmute notifications>.

7. Use Whatsapp Calling

whatsapp-missed-voice-call-muted-notifications

This applies to both Whatsapp Voice and Video calling features.

The person will get notified when you start a Whatsapp call to them.

Even if you are being muted, your Whatsapp voice/video call will get through to the person’s phone, and the person will have to either pick up or reject your call.

Conclusion

Give the person a Whatsapp Voice call. If this is not picked up, there will still be a pop-up notification on the phone screen.

The chances of your Whatsapp messages getting read now are high since the person is notified.

7 Easy Ways to Know If Someone Muted You on Whatsapp [2022] Read More »

7 Best Database Forensics Software Tools [Recover Deleted]

Best of / May 8, 2023

Many of our data records are stored in database management systems (DBMS) and in the event of a mishap or data breach or theft incident, there is both a legal and technical requirement need to adopt a database forensics investigation process using specialized tools to carefully uncover what had happened.

Most of the common DBMS are;

MySQL
Oracle
PostgresSQL
Microsoft SQL Server
MongoDB

Before we look at Database Forensics, we have to understand what is Digital forensics. it is a scientific application of analysing digital evidence, mainly used in a court of law and has several sub-disciplines such as cloud forensics, mobile phone forensics, etc.

Digital forensics is not to be confused with the concept of data recovery, although both are similar in many ways. Forensics, as a whole, is used for investigation purposes.

What is Database Forensics?

Database forensics is a sub-field of the digital forensics discipline that deals with the preservation, extraction, analysis and presentation of digital evidence and findings.

With scientific forensics in mind, it is often used in litigation, criminal investigation and organisational inquiry purposes. However, it can also be used as a specialized database extraction skill to query the database and find out what happened.

Examiners using database forensics tools can expect to be looking more in-depth, such as analysing file metadata, record timestamps, database artefacts and system artefacts.

Which are the Best Database Forensics Software?

Here are the seven (7) BEST Database Forensics software tools that you can use to analyse and recover deleted database entries.

1. DB Browser for SQLite

Popular among users and developers who want to create, search and edit databases compatible with SQLite, DB Browser for SQLite is a free, lightweight open-source tool with a clean interface.

The database software supports Windows, macOS and Linux operating systems. One prominent feature of this tool is the ability to export multiple tables to CSV, all in a single group, to analyse together.

Suitable for database forensics, the program comes with a Windows portable app version that does not require installation. You can run this program from an external USB flash drive when examining computer systems.

Some of the useful features are;

Create and compact database files
Create, define, modify and delete tables
Import and export tables from/to CSV files
Import and export databases from/to SQL dump files
Examine a log of all SQL commands issued by the application
Plot simple graphs based on table or query data

2. Database Forensic Analysis System

database-forensic-analysis-system-tool-software

Database Forensic Analysis System is a commercial software that supports multiple relational and non-relational databases such as Oracle, SQLite, MySQL, mongoDB, redis and Cassandra.

The database forensic software assist in resolving the problems about the deleted /corrupted/fragmented database files, false file system, restriction of application system accessibility, etc.

Some of the main features include;

Unrestricted Accessibility to the database files – no need for password or account info from the application system
Extraction and Recovery for the normal/deleted/damaged database files – e.g. tables, views, triggers
Multiple Analysis Functions – e.g. .keyword searching, SQL statement query, visual connection analysis
Patent File Craving Technology – extract, analyze and reorganize the fragmented database files

3. Forensic Toolkit for SQLite

Forensic-toolkit-for-SQLite-database-software-tool

This commercial forensic software suite is a must-have for any forensic investigators to make the tasks of recovering SQLite records from disk, image and database simpler.

The Forensic Toolkit for SQLite is a suite of three (3) comprehensive software tools namely;

The Forensic Browser for SQLite
Forensic Recovery for SQLite
SQLite Forensic Explorer

It is an investigative tool designed to show every single byte of an SQLite database, journal or WAL file along with its decoded data. It is also an forensic tool to aid in the recovery of databases, tables and records.

Some of the features include;

examining unused spaces in tables and indexes,
viewing how each record in encoded and stored in a table or index,
exploring the free list and every page within it
Overview of the type and content of the database, which can be SMS, passwords or any other valuable evidence

4. Log Analyzer for SQL

Stellar-Log-Analyzer-for-MySQL-database-forensics-software-tool

This commercial forensic tool was designed specifically for database administrators to analyze log files transactions of MySQL Server databases and recover deleted transaction logs.

Log Analyzer for SQL scans the forensic details of Redo, General, and Binary logs to identify abnormalities in the MySQL database.

The forensic tool helps you preview the type of transaction (insert, delete, and update), the time of the transaction, the name of the transaction, and the table name involved in the query.

Some of the features include;

Saving of logs in multiple formats, such as MySQL, CSV, HTML, and XLS format.
Date filters on log transactions and log transaction data to analyze the data for a particular time period
Option to save log report of the MySQL log file analysis process

5. SQLite Forensics Explorer

SQLite-Forensic-Explorer_database-software-tool

SQLite forensics explorer is designed for investigators and administrators to restore lost and deleted databases and exporting these entries in different formats.

The forensic tool reveals the intention of the user who deletes the database records by not only recovering the deleted data but also highlights the data which is deleted or secure deleted.

Some of the main features are;

Sort data with colour schema – different colours for normal data, deleted data, unallocated data, etc
Manage multiple custodians
Recover associated journal files
Indexing of SQLite databases for further investigation or judicial proceeding
Mutiple options for export, e.g. csv/pdf

6. SQLite Viewer

Foxton forensics has a free tool called SQLite Viewer that is used for inspecting the contents of SQLite databases.

The forensic software has a database searcher that automatically load all SQLite databases from folder and subfolders. Images are stored in the database are also automatically extracted and viewable by examiners in the built-in gallery interface.

SQLite Viewer has a hex viewer to examine BLOBs and export them to a file for further analysis.

7. dbResponder

dbResponder-database-forensics-software-tool

dbResponder is a free, SQL Server forensics tool that is capable of automated preservation and advanced analysis of database artefacts.

The forensic tool is useful for data breaches preparation & response and is developed by Kevvie Fowler who is a partner and National Cyber Response leader for KPMG.

The software can acquire database artefacts from a single or multiple SQL servers. All artefacts collected are forensically preserved with timestamps, metadata and hashes.

7 Best Database Forensics Software Tools [Recover Deleted] Read More »

5 Terminal Commands to Clean & Speed Up Your MacBook Daily

How to / May 8, 2023

There are certain routine habits you can do to clean your Mac device and to boost its performance.

All these can be done simply using command lines and inserting them into your Mac Terminal app.

Learning to use command lines are very useful as graphical user interface (GUI) can change when software versions get a major upgrade, however the command lines are always the same.

Search for “Terminal” and open the app to begin.

Table Of Contents

How to Clean and Speed Up macOS Using the Terminal Command line?
Optional Steps

How to Clean and Speed Up macOS Using the Terminal Command line?

Here are the five (5) easy Mac terminal command lines you can use to clean and speed up your macOS device.

1. Clear up RAM memory

For every application we use and every system process that is running, they are stored in the Random Access Memory (RAM) of your MacBook.

Even when they are not active at the moment, they are still stored as inactive RAM. In short, they are still taking up space in your RAM.

Freely up these inactive RAM can smooth up your Macbook performance significantly. To do so, use this command in Terminal.

sudo purge

2. Flush DNS Cache

DNS Cache stores all the IP addresses of the websites you visited.

You may encounter 404 error code when visiting certain webpages. This may be caused by the location of the web server changes before the entry of your DNS cache updates.

Regularly flush your DNS Cache so that you always get the latest nameservers and ensure all websites you visit are working fine.

To do this, use this command in Terminal.

sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder;

3. Clear user log files

macOS keeps certain logs files in their system and these background logs are mainly for crash reports and error reporting purposes.

The more you use your MacBook, the more log files you have.

Removing these logs files regularly can significantly clean up your macOS performance and free up more disk space.

To do so, use this command in Terminal.

cd ~/Library/Logs
sudo rm -rf ~/Library/Logs/*

4. Remove System Logs

Apple periodically clean this up automatically and these system log files occur from previous system upgrades and updates. However sometimes it can get really big in size, e.g. 10GB.

It is a good practice to clear them regularly. To do this, use this command in Terminal.

sudo rm -rf /private/var/log/*

5. Restart your Mac regularly

Mac users usually do not reboot their Mac computers because it is easier to just close the laptop lid when you are using the Macbook.

However, Mac devices are computers and they need a fresh reboot and restart once a while.

As a good practice of habit, try to restart your Mac computer once a week. The entire rebooting and restarting should only take a minute or so.

To reboot, use this command in Terminal.

sudo shutdown -r now

Optional Steps

Empty your Trash regularly

Trash can contain large gigabytes of files over a period of time. Freeing up the space will increase your storage capacity, as well as reducing your system resources.

Select on the Trash icon on your Dock and click <Empty>.

Update to the latest macOS version

It is important to keep your system up-to-date with the latest version to protect your computer from vulnerbitilies as well as getting the latestest features.

Try to search for any new updates once a month. To do so, use this command in Terminal.

softwareupdate -l

Uninstall Unwanted Applications

Always check your installed application regularly and make sure you un-install those that you no longer need.

These unwanted applications take up storage space and take up system resources at times, especially those operate in the background and uses your system resources all the time.

To un-install application from your Mac computer, go to Finder and select <Applications>, right-click on the unwanted application and click <Move to Trash>.

Install CleanMyMac X

Probably the most convenient Mac cleaning tool with lots of positive reviews, CleanMyMac X is a easy & automated cleaning utility for your Mac device that helps you remove system junk and speed up your system resources.

The software looks into your system files, photos, emails, iTunes, analyze large and old files automatically and reports back to you on its suggestion. The user ultimately decides which to clean and which to retain, based on the software’s recommendations.

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Digital-Forensics_vs_Data_Recovery_differences

Data Recovery vs Digital Forensics: 7 Differences Explained

Compare / May 8, 2023

Within digital forensics tools, a certain amount of data recovery features are built into them. However, it cannot contain every data recovery capability, and digital forensics is not the same as data recovery.

So how do you choose Digital Forensics over Data Recovery?

This article will cover all the differences and intended uses for each method.

Table Of Contents

What is the difference between Digital Forensics and Data Recovery?
FAQ

What is the difference between Digital Forensics and Data Recovery?

Here are the seven (7) key differences between them.

1. Admissibility in a Court of Law

This is probably the most important difference between the two.

When you use digital forensics methodology and tools to extract data from electronic devices, the data can become useful digital evidence for criminal investigation cases and even corporate crime investigations, e.g. checks into employee misconduct, data leaks, etc.

If you want to introduce digital evidence in court, use digital forensics methodology and tools.

For data recovery, this is used frequently by those who really need to find back lost files, e.g. old photo memories. In-depth file reconstruction can be performed and requires time to restore back.

If you want to recover important files that have been deleted, overwritten or lost, use the data recovery method.

2. Changes to the Data / Files

In terms of their content and metadata, file changes when they get copied, opened, printed or edited.

Digital forensics preserves the integrity of the data extracted from the device. This means all the files in the device are intact, and there is no contamination made to these files. Therefore, no changes, including metadata changes, are introduced.

Files remain the same as the last time it was used.

Data recovery will make changes to the files since they had to be copied and data craved to uncover previously deleted content or versions.

The act of data carving will also overwrite certain portions of the disk space, thus making changes to the disk-allocated or unallocated space.

3. Angle of Focus

In digital forensics, one tends to be more interested in system & app artefacts such as the computer’s login date/time, the list of websites one visits, the last edit date of the document, and the timeline of all events on the device, etc. These findings can incriminate vs exculpate someone.

In data recovery, one will be more interested in recovering deleted, overwritten, hidden and lost files. Often, the technique of data carving will be used to “carve” out the lost file from the disk partition. However, this process usually takes a long time and can take a few days, depending on the storage capacity and size of the hard drive.

4. Methodology used

This refers to the difference in steps and processes involved in achieving the output.

The methodology used in digital forensics involves the four (4) steps shown in the table below.

Steps	Digital Forensic Stage/s	Comments
1	Collection	The proper seizure procedure of devices to prevent physical damage and file contamination
2	Preservation	The forensic process of acquiring (imaging) a forensic image of the device
3	Analysis	The examination stage to uncover any inculpatory or exculpatory digital evidence using digital forensic tools
4	Presentation	Explaining the forensic findings, typically presented in a court of law when used by law enforcement agencies

For data recovery, there are four (4) phases, namely;

Phase 1: Repairing the hard drive
Phase 2: Imaging the hard drive
Phase 3: Logical recovery of the files, partitions, Master Boot Record and filesystem structures
Phase 4: Repair damaged files

5. Hardware & Software Tools used

There are differences in both the hardware and software used.

Digital forensics uses physical write-blockers to ensure the imaging of the data is always in read-only mode. This prevents any accidental writing to the device. The software used is different as well.

The software used is also different. For example, mobile forensics uses software like Cellebrite UFED and Oxygen Forensic tools, while cloud forensics uses software like Magnet AXIOM.

Data recovery uses hard drive diagnosis equipment to check disk health and attempt disk repair. Examples of software tools used are; Recuva for Android devices, Dr Fone for iOS devices and PhotoRec for mass storage devices like memory cards and USB flash drives.

6. Specialized Learning & Courses

In digital forensics, you need to learn how to use commercial forensics tools, either through employment or open-source forensics tools like Autopsy or SIFT Workstation.

Besides learning about file systems (e.g. NTFS, FAT, Android) and operating systems (e.g. macOS, Windows), you can expect to get hands-on on dismantling computer parts, especially taking out hard drives from laptops.

For data recovery, you need to learn the internal mechanisms of hard disk operations and the newer solid-state drives (SSDs). You can expect some hands-on in dismantling computer parts as well.

7. Seeking Professional Help

Although digital forensics is mainly a law enforcement capability for criminal offences, there are more and more private sector companies performing digital forensics for the public. Digital evidence can now be used in civil cases, matrimony cases, etc.

You can easily look for a digital forensics company online. In addition, the big four (4) accounting firms also have their own in-house digital forensics team.

Data recovery companies, on the other hand, are plenty to choose from. Choose someone who can differentiate between digital forensics and data recovery and be honest in their pricing and waiting time.

If your hard drive is spoilt and undetectable, expect to pay a higher price due to disk repair procedures.

FAQ

Can digital forensics recover deleted, overwritten and lost files?

Using digital forensics tools, there are some data recovery features in it.

Depending on the seriousness of overwritten data, it is sometimes possible to reconstruct back a part of the file. For example, an image JPEG file can be partially reconstructed if certain portions of its data are intact and not overwritten.

On the other hand, this cannot apply to file types like PDF, where the whole data needs to be intact before reconstruction can happen.

Therefore, if a file is deleted but not yet overwritten by other files, there is a high chance of recovery.

Can encryption be detected using digital forensics or data recovery methods?

Encryption can be detected using digital forensics tools, such as OpenText EnCase. These encrypted files/folders will be flagged as encrypted compound files. The correct password will still be needed to unzip, mount or decrypt it.

Data recovery methods cannot detect the presence of encryption files or folders.

Can you permanently delete data so that digital forensics and data recovery methods cannot recover it back?

Yes, this is possible. Take, for instance, using a typical hard disk drive or a USB flash drive. You can use a command line or Minitool Partition Wizard to zero out your disk once.

Data Recovery vs Digital Forensics: 7 Differences Explained Read More »

Best-cloud-forensics-social-media-extraction-software

5 BEST Cloud Forensics & Social Media Extraction Tools

Best of / May 8, 2023

Data in the cloud (e.g. Google Drive, iTunes, webpages, social media sites) are constantly prone to changes or deletion. Therefore, cloud forensics is often referred to as taking a snapshot of the data at that moment in time.

Therefore it is important to use proper cloud forensic software to collect and preserve this digital evidence.

Cloud forensics tools are especially important if you use them for law enforcement cases (criminal offences) or corporate crime investigations, e.g. checks into employee misconduct, data leaks, etc.

Cloud data can be very useful where evidence no longer resides on local storage, e.g. computers & mobile phones, due to deletion or overwriting.

Sub-disciplines of digital forensics include mobile forensics, memory forensics and many more.

What do I need to perform cloud forensics and social media extraction?

You will still need the following;

The correct login credentials and authentication token for the software to gain access to the account and begin cloud extraction.
A clean computer, preferably with a wired connection (stable connection) and enough storage space (for the extracted cloud data)

What are the Best Cloud Forensics and Social Media Extraction Tools?

These are the five (5) cloud forensics and social media extraction that collect cloud data in a forensically-sound manner and can be used in a court of law as digital evidence.

Table Of Contents

What do I need to perform cloud forensics and social media extraction?
What are the Best Cloud Forensics and Social Media Extraction Tools?

1. Oxygen Forensic® Cloud Extractor

Best-Cloud-Forensics-Social-Media-Extraction

Founded in 2000, Oxygen Forensics is a Russian company headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia and provides mobile forensics capabilities to law enforcement, federal agencies and enterprises.

The digital forensic tool has had a built-in feature called Cloud Extractor since 2014, which acquires data from popular cloud storage and cloud email providers. Gmail, Google Drive, OneDrive, iTunes, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and many more are some of them.

With the extracted cloud data, Cloud Extractor provides additional analytic features, e.g. Timeline (data in a chronological manner), Social Links (frequently communicated parties) and Image Categorization (sorting of images using built-in AI).

Cloud Support & Features

Supports over 100+ cloud services
Acquisition from Google, iCloud, Microsoft cloud services, popular SaaS offerings like Dropbox & Box and social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, etc
Cloud access via various authorization methods, support 2FA and data decryption
Allow users to configure proxy settings for each cloud service

2. X1 Social Discovery

x1-social-discovery-media-extraction-cloud-forensics

XI Social Discovery is a case-centric workflow platform that enables users to correctly capture web content while maintaining data preservation and retaining metadata values.

The social media extraction tool collects and searches data from social networks and online web pages.

Unlike the traditional method of manual webpage exporting and taking screenshots, XI Social Discovery collects the web data, allows users to search & analyse them and aggregates all these data into a single user interface.

Cloud Support & Features

Support data types from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Webpages, Gmail and many more
Reporting feature based on filter and data extraction
Data is forensically-sound in the process of cloud extraction
Patented web page authentication

3. Magnet AXIOM: Cloud Forensics

Magnet AXIOM offers a comprehensive solution for lawfully recovering and analyzing cloud-based evidence in various ways from suspects, victims, witnesses, and publicly available cloud sources, e.g. social media and webpages.

The social media and cloud extraction tool allow users to extract, recover, analyze and report on their cloud evidence and open-source intelligence (OSINT) data in one single case interface.

Cloud Support & Features

Support cloud extraction from over 50+ cloud services
Ability to import Warrant Returns formats from Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
Support ingestion of user-generated archive files from Facebook and Google (e.g. Google Takeout)
Gain access to cloud account via login credentials and 3rd party tokens and keychains

4. Cellebrite UFED Cloud

cellebrite-ufed-cloud-forensics-social-media-extraction

Since entering the mobile forensics industry in 2007, Cellebrite UFED has been the major player in this field for many years.

Cellebrite is an Israeli digital intelligence company focusing mainly on extracting data from mobile devices. The company has several offices across the world, including Washington D.C, Germany and Singapore.

One of Cellebrite’s product, the UFED Cloud, allow users to collect, preserve and analyze popular cloud services, social media data, instant messaging apps, web pages and many more.

Cloud Support & Features

Support over 50+ popular cloud services and social media sites
Lawful access to time-sensitive online evidence using cloud forensics methodology
Ability to import extracted cloud data into the UFED Digital Intelligence platform for further review and analysis
Ability to visualise data in a unified format, e.g. timeline format and maps format

5. MSAB XRY Cloud

MSAB is a Swedish company that specialises in using forensic technology for mobile device examination and analysis. The company’s main product is the XRY, their flagship mobile forensics software for extracting mobile data.

The company has a separate component product called the XRY Cloud, which is used to perform cloud forensics. XRY cloud can be used as a standalone tool or as part of the complete MSAB ecosystem suite of tools.

XRY Cloud offers two (2) modes of cloud extraction. First is the automatic mode, which requires the device to have online access to extract the app token, e.g. Facebook token. The second mode uses the usual login credentials (ID/password) and does not require the device’s presence.

Cloud Support & Features

Support over 50+ cloud services
Cloud extraction from Whatsapp, Snapchat, iCloud, Facebook, Google services, etc
Use of Cloud Tokens to gain access if login credentials cannot be obtained

Digital Forensics vs Data Recovery: Key Differences Compared

5 BEST Cloud Forensics & Social Media Extraction Tools Read More »

Best-Mobile-Forensics-Tools-Phone-Extraction

5 BEST Mobile Phone Forensics Tools [Evidence Extraction]

Best of / May 8, 2023

Digital Forensics is an application of science to collecting, preserving, analysing, and presenting digital data. Mobile Forensics is a sub-branch under the scope of digital forensics, and it specializes solely in the forensic extraction of mobile devices (smartphones).

There are other sub-disciplines as well, such as cloud forensics, memory forensics and many more.

To examine a mobile device, one needs to overcome and understand the various types of chipsets used (e.g. MTK, Exynos, Snapdragon), the operating system (Android, iOS), the connectivity ports (e.g. USB Type-C), software security version, encryption used, etc.

Commercial tools largely dominate most of the mobile forensics software used in this industry. However, these companies invested heavily into the research & development (R&D) of gaining access to modern-day phones, developing support for thousands of mobile apps and parsing them nicely in an intuitive interface for their users.

What are the Best Mobile Forensics Tools?

Here are the five (5) best mobile forensics software tools used by law enforcement and private organisations worldwide.

1. Cellebrite UFED

cellebrite-ufed-mobile-forensics-extraction-ufed4pc

Since entering the mobile forensics industry in 2007, Cellebrite UFED has been the market leader in this space for many years.

The UFED capability is available on desktop computers (UFED4PC) and a standalone handheld console (UFED Touch2).

Cellebrite UFED – Key Features

Unlocking of mobile devices via pattern bypass and PIN locks
Perform logical, file system and physical extractions
Use of bootloaders, automatic EDL capability, smart ADB connection and more
Wide range of supported mobile devices across many different brands
Extract evidence from mobile phones, SIM cards, drones, SD cards, GPS devices and more

2. Oxygen Forensics

Like Cellebrite UFED, Oxygen Forensics is a Russian company headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia and provides mobile forensics capabilities to law enforcement, federal agencies and enterprises.

The forensic software is an all-in-one platform that can extract mobile forensic images, decode them and parse them in its interface for investigators to analyse quickly. Furthermore, multiple extractions can be investigated in a single Oxygen Forensic interface to have a complete picture of all the acquired data.

Oxygen Forensics – Key Features

File system level extraction on most mobile devices
Drone forensics possible
Bypass screen lock on popular Android devices
Cloud extraction – Acquire data from cloud services and storage
Support import of call data records

3. MSAB XRY

MSAB is a Swedish company that specialises in using forensic technology for mobile device examination and analysis. It offers frontline extraction support (i.e. rugged forensic kit model) and forensic lab solution (i.e. software, kiosk or tablet form).

The company’s product is designed to recover and analyze the contents of a digital device in a forensically secure manner and offers three (3) different products, namely;

MSAB Product	Function
XRY	The extraction of the mobile device and the decoding & indexing of the mobile data
XAMN	The analysis, reporting and filtering of the extracted data
XEC	The digital forensics management solution for seamless data distribution between users, locations, departments and other agencies.

MSAB XRY – Key Features

Logical and Physical examinations of over 40,000+ mobile devices and app profiles
GPS & Memory card examination
File Signature Analysis
Support for Chinese chipsets

4. Hancom MD-NEXT

Hancom has been a Korean company specialising in forensic mobile device extraction since 2005. It offers an integrated digital and mobile forensic solution that supports over 15,000+ mobile phones, particularly Korean-made brands such as Samsung and LG.

The company offers three (3) mobile forensics software, namely;

Software	Function
MD-NEXT	The data extraction software for mobile devices, wearables, drones, IoT devices, etc
MD-RED	The analysis software for data recovery, examination and reporting of the extracted data
MD-LIVE	The first responder software for live data extraction and analysis from mobile devices

Hancom MD-NEXT – Key Features

Supports data acquisition for various global smartphone manufacturers (Samsung/Apple/LG/HTC/ZTE etc.) model
ADB Pro extraction: Supports data acquisition using vulnerability attacks from Android-based devices
Supports Android Live, MTP, iOS full filesystem Backup, Vendor backup protocol, Local backup, USIM
Supports Bootloader, Fastboot, MTK, QEDL, etc

5. MOBILedit Forensic

MOBILedit is an all-in-one solution for data extraction from mobile devices, smartwatches and cloud services. It has built-in security bypassing feature that allows users to acquire supported phone models without needing a pattern or pattern unlock.

Another valuable and unique feature is their open database of supported mobile apps. Users can quickly check against this database to see if MOBILedit current supports a particular app. If it doesn’t, there is a request button to ask the company to research that new app.

MOBILedit – Key Features

Physical and Logical data acquisition
Automated deleted data recovery
Cloud forensics acquisition, e.g. Google Drive, OneDrive, Instagram and many others
Integrates with camera ballistics technology to scientifically analyze photo origins
Concurrent extractions with the new 64-bit engine

Key Differences between Data Recovery and Digital Forensics

5 BEST Mobile Phone Forensics Tools [Evidence Extraction] Read More »

create-admin-account-on-mac-without-admin-rights

3 Ways to Create an Admin Account on Mac Without an Admin

How to / May 8, 2023

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you need to create an admin account on your Mac, but there’s no existing admin to do so?

Don’t worry; you’re not alone. Many people have faced this conundrum, whether due to losing admin access or acquiring a used Mac without one.

In this blog post, we’ll guide you through two methods to create an admin account on your Mac without an existing admin.

Fun Fact #1: Did you know that Apple's macOS operating system is built on a Unix-based foundation, making it more similar to Linux than to Windows?

How to Create an Admin Account on Mac without Admin Access Privilege

Here are the three (3) different ways to do so;

Method 1. Using Recovery Mode

Recovery Mode on a Mac is a handy built-in feature that allows you to perform various tasks, like repairing your disk, reinstalling macOS, or in our case, creating a new admin account without an existing admin.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it:

Step 1: Boot into Recovery Mode

Shut down your Mac if it’s on.
Press and hold the Power button until you see the Apple logo or another image, then immediately press and hold Command (⌘) + R.
Release the keys when you see the Apple logo or another image. Your Mac is now in Recovery Mode.

Step 2: Access Terminal

In the macOS Utilities window, select Utilities from the top menu bar.
Click on Terminal to open it.

Step 3: Create a New Admin Account

In Terminal, type the following command and press Enter: resetpassword
The Reset Password window will appear. Click on the dropdown menu, select your primary hard drive, and choose the user account you want to promote to admin.
Enter a new password, confirm it, and provide a hint.
Click on Save to reset the password.
Close the Reset Password window and Terminal.

Step 4: Restart Your Mac and Log In

In the macOS Utilities window, click on Apple in the top left corner, and select Restart.
Once your Mac restarts, log in with the user account you just promoted to admin using the new password you set.

Fun Fact #2: The first Macintosh computer, the Macintosh 128K, was introduced on January 24, 1984, and was the first mass-market personal computer to feature a graphical user interface and a mouse!

Method 2. Using Single-User Mode

Single-User Mode is another way to create an admin account on your Mac without an existing admin.

This method involves booting your Mac into a command-line interface and creating a new admin account from there. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Boot into Single-User Mode

Shut down your Mac if it’s on.
Press the Power button to turn on your Mac, and immediately press and hold Command (⌘) + S.
Release the keys when you see text on the screen. Your Mac is now in Single-User Mode.

Step 2: Mount the File System

In the command-line interface, type the following command and press Enter: /sbin/mount -uw /
Wait for the command to execute, and you’ll see a new command prompt.

Step 3: Create a New Admin Account

Type the following command and press Enter: rm /var/db/.AppleSetupDone
This command tricks your Mac into thinking it’s being set up for the first time, allowing you to create a new admin account.

Step 4: Restart Your Mac and Log In

Type the following command and press Enter: reboot
Your Mac will restart and display the “Welcome to Mac” setup screen.
Follow the on-screen instructions to set up a new admin account.
After the setup is complete, log in with your new admin account.

Method 3. Using a Bootable USB Installer

Another method to create an admin account without an existing admin is to use a bootable USB installer.

This technique involves installing macOS on an external USB drive, booting your Mac from that drive, and then creating a new admin account. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Create a Bootable USB Installer

Download the macOS installer from the App Store on another Mac with admin access.
Insert an empty USB drive (at least 16GB) into the Mac.
Open Terminal and enter the following command (replace “MyVolume” with the name of your USB drive): sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ [version].app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume
Press Enter and provide your admin password when prompted. The process may take a while to complete.

Step 2: Boot Your Mac from the USB Installer

Shut down your Mac if it’s on.
Insert the bootable USB installer into your Mac.
Press the Power button, and immediately press and hold the Option (⌥) key.
Release the key when you see the Startup Manager window.
Select your bootable USB drive and press Enter. Your Mac will boot from the USB installer.

Step 3: Install macOS on the External Drive

In the macOS Utilities window, select Install macOS and click Continue.
Follow the on-screen instructions and choose the external USB drive as the installation destination.
Wait for the installation to complete. Your Mac will restart and boot from the external USB drive.

Step 4: Create a New Admin Account

Follow the on-screen instructions to set up a new admin account.
After the setup is complete, log in with your new admin account.

Step 5: Restart Your Mac and Log In

Shut down your Mac.
Remove the bootable USB installer.
Press the Power button to turn on your Mac.
Log in with the new admin account created on the external drive.
Open System Preferences > Users & Groups.
Click the lock icon to make changes and enter your admin password.
Click the “+” button to create a new admin account on your Mac’s primary hard drive.
Set the new account as an admin, and create a username and password.
Log out of the current admin account and log in with the new admin account you just created.

Conclusion

Gaining admin access on a Mac without an existing admin can be a challenging task, but it’s entirely possible with the help of Recovery Mode and Single-User Mode.

Remember to use these methods responsibly and only on a Mac you legally own or have permission to access.

Proper user account management is vital to ensuring your Mac remains secure and well-organized.

Always make sure to have at least one admin account on your Mac to prevent future issues with admin access.

3 Ways to Create an Admin Account on Mac Without an Admin Read More »

fix-telegram-video-playback-android-iphone

7 Ways to Fix Telegram Cannot Play Video on Android & iPhone

How to / May 8, 2023

Are you a Telegram user who’s ever wondered, “Why can’t I play video in Telegram?” or “Why are Telegram videos not playing on my iPhone?”

Fret not; you’re not alone! Video playback issues can be a real bummer, especially when you’re trying to catch up on the latest viral videos or share memories with friends and family.

That’s why we’ve compiled this comprehensive guide to help you fix Telegram video playback issues on Android and iPhone devices.

Fun Fact #1: Did you know that Telegram was launched in August 2013 by brothers Nikolai and Pavel Durov? It's now one of the fastest-growing messaging platforms with over 500 million monthly active users!

Table Of Contents

How to Fix Telegram App Unable to Play Video on iPhone and Android Phones
Conclusion

How to Fix Telegram App Unable to Play Video on iPhone and Android Phones

Here are the seven (7) ways you can use to resolve the problem.

Method 1. Check the Video File Format

Although Telegram supports a wide range of video formats, occasionally, you might come across a video that isn’t compatible with the platform.

This could be the reason why you’re asking, “Why can’t I play video in Telegram?” To resolve this issue, check the video file format and ensure it’s supported by Telegram.

Telegram supports popular video formats like MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, and more.

If the video you’re trying to play is in an unsupported format, consider using a video converter tool to change it to a compatible format, such as MP4, before sharing it on Telegram.

Method 2. Disable VPN or Proxy Services

If you’re using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) or proxy service on your device, it could be affecting your Telegram video playback experience.

These services can sometimes cause slower connections or limit the bandwidth available for streaming video content.

To see if this is the issue, try temporarily disabling your VPN or proxy service and then attempt to play a video in Telegram.

If the video plays without any problems, you might need to consider using a different VPN or proxy service or adjusting your current service’s settings to improve performance.

Method 3. Enable Storage Permissions

If you find yourself wondering, “Why are Telegram videos not playing on my iPhone or Android?“.

It could be because the app doesn’t have the necessary permissions to access your device’s storage.

Enabling storage permissions will allow Telegram to read and write files, which is essential for video playback.

For Android users:

Open the Settings app on your device.
Navigate to “Apps” or “Applications.”
Find Telegram and tap on it.
Tap “Permissions,” then enable “Storage” by toggling the switch.

For iPhone users:

Open the Settings app on your device.
Scroll down and tap on “Telegram.”
Ensure the “Photos” permission is set to “Read and Write.”

After adjusting the permissions, check if you can now play videos in Telegram.

Method 4. Clear Cache and Data

As you use Telegram, it accumulates cache and data, which can sometimes cause issues like video playback problems.

Clearing the cache and data can be a quick and effective way to resolve these issues.

For Android users, follow these steps:

Open the Settings app on your device.
Navigate to “Apps” or “Applications.”
Find Telegram and tap on it.
Tap “Storage” and then tap “Clear Cache” and “Clear Data.”

For iPhone users, you’ll need to delete and reinstall the app to clear cache and data, as iOS doesn’t provide an option to clear cache for individual apps.

Keep in mind that clearing data may require you to log back into your Telegram account, so make sure you remember your login credentials.

Method 5. Check Your Internet Connection

Sometimes, you might ask, “Why can’t I play video in Telegram?” simply because of a poor or unstable internet connection.

Video playback requires a stable and relatively fast connection, so you must ensure you’re connected to a reliable network.

Try loading a website or streaming a video on a different app to test your connection. If you’re experiencing slow speeds, consider switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data to see if there’s an improvement.

If you’re using public Wi-Fi or a shared network, keep in mind that connection speeds might be slower due to multiple users.

Method 6. Update Your Telegram App

One of the first things you should do when faced with Telegram video playback issues is to ensure you’re using the latest app version.

Developers are constantly working to improve the app’s performance, fix bugs, and add new features. So, updating your app might just resolve the problem of “Telegram cannot play video.”

For Android users, head over to the Google Play Store, search for Telegram, and tap “Update” if an update is available. iPhone users can do the same via the App Store.

Method 7. Restart Your Device

It may sound cliché, but sometimes the easiest solution to tech issues is to restart your device. Turning your phone off and on again can clear temporary glitches and help your device run smoother.

To restart your Android device or iPhone, follow these steps:

Press and hold the power button on your device until a menu appears.
Tap “Restart” or “Power off” and wait for your device to turn off.
If you chose “Power off,” wait for a few seconds and then press and hold the power button again to turn your device back on.

Once your device has restarted, open Telegram and try playing a video to see if the problem is resolved.

Conclusion

We’ve covered 10 methods to help you resolve Telegram video playback issues on Android and iPhone devices.

With these tips, you should be able to fix the “Telegram cannot play video” problem and get back to enjoying your favorite video content on the platform.

Remember to keep your app and device updated, maintain a stable internet connection, and don’t hesitate to reach out to Telegram Support if needed.

Stay connected with friends and family, and enjoy smooth video playback on Telegram!

7 Ways to Fix Telegram Cannot Play Video on Android & iPhone Read More »

Is Mac Firewall Off by Default? [Pros & Cons of Enabling]

Question / May 8, 2023

Many people often ask, “Is the firewall on Mac supposed to be on?”

The truth is, the Mac firewall is turned off by default.

But don’t panic just yet! macOS has various built-in security measures that keep your computer safe. However, enabling the firewall adds an extra layer of protection to keep you even more secure.

Table Of Contents

How to Check and Enable Your Mac's Firewall
Why Your Mac's Firewall Might Be Off
The Importance of a Strong Firewall on Your Mac
Should You Enable or Disable Your Mac's Firewall?
Additional Tips to Keep Your Mac Secure
Conclusion: Ensuring Your Mac's Security

How to Check and Enable Your Mac’s Firewall

If you’re thinking, “How do I know if my Mac firewall is blocking the internet?” or “Should the firewall be on or off?“, don’t worry! We’ve got you covered.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you check and enable your Mac’s firewall:

Click on the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen and select System Preferences.
Choose Security & Privacy.
Click on the Firewall tab.
If the padlock icon in the bottom-left corner is locked, click on it and enter your admin password to unlock the settings.
Check the Firewall Status. If it says “Firewall: Off,” it’s currently disabled.
To enable the firewall, click on Turn On Firewall.

Why Your Mac’s Firewall Might Be Off

We’ve established that the Mac firewall is off by default, but you might be curious about the reasons behind this. Let’s look at some possible explanations:

Factory Settings: Apple has designed macOS with security in mind. They might have decided to leave the firewall off by default to make the initial setup process smoother for users. This way, users can enable the firewall if and when they see fit.

User Preferences: Some users prefer to have more control over their Mac’s settings and might decide to disable the firewall for specific reasons. For example, they might need to allow certain applications to communicate with the internet without any hindrance.

System Upgrades: When upgrading macOS, some users might experience a reset of their firewall settings. This could result in the firewall being turned off, even if it were previously enabled.

The Importance of a Strong Firewall on Your Mac

Now that you know how to enable your Mac’s firewall, let’s talk about why it’s so crucial to have a strong one in place:

Protecting Your Data: A good firewall helps safeguard your personal data from being accessed by malicious hackers or malware. It prevents unauthorized users from gaining access to your files and information.

Preventing Unauthorized Access: A firewall acts as a gatekeeper, controlling the flow of incoming and outgoing traffic on your Mac. This ensures that only authorized connections can be established, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.

Enhancing Overall Security: While macOS has built-in security measures, enabling the firewall adds an extra layer of protection. This makes it more difficult for cybercriminals to exploit vulnerabilities or gain access to your Mac.

Should You Enable or Disable Your Mac’s Firewall?

Deciding whether to enable or disable your Mac’s firewall can be a bit of a dilemma. To help you make an informed decision, let’s weigh the pros and cons of enabling the firewall:

Pros of Enabling the Firewall

Enhanced security against cyber threats

Control over incoming and outgoing connections

Peace of mind knowing your Mac is well-protected

Cons of Enabling the Firewall:

Potential compatibility issues with certain applications

It may require additional configuration for specific programs

Slightly increased system resource usage

Enabling your Mac’s firewall is generally recommended considering the pros and cons. This provides an additional layer of security that complements the built-in features of macOS.

However, you can always adjust the firewall settings to suit your needs if you encounter issues with certain applications or connections.

Additional Tips to Keep Your Mac Secure

Besides enabling your Mac’s firewall, you can take a few more steps to ensure your computer stays safe and sound.

Here are some additional tips to help you maintain a secure Mac:

Keep Your Operating System Updated: Regularly update your macOS to the latest version. This ensures you have the most recent security patches and improvements, helping to protect your Mac from new threats.

Use Strong Passwords: Create strong, unique passwords for your Mac and any online accounts you have. This makes it more difficult for hackers to crack your password and gain unauthorized access to your information.

Enable Two-Factor Authentication: Where possible, enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for your online accounts. This adds an extra layer of security, making it harder for cybercriminals to access your accounts even if they have your password.

Regularly Backup Your Data: Make sure to back up your important files and data regularly. This ensures that you can quickly recover your information in case of a security breach, hardware failure, or other unforeseen circumstances.

Conclusion: Ensuring Your Mac’s Security

Congratulations! You’re now well-versed in the world of Mac firewalls and have learned how to enable yours for optimal protection.

Remember, the firewall is just one piece of the security puzzle. By combining it with regular updates, strong passwords, two-factor authentication, and data backups, you can create a robust defense against cyber threats.

We hope this guide has helped answer your questions, like “Is Mac firewall off by default?” and “Should I turn on my Mac firewall?“.

With this knowledge, you can now take control of your Mac’s security and browse the internet confidently. Stay safe out there, and happy computing!

Is Mac Firewall Off by Default? [Pros & Cons of Enabling] Read More »