What are User Searches?
User Searches is something that can be done on any app, web page, or chat platform. These searches are usually done to answer a question or to fix a problem..
For example, a person asking Google how to dispose of a body, may then scroll through Amazon looking for bags or open a navigation app to check nearby isolated locations. Such a person might also search for a contact’s name in messengers and social networks to delete the message history that led to the incident.
Each search done on a different platform.
Piecing together a Case with User Searches
Often times, user searches can reveal more about the incident and help determine the intention.
A person accused of stealing might have searched for ways in which they can return the item in question to its owner. A woman accused of murdering her husband could have searched for ways to divorce without other party’s consent or how to hide signs of domestic abuse most effectively.
All these searches, when put together, can build a case and serve as reliable evidence to an investigation.
User Search Tool in Oxygen Forensic® Detective
To help investigators in situations like these and save investigators time, Oxygen Forensics’ development team added a new tool to Oxygen Forensic® Detective, User Searches.
User Searches allows investigators to consolidate all user searches and examine and analyze them all at one time.
To access this section, open the device extraction screen in Oxygen Forensic® Detective, and locate “User searches” under the General sections.
All user searches from all parsed applications will be displayed there. Those searches can be filtered by source from the left sidebar.
Investigators can also view all entries with geo-locations on maps or get their addresses. To export data from this section, click on the “Export” button above the grid.
Detailed information about the chosen record is displayed on the right sidebar.
Conclusion
Users having the ability to search anywhere on the web as well as in applications create a lot of potential evidence that can be used by investigators in a case. At Oxygen Forensics we wanted to make it easier to compile this information to allow investigators to more efficiently piece together a case.
Want to try our new User Searches tool? Update your Oxygen Forensic® Detective to version 14.6 or contact us for a free trial.