Mobile Forensics

Course

Duration: 20 weeks
Start: Feb 2025
Costs: € 3.000,-
Microcredential

Our digitally transformed world creates many new opportunities for misconduct. Criminals are rapidly shifting their field of activity to the digital domain providing a growing need for trained forensic IT specialists who can act quickly and effectively in digital forensic investigations.

Mobile forensics is a subgroup within digital forensic investigation that deals with collecting, analyzing and reporting evidence from mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets and smartwatches. Mobile devices can provide a wide range of useful data, from call logs and web search history to location data and physical user activity showing where the owner of the device was at a given time and doing.

Something for you?

You are a professional with a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree working in the digital forensic field looking to develop or improve your research skills.

About the Course

This course looks at the file systems and operating systems used by mobile devices, and how to extract digital evidence from them. It also looks at techniques to analyse, interpret, and validate such data when the meaning of data is not clear.

The Mobile Forensics course is part of the Master Digital Forensics, a two-year part-time program. The duration of the course is 20 weeks with a study load of approximately 140 hours (5 ECTS). Our education is offered in a hybrid format, providing the option to follow lectures online with the exception of several mandatory on-campus meetings. The curriculum combines theory & practice. Participants are expected to carry out practical projects and assignments in their own workplace or at the Digital Forensics Lab at the Digital Forensics & E-Discovery lectorate based at the HSD-campus in the Hague.

Topics

The following topics are covered during the Mobile Forensics course:

Introduction and principles of mobile forensic investigations
Evidence collecting and acquisition methods
File systems and external storage
File formats and recovering of data
Digital forensic artifacts on iOS and Android devices
Advanced app analysis techniques
Analysing third-party application files
Analysis and validation traces on physical user activity
Demo case to gain experience in practical skills.

Admission requirements

The admission requirements for this module are:

Bachelor's degree ICT, Computer Science or Digital Forensics (or completed pre-master program Digital Forensics).
Relevant work experience in the Digital Forensics field
Good command of the English language (minimum B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)
Resume check to review if you meet the entry-level requirements of the module (if needed to determine this, you will be invited for an introductory interview)

About the Master Digital Forensics

The Master of Digital Forensics is specifically tailored to professionals who would like to:

advance their technical skills in modern day digital forensics and investigations.
acquire the necessary management and communication skills required to perform forensic investigations.
be prepared for the technology paradigm shift towards IOT forensics.
learn how to use analytics, AI, and ML methodologies and apply forensic frameworks to control huge investigations.
learn to develop state of the art forensic tools.

Read more about the complete master’s program

*Please note not all modules of the Master Digital Forensics will be offered as microcredentials therefore, it is not possible to complete the entire Master’s program via microcredentials.

After completion

Upon successful completion of this course, you will receive a microcredential. Microcredentials certify the successful learning outcomes of short courses, trainings and other learning modules. They offer a flexible, targeted way to help you show how you are developing the knowledge, skills and competencies you need in your personal and professional development.

Purely practical

Duration and location

Duration
20 weeks (February through June 2025)

On-campus day for study year 2024-2025
Monday

Extent
5 ECTS (140 hrs)

Combination of self-study, on-campus lectures & practical assignments.
Option to follow lectures online with exception of several mandatory on-campus meetings.

Location
HSD-Campus, the Hague

Costs and planning

Cost per module
€ 3.000,- VAT exempt (excl. literature)

Start
February 2025*

Registration
Register at latest by December 31st 2024

*Course will only be confirmed when there is sufficient participation.

Why Leiden?

Leiden is known for its high-quality educational programmes, particularly in healthcare, education, and Life Sciences.
The involvement, personal approach, and expertise of our teaching staff are significant.
Enjoy the historical charm, museums, and cultural events of Leiden