Developments in mobile devices just don't seem to slow down. From the early days of large mobile handsets being used for the sole purpose of making a call, through to the ever decreasing size of today's smart phones that gives the user a plethora of functionality, we can all see how much this technology has changed and continues to change.

Most of us have embraced these advances which have made our lives easier, more interesting and often a heck of a lot cooler. But to the criminally minded, these technological developments are seen as something far more sinister. They are often adopted as additional weaponry in their arsenal for global illegal activity.

In the wrong hands, the ability to capture pictures, video and audio can turn a mobile phone into an very effective spying device. Spies can capture copies of confidential documents, record private conversations between individuals and at business meetings and send them to any location in the world. The SIM cards inside phones can be attacked enabling criminals to impersonate other subscribers and make calls using their accounts. This is important because it affords criminals anonymity whilst planning or undertaking illicit activity.

Then there is the possibility of a mobile phone falling into the wrong hands. Emails, text messages, contact information, calendar dates, browsing history, GPS information and documents can be swiftly copied or sent to other devices and traces of criminal activity deleted without the owner's knowledge. A whole new type of spying technique has evolved, based around temporarily taking a smart phone, copying information held on the SIM and returning it before the owner has time to realise anything untoward has occurred.

Fighting back against the criminals.

In instances where a mobile device is suspected of being used for criminal activity it is usual for a mobile phone forensic expert to be called in to help recover files and data that might have been compromised. Using a wide range of tools these experts will dissect a sim card, pulling the data, byte by byte if necessary to help the authorities and organisations in their fight against organised crime.

However, the role of the forensic expert is not just limited to recovering data. Their skills lie in helping to uncover and identify the identity of the perpetrator of the crimes. In many instances mobile phones will also become an important source of evidence in cases where the use of extracted digital artefacts can form a key part of a civil or criminal matter.