Smartwatch Forensics - Discovering what the Watch Watched

Android Wear Smartwatch Forensics – Detailed Analysis Done

Carl Wilson  | Modified: 2017-10-30T09:27:04+00:00|Updates | 11 Minutes Reading

The expanse of Android usage, the open source mobile Operating System, is widening every year with new innovations. It started from turning mobile phones into ‘Smartphones’ and today has reached a point where the regular wrist watches are turned into ‘Smart Watches’. Android Wear is the new big thing in gadget arena that is tempting not just the technology enthusiast but also the geeks and developers around the world. Everybody just wants to explore it, though the ways and motives are a little different for each. Therefore, in this article, we are discussing the Android Wear Smartwatch Forensics.

Android Wear and Its Origin – Android Smartwatch Forensics

Innovated to cut short our unremitting usage of phones, for the so-called purpose of keeping a tab on the notifications, Android Wear allows you to check notification at a glimpse. All that one has to do is keep the device connected to their smartphone via Bluetooth connection and keep the activities synched on both the ends with Android Wear App.

Technical Specifications

Most of the Android Wear functioning is dependent upon the smartphone, with which it has to remain connected all the time.

  1. You need a smartphone with Android version 4.3 (Jellybean) or above to use the wear.
  2. Bluetooth connectivity at all the times is required to keep the devices synced.
  3. The Wear uses an internet connection that is used by the connected smartphone to keep applications updated & connected.

A Dig into the Android Wear – Smartwatch Forensics

Android Wear may be a new innovation but isn’t completely a new concept. Databank CD by Casio was one of the first digital watches introduced in the era of 1980’s, with stunning facilities like; data storage (email address, phone numbers, etc.), alarm, calculator, and more. Android Wear could be designated as the evolved version of it.

However, the facilities and functioning of a smartwatch are way different and advanced than that of a Databank. In order to study the same for a better understanding of its working and storage, a thorough examination is necessary.

Thus, we will be applying digital forensic sciences for analyzing what all information could possibly be gathered from the Wear alone, just in case the device is missing or wasn’t retrieved from the scene.

For instance, a Wear is discovered from the scene while its paired phone isn’t. Thus, a dig has to be taken into its mechanism by applying digital forensics; to discover which smartphone did the device belong to or was associated with.

Stage One: Initializing the Investigation

Ultimately, Android Wear OS belongs to the Android OS family only, i.e. it is still Linux base. Thus, getting into its system data and performing Android Wear smartwatch forensics is almost the same as on any Android smartphone/tablet would be.