Watch Out! Smartwatches as criminal tool and digital forensic investigations

TL;DR

This paper explores how smartwatches can be exploited for criminal activities, focusing on information leakage mechanisms and forensic investigation methods, highlighting the need for proactive security measures in digital forensics.

Contribution

It introduces new perspectives on smartwatch misuse in crimes, detailing information leakage techniques and forensic investigation approaches often overlooked in prior research.

Findings

Smartwatches can be exploited for information leakage via file transfer and camera control.

Forensic methods for investigating smartwatch-related crimes are developed.

Proactive security measures are necessary to mitigate smartwatch-related criminal activities.

Abstract

In the rapidly advancing technological landscape, smartwatches have materialized as multifunctional devices integral to our daily routines. Smartwatches store a substantial amount of personal information, potentially serving as repositories of digital evidence. Thus, digital forensic researchers have devoted considerable effort to exploring smartwatch forensic techniques. However, it has been observed that prior studies have primarily treated smartwatches as mere storage mediums for digital evidence, neglecting their potential role in criminal activities. This paper presents the information leakage perpetrated through smartwatches. We represent crime scenarios in an environment where smartphones are not available, considering that the perception that smartphones can be used as tools for criminal behavior prevails in many organizations, while the potential of similar-use smartwatches is often overlooked. We detail mechanisms for information leakage via file transfer and camera control using smartwatches. Additionally, we present methods to investigate each crime incident through smartwatch forensics. Finally, we describe the limitations of post-incident responses and propose proactive measures to prepare for potential crimes involving smartwatches. Keywords: Information Leakage, Smartwatch Forensics, Android Forensics, Mobile Device Management, Security Policy