04_FORENSIC APPROACH TO DATA EXTRACTION FROM UAV

FORENSIC APPROACH TO DATA EXTRACTION FROM UAV

 

Tamás Nagy 1∗, Imre Zsolt Kovács 1, Veronika Kozma-Bognár 2, József Berke 2

1 Rapid Response Police National Bureau of Investigation, Cybercrime Division, Forensic Department, Hungary 
2 Drone Technology and Image Processing Scientific Lab, Dennis Gabor University, Hungary 
∗ Correspondence: nagy.tamas.pont@gmail.com 

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Abstract 

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has become widespread across various fields, proving to be an extremely useful tool in military operations, law enforcement, disaster management, agriculture, commerce, logistics, and many other areas. At the same time, drones can also serve as instruments for committing various offenses or crimes, either directly or indirectly. The most common illegal uses include invasion of privacy, operations in restricted airspace, and endangering air traffic. Organized crime also frequently utilizes drones for smuggling contraband across borders and delivering illicit items into prisons, such as drugs, mobile phones, or even weapons. In digital forensic data acquisition and processing, it is a fundamental professional requirement that the data stored on UAVs and their associated devices remain intact and that their use as evidence is ensured beyond any doubt. Data from the device must be extracted to an independent storage medium using certified and standardized procedures.

This study focuses on key aspects of drone data extraction. It includes the identification of information relevant to investigations, along with the detailed documentation of these processes. Furthermore, the study presents and compares various software tools used in this context, highlighting their functionalities, advantages, and limitations.

 

Keywords: digital forensics, data extraction, drone, unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV