
Service
Mac forensics
What is examined
- APFS volumes, snapshots and deleted file remnants
- Unified logs, launch agents and login items
- User artefacts: Spotlight, quarantine data, browser and mail stores
- Time Machine backups and connected devices
How the examination is carried out
- 1.Acquisition depending on hardware generation, with hashes recorded
- 2.Evaluation of snapshots to reconstruct earlier states
- 3.Correlation of log entries with file system timestamps
- 4.Documentation of every step, including failed acquisition attempts
Technical limits
These limits are stated before the instruction, not afterwards.
- FileVault volumes require the password or recovery key.
- On Apple silicon, physical acquisition is not available in the classic sense.
- Unified logs cover only a limited period.
- Deleted data on SSDs is frequently unrecoverable due to TRIM.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Mac forensics: frequently asked questions
Only to a very limited extent. Without the FileVault password or recovery key, the user data remains encrypted; in that case we say so before the instruction rather than after.
Analysis takes place on the secured working copy in the permanent examination rooms at the registered office in Krefeld, Germany. Devices are handed over in person or sent by insured carrier; by prior arrangement, processing in Munich is also possible. Where the technical conditions allow it, the acquisition itself can also be carried out at the client’s premises or at the location of the item; unavoidable changes to a running system are documented with reasons.
Whether an expert report is used in proceedings, and what evidential value it carries, is decided by the competent court or investigating authority. Our examinations are documented so that third parties can review them: recorded handover, cryptographic hashes, described methods and a clear separation between technical finding and assessment. A binding assurance of later admissibility cannot be given.
Equipment used
Systems used in this examination
- Cellebrite Digital Collector
Controlled acquisition of Apple computers within the supported scope.
Next step
Discuss your case
Describe the situation briefly. We will say what can realistically be established, and what cannot.