FitForensics: A Tool to Acquire Data from FIT-Compatible Wearables via the USB Mass Storage Interface

Perry, Steven; Levick, Douglas; Mckeown, Sean

Abstract

Wearable and fitness tracking devices are commonplace, with global shipments forecast to continue rising in the future. These devices store a wealth of personal data that is useful to the forensic examiner. However, due to device fragmentation, acquiring and extracting data can be costly, time-consuming, and often result in processes that do not align with forensic principles. Fortunately, there is some movement towards standardisation, with Garmin's Flexible and Interoperable Data Transfer (FIT) Protocol being of particular interest as it applies to data-at-rest, which is preferable to accessing cloud-based resources in an investigation. We present a discussion of the FitForensics tool, which endeavours to be a single portal for an examiner to both acquire FIT files from a device image and to analyse them for forensically relevant information. Validation experiments demonstrate that the solution conforms with The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guidelines while returning more artefacts than when the data is viewed in fitness tracking applications.

Citation

Perry, S., Levick, D., & Mckeown, S. (in press). FitForensics: A Tool to Acquire Data from FIT-Compatible Wearables via the USB Mass Storage Interface. Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law,

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 13, 2023
• Deposit Date: Apr 14, 2023
• Journal: Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law
• Print ISSN: 1558-7215
• Publisher: Association of Digital Forensics, Security and Law
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: Wearable forensics; FIT; Garmin forensics; Smart device; IoT
• Publisher URL: https://commons.erau.edu/jdfsl/