Melinda Redenius at Veracity Forensics provides three Internet of Things (IoT) scenarios – two real, one fake. Can you spot the spoof?
The post from Melinda Redenius titled (wait for it!) Tales From the Trenches: Spot the Spoof (available here) discusses how digital forensics has evolved far beyond the early days of imaging desktop computers and parsing external storage.
Today, data is generated and stored across an expanding ecosystem of devices—from mobile phones and cloud platforms to vehicles, wearables, and IoT devices embedded into daily life.
The following scenarios—two grounded in real-world applications and one plausible but fictitious—illustrate the expanding evidentiary frontier. Here’s one of the scenarios:
Frozen Assets: When the HVAC System Testifies
In a high-value property dispute involving a luxury mountain home, investigators examined extensive flooding followed by freezing conditions. Traditional sources provided limited clarity. Analysts expanded the scope to include IoT systems, specifically the HVAC and connected smart devices.
Forensic analysis of system logs revealed a failure in communication between the smart hub and HVAC unit. Commands were issued but not executed during a critical window. Timestamped logs, sensor data, and external weather records established a defensible timeline of system failure.
The HVAC system effectively became a key evidentiary source. The analysis adhered to forensic standards, maintaining chain of custody and framing conclusions within a reasonable degree of forensic certainty.
Melinda also discusses scenarios involving gaming systems and smart refrigerators.
So, which one is the spoof? And what do these scenarios – real or not – tell us about digital forensics? Find out here, it’s just one click! You can’t spot the spoof unless you click! 😉
So, what do you think? Have you dealt with discovery of IoT devices before? Please share any comments you might have or if you’d like to know more about a particular topic.
Image created using Microsoft Designer, using the term “robot lawyer wearing a suit looking at a smart refrigerator”.
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