Abstract
Google Nest devices have seen a rise in demand especially with Google’s huge advantage in search engine results and a complex ecosystem that consists of a range of companion devices and compatible mobile applications integrated and interacting with its virtual assistant, Google Assistant. This study undertakes the forensics extraction and analysis of client-centric and cloud-native data remnants left behind on Android smartphones by the Google Home and Google Assistant apps used to control a Google Nest device. We identified the main database and file system storage location central to the Google Assistant ecosystem. From our analysis, we show forensic artifacts of interest associated with user account information, the chronology and copies of past voice conversations exchanged, and record of deleted data. The findings from this study describe forensic artifacts that could assist forensic investigators and can facilitate a criminal investigation.
Highlights
The Internet of Things (IoT) industry has recently focused on creating internet-connected devices, which is predicted to be used in almost 40% of homes in the UK by 2022 [1]
We focus on the extraction and analysis of forensic artifacts of interest from the Google Home and Google Assistant apps installed and running on an Android smartphone and used to control a Google Nest device (Google Home Mini smart speaker)
Page 3 of 10 272 none of these studies covers the forensic analysis of Google Assistant and Google Nest device (Google Home Mini smart speaker) on Android platforms, which is the focus of this paper
Summary
The Internet of Things (IoT) industry has recently focused on creating internet-connected devices, which is predicted to be used in almost 40% of homes in the UK by 2022 [1] This growing market has encouraged the proliferation and development of software applications and gadgets that enable remote monitoring and management of several IoT devices, especially in smart homes. It has created significant interest amongst digital forensic researchers and a paradigm shift towards a smart-home IoT forensic ecosystem and the evidence these devices produce [2]. In “Conclusion and Future Work” we conclude the paper and highlight potential future research areas
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