Forensic challenges in iOS smartphones : A systematic literature review

Sammanfattning

iOS smartphones are widely used mobile devices and have therefore become common targets in digital forensic investigations. However, the current research regarding iOS forensics focuses on specific applications, forensic tools, or methods and not on the forensic challenges in a broader perspective. Therefore, the study aims to map the forensic challenges regarding iOS smartphones. This study was conducted as a systematic literature review, using a six-step method proposed by Paré and Kitsiou (2017). A total of 42 peer-reviewed studies, published between 2020 and 2026 were selected from five different databases and analyzed using inductive thematic coding (Braun & Clarke, 2006). The results of the analysis identified four themes: Technical, Methodological, Data, and Analytical challenges. The most common theme was Methodological challenges, mostly regarding forensic tools. The findings also show that the identified challenges are closely connected and influence each other, forming a chain of events where iOS internal security mechanisms influence the forensic conditions of investigations, while forensic tools play a central role in the forensic challenges. Finally, this study suggests further research focusing on understanding the inconsistencies between forensic tools.