News < Granite Discovery

‘Super Phone Bills’ Can Prove You’re Lying In Court

Posted on April 10, 2025 by Stephanie Watson

When you make a call, send a text or use data on your phone, your cellular carrier is quietly recording it all. These records, known as Call Detail Records, or CDRs, create a digital trail that is invaluable in many investigations and legal cases.

While most people understand that smartphones contain personal data, few realize that cellular carriers maintain extensive records of our communications and movements—records that can be legally obtained and used as powerful evidence in courtrooms. And unlike the phone itself, which might be lost, damaged or wiped clean, these carrier records are systematically preserved, sometimes for years. […]

Eyes on the street: How real time crime center video is transforming police investigations

Posted on April 10, 2025 (April 10, 2025) by Stephanie Watson

By giving officers real-time access to video, RTCCs are turning in-progress calls into solved cases and helping agencies close investigations faster and more safely. They’ve seen policing from both ends of a radio. They’ve pursued suspects on foot and tracked them by drone. They’ve stood in the middle of chaotic scenes and sat behind glowing monitors, watching them unfold in real time. […]

What is Cell Site Analysis?

Posted on March 24, 2025 (March 25, 2025) by Stephanie Watson

Cell Site Analysis is a forensic process that examines the signals transmitted between a mobile device and cellular network infrastructure, such as cell towers. By analyzing this data, investigators can establish the approximate location of a device at specific times. This information is invaluable in criminal investigations, civil disputes, and even missing persons cases. […]

How To: Digital Processing of Forensic Image Evidence

Posted on March 13, 2025 (March 25, 2025) by Stephanie Watson

How To: Digital Processing of Forensic Image Evidence. When considering forensic evidence and its applicability in the court system, there can potentially be a few issues. For example:
Evidence can be big or immovable. It may not be practical or even possible to attempt to analyze an entire vehicle or the ground a car drove across while working within the confines of a crime laboratory.
Forensic scientific practices must be reproducible by opposing experts. If work is performed directly on an evidence item, it makes it difficult for another expert to complete their own analyses on the same evidence. […]

Fairfax Co. program lets residents, businesses share footage with police to help solve crimes faster

Posted on February 25, 2025 (February 25, 2025) by Stephanie Watson

A new Fairfax County, Virginia, program will allow businesses and residents to register to share camera footage, which police said will help them solve crimes faster. The initiative, called Connect Fairfax County, will run through the department’s Real-Time Crime Center. […]

Harnessing Logical Evidence in Digital Forensics Investigations

Posted on February 10, 2025 (February 10, 2025) by Stephanie Watson

Logical evidence is now essential for solving cybercrimes and revealing hidden realities in the quickly changing digital world of today. Logical proof is essential when looking into corporate data breaches or following digital footprints in court proceedings. As our reliance on technology grows, it becomes harder for businesses and the police to handle huge amounts of digital data. […]

How Digital Forensics Experts Know Where You’ve Been—Cell Site Location Information

Posted on February 3, 2025 (February 10, 2025) by Stephanie Watson

Cell Site Location Information, or CSLI, is an important source of evidence in digital forensics, offering a record of where a phone has been based on its interactions with cellular networks. Every time your phone makes a call, sends a text or accesses data, it connects to the nearest cell tower, leaving behind a digital trail. […]

Elon Musk has done it: iPhones and Android smartphones can now use his satellites to make calls anywhere on Earth

Posted on January 21, 2025 (January 21, 2025) by Stephanie Watson

After revolutionizing global internet access, Elon Musk’s Starlink is poised to take smartphone connectivity to the next level. The ambitious satellite service will soon enable users to make calls from virtually anywhere on the planet, all without the need for specialized hardware. Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell service: what it means Starlink, a division of SpaceX, has announced its plans to introduce Direct-to-Cell, a groundbreaking feature that uses its vast satellite network to allow voice calls on regular smartphones. […]

AI in Criminal Justice Is the Trend Attorneys Need to Know About

Posted on November 12, 2024 (November 12, 2024) by Stephanie Watson

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into our criminal justice system is one of the most worrying developments across policing and the courts. AI-enabled technologies like face recognition, license plate readers, and gunshot detection systems enable broad surveillance, leading to wrongful arrests and privacy invasions. These tools, combined with other data sources, are used to build detailed law enforcement profiles, raising significant concerns about due process and civil liberties. […]