After the cleaning process, the chip can then be read using chip programmers and adapters. These are very specific to the type of memory chip, which makes it difficult for examiners as one does not always know the make and model of a chip on a device without first accessing the circuit board. There are some “universal” adapters and programmers being produced but it is wise to have a wide array in a chip-off tool kit.
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The appropriate adapter is connected to the programmer and the chip is placed into the adapter. The appropriate manufacturer and model numbers are selected using the programmer and the data is saved as a raw image file. Alternatively, the adapter can be plugged directly into a workstation and commercial tools are used to take an image of the data.
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The analysis of the data can be incredibly difficult as the data is not in a logical format and thus must be reconstructed. This process could take months for a robust image and thus, is not the most effective option. There are some commercial digital forensic tools, such as Cellebrite's UFED Physical Analyzer, that can carve the raw data and this is essential for analysis. Once in a readable format, the type of data that can be found via memory chips include SMS data, contact lists, photos, application data, etc.
Reading Data
Examples of chip readers