SOCOM searching for ‘tactical forensics’ tools to exploit data from vehicles, smartphones, drones

U.S. Special Operations Command’s acquisition, technology and logistics directorate plans to evaluate new solutions from industry to help commandos extract and analyze critical data from a variety of systems.

As part of SOCOM’s latest “tactical forensics” initiative, officials from the program executive office for tactical information systems are eyeing vendor capabilities to facilitate vehicle forensics exploitation, unmanned systems exploitation, and document and media exploitation, according to a special notice about the effort issued on Monday.

For vehicle forensics, the command’s program management office for identity intelligence and exploitation is looking for tools that will “enable the extraction and analysis of data from infotainment and telematics systems, key fobs, location & navigation services, connected devices, vehicle diagnostics, and Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) to support operational exploitation of modern and legacy vehicle systems,” according to the request for information. “Capabilities should also include remote access solutions, JTAG interfaces, CPU architecture support, and ECU debugging tools for deep system analysis. The ability to exploit diverse vehicle platforms including passenger, commercial, and military vehicles is critical.”

In an age where drones and other types of unmanned systems are proliferating, special operations forces aim to take advantage of them to support exploitation ops.

Specifically, SOCOM is interested in capabilities to perform “physical and logical extractions” from robotic platforms.

“These tools must enable the acquisition of various types of data including but not limited to flight paths, mission logs, payload and sensor data, command-and-control communications, firmware and software, artifacts, encryption keys, system configurations, and metadata. The solution should provide broad compatibility with diverse UxS platforms, including [aerial], ground, and maritime systems, regardless of manufacturer or proprietary architecture,” officials wrote in the RFI.

Meanwhile, the command is also looking for software and other tech to support mobile forensics and computer forensics.

That includes capabilities to enable the “non-destructive exploitation, basic analysis, and forensic imaging of a wide variety of devices to include iOS, Android, smartphones, feature phones, and foreign chipsets including powered off, pre-boot, powered-on, authenticated with credentials, locked, and unlocked devices using logical and/or physical extraction types,” per the RFI.

For computer forensics, additional areas of interest include “RAM capture” and “specific targeted triage.”

Tech for cellular and media exploitation could support the “extraction, compilation, translation, and analysis of contextual information that is stored into DoD recognized formats for the purpose of aggregation and comparison against other data locally and through authoritative databases,” officials wrote, noting a desire for the ability to create digital copies of encrypted and non-encrypted storage media.

Additionally, SOCOM is interested in rugged, waterproof borescope cameras that can capture high-resolution 4K imagery and video, work in a variety of operational environments with low latency, and maintain compatibility with the organization’s existing data transmission and storage systems, according to the RFI.

The command is planning to conduct technical evaluations of vendor technologies this spring. Subsequent operational test and evaluation is slated for this summer.