Cellebrite technology is invaluable to law enforcement agencies worldwide, but attracts plenty of criticism from privacy activists.
Cellebrite refers to itself as a digital intelligence company, but this opaque description doesn’t paint a particularly clear picture. In short, digital intelligence is code for device hacking; Cellebrite helps government and law enforcement agencies break into the smartphones and laptops of people under investigation – provided the client has legal grounds for doing so. The Israeli firm has attracted plenty of criticism in recent years from data privacy activists who say its practices are ethically unsound. Others have attacked the company for failing to disclose the active vulnerabilities it exploits to break into devices. However, Cellebrite is steadfast in its stance that its technology does far more good than it could possibly do harm. It also points to inconsistencies in the arguments of its detractors; there is little criticism of the execution of physical search warrants, says CMO Mark Gambill, so why should different rules apply in the digital sphere? “We get lumped with surveillance companies, but that’s not what we do. And you cannot use our technology without a legal warrant, so if used correctly there is no breach of privacy,” he told TechRadar Pro. “There are countless examples of our technology being used for social good; to find missing children, break up drug trafficking rings and more. But unfortunately, we’re in an environment where sensationalism sells.” However, whether intentionally or otherwise, Cellebrite has courted an air of mystery that it now seeks to dispel ahead of a Nasdaq listing that is set to value the company at $2.4 billion. According to Gambill, Cellebrite has nothing to hide. Cellebrite says it serves roughly 6,700 customers worldwide, the vast majority (circa 5,000) of which hail from the public sector. In this context, there are three main facets to the company’s services: data collection, analysis and audit. As Gambill explains, criminals have become extremely savvy about using technology, and predictably, are often unwilling to volunteer their unlocked devices. With legal approval, Cellebrite’s Universal Forensic Extraction Device (UFED) can be used to extract data stored on smartphones, computers, smartwatches and more, sometimes by exploiting active vulnerabilities in the operating systems. At a software level, Cellebrite’s Physical Analyzer tool then helps clients dig through the terabytes of data often stored on consumer devices today. The company combines keyword-based filtration with artificial intelligence (AI) to surface specific information. Finally, in order to preserve evidentiary integrity, Cellebrite’s hardware is supported by a management suite that keeps a strict activity log and audit trail.
