Forensic Data Recovery

Forensic data recovery is the careful extraction of information from phones, computers, drives, and cloud-adjacent devices when files were deleted, damaged, or hidden. Investigations Plus treats the device as an exhibit first and a treasure hunt second. The point is not to get everything. The point is to preserve what still exists in a way a lawyer, insurer, or corporate client can rely on.

When this service is the right file

• A phone or laptop was wiped before a separation, a firing, or a regulatory problem.
• A drive failed and the only copy of financials, chats, or contracts is on it.
• You need deleted messages or photos for a family or civil file and you have lawful possession of the device.
• A business needs to image a departing employee’s workstation before it is reissued.
• Someone factory reset a phone and you need to know whether a forensic lab pass is even worth it.

How the investigation is done

We document the device, stop casual browsing, and image when the file justifies it. Analysis looks at user files, remnants, and metadata — created, modified, deleted. Mobile work depends on model, OS, and whether the device is locked. We will not guess a passcode with theatre. Cloud accounts are accessed only with credentials or lawful authority the client actually has. Findings are produced as a report plus export, not as a pile of unexplained files.

What you receive

• Chain-of-custody notes
• Forensic image hashes where taken
• Recovered file lists with timestamps
• Screenshots or exports of relevant messages
• A limitations section stating what encryption or reset destroyed

Legal and ethical limits

You generally need lawful possession or authority over the device. Reading a spouse’s cloud account because you once knew the password can be a crime. We screen for that. PIPEDA and solicitor-client issues can appear in corporate files. We do not plant evidence and we do not clean a device as a side deal.

Who typically retains this work

Lawyers, companies, and private clients who already have the device in hand. This is not remote hacking of someone else’s phone.

Where we handle these files

Devices can be received in Ontario or imaged on site. Labs and specialists are used when the media needs it. The client can be anywhere in Canada.

Related services

These investigations are often used together. Open any service to see how we handle it.

• Cyber Investigations
• Infidelity Investigation
• Legal Support

Stop using the device. Put it in airplane mode if it must stay on. Then ask for a confidential intake so we can tell you whether recovery is likely or already gone.

Typical fact patterns

A phone or laptop was wiped before a separation, a firing, or a regulatory problem. A drive failed and the only copy of financials, chats, or contracts is on it. You need deleted messages or photos for a family or civil file and you have lawful possession of the device. A business needs to image a departing employee’s workstation before it is reissued. Someone factory reset a phone and you need to know whether a forensic lab pass is even worth it.

Deliverables in practice

Chain-of-custody notes Forensic image hashes where taken Recovered file lists with timestamps Screenshots or exports of relevant messages A limitations section stating what encryption or reset destroyed We document the device, stop casual browsing, and image when the file justifies it. Analysis looks at user files, remnants, and metadata — created, modified, deleted. Mobile work depends on model, OS, and whether the device is locked. We will not guess a passcode with theatre. Cloud accounts are accessed only with credentials or lawful authority the client actually has. Findings are produced as a report plus export, not as a pile of unexplained files.

Lawyers, companies, and private clients who already have the device in hand. This is not remote hacking of someone else’s phone. Devices can be received in Ontario or imaged on site. Labs and specialists are used when the media needs it. The client can be anywhere in Canada.

Stop using the device. Put it in airplane mode if it must stay on. Then ask for a confidential intake so we can tell you whether recovery is likely or already gone. You generally need lawful possession or authority over the device. Reading a spouse’s cloud account because you once knew the password can be a crime. We screen for that. PIPEDA and solicitor-client issues can appear in corporate files. We do not plant evidence and we do not clean a device as a side deal.