Continuous updates are arriving regarding the attack on Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan. Late on Wednesday, the police attributed theft as the motive behind the attack on Saif Ali Khan. The police state that they have identified the attacker and are actively searching for them. The investigation has commenced with an FIR lodged against the unknown assailant.
According to the latest update, police identified the suspect using data dump analysis. When the attack on Saif Ali Khan occurred, the police extracted a data dump from the area, revealing which mobile networks were active at the time of the assault. This data provided the basis for identifying the suspect.
A data dump consists of information collected from a mobile or cell tower. Such data is employed for technical diagnostics, forensic examinations, or debugging processes. In this context, a cell tower refers to a specific tower in an area.
Read more: 'Security was quite weak there...', says Minister of State on the attack on Saif
In simple terms, a limited number of towers in an area distribute network connections to all mobile phones present. The data dump provides information about how many phones are connected to which network at a given time and location. Police applied the same technique in this case.
Source: aajtak
This data helps police ascertain where a mobile user was located, though the location pertains to the phone, not the user. In Saif Ali Khan's case, the police utilized this data to identify the attacker. Cell towers harbor data from all connected mobile phones, analyzed via cell tower dump analysis software.
Indeed, all mobiles with active SIM cards are connected to a mobile network. As soon as a phone connects to a network, a log is created. This log comprises all mobile details like IMEI number, MAC Address, IP address, and location, along with basic metadata.
Read more:
Data dumps can amass a myriad of crucial information such as call logs, text messages, files, browsing history, and emails. Investigative agencies utilize data dump forensic analysis as part of their toolkit.
Telecom service providers house data often employed by investigative agencies. Sometimes, a court order is required, but basic information can often be obtained from metadata without such an order.
Actor Saif Ali Khan was attacked late Wednesday night. He sustained six knife wounds, out of which two were severe, as revealed by medical reports. Post-operative procedures removed a 2.5-inch knife piece from his spine.
The police reveal the burglar entered the house hours prior. Reports suggest that a maid's screams alerted Saif, leading to a confrontation with the attacker. The confrontation escalated, resulting in the assailant injuring Saif with a knife. Fortunately, Saif Ali Khan is currently out of danger.
Notably, in June 2022, during a theft case in Juhu, the police used both data dump and CCTV footage to identify suspects. Data dumps from mobile towers near the crime scene were matched with CCTV footage to recognize the criminal.
