What Is Vehicle Forensics?

Vehicle forensics focuses on examining and extracting digital data stored within a vehicle’s electronic systems. Today’s vehicles record has an incredible amount of information – location history, GPS activity, Bluetooth connections, call logs, and other operational data. The exact information available varies depending on the vehicle’s make, model, and year, and not all vehicles support full forensic acquisition.

According to the Berla iVe Workbook, “vehicles contain ECUs which store information related to vehicle operations, diagnostics, and occupant interactions.” These Electronic Control Units essentially act as the vehicle’s internal computers, logging navigation behavior, system interactions, and more. For forensic investigators, this data can play a critical role in collision analysis, criminal investigations, timeline reconstruction, and behavioral insight.

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The iVe Ecosystem

Berla’s iVe Ecosystem is a complete suite designed specifically for vehicle forensics, supporting everything from data acquisition to analysis and reporting.

iVe Mobile App

Provides step-by-step instructions for identifying vehicle systems, removing infotainment units, accessing tutorial videos, reviewing findings, and securely sharing data.

iVe Hardware Kit

Includes the tools required for physical extractions – device interface boards, cables, adapters, and hardware designed to connect directly to vehicle infotainment systems.

iVe Software

Acts as the central platform for acquisition, decoding, analysis, filtering, and report generation. It ties the entire workflow together and makes data interpretation efficient and structured.

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My Course Experience

As a full-time college student working at a digital forensics company, the Berla Vehicle Forensics Certification was my first professional training program. I walked in nervous but excited – and walked out certified and confident.

The course is 40 hours spread across five days. Here’s what the week looked like from my perspective.

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Day One – Diving Into the Fundamentals

The first day was all about building a foundation. We spent most of the day working through the workbook, covering:

• System Architecture
• The Vehicle Forensic Process
• Vehicle Data Overview
• The iVe Ecosystem
• The Identification Process

It was a lot of new information, but it helped me understand how everything fits together. By the end of the day, I felt like I had a solid starting point – much better than I expected for my first certification.

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Day Two – Understanding Vehicle Communication

Day two expanded on the technical concepts behind vehicle networks and data acquisition. We reviewed:

• Vehicle Network Types
• ECU communications
• Acquisition walkthroughs
• Basic data examination

During the last hour, we performed our first network acquisitions, which let us collect data without removing any vehicle components. Getting hands-on made everything feel more real – and showed me that I could apply these skills at work.

Network Acquisition: Collecting data from a vehicle through its onboard network, usually accessed beneath the steering wheel or via the infotainment system port.

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Day Three – Hands-On With Media Acquisitions

The third day was split between learning and doing. We spent the morning on media acquisition concepts, and the afternoon practicing with the iVe kit and software.

Media Acquisition: Extracting data directly from a vehicle’s removable storage media within the infotainment system.

This was one of my favorite days because the more I worked with the tools, the more confident I felt in my ability to perform these tasks independently.

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Day Four – Direct Connections and Device Teardowns

Day four focused on Direct Connection Acquisitions, which involve removing an infotainment system and connecting directly to the internal circuitry. We practiced:

• Removing infotainment systems
• Performing teardowns
• Establishing direct hardware connections
• Extracting data through those connections

The technical challenge made the day intense but rewarding. After extracting the data, we walked through it in the iVe software as a group to understand how it’s structured and stored.

Direct Connection Acquisition: Accessing data by connecting directly to the electronics inside an infotainment unit after removal.

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Day Five – Real Cases and Final Certification

The final day brought everything together. We completed two to four simulated cases, where we practiced:

• Exporting and sharing data
• Reading and interpreting evidence
• Managing case files
• Filtering and searching data
• Generating forensic reports

Then came the two-hour final exam. I was nervous – but passing it felt like a major milestone in both my education and my digital forensics career. This was my first certification and earning it showed me I’m on the right path.

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Additional Certification Exams

After completing the main Berla Vehicle Forensics course, additional certification exams can be taken to continue earning credits in the program. These exams cover the core knowledge learned throughout the week and are designed to reinforce the most important concepts. The additional certifications include:

– Vehicle System Forensics Examiner
– Vehicle System Forensics Technician
– Vehicle System Forensics Operator

Taking these exams was extremely helpful because they allowed me to recap everything taught during the course and confirm that I fully understood the material. Completing them gave me greater confidence in my ability to perform the job properly and apply these skills in real investigative situations. They also help ensure that I remain current and continue building credibility in the field of vehicle forensics.