Audio Forensics to obtain location information

Das Bild zeigt ein Porträt von Olivia Gräupner, Projektleiterin und Forschungsreferentin in der Abteilung Sichere Gesellschaft bei der Cyberagentur. Auf der linken Seite befindet sich das Logo der Cyberagentur, bestehend aus einem stilisierten "C" in lila, gefolgt von dem Schriftzug "cyberagentur". Darunter steht ein Zitat von Olivia Gräupner: "Diese Forschung hat das Potenzial, wertvolle Ermittlungshinweise innerhalb von Strafverfolgungsverfahren zu liefern." Der Hintergrund des Bildes ist in lila und blauen Tönen gehalten, mit abstrakten Wellenmustern und einem stilisierten Symbol, das eine Lupe über Datenwellen darstellt. Montage: freepik/Cyberagentur

„Audio Forensics“ research project invites you to a partnering event

The Agentur für Innovation in Cybersicherheit (Cyberagentur) invites you to a partnering event for the research project „Audioforensik“ on 24 June 2024 from 2 to 3:30 pm. The aim is to present the project, share organisational information and network experts.

The Cyberagentur is hosting a digital partnering event for the future research project „Audio Forensics“ (AuFo) on 24 June 2024, from 2 to 3:30 pm. The aim of this research project is to analyse low-quality audio data with regard to the recording location. It will investigate how spatial-acoustic sub-parameters can be mapped to a unique digital fingerprint. „This research has the potential to provide valuable investigative leads within law enforcement proceedings,“ explains Olivia Gräupner, project manager and research officer in the Cyberagentur’s Secure Society department. „For example, a room could be characterised by its size, condition and location.“ This can be of great importance in time-critical application scenarios such as kidnapping or missing persons cases. In addition, the extent to which the identification of the device provides clues to the location of the recording is analysed.

The analysis of audio data with regard to meta-information that can be extracted from the acoustic signals in addition to spoken language is a field that has been largely unexplored. In addition to reconstructing the recording location, information about the recording device, such as a smartphone microphone, could also be gained. This information could help to clearly identify, recognise or limit the group of speakers.

As things stand, it is questionable whether it is possible to identify the location of the recording based on audio data of varying quality. „It is uncertain whether the methods developed will be applicable in the context of criminal prosecution. The legally secure provability of potential research results poses a major challenge, which is why the project must be considered high-risk research from a scientific and technical perspective,“ emphasises Olivia Gräupner.

The partnering event provides a platform for the new research project to get to know the Cyberagentur and the project. Interested parties can also find out about the organisational aspects of the planned award procedure. The experts from a wide range of specialist disciplines have the possibility to network and make initial contacts for potential consortia. The aim is to advance holistic research into audio forensics to obtain location information.

Registration for the event is possible until 19 June 2024 via the landing page.

Further information on the landing page: https://www.cyberagentur.de/partnering-aufo

German Version