DHS units to re-up contract with controversial mobile device data extractor

The Department of Homeland Security intends to continue its work with Cellebrite, a provider of digital forensics hardware and software tools, according to forecast documents released last week. 

Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as Homeland Security Investigations, plan to award a five-year, indefinite delivery indefinite quantity contract with a $100 million ceiling to the vendor later this year. 

Cellebrite’s products enable the agency to access data from cellphones, tablets and — more recently — unmanned aerial vehicles. The Israeli firm’s data extraction capabilities are “the most widely utilized and deployed computer forensic tool” within HSI, per the document. Cellebrite has been deployed across DHS, including its reported use within the Secret Service to break into the phone of the man who shot President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., in 2024. 

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