Blockchain Digital Forensics and Investigation

With an increasing global trend toward cryptocurrency, there is a need for developing better  blockchain systems and investigation procedures. A greater understanding of metadata in the  blockchain will trace the money transactions in businesses and the marketplace. The forensic  investigation involved in the blockchain system is a decentralized database in the peer-peer  network, diminishing the subpoenas and court motions related to banking issues in business. Blockchain technology provides a comprehensive view of the transaction to the original end. This  is a great success in the forensic field. 

This powerful forensic technology enables

• Better transactional efficiency due to increased trust. 

• Reduction in fraud because of increased transparency. 

• Reduction in transaction costs due to elimination of specific ownerships etc. The blockchain system is a secure and immutable system between the blocks and the  transactions in cryptography. It has greater traceability, auditability, accountability and  transparency. This system is successfully used in various fields, including energy industries, supply  chain, financial services and pharmaceutical. Blockchain technology is also promising for forensic  applications. 

Blockchain forensics and smart contracts provide all the data via a ledger transaction tracking  system. We can access the information where the money is transferred for which purchase,  including time and dates. 

One thing worth considering is that cryptocurrency is coming with a high demand for privacy. With decentral banking, it will make investigation very hard on the cryptocurrency business. Privacy rights are hard to challenge in court or on any platform. Blockchain technology provides  self-verification for digital evidence, which is a benefit in digital forensics. 

Call to Action: 

• Teaming up and doing working session involving investigators and Technologies is the  need of the hour. Investigators can come up with new ways of how blockchain can  provide metadata and improve the investigation.  

• From the Technology perspective, I highly encourage my fellow technologist to team up  with the local investigation company/ firm .this relationship can provide examples of how  blockchain and smart contracts work. These collaborative efforts can prove a dynamic  unfold to serve our customers during investigations better.  

• This is where technologist, programmers and other investigators need to work together  in synchronization.  

• This team effort can give rise to better solutions and skill sets covering all technical  perspective for a secure and smooth business of all types.

About Author 

Ricoh Danielson has elaborative experience in handling cyber  events, and digital forensic investigations assist businesses in   managing the cyber incident response items. Rachel helps to tackle the threats and risks of the digital world. Ricoh has handled cyber incidents for major Healthcare companies, Healthcare Hospitals and  Hospital universities, renowned Financial Firms, and prevalent chain retail restaurants. He is also  a Digital Forensics expert for Criminal and Civil cases.  Ricoh is a graduate of Thomas Jefferson School of Law, a graduate of UCLA, a graduate of Arizona.  He has many cyber certifications as well.

Defensive actions against the cyberattack are crucial and vital for your system’s programming’s survival and performance. Now the market is moving towards strategies that act in an advance and proactive way. Methods prevent the cyberattack from happening in the first place. Companies and organizations do not sit back and wait for the cyberattack to happen for the defensive actions to execute. They work on ways to gather all the critical data and tools needed for the correct response at the right time to save their systems and lower their venerability.

A decade of incident response

Businesses and organizations worldwide realize that prevention and detection of cyber-attacks are not sufficient defense against cybercrime security threats. An armed security team is required, which can provide a platform for coordinating, managing, and streamlining incident response processes. The process of a robust incident response function can be divided into six steps.

Step 1: Understand threats, both external and internal

Step 2: Build a standardized, documented, and repeatable incident response plan

Step 3: Proactively test and improve IR processes

Step 4: Leverage threat intelligence

Step 5. Streamline incident investigation and response

Step 6. Orchestrate across people, process, and technology

The need for a technical team

This is not a simple procedure. A team is required for all this management. Every team member has their expertise and knowledge, which is mustered up in an effective way to design the best and efficient defensive methods. This high-intensity tactical team can work in a coordinated and organized approach. The same will play a critical part in making technical decisions and executive decisions to combat the cyber attack. You will get the proper guidance to know what to do before, during, and after a cyber breach. It is also essential to gather personality and skill sets that match together that empower each other during the moment of need. They will enable you to determine what a cybersecurity incident means to your organization and build a suitable cybersecurity incident response capability.

This methodology aims to build a resilient, response-ready organization by combining people and processes, empowering human analysts to understand specific threats better, streamlining processes, and ensuring that the security analyst is active in responding promptly.

Decisive Action: Incident Response Hit Intensity Technical Team (HITT)

Defensive actions against the cyberattack are crucial and vital for your system’s programming’s survival and performance. Now the market is moving towards strategies that act in an advance and proactive way. Methods prevent the cyberattack from happening in the first place. Companies and organizations do not sit back and wait for the cyberattack to happen for the defensive actions to execute. They work on ways to gather all the critical data and tools needed for the correct response at the right time to save their systems and lower their venerability.

A decade of incident response

Businesses and organizations worldwide realize that prevention and detection of cyber-attacks are not sufficient defense against cybercrime security threats. An armed security team is required, which can provide a platform for coordinating, managing, and streamlining incident response processes. The process of a robust incident response function can be divided into six steps.

Step 1: Understand threats, both external and internal

Step 2: Build a standardized, documented, and repeatable incident response plan

Step 3: Proactively test and improve IR processes

Step 4: Leverage threat intelligence

Step 5. Streamline incident investigation and response

Step 6. Orchestrate across people, process, and technology

The need for a technical team

This is not a simple procedure. A team is required for all this management. Every team member has their expertise and knowledge, which is mustered up in an effective way to design the best and efficient defensive methods. This high-intensity tactical team can work in a coordinated and organized approach. The same will play a critical part in making technical decisions and executive decisions to combat the cyber attack. You will get the proper guidance to know what to do before, during, and after a cyber breach. It is also essential to gather personality and skill sets that match together that empower each other during the moment of need. They will enable you to determine what a cybersecurity incident means to your organization and build a suitable cybersecurity incident response capability.

This methodology aims to build a resilient, response-ready organization by combining people and processes, empowering human analysts to understand specific threats better, streamlining processes, and ensuring that the security analyst is active in responding promptly.

Cyber Advisory Board

What is cyber advisory/ consultation?

As global hackers are coming up with new ways of fraud and destruction, cybersecurity consultation is now a need of every online business system. Many businesses, firms, and organizations need guidance at the financial, operational, and legal level, but now we are starting to see Cyber Professionals having a chair at the table. Having a Cyber Professional on your Board of Advisory can be one of the best moves to help your organization strengthen the cyber world’s core values.

Why is cyber advisory necessary?

Is it really worth paying a reasonable amount of your revenue to hire or get the consultation services of a cyber advisor? The plain answer is yes. A cybersecurity advisor can work and figure out the weaknesses in your system and guide you on strengthening your systems to prevent cyber attacks. In case of any problem or cyber-attack, an advisor can help you take prompt and proper action to safeguard your system and save your data and files from getting breached or corrupted.

Manage a competent cyber advisory

How will you do it? It not much difficult. You can hire a person or a group depending upon the kind of system you have and the safety requirement it demands. The team may comprise of

• Network security consultant
• Database security consultant
• Computer security consultant
• Information security consultant

Or you may have a single advisor fulfilling your requirements. The important thing is you have to know what services your system wants. Make a thorough discussion with the persons willing for consultancy and select the most suitable for your setup.

Conclusion

In this growing digital era, when we are working with digital data in every field of our life, there is an increased risk to the security of our sensitive data. A cybersecurity advisor can assist us in evading security risks and prevent cyber attacks. The heavy reliance on technology and digitalization demands an experienced cybersecurity advisor to protect the systems and business from the emerging threats of cybercrimes.

STAY ALERT, STAY ALIVE AND STAY IN BUSINESS

03/23/2021

The cybersecurity and data protection system must adjust its approaches to tackle the evolving cybercriminal technologies and strategies. The system antivirus and file backup are not sufficient to protect against modern cyber threats. Businesses and systems have to protect all their essential data and application across different domains with an integrated solution that automates and monitors the system. The vulnerability assessments and endpoint protections are necessary to protect against emerging threats. You have to prepare for the next wave of threats to make a successful and secure business year.

Why cyber threats have increased

The coronavirus pandemic has shifted a large percentage of work and businesses to the online system. We cannot expect to return to traditional office work very soon. Many people are now remotely working and with a more significant amount of work shifted on internet accessing the cloud services and collaborative tools. There are more significant risks and threats of cyber-attacks than ever.

Threats to beware of

Here are some significant threats to beware of that can potentially damage your business and systems.

Cloud vulnerability

Cloud vulnerability is and will remain one of the biggest challenges for organizations and businesses. The reason is that enterprises utilize clouds or a large scale to save sensitive data related to their employees and businesses.

Fileless attacks

These attacks don’t rely on file-based payloads and do not generate new files either. Files more minor attacks are targeting individual organizations and service providers and destroying their infrastructure and management tools.

AI-Enhanced Cyberthreats

AI helps marketing services, supply chain management, and manufacturing security but is a target tool for cybercriminals. Hackers can use AI to design sophisticated cyberattacks by adaptive malicious software.

Conclusion

Cybercriminals are constantly searching for new exploits and developing advanced strategies to damage organizations and institutions in the era of globalization and transformation. Due to this fact, businesses should remain alert about the increasing vulnerability and cyber threats in the market. It is necessary to prepare and be ready to take immediate response to these types of threats and attacks to sustain and grow in your field.

SHARENTING

With social media being so prevalent in our society, there is a discussion from how much sharing is too much? “Sharenting” is the term coined by many parents who regularly share pictures and videos of their children in public spaces. So why is this causing such a divide?

SHARENTING DEFINITION

Sharenting is when parents regularly share pictures and videos of their children on social media on a regular basis. Parents love to share public pictures and videos of their children for many reasons!

TO STAY CONNECTED WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Sometimes, we cannot be close to our friends and family and it is easy to post pictures and videos so they can keep up with what your children are up to. Sharing videos and pictures helps family and friends stay connected and feel apart of the family even though they don’t live close by.

TO POSSIBLY BECOME FAMILY INFLUENCERS

This is very rare but some parents see the opportunity that their beautiful family may be ready for influencer fame. By regularly sharing intimate moments of their families lives, they believe they can help other families, educate other families or entertain other families. Many family influencers join forces with brands that they believe in to endorse products to their followers. In exchange for the endorsement, families are paid affiliate fees, a sponsorship deal or both.

Some families create great educational and/or entertaining content sharing their family with the world.

There are also countless reasons why families would share their family moments with an audience!

THE NEGATIVITY OF SHARENTING

Sharenting comes with some downfalls. Many parents don’t want to think about predators, identity thieves and scammers online. They do exist and are much more common than people would like to believe. Secondly, many parents only worry about these things when they are victims of fraud or identity theft. Other parents share online publicly and never have a problem!

SHARENTING ON TV

Many shows that have sharenting moments cause big debates on television! Recently a show called The Blended Bunch on TLC caused a stir when a moment was shared between step mom and her three year old bonus son on the toilet. The child is adorable and it was a sweet moment as he asked for help in the bathroom. Other viewers felt this scene should not have been shared publicly as the child is on the toilet and deserves his privacy. We search for balance in every parenting situation. Thankfully, both sides of the debate had the child’s best interest when stating their opinions, sharing innocent moments verses protecting a child’s privacy and right to consent to being on television during intimate moments.

We asked Private Investigator Jax Menez Atwell, owner of Atwell Investigations to help us on the subject. Jax had his own reality television show Missing in Alaska on the History Network. He also is a father from children to teens. He understands the parenting stages and has seen the good and bad of sharing publicly through his cliental.

We would like to thank Jax Menez Atwell for his expertise. We would also like to thank Ricoh Danielson who is one of the countries leading Digital Forensics and Cyber Investigator for his wisdom and insight.

JAX MENEZ ATWELL ON SHARENTING

The Baby-Spot asked me about my opinion on “Sharenting”? Easiest answer? You can almost guarantee a split decision on what people think should be public and what should not be public.  Blended families on TV probably give us the best front court view of this.

WHO IS IN THE RIGHT?

Who is right? Initially, I saw two types of people. Those who want to argue about anything and those who stick their head in the sand. Both sides are right and both sides are wrong. To be really confusing, there’s not even sides to this argument. It’s honestly just a big pile tangled up yarn and really can get a parent confused on what stance to take.

THE BLENDED BUNCH

Initially, my opinion after hearing the quandary on “The Blended Bunch”, was that some people just need to be quiet and change the channel if they don’t want to see something. Then my inner voice said, “sure but how often did you have your children on social media or any of your production items?” The answer was little to none.

Sitting at a split decision wasn’t comfortable.  Truth is I wanted the sweet moment that warmed the heart to be okay.  Deep down I knew that wasn’t our reality but victimization, crimes, stalkers, ID fraud, and much worse are the realities here

The bottom line is 1950 is never coming back. Those Polaroid picks of you and your siblings running around the yard with little to know clothes on are gone.  The “compromising” photo, video, or anything else public is where this all changes. Twenty, thirty, forty years ago those were fun family photos and memories but in today’s world that innocent compromise could be a living nightmare.

RICOH DANIELSON DIGITAL FORENSICS EXPERT ON SHARENTING

I wanted to ask someone with expertise beyond mine in regard to “sharenting”. It was a nice treat to get one of the country’s best Digital Forensics and Cyber Investigator to lend me his opinion:

“From a Digital Forensics perspective this opens many doors with regards to privacy, cyber privacy, digital evidence sharing and consent parameters. Let alone that this can be misconstrued as “guided Parenting and Parenting with malicious intent “. In any case, there needs to be some level to thought applied here to ensure these provided examples of law are respected and upheld” (Ricoh Danielson- Digital Forensics Expert).

ASKING PARENTS THEIR OPINION ON SHARENTING

I asked several parents at my son’s school. I was astonished to hear most of the parents say, “we can’t worry about that stuff, I want to enjoy my children”.  Other justifications saying, “online is the only way my family get to see my children”.  When I did come across a parent who staunchly was against this “Sharenting” concept it was that parent had been affected either with something themselves or with their children. They had a direct horror story that changed their lives forever.

The last thing we want is to learn lessons on this topic the hard way. The bitter taste in their mouth or holding back tears from trauma is NOT the way we want to learn about the consequences of not being careful.

SOUND ADVICE ON SHARENTING

Years ago, I had met an elderly man in television production. He offered a piece of advice, “If you take one thing let it be this, when it comes to your children and your public limelight treat your children like your saving their futures for ult-covert occupations like being a spy, the CIA…” after a long pause he pointedly said, “you understand?”  As he walked away, I pondered the long pause and the accentuation in my understanding.  Within minutes I was pulling photos o of social media.

HOW TO DECIDE HOW MUCH SHARENTING IS TOO MUCH

Your main job overview is to create good little humans that transition into good adults.  If the prime objective can be shattered before that due to loss of innocence or exposure that follows them into adulthood, haven’t we failed? Be cognizant of the gross manipulation in our society.  Nothing digital is sacred. Consider everything you put online to be public.

While I don’t feel being “appalled” at the Blended Bunch’s scene we are breaking down is necessary.  I, also, don’t believe in bashing or tearing down those who believe “sharenting” is okay. Ultimately, you only answer for you and for who you’ve been blessed to rear.

SHARENTING: BEING HONEST ABOUT THE BAD AND THE GOOD

What do you do? Each situation can be different so make sure you don’t miss opportunities due to overthinking.  Simply ask yourself what are the negatives to what I’m about to do. You have to be honest though for this to work, which means understanding there are thieves, fraudsters, child molesters, pedophiles, stalkers everywhere.

Secure your networks…understand that if you store something on a computer or any on-line device it is available for the taking. Go old school and keep ALL data on zip drives and exterior hard drives. Beware of trusting your “private” settings, your best bet is to consider anything online “public”.

Speaking to the father’s here, we have to take two things into consideration. As the family protector you need to guide your family in this area. It’s time to step up.  In the same vein, you need to protect yourself. What’s a funny situation now could be a dark moment in court down the road? This is unfortunate but a true reality.

I Need A Private Investigator

A checklist for your acquiring the right person in your corner.

Sometimes families need a private investigator. Whether it is because of a divorce, a challenge at work or more, when we need a private investigator we don’t know where to begin. Professional Private Investigator Jax Menez Atwell from Atwell Investigations is here to help with all of your questions.

You probably should be asking if know what a private investigator can do for you.  If you know the answer, great if not there is a ton of material out there. What I wouldn’t do is rely on reruns of “Magnum PI”, “Murder She Wrote”, or cult classic films like “Whose Harry Crumb”.  Now you might glean a little from watching “Matlock” or very old black and white television with “Perry Mason” but honestly your probably not anywhere near real world private investigation.  What I would rely on is web sites from private investigators or private investigator associations.

A very easy way to get acclimated to investigators is to look up private investigators near my location.  Now not all web sites are created equal but in an ever-changing industry you will find some very good web sites.  Many investigators feature blogs just like this one.

WHY A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR?

Typically, a private investigator is sought after and retained when a problem, crisis, personal issue, private matter, or legal case needs holes filled in.  The list could have gone on for pages for the reason “why” you might need one but for most a light bulb turns on (or in some cases a friend of yours has a light bulb turn on).

For the sake of this blog we are going to assume that you now have a good idea what a private investigator can do for you or at least the right questions are formulating in your mind.

We’ve compiled a “What Now” list.  We hope this check list will help you!

With today’s tools in our hands, search engines like Google, Yelp, and Bing take all guess work out of starting this journey. “Private Investigators near my location”.  From here you will see investigators individual personalities or lack of any personality.

HOW TO CHOOSE A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR

JUST LIKE ANY TYPE OF SPECIALIST YOU MIGHT LOOK FOR, KEEP IN MIND THESE THREE WORDS: TRUST, KNOWLEDGE, BACKGROUND.

No need to explain trust, knowledge can mean several things but basically does this agency know what they are talking about. Lastly, the agencies background…investigators are a sum of parts, which makes them who they are.  Does it look like the sum of their past experiences can make them a good investigator for your needs? What is your first reaction to their site, Quality of Work, History, Integrity, are they Licensed and Insured. Make note of your first reaction, this is important, especially for female clients.

BEFORE YOU LEAVE THEIR SITE AND MOVE ON TO THE NEXT, MAKE SURE YOU CHECK WHAT SERVICES THEY OFFER.

If you do not see your immediate need, make sure you ask if you choose to still call them. Many times what you were asking is a lesser included word to a term they used.

BEFORE WE LEAVE THE SITE, SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE MAIN PAGE.

A majority of the state who require licensing have rules about investigators placing their license numbers, full company name, and information regarding insured/bonded, etc.

TIME TO ORGANIZE YOUR THOUGHTS, YOU’VE PICKED OUT SEVERAL COMPANIES THAT SEEM TO FIT YOUR NEEDS.

A little suggestion here is don’t stray away from single operator or small companies and likewise don’t stray from large nationwide companies.  They both have benefits so don’t cancel one out over the other without more insight.

TIME TO MAKE SOME CALLS OR EMAILS (FOR SOME COMPANIES EVEN TEXT OR ITEMS LIKE GOOGLE MESSAGE).

PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO HOW YOU ARE BEING TREATED EVEN AS EARLY AS THE GREETING.

BE PREPARED FOR “BROW BEATERS” AND “MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY TYPES”.

Bottom line is you know how you like to be treated at a restaurant by wait staff so don’t take anything but what you’d normally demand from any other industry.

BEWARE THE INVESTIGATIVE COMPANY THAT TRIES TO PUT YOUR NEED INTO A BOX FULL OF OTHER SIMILAR INVESTIGATIONS.

Bottom line is your case is unique to you and should be treated as such.

IF YOU ARE HALFWAY THROUGH A CONSULTATION AND YOU AREN’T FEELING COMFORTABLE IT MIGHT BE TIME TO MOVE ON.

There is no reason to feel embarrassed or have any obligation to stick around.

LET’S ASSUME THAT YOU’VE FOUND A FEW YOU LIKE AND NOW YOU NEED TO NARROW IT DOWN.

It’s time for more education on their skills.  Hopefully you’ve taken the time to educate yourself about the issue you have at hand.  Ask the hard questions or even questions with no answer and see how they treat the challenge.

WHERE IS THE “HOG WASH” METER ON WHAT YOU ARE HEARING?

We’ve spoke about investigators that might not treat you well.  This is the flip side of that.  Are you hearing fluff coming out of their mouth but no real solid foundational answers?  Time to wrap it up and move on.

Lastly, make sure you have covered what you need.

WHAT YOU NEED TO CHOOSE A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR

DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE COSTS INVOLVED?

Don’t run from a price you think is high. Remember an investigator can save you thousands in legal matters over having your attorney do it.  Their expertise and access to resources might be invaluable.

Beware the “under cutter”. This is never good, if you are getting prices consistently in a range that maybe fluctuates $20-$30/hour and someone comes in slick talking with a half price…well you get what you pay for. Industry people like this are trying to make quick bucks and mostly we hear things like “they never showed up”, “how do I know they even went”, and “they were horrible, now I’m dealing with…”

Additionally, if you went with the under cutter going back to those couple investigators you wanted maybe difficult if they’ve gotten wind you supported an industry back stabber and now want them to fix their mess.

GET A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR FOR THE RIGHT PRICE

Twice the headache is not something you want! Avoid being talked into something. Listen to your gut, is the investigator talking ideas, brainstorming with you, articulating possible plans…that is a good sign that someone is spending energy to help.

DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE SKILLS OF THE INVESTIGATOR OR AGENCY THAT YOU’VE PICKED OUT HAS?

This might be too technical but don’t be afraid to ask. If they get “huffy” it’s time exit stage right…

DO YOU UNDERSTAND ALL THE “NEGATIVES” AND SCENARIOS IN YOUR CASE?

This is very important…I like to call it the “cards on the table”. I take the time to explain all l the negatives that can happen in a case.  I’d rather not take a case or have a potential client not move forward.  My theory is if everyone is on the same page and knows the variables then with synergy we can move forward.

DOUBLE CHECK CREDENTIALS AND REVIEWS.

Reviews are not easy to get as investigators.  We handle a very intimate portion of peoples lives.  Sometimes our client will only confide in us and no one else in their lifetime. It’s hard to expect clients to leave recommendations in those scenarios.  I usually tell respective clients to consider every legitimate review work 10-20 reviews for a normal business.

NOW IT IS TIME TO GAIN A NEW ADVOCATE.

Whatever got you to this point can be in the cross hairs for moving forward.   You’ve decided it’s time to get this item taken care, get answers, or time to hurdle a hard object in your life.

IN MY EXPERIENCE, THE CLIENTS THAT LET ME IN AND MUTUALLY DEVELOP A RELATIONSHIP WORK THE BEST IN MOST CASES.

If your investigator approaches you like he intends to make you a lifelong friend, then I feel you are on the right track.  This is more than likely an intimate part of your life and you’ve chosen this person to not only be hired regarding it but also to forever be part of it.  It is time to take the first steps!

Good luck and embrace the journey!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jax Atwell, a licensed private investigator in Arizona and Montana with a broad resume of experience. Former law enforcement in California and Arizona with undercover narcotics, tactical units, and training. A huge proponent of investigators having under cover experience. A sum of many parts and a natural empath when seeking evil.

Jax spent a season on History Channel’s “Missing in Alaska” and was the main character in an award-winning short film, “the Survivors”. Known for his ability to locate the impossible and take on the hard cases. With plenty of education titles to list, Jax prefers to acknowledge the forged items of life experience and self-education that God has opened the doors and led him through as his true education. Jax Atwell, husband, father, son, investigator, protector, and a here by the grace of God.

WHERE TO FIND A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR IN MY AREA

Jax, and his wife Carrie, are advancing their investigative company into the future with digital forensics/cyber research, Arabic speaking investigator, international banking investigations, aerial surveillance with FAA licensed drone capabilities, and night vision and thermal surveillance options. AtwellInvestigations.com  JaxMenezAtwell.com

The above article is his expressed opinions based upon his past experiences. The above does not represent any company, business or any products. These are the opinions and experience of the writer.

“I was told I need a private investigator, Now what?”

A checklist for your acquiring the right person in your corner.

You probably should be asking if know what a private investigator can do for you.  If you know the answer, great if not there is a ton of material out there. What I wouldn’t do is rely on reruns of “Magnum PI”, “Murder She Wrote”, or cult classic films like “Whose Harry Crumb”.  Now you might glean a little from watching “Matlock” or very old black and white television with “Perry Mason” but honestly your probably not anywhere near real world private investigation.  What I would rely on is web sites from private investigators or private investigator associations.  A very easy way to get acclimated to investigators is to look up private investigators near my location.  Now not all web sites are created equal but in an ever-changing industry you will find some very good web sites.  Many investigators feature blogs just like this one. 

Typically, a private investigator is sought after and retained when a problem, crisis, personal issue, private matter, or legal case needs holes filled in.  The list could have gone on for pages for the reason “why” you might need one but for most a light bulb turns on (or in some cases a friend of yours has a light bulb turn on).

For the sake of this blog we are going to assume that you now have a good idea what a private investigator can do for you or at least the right questions are formulating in your mind.  

We’ve compiled a “What Now” list.  We hope this check list will help you! 

With today’s tools in our hands, search engines like Google, Yelp, and Bing take all guess work out of starting this journey. “Private Investigators near my location”.  From here you will see investigators individual personalities or lack of any personality. 

  1. Just like any type of specialist you might look for, keep in mind these three words:  Trust, Knowledge, Background.  No need to explain trust, knowledge can mean several things but basically does this agency know what they are talking about. Lastly, the agencies background…investigators are a sum of parts, which makes them who they are.  Does it look like the sum of their past experiences can make them a good investigator for your needs? What is your first reaction to their site, Quality of Work, History, Integrity, are they Licensed and Insured. Make note of your first reaction, this is important, especially for female clients.
  2. Before you leave their site and move on to the next, make sure you check what services they offer.  If you do not see your immediate need, make sure you ask if you choose to still call them. Many times what you were asking is a lesser included word to a term they used.
  3. Before we leave the site, scroll down to the bottom of the main page.  A majority of the state who require licensing have rules about investigators placing their license numbers, full company name, and information regarding insured/bonded, etc.
  4. Time to organize your thoughts, you’ve picked out several companies that seem to fit your needs.  A little suggestion here is don’t stray away from single operator or small companies and likewise don’t stray from large nationwide companies.  They both have benefits so don’t cancel one out over the other without more insight. 
  5. Time to make some calls or emails (for some companies even text or items like Google message).
  6. Pay close attention to how you are being treated even as early as the greeting.  
  7. Be prepared for “brow beaters” and “my way or the highway types”.  Bottom line is you know how you like to be treated at a restaurant by wait staff so don’t take anything but what you’d normally demand from any other industry.
  8. Beware the investigative company that tries to put your need into a box full of other similar investigations.  Bottom line is your case is unique to you and should be treated as such.
  9. If you are halfway through a consultation and you aren’t feeling comfortable it might be time to move on.  There is no reason to feel embarrassed or have any obligation to stick around.
  10. Let’s assume that you’ve found a few you like and now you need to narrow it down.  It’s time for more education on their skills.  Hopefully you’ve taken the time to educate yourself about the issue you have at hand.  Ask the hard questions or even questions with no answer and see how they treat the challenge.  
  11. Where is the “Hog Wash” meter on what you are hearing?  We’ve spoke about investigators that might not treat you well.  This is the flip side of that.  Are you hearing fluff coming out of their mouth but no real solid foundational answers?  Time to wrap it up and move on.
  12. Lastly, make sure you have covered what you need.  
    • Do you understand the costs involved?
      • Don’t run from a price you think is high.  Remember an investigator can save you thousands in legal matters over having your attorney do it.  Their expertise and access to resources might be invaluable.
      • Beware the undercutter.  This is never good, if you are getting prices consistently in a range that maybe fluctuates $20-$30/hour and someone comes in slick talking with a half price…well you get what you pay for. Industry people like this are trying to make quick bucks and mostly we hear things like “they never showed up”, “how do I know they even went”, and “they were horrible, now I’m dealing with…” Additionally, if you went with the undercutter going back to those couple investigators you wanted maybe difficult if they’ve gotten wind you supported an industry back stabber and now want them to fix their mess.
      • Twice the headache is not something you want! Avoid being talked into something.  Listen to your gut, is the investigator talking ideas, brainstorming with you, articulating possible plans…that is a good sign that someone is spending energy to help.
    • Do you understand the skills of the investigator or agency that you’ve picked out has? This might be too technical but don’t be afraid to ask. If they get “huffy” it’s time exit stage right…
    • Do you understand all the “negatives” and scenarios in your case? This is very important…I like to call it the “cards on the table”.  I take the time to explain all l the negatives that can happen in a case.  I’d rather not take a case or have a potential client not move forward.  My theory is if everyone is on the same page and knows the variables then synergistically we can move forward. 
    • Double check credentials and reviews.  Reviews are not easy to get as investigators.  We handle a very intimate portion of peoples lives.  Sometimes our client will only confide in us and no one else in their lifetime. It’s hard to expect clients to leave recommendations in those scenarios.  I usually tell respective clients to consider every legitimate review work 10-20 reviews for a normal business.  

Now it is time to gain a new advocate.  Whatever got you to this point can be in the crosshairs for moving forward.   You’ve decided it’s time to get this item taken care, get answers, or time to hurdle a hard object in your life.  

In my experience, the clients that let me in and mutually develop a relationship work the best in most cases.  If your investigator approaches you like he intends to make you a lifelong friend, then I feel you are on the right track.  This is more than likely an intimate part of your life and you’ve chosen this person to not only be hired regarding it but also to forever be part of it.  It is time to take the first steps! 

Good luck and embrace the journey!

About the Author: 

Jax Atwell, a licensed private investigator in Arizona and Montana with a broad resume of experience. Former law enforcement in California and Arizona with undercover narcotics, tactical units, and training. A huge proponent of investigators having under cover experience. A sum of many parts and a natural empath when seeking evil.  Jax spent a season on History Channel’s “Missing in Alaska” and was the main character in an award-winning short film, “the Survivors”. Known for his ability to locate the impossible and take on the hard cases. With plenty of education titles to list, Jax prefers to acknowledge the forged items of life experience and self-education that God has opened the doors and led him through as his true education. Jax Atwell, husband, father, son, investigator, protector, and a here by the grace of God.

Jax, and his wife Carrie, are advancing their investigative company into the future with digital forensics/cyber research, Arabic speaking investigator, international banking investigations, aerial surveillance with FAA licensed drone capabilities, and night vision and thermal surveillance options.   

The above article is his expressed opinions based upon his past experiences. The above does not represent any company, business or any products. These are the opinions and experience of the writer.

Matching Night Vision Gear to Your Mission

matching-night-vision-gear-to-your-mission

Helicopters stealthily ew in the cover of darkness into Pakistani airspace. These were no ordinary helicopters, and neither were their pilots nor the passengers riding along inside. They were American Navy SEALs and support personnel. And one of the things they all had in common is that they were all wearing night vision goggles.

That mission involved the Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and 23 SEALs from the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, known as DEVGRU and better known as SEAL Team 6. They successfully found and killed Osama bin Laden.

Like many military special operations missions, law enforcement tactical operations often take place at night. That means all SWAT operators can benet from having tools that will help them see better in the dark, including image intensication night vision systems and thermal vision infrared devices.

The value of such tools in police and military operations has been proven again and again for decades. Night vision is used in a variety of domestic law enforcement operations including aviation. For example, law enforcement pilots ying both xed-wing aircraft and helicopters for a variety of federal agencies, including the DEA, the Border Patrol, and the FBI’s storied Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) commonly y with night vision.

Local law enforcement is another story all together. While the majority of big city SWAT teams have night vision tools, many smaller agencies don’t have the budget necessary to acquire such equipment. However, the cost of night vision and thermal is decreasing with more new technological innovations and increased sales. Which means night vision and thermal imaging tools are becoming more readily available. The trick is choosing the right tools for your agency.

Night Vision Devices

Image intensication night vision equipment is mission specic. So when a department is thinking about adding this equipment into its inventory, the questions that must be answered are: How will the equipment be used and who is going to use it? Basically, night vision devices boil down to three primary types: viewers, weapons sights, and goggles.

Viewers. These are similar to standard optical spotting scopes only they work great at night. They can be used for surveillance, to help identify and prevent possible attacks, and to help you locate the best approach to a location.

Night Vision Weapon Sights. This is a tool for the designated sniper and/or spotter. Since both sniper and spotter do a lot of mandatory intelligence gathering, so it seems logical that at least one sniper or spotter in a team operating in low light would be outfitted with a night vision scope.

Night Vision Goggles (NVG). These are usually worn on the heads of tactical ocers and attached with a head harness or helmet mount. In an urban environment, you may not need a goggle for every team member. Five-ocer entry teams have accomplished their missions with as few as two devices.

When allocating NVGs your priority is entry team members number one and number three. Here’s why: As the number one officer makes entry, generally the number two officer throws a ash-bang, and the number three officer flows in afterward. This is the way it’s done by a lot of teams, and it shows why the number one and three officers in the stack have the greatest need for NVG. They are going to be the first officers into what is likely to be a darkened room.

When performing night operations in areas with rough terrain where an officer can stumble over such hazards as rocks, fallen trees, and other ground clutter, night vision can be a critical safety tool. That environment calls for as many team members as possible to have NVG.

Real World Users

While writing this article, I was honored to spend some time with units from two law enforcement agencies that have great need for night vision on the job. I’m talking about the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Border Patrol.

Recently the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission started working with new night vision devices. One of the leaders told me that these devices are a must for the unit. “We are in the middle of the Florida swamps looking for illegal poachers, drug smugglers, or someone who is just deeply lost in the Everglades,” the leader said.

The inherent dangers they face in the swamps, both human and animal, are very real for SOG. The people they are looking for are often heavily armed with ries, and the swamps are home to alligators and several species of venomous snakes, including rattlesnakes, coral snakes, copperheads, and water moccasins. Night vision is very important for the safety of these officers.

The U.S. Border Patrol’s working environment on the Southwest border is about as dierent from the Florida swamps as could be. But like their fellow law enforcement professionals in Florida, Border Patrol ocers in southern Arizona have a great need for night vision.

One agent explained the danger they face in the Arizona desert. He told me if they see a suspected illegal immigrant crossing the border there is nothing they can do about it as back-up is about an hour away, and the coyotes (human trackers) are heavily armed. Shockingly, the majority of border agents have outdated night vision equipment or none at all. The agent went on to explain that in the Border Patrol it’s a first come first get when it comes to equipment.

Thermal Devices

Infrared thermal cameras and viewers can be used as a type of night vision device, but they work very dierently from image intensication systems. While image intensication systems such as the ubiquitous AN/PVS-14 intensify available light in the environment to give the user night vision, thermal devices measure the heat radiating from a person, animal, or object and convert that heat into an image of the “target.”

While researching this article, I was privileged to have FLIR’s Breach PTQ136 multifunctional thermal imaging monocular at my disposal. I have spent many years using night vision, and it was rather interesting to use this very compact handheld thermal.

Weighing only 7.4 ounces, the FLIR Breach (www.ir.com) can be concealed in a pocket or mounted to a helmet via its mini- rail feature. The Breach has an internal memory and can record up to 1,000 images and 2.5 hours of video in day or night conditions. It also features advanced image processing and a bright high-definition display for enhanced image clarity. This is a great tool for law enforcement operations.

Choosing the Right Device

Both night vision and thermal systems have a role in police work. To discuss which is best for what application, I went to my local subject matter expert, Lt. Glenn Hamann of the Titusville (FL) Police Department who also happens to be the SWAT team commander. Hamann says both tools are extremely benecial for small unit tactical missions, especially for threat detection and ambush prevention.

Hamann works in his city’s urban environments and in the area’s forests, fields, and swamps. He offers this advice, “When making building entries, night vision is the way to go, as night vision works with glass such as mirrors and windows and thermal not so much. However, in open field environments or forest environments whether looking for dangerous men who may be wearing camouflaged clothing or predator animals who have their own built in camouflage, thermal is the way to go.”

Law enforcement administrators will have to decide whether night vision or thermal or both is best for their mission. The good news is that costs are coming down on this equipment.

Another point to consider is that not every unit needs top-of-the-line night vision gear. You can save money by matching the gear to the light conditions where your team operates. Generation 3 gear is critical in extremely dark conditions, less so where there is a lot of ambient light.

Paul Pawela is the director of law enforcement training for the National Association of Chiefs of Police (www.nacoponline.org). He is a nationally recognized expert in rearms and defensive tactics and has been awarded the John Edgar Hoover Memorial Gold Medal for distinguished public service.

POLICE magazine -used with permission from author by Paul Pawela and Photographer Abboud Bedro

An Overview of HIT-T: High Intensity Technical Team

“Remember, you are your own 1st Responder.”
-Ricoh Danielson

“Time is money,” a phrase commonly used throughout the years to highlight the importance of wealth, specifically financial gain. From a cyber security perspective, however, the phrase can mean the complete opposite. In the moment of a cyber incident, the phrase “time is money” goes into effect due to the importance of a timely response in order to not lose money and more importantly, customers. Decisions need to be made quickly and without hesitation as there may not be enough time to call up a team of executives and attorneys to discuss what needs to be done in depth. That being said, when an incident does occur, it is crucial to have a HIT-T and level threshold that allows you to evaluate and determine how the incident will be handled. For example, a company may have a level threshold of 0 to 5 and when an incident occurs, the level determines how they will respond. If it is considered a level 0, the company may determine that to be low risk (e.g. suspicious email found) and the response time does not have to be immediate. In fact, having a HIT-T that is on-call for a cyber incident allows them to evaluate and determine level threshold.

For the sake of time management and cost of value, having a HIT-T is crucial because a cyber incident, regardless of threshold, cost money. As stated previously, level threshold determines response and some events may not qualify or quantify a need for one. By utilizing a HIT-T, facts are gathered and analyzed quickly and effectively without having to call attorneys and other stakeholders that cost additional money for the company. In situations where the level threshold is high and a full cyber response is required, a HIT-T will determine the following: 1) what was affected, 2) the impact, 3) data elements, and 4) who will be contacted (e.g. attorneys, executives, and vendors).

As we enter the new year, developing a HIT-T as a business defense should be of utmost importance for your company. Remember, develop a team with individuals who have the technical aptitude to make split decisions with minimal time under pressure. Decisions should be made within a designated SLA to ensure there is minimal impact to the company. Have a team that specializes in different areas such as privacy, incident response, digital forensics, legal, threat intelligence, and vulnerability/patch management. Consider adding a spokesperson for your team and someone that will question the decisions to ensure it’s in the best interest of the company and stakeholders. If you are employed with an enterprise business, a HIT-T can be created by cross-training and selecting a group of team members with the necessary technical skills and the ability to understand the importance of time, risk, and customers. For smaller businesses, such as medical providers, creating a HIT-T may be difficult and having a designated IT vendor is not the same. If possible, define certain team members and an IT vendor as the key players who can be on-call 24/7 in the event a cyber incident occurs. If a HIT-T cannot be created and all other avenues have been exhausted, consider hiring an incident response company that will respond as soon as an incident occurs, but it will cost you time, money, and people. Having no reaction is the worst reaction and doing something is better than doing nothing.

Investigating Emojis: Do You Speak Emoji?

Purpose:
My purpose for this article is to help to provide a perspective that may be of value to you during your investigations. Furthermore, the information I will provide may shed some light with regards to digital forensic investigations and media investigations. These are PAST experiences prior to 2018.

Investigating emojis is like speaking another language, however, if you find the commonality of what the emoji stands for, you will have a point of reference for basic conversation. For example, when you are learning a new language, whether for cultural reasons or to understand a new form of “slang,” certain words or emojis will differ with regard to the meaning and dialect; not all emojis are created equal.

In a past case dealing with narcotics, there was a burner phone that was obtained during the apprehension and we were tasked to do forensics on it. During the forensic discovery, we noted that the dealer used emojis to communicate as well as GPS for location drops; barely any words were used. As we dug into the meaning behind the use of emojis through the narcotics phone, we were able to decipher the hidden language.


An example below was a similar extraction where as we can see the emojis did most of the talking. Establishing the correlating values of the emojis to the value of the street items is how this drug dealer was prosecuted.


It is important to understand the emoji language, its interpretation, the context with the specific device, and the individual you are doing the forensic discovery on. Further, it is important to understand the presumed crime and overall matter of interest. Understanding and deciphering these language bites can help bridge a communication gap that some may not understand.

In order to understand the alternative meanings of emojis, find out how these emojis are being interpreted and how you can understand them better; research is going to be your best friend. What would also be helpful is to understand the person in question and whether the interpretation of those emojis will differ depending on the culture or additional factors depending on the person in question. You may find yourself in a highly complex case where tools such as Axiom and Cellebrite will carry forward to a certain point, but it will be upon you to make the determination and deciphering of what an emoji stands for. If it’s beyond your capability, you may need to consult with a professional or conduct more research.

About the Author:
Ricoh Danielson is a cyber security researcher with areas of focus in digital forensics, incident response, and overall cyber security. He is a graduate from Thomas Jefferson School of Law, Colorado Tech University, UCLA, and Villanova University. Ricoh was the owner of a digital forensics firm, Fortitude Tech, where he assisted in preservation of digital evidence in the means of digital forensics. Ricoh was one of the founders of EXXO Tech learning as well. Ricoh has also led the veteran community in development and education.

The above article is his expressed opinions based upon his past experiences. The above does not represent any company, business or any products. These are the opinions and experience of the writer.

Used with direct permission from author