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Sock puppet accounts are mainly known to those outside the information security field as accounts used for disinformation purposes, such as swaying your opinion about a topic or a product. However, this is not the only way to use a sock puppet account. In Hg’s Summer FactSheet, up-and-coming cybersecurity researcher Dakota State University Junior, Mariel Klosterman, describes how sock puppets are used by malicious actors and OSINT investigators, types of sock puppet accounts, and how to create a sock puppet for information collection. -
Deciphering Large Company Ownership
Large companies become complicated quickly. The corporate tree is just that, a top-down view of companies and ownership. The corporate tree provides a clear understanding about the ultimate parent company. Publicly traded companies will have their corporate structures written in their annual reports. Even so, that information is not easily discerned. -
Across the Boarder - Due Diligence in Mexico
How does the savvy investigator determine if a Mexican company all its principals are reputable and free from any encumbrances? We'll give you the step-by-step of due diligence searches inside the Mexican borders. You'll learn that even the small investigative firms can effectively tackle this seemingly daunting task. -
Across the Ocean - Business Due Diligence in the Republic of China
How does the well-informed investigator determine if a company located in the Republic of China is reputable and free from encumbrances? In this article you will be given a systematic account of the due diligence steps necessary to answer the above question. This article examines the steps, thought processes, and online resources necessary to achieve success with business due diligence in China. The objective of our investigation is to minimize monetary and reputational risks involved with a foreign business. -
Due Diligence with LexisNexis and WestLaw
The value of combining traditional media (e.g., news, journals, and the written word vs. social media) with online litigation searches is immeasurable. Case after case has been made thanks to finding articles with a mere mention of our subject referenced. Old court cases, no longer accessible from county Web sites—if ever they were available—can also be located. -
Acxiom and AboutTheData.com
Acxiom uses sophisticated business intelligence and marketing databases "to strengthen connections between businesses, individuals, and their partners." Further information on the Acxiom Web site states that they have "cutting-edge, data-oriented products and services that create better living values for their clients" -
Due Diligence Investigations: A Primer
Due diligence investigations give a thorough reporting about a subject, based on the client’s needs. Truthfully, an investigator is hired to bring a sense of both resolution and comfort to the client. Prior to an investigation, the client is in a state of flux; unsure, the client does not fully know or understand the circumstances around a person, an event, or a company. An investigator is hired to conduct an investigation, producing information that will help the client be comfortable with the decisions he or she must make. It is the client’s desire to learn more that drives them to our office. -
Industry Sources for Every Investigator
One of the challenges with due diligence research is that the industry in which we are investigating is ever-changing. Each industry has its own publications, news, social media forums, and data collections. One example is the medical industry. Cardiologists have their own magazines, associations, and data producers, and you need to search within all those industry resources if you are conducting research on a cardiology group. Research gets tougher with unique occupations—such as waste management, philosophers, and DVR manufacturers. Each has its own panoply of information producers. This article focuses on the WHERE to find information, rather than the always important WHAT. -
Searching For Videos & Images On The Internet
In this issue of Data2Know.com, we have guest contributing author and OsInt officer Janiece Mondale providing us with two articles of her Open source news content. Of the many articles Ms. Mondale has authored, these pieces collate best practices for online intelligence professionals to conquer the overwhelming amount of content on the internet.
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Best of People Search and Company Search Engines
Today’s commodity is data. Everyone is selling a specialized database in their particular arena. Our job as investigators is to find that database; doing so will greatly enhance our skills and give us the edge to set us apart from the rest. -
Using Sayari Graph for Investigations
This article examines the use of Sayari for intelligence analysts and corporate risk management professionals to collect, extract, and analyze data across borders and languages. Sayari can be used for due diligence to reduce risk or to enter a new market, to meet compliance or regulatory requirements, or to prevent fraud, financial crimes, and corruption.
