• 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.
  • GEO-Investigation Online

    In this issue of Data2Know, we focus on all the facets of online geo-investigation. Learn how and where to conduct real-time/passive and real-time/active geotracking online and all the tricks of the widely-ranged trade. We also take you into the world of geophoto-data and explain how to get behind online photos and search them for clues.  
  • Analytical Models for Investigations

    My recommended reading list includes anything written by Craig Fleisher and Babette Bensoussan. Together they have published several works on applying analytical methods which are easy to follow and incredible tools for building your report writing.  
  • Protecting Your Image Online

    "Have you Googled yourself lately?" Not a bad line to throw out at happy hour, because it is sure to bring a few chuckles. However, this is a very serious statement to make not only to investigators, police officers and prosecutors - but anyone else concerned about personal security.
  • 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.  
  • Inside Secrets of Media Research - Part 1

    With 24 hour news, press releases, videos, interviews, Web releases, and company announcements, almost everyone seems to get his or her chance at 15 minutes of fame, and that translates into hours of saved research time. Researching news in databases, through paper indexes, or by instant alerts, is a skill that is different fro traditional investigations. Many investigators do not delve deep enough into the news for relevant stories or potential connections; yet the news is exactly where to find many leads.  
  • 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.  
  • Product Review: Copernic Agent Search Engine

    Based on the website www.copernic.com the mission of Copernic, a Canadian based company, "is dedicated to providing its customers cost-effective Web and desktop search technology that enables better decision-making and increased productivity."
  • The Many Faces of Fraud

    When it comes to fraud, investigators and law enforcement professionals know that there are more than Ponzi schemes and money laundering.  
  • BRB Publications.com Free Public Record Resources

    As investigators, we are now enjoying the many years of development and slow progression as counties and states continue to add new databases. Investigators are wise to keep an eye for these latest releases. For the most part, these are free and valid resources that make our job easier. Visit BRBPublications.com to find the link to Free Public Record Searches - updated links outlining all the the public records you can imagine within the United States.  
  • Risk Assessments Online

    Have you performed a Google search on your name lately? consider this common scenario, one day a business executive decides to Google her name only to discover her home address and the names of her children all listed online in plain sight along with online offers to purchase more information about her current whereabouts and social status. The discovery is alarming and in some cases, downright dangerous, especially if the person is an individual with a high net worth, or an executive suite employee, or has a security clearance, or is in law enforcement, or is a private detective, or simply concerned about his or her privacy.  

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