-
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. -
While billions of people are under stay-at-home and work from home orders, predators are taking advantage of people’s fears, anxiety, and losses at mind-numbing proportions. Children, who are now spending more time online for schooling, are targets for exploitation by pedophiles. Seniors are vulnerable from financial scams, and businesses are vulnerable from hacking, phishing, and cybercrimes. We are committed to serve the public by providing information on the latest scams, exploitation, and fraudulent activities as we are all in this together. -
Securing Your Profile in Facebook
Are you certain your profile is secure with Facebook? Facebook makes it challenging to keep up with your privacy controls. The privacy policies change often and there is extensive information published regarding the settings. In this issue learn the tools to protect yourself. -
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. -
Social Network Searching Summer Update
There are always new Web sites to visit and use for our investigative work. In this article, we focus on social network investigations and the latest sites - or updates to those you are already familiar with. -
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. -
Facebook Graph Searching
In this issue learn about how Facebook announced Graph Search, a Facebook-specific search engine which allows you to search all of the things people have shared with you. If your post is set to "public" that means that anyone can find it through a Facebook Graph Search. Facebook has been steadily making changes to privacy and security controls, including changes made to app permissions, untagging and removing photos, and adding privacy shortcuts in 2012. -
Building Social Media Investigations
Building Social Media Investigations will explore the alternatives in other countries that exist aside from Facebook. It will explore the preferred social media sites, online communication methods, and popular focus of investigation for both a country and it's culture. -
Opt-Out Online: Part 1
This article will help you understand the dark side of information. Data, at its most annoying, is a commodity with social media sites selling your Likes to data providers. Data, at its most dangerous, allows someone from overseas to obtain personal addresses and threaten families. -
Opt-Out Online: Part 3
Despite the overabundance of information shared and sold on the Web today, a number of measures for protecting your information are available to you. Learn about these important protections and how to exercise the options they offer to you.
