Cookies and Fingerprints: You Will Be Monitored by Mom
April 15, 2020
Everywhere you go on the Internet, cookies are tracking your movements (even with a VPN). The technology is over a decade old and they range from tracking pixels, content tracker, cross-site tracking cookies, social trackers and browser finger-printing. The Next Web explains that browser fingerprinting is becoming more popular with advertisers in the article, “Digital Fingerprints Are The New Cookies-And Advertisers Want Yours.”
Digital Fingerprinting refers to a company generating a profile about your device’s characteristics. These can include everything from operating system down to browser settings. In other words, it is more like an anonymous barcode. Your identity is not attached to the digital fingerprint, but your data is for advertisers to send targeted ads.
Banks use digital fingerprinting as a security measure. Banking Web sites can identify the device you are on, but if they do not they ask security questions. Advertisers now want the technology to make more money. For users, it is more along the lines of capitalist Big Brother.
There are ways to turn off digital fingerprinting. Most of the tracking happens when you are on the Internet, so look through your browser settings and see if it has tracking protection. Even if you turn on tracking protection it does not entirely hide you:
“While “incognito mode” prevents your browser history from being recorded on your computer and prevents your spouse to spy on you, it does not prevent websites that you visit from collecting data about you and it does nothing to block fingerprinting. Similarly, clearing your browsing history on a regular basis, while a healthy thing to do, does not address fingerprinting either.
While ad blockers block ads from loading, not all ad blockers also block trackers, even less fingerprinters. Trackers can come attached to ads, but quite often they are not part of the ad delivery process itself. Social trackers, tracking pixels and fingerprinters for instance don’t need to piggyback on an ad to track your data.”
To avoid cookies, use a private connection, a good decent VPN, and browse in incognito mode. It does not work 100%, but it is better than capitalist Big Brother.
Whitney Grace, April 15, 2020
Dark Web Ethicists? Maybe One or Two?
April 15, 2020
Believe it or not, ethical criminals do exist. At least to a point. The Independent describes the line Monopoly Market will not cross in it’s article, “Coronavirus: Dark Web Market Bans Drug Dealers Selling Fake Covid-19 Vaccines.” (The experts estimate we are at least 18 months away from developing a real vaccine.) The market also blocked sales of purported cures and related scarce supplies. Reporter Anthony Cuthbertson writes:
“The site is a relatively new market on the dark web, counting just over 100 active vendors who sell and ship illegal drugs to buyers in exchange for cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and monero. The warning to sellers comes amid a recent influx of coronavirus-related drugs and treatments advertised by scammers and criminals across dark web marketplaces. ‘Any vendor caught flogging goods as a “cure” to coronavirus will not only be permanently removed from this market but should be avoided like the Spanish flu,’ a Monopoly Market administrator wrote in a forum post. The site also forbids users from selling items that have been impacted by shortages, such as protective face masks and toilet roll. ‘You do not, under any circumstances use Covid-19 as a marketing tool,’ the post stated. ‘No magical cures, no silly f***ing mask selling, toilet paper selling. None of that b*******. We have class here.’”
Other dark web vendors are still peddling fake and vaccines and cures, to be sure. However, dark web forum discussions show even career cyber criminals feel that the gravity of this pandemic warrants restraint. Furthermore, sites that market illegal drugs are urging their vendors to use glasses, masks, and gloves while preparing their wares. Coming from a crowd that usually does not balk at stoking fears to make a profit, this attitude illustrates how severe the current situation is.
Cynthia Murrell, April 15, 2020
DarkCyber for April 14, 2020, Now Available
April 14, 2020
This week’s DarkCyber program contains three news stories and one feature. The program is available via Vimeo and YouTube.
Geospark Analytics is the subject of a DarkCyber profile. The company has a new president, a new partner, and a public podcast. What makes these announcements interesting is that most firms engaged in geolocation analysis maintain a low profile. DarkCyber points out the downside of attracting too much attention. Geospark Analytics, a start up, is likely to become a disruptor in what is a little known sector of the law enforcement and intelligence markets. The technology is directly germane to recent announcements about tracking individuals of interest.
DarkCyber reports that bad actors are going to great lengths to make credit card theft easy. The story explains the principal features of a new point-and-click way to obtain names, credit card data, and the codes printed on each card. Also, this type of “skimming crime” is going to be further automated. After paying a fee, the developer of the skimming system will automate the theft for the customer. How much does the service cost? About $1000 but if a customer does not have the cash a revenue split is available.
A 2014 report produced by the US Department of Justice suggests that predictive analytics may not be as reliable as some experts assert The original document was not available to the public, but it was obtained via a Freedom of Information request by a watch dog group this year. The 2014 report reveals information about the somewhat dismal performance of predictive analytics systems. The outputs of these systems from well-known vendors were not helpful to enforcement and legal officials. The DarkCyber story includes a link to the full report as well as a link to a recent analysis of predictive analytics systems efficacy in identifying life outcomes for young people. The results of both studies appear to call into question the reliability of some predictive software.
DarkCyber’s program concludes with a reminder that virtual private networks may not be private. An online news service identified a number of comparatively high-profile VPNs that are not particularly secure. A link to the source document and the name of three suspect services are provided.
DarkCyber is a production of Stephen E Arnold. Programs are released twice a month and provide news, analysis, interviews, and commentary about the Dark Web, cyber crime, and lesser known Internet services.
Programs are available on Vimeo and YouTube. For the current program, you are welcome to navigate to www.arnoldit.com/wordpress.
Kenny Toth, April 14, 2020
The Roots Behind Criminality: Cyber and Regular
April 8, 2020
Coronavirus scams, global Internet traffic hijacking, and attacks on work-from-homers. Where does crime originate?
In the United States, true crime documentaries and fictional detective shows are popular. People love these shows because it explores the human psyche and tries to answer why people commit crimes. Mental health professionals have explored criminals motivations for centuries, including University of California Santa Cruz professor of psychology Craig Haney. Phys.org shares more on Haney’s work in the article, “New Book Debunks Myths About Who Causes Crime And Why.”
For over forty years, Haney researched the real causes behind crimes and he formulated the hypothesis that criminal behavior could be tied to childhood suffering, such as abuse, trauma, and maltreatment. Haney had interviewed many death row inmates and noticed trauma patterns in them. His colleagues were skeptical about his findings, because there was not much research not the idea and few studies. Haney wrote about his findings in a new book, Criminality in Context: The Psychological Foundations of Criminal Justice Reform. In his new book, Haney discusses forty years of research and what believes to be the root causes of criminal behavior, how it differs from accepted conventions, and what reforms are needed in the criminal justice system. Haney stated:
‘“The nation’s dominant narrative about crime is that it is committed by bad people who freely choose to make bad decisions, persons who are fundamentally different from the rest of us,’ said Haney, who holds psychology and law degrees. “The only thing that is fundamentally different about them is the lives they’ve lived and the structural impediments they’ve faced.’”
Haney found that the people most at risk to commit crimes were those exposed to childhood trauma and often experienced even more maltreatment in places meant to protect them: school, foster care systems, and juvenile justice systems.
He also argues that poverty and racism are key contributors to criminal behaviors. Poverty is a gateway to criminal behavior, because it leads to trauma, unmet needs, and less opportunities. Unfortunately ethnic minorities who experience poverty and trauma are more likely to end up imprisoned. By proxy ethnic minorities receive differential treatment and represent the largest criminal populations.
Haney’s research exposes bigger holes in the already broken criminal justice system. He points that bigger reforms need to be made than simple criminal justice. Crime prevention strategies need to start at the cradle, most importantly combating social inequality and and poverty.
While Haney’s research may sound new, it only augments what other mental health professionals have been spouting for years. Everything is connected when it comes to mental health, but humans usually are not taught how to properly care for their minds.
Whitney Grace, April 8, 2020
DarkCyber for March 31, 2020, Now Available
March 31, 2020
DarkCyber video news program interviews Robert David Steele, a former CIA professional, about human trafficking. Among the topics touched upon in the video are:
- Why human trafficking is useful to intelligence operatives
- The mechanics of running an entrapment operation.
- Jeffrey Epstein’s activities
- The role of Ghislaine Maxwell, daughter of Israeli spy Robert Maxwell.
Mr. Steele’s comments reflect his involvement in a book about human trafficking. The video provides a link to a free download of information not widely disseminated.
You can view the program on Vimeo at this link or on YouTube at this link.
Kenny Toth, March 31, 2020
Cellebrite: Low Profile Outfit Shares Some High Value Information
March 27, 2020
Cellebrite, now owned by Japanese interests, is not a household word. That’s good from DarkCyber’s point of view. If you want to know more about this company, navigate to the company’s Web site.
“Cellebrite Unveils the Top Global Digital Intelligence Trends for 2020” provides observations / finds in its Annual Digital Intelligence Industry Benchmark Report for 2020. Our video program will consider some of these findings in the context of cyber intelligence. However, there are four items of interest which DarkCyber wants to highlight in this short article.
Intelligence and other enforcement agencies are slow to adapt. This finding is in line with DarkCyber’s experience. We reported on March 24, 2020, in our DarkCyber video that the Canadian medical intelligence firm Bluedot identified the threat of the corona virus in November 2019. How quickly did the governments of major countries react? How is the US reacting now? The “slowness” is bureaucratic friction. Who wants to be identified as the person who was wrong? In terms of cyber crime, Cellebrite’s data suggest “43 percent of agencies report either a poor or mediocre strategy or no digital intelligence strategy at all.” [emphasis added].
Government agency managers want modernization to help attract new officers. The Cellebrite study reports, “Most agency managers believe police forces that embrace mobile tech to collect digital evidence in the field will help reduce turnover and be significantly more prepared to meet the digital evidence challenges of 2020.” DarkCyber wants to point out that skilled cyber professionals do not grow on trees. Incentives, salaries, and work magnetism are more important than “hopes.”
Budgets are an issue. This is a “duh” finding. DarkCyber is not being critical of Cellebrite. Anyone involved directly or indirectly in enforcement or intelligence knows that bad actors seem to have infinite scalability. Government entities do not. The report says, “With the deluge of digital devices and cloud data sources, examiners face an average 3-month backlog and an average backlog of 89 devices per station. The push for backdoors is not designed to compromise user privacy; it is a pragmatic response to the urgent need to obtain information as close to real time as possible. Cellebrite’s tools have responded to the need for speed, but for many governments’ enforcement and intelligence agencies, a 90 day period of standing around means that bad actors have an advantage.
DarkCyber will consider more findings from this report in an upcoming video news program. Watch this blog for the release date for the program.
Stephen E Arnold, March 27, 2020
DarkCyber for March 24, 2020, Now Available
March 24, 2020
DarkCyber for March 24, 2020, covers four stories. You can view the video on YouTube or on Vimeo.
The first story explains that phishing is a contentious issue in many organizations. Managers see phishing one way; information and security professionals often have a different view. The divide can create more vulnerabilities for organizations ignoring the escalating risk from weaponized email.
The second story provides some information about Banjo (a US firm engaged in providing specialized services to law enforcement) and BlueDot (a Canadian company applying advanced analysis to open source and limited access medical information). The story makes clear that the methods of these firms provide excellent insight into how some specialized software systems deliver high value intelligence to law enforcement and intelligence professionals worldwide.
The third story provides information about a Department of Justice report aimed at Dark Web researchers. The document is available without charge from the url provided in the program. Failure to follow the guidelines in the document can convert a researcher into a bad actor.
The final story reviews recent steps taken by the Russian government to exert tighter control over Internet applications. The affected software includes Tor and the Telegram Open Network. Mr. Putin has become Russia’s first digital tsar.
Kenny Toth, March 24, 2020
DOJ Suggestions for Threat Research and Cyber Intelligence Gathering
March 13, 2020
DarkCyber spotted “Legal Considerations when Gathering Online Cyber Threat Intelligence and Purchasing Data from Illicit Sources.” The Department of Justice has assembled what a mini best practices for those who are gathering certain types of cyber security information; for example, Dark Web fora.
The document states:
The application of federal criminal law to activities occurring online can be complicated.
That should be a yellow warning signal to those who embark on digital journeys into certain parts of the datasphere. The document provides some information about different ways to gather information from online discussion groups.
Online storefronts can appear to provide a way to purchase products or services which, in some jurisdictions, are problematic.
The document is informative and, in DarkCyber’s opinion, a useful contribution to the literature related to obtaining threat intelligence.
Net net: Don’t intentionally or unintentionally become what some authorities would consider a criminal. Plus, any spelunking in certain areas of the datasphere can change a curious eager beaver into a target for bad actors.
Stephen E Arnold, March 13, 2020
Phishing Faces a Tough Competitor
March 13, 2020
DarkCyber spotted a factoid which could be marketing dressed up in factual finery or a datum which is accurate. You will have to figure out which.
Navigate to “Adware Accounts for 72% of Mobile Malware: Avast.” The write up states:
Adware or software that hijacks a device in order to spam the user with unwanted ads now accounts for 72 per cent of all mobile malware, says a new report from cybersecurity firm Avast.
But what about the other 28 percent of digital legerdemain?
The remaining 28 per cent consist of banking Trojans, fake apps, lockers, and downloaders, according to statistics gathered by Avast’s Threat Lab experts.
The write up points out:
Adware often disguises itself in the form of gaming and entertainment apps, or other app types that are trending and therefore are interesting targets with a high potential to spread far. These apps may appear harmless, but once they have infected a device they will surreptitiously click on ads in the background. Sometimes, adware also serves ads with malicious content.
Phishing may lose its pride of place among bad actors.
By the way, the data in the write up, if on the money, does not explain how malware on a mobile phone can perform a number of other useful services for the developer. These services can be helpful to certain types of professionals working in field other than Madison Avenue pursuits.
Stephen E Arnold, March 13, 2020
DarkCyber for March 10, 2020, Now Available
March 10, 2020
DarkCyber for March 10, 2020, includes four stories. The first is a look at how BriefCam’s smart software generates video synopses of surveillance viden. The second presents information about the geotracking capabilities enabled by aggregated data from vendors like Venntel and Oracle, among others. The third story dips bnack into phishing-rich data flows. There’s is a reason why bogus email exploits are increasing. Watch to find out the reason. The final story discloses the Amflyfi and Deep Web Technologies mergers. Is a new intelware giant taking shape. Check out this week’s video to learn what DarkCyber thinks.
Kenny Toth, March 10, 2020
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