DarkCyber for August 14, 2018, Now Available
August 14, 2018
DarkCyber for July 24, 2018, is now available at www.arnoldit.com/wordpress and on Vimeo at https://vimeo.com/284579347 .
Stephen E Arnold’s DarkCyber is a weekly video news and analysis program about the Dark Web and lesser known Internet services.
This week’s program covers four Dark Web and security related stories.
The first story presents data about online drug sellers. The estimated number of vendors is in the 30,000 to 50,000 range. DarkCyber points out that such data are likely to be uncertain. Estimates of online sources for controlled substances are based on difficult-to-verify data. DarkCyber reports that as many as one half of the prescription drugs sold online may be fakes.
The second story reports that the Dark Web is changing. The shift from Tor-centric Web sites to encrypted chat and messaging systems is underway. Encrypted chat complicates the work of law enforcement and intelligence professionals. Plus, encrypted chat sessions can trigger mob actions which can spiral out of control and without warning. A lynching in India may be the direct result of forwarded encrypted chat messages.
The third story provides a snapshot of the NC4 policeware system Street Smart. A popular US magazine referenced the company without providing details about the system and its functions. DarkCyber explains that information about the software system are available on the NC4 Web site and in videos publicly available on YouTube.
The final story explains how 3D printing makes it comparatively easy for an individual to create what is called a “ghost gun.” The 3D printed weapon does not have an identification number, so tracing the gun is difficult. DarkCyber points out that copyright issues and regulations concerning the manufacture of weapons will consume time, money, and human resources.
Kenny Toth, August 14, 2018
DarkCyber for August 7, 2018, Now Available
August 7, 2018
This week’s DarkCyber video news program is now available at www.arnoldit.com/wordpress and on Vimeo at https://vimeo.com/user77362226/ .
DarkCyber covers news related to the Dark Web and lesser known Internet services. The program is produced and hosted by Stephen E Arnold, author of CyberOSINT and the Dark Web Notebook.
This week’s program includes four stories.
The first story reviews how hardware devices can be used by an individual to compromise an organization’s computers, servers, and network. The video illustrates how a normally appearing wristwatch can transfer malware to a computer or server. The video also explains how cufflinks which are housing for men’s cufflinks can evade a physical security inspection. The object is to make clear that an insider with physical access to computing devices can compromise those devices in a matter of minutes. Stephen E Arnold said: “Anyone with access to a computer within an organization can easily create havoc on existing systems. Security guards usually overlook watches and jewelry which contain storage devices, programs, and capabilities which can penetrate cyber barriers. These direct access attacks like the Evil Maid method are a threat because interns, temporary workers, and compromised employees have the opportunity and means to perform malicious actions.”
The second report summarizes findings about successful email phishing attacks. These are seemingly innocuous and legitimate emails which are conduits for malware. The most effective phishing scams reference Amazon deliveries and requests for information from what appear to be legitimate sources like Facebook.
The third story provides an overview of the Zotero research assistant software. The software keeps track of information discovered on the Internet and performs a number of functions for a researcher, an analyst, or an investigator. The Zotero tool allows the user to maintain an archive of data and generate reports which can be submitted to a colleague or a legal team. The software is available without charge, and DarkCyber provides a link for downloading the program.
The final story revisits the mythical idea that a person can hire an assassin on the Dark Web. A physician in England tried to arrange the death of his financial adviser. The doctor suffered cold feet, but police arrested him for malicious email. The Chechen mob did not get the doctor’s bitcoin nor the opportunity to terminate a financial wizard.
Kenny Toth, August 7, 2018
DarkCyber for July 31, 2018, Is Now Available
July 31, 2018
This week’s DarkCyber video news program is available at www.arnoldit.com/wordpress and on Vimeo at https://vimeo.com/282131610 .
Produced by Stephen E Arnold and the DarkCyber research team, the weekly program covers the Dark Web and lesser known Internet services.
The July 31, 2018, program includes four stories. These are:
Chinese citizens are using the Dark Web via Tor and i2p to circumvent the Great Firewall of China. The Web surfers use hidden Internet sites and services to obtain information and engage in ecommerce. DarkCyber learned that there is an elite group of “red” hackers working for the Chinese government. These “red hat” professionals engage in cyber activities which may be viewed as “black hat” activities by those outside of China.
The second story updates viewers about the legal challenges several SEA members face in US courts. DarkCyber provides brief descriptions of two reports about the SEA’s hacking activities in the US and elsewhere. These reports contain high value information about systems and methods used by these individuals. Links to these reports are included in the video plus a pointer to an SEA recruiting video available on YouTube. Stephen E Arnold, author of Dark Web Notebook, said: “Technical information compiled by analysts provides a road map for cyber security professionals. On the other hand, the availability of information warfare techniques makes it easier for bad actors to improve their digital attack methods. A cat and mouse game with significant stakes is escalating.”
The third story explains that Russia’s new surveillance and data retention regulations are now in effect. Mobile vendors, ISPs, and similar companies have to retain index data and content for six months. The influence of the Russian Internet crackdown has diffused to Kazakhstan. That Russian neighbor throttles the Internet and blocks access when opposition political voices stream via the Internet.
The final story directs viewers to the free Dark Web scanning service provided by Capitol One. The new service looks for individuals social security numbers, emails, and other personal information. Automatic alerts are sent to registered users when sensitive information is discovered.
You can view the video at this link.
Kenny Toth, July 31, 2018
Factoids for July 25, 2018
July 25, 2018
Some useful factoids:
- 11 percent of Americans do not use the Internet, down from 48 percent in Year 2000. Source: TheHustle
- Google’s capital expenditures for 2017-2018 were $5.5 billion. This is a 2X increase over the previous year. Source: GeekWire
- The health records of 1.5 million Singaporeans, including Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, were stolen. Source: Manila Times
- Stolen credit cards with PINS cost as little as US$8. Source: Daily Mail
- Almost two million start-ups were registered in the UK between 2013-2017 with 392,627 (20 percent) classified as technology firms. Source: Cambridge Network
- Companies selling flaws in software to government entities include Vupen in Montpellier, France; Netragard in Acton, Mass.; Exodus Intelligence in Austin, Tex.; and ReVuln (Malta). Source: Dark Government
Stephen E Arnold, July 25, 2018
Fake News: Maybe Deadly
July 25, 2018
Politics aside for a moment, a disturbing new trend is becoming more obvious thanks to social media and fake news. Human lives are being lost thanks to false news stories being circulated and it might just be the one arena in which everyone can agree there is a problem. This first came to our attention via an NBC News story, “Social Media Rumors Trigger Violence in India; 3 Killed by Mobs.”
According to the story:
“Mobs of villagers killed at least three people and attacked several others after social media messages warned that gangs of kidnappers were roaming southern India in search of children, police said ….Authorities said there was no indication that such gangs actually existed.”
This scourge of fake news leading to real world consequences has led to the government stepping in and perhaps becoming an incubator for other nations going forward. The Indian Government has reached out to WhatsApp and demanded that they begin filtering out fake news stories. Google and Facebook have already begun attempting to police themselves. If the Indian government’s move to take control over fake news proves successful, censorship dominoes are falling in many different nation states. In the July 31, 2018, DarkCyber video we report about recent developments and Kazakhstan. The video will be available on the 31st at www.arnoldit.com/wordpress.
Patrick Roland, July 25, 2018
DarkCyber for July 24, 2018, Now Available
July 24, 2018
DarkCyber for July 24, 2018, is now available at www.arnoldit.com/wordpress and on Vimeo at https://vimeo.com/281132690 .
Stephen E Arnold’s DarkCyber is a weekly video news and analysis program about the Dark Web and lesser known Internet services.
This week’s program covers five Dark Web and security related stories.
The first story reports that a hacker stole technical details of the hunter killer MQ9 Reaper drone. These documents were offered for sale on a Dark Web eCommerce site. The documents in the wrong hands could lead to a bad actor’s development of jamming technology.
Second, the consumerization of encrypted blockchain services is accelerating. The Chinese electronics giant Huawei has announced that it will release a blockchain enable mobile phone in the fall of 2018. The idea is to make it easy to use digital currency from a mobile device. Each device can function as a node on the network which would expand the use of digital currency.
Third, Opera has released as a beta product of its flagship browser with a built in digital currency wallet. The implementation eliminates most of the technical complexity associated with using Bitcoin or other digital currencies. Stephen E Arnold, author of Dark Web Notebook, said: “Consumerization of encrypted services can be a plus for some business transactions. However, if the user of the encrypted services engages in illegal activity, the challenge for law enforcement becomes significantly more difficult for some investigations.”
The fourth story reports that German authorities are stepping up certain Tor related activities. Operators of Tor nodes and computers providing Tor relay services were seized in multiple locations in the country. German authorities allegedly wanted information about the use of Tor as well as the names of individuals who have contributed money to the US based Tor Project, a non profit organization sponsoring the development of the Tor software bundle.
The final story discloses that Mozambique has developed a fast growing heroin smuggling industry. The infrastructure used by the bad actors is based on mobile phones and WhatsApp messaging software. The heroin business now rivals Mozambique’s coal exporting business in revenue.
DarkCyber is released weekly on Tuesday at 0130 am US Eastern time.
Kenny Toth, July 24, 2018
DarkCyber for July 17, 2018, Now Available
July 17, 2018
DarkCyber for July 17, 2018, is now available. You may view the nine minute news program about the Dark Web and lesser known Internet services at www.arnoldit.com/wordpress or Vimeo at this link. This week’s program covers:
This week’s program covers four stories.
The first story reviews the enhanced capabilities of Webhose.io’s Dark Web and Surface Web monitoring service. Tor Version 3 is supported. The content collection system can now access content on Dark Web and i2p services. Plus, Webhose’s system now scans compressed attachments and can access obfuscated sites with Captcha and user name and password requirements.
The second story reports that NSO, an Israeli intelligence services firm, suffered an insider breach. NSO’s Pegasus platform can extract email, text messages, SIM card and cell network information, GPS location data, keychain passwords, including Wi-Fi and router, and voice and image data. The NSO Pegasus system was advertised on the Dark Web. The insider was identified and arrested.
The third story takes a look at Dark Web money laundering services. Mixers, tumblers, and flip concepts are explained. These services are becoming more popular and are coming under closer scrutiny by law enforcement.
The fourth story explains Diffeo’s approach to next generation information access. Diffeo was one of the technology vendors for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Memex Dark Web indexing program. The commercial version of Diffeo’s analytic tool is in use at major financial institutions and the US Department of Defense.
Enjoy.
Kenny Toth, July 17, 2018
DarkCyber for July 10, 2018, Now Available
July 10, 2018
The DarkCyber video news program for July 10, 2018, is now available at www.arnoldit.com/wordpress and on Vimeo at https://vimeo.com/278891411.
This week’s program includes four stories.
The first story reports that Brave has introduced Tor tabs. The security-centric browser makes obfuscated Internet access easier to implement. The system is activated with a mouse click. Users do not have to download, install, and configure the Tor software bundle. DarkCyber reveals how to get a beta copy of this Tor-equipped browser.
Second, facial recognition systems captured some space in the news cycle. The Annapolis police were able to identify the Capital Gazette shooter using a commercial facial recognition system. The accuracy of these systems is not usually discussed. DarkCyber reveals the accuracy achieved by systems from Chinese, Russian, and US vendors.
Stephen E Arnold, author of Dark Web Notebook, said: “Facial recognition systems generate false positives. This means that unless the system generates a high probability match, human investigators and analysts have to examine the matched images. With accuracy rates for the best systems achieving 70 percent, facial recognition is a work in progress.”
The third story explains how a person with python and network expertise can configure MalTrail to identify malicious network traffic. The open source solution makes it possible to avoid the costs and contractual work associated with commercial malicious traffic analysis systems. DarkCyber points out the important differences between commercial software and the open source equivalent.
The fourth story points to a free report from the security organization InfoSec. The document includes useful information about weaknesses identified in Tor botnets and sources of malicious software. DarkCyber provides the download information for this free report and recommends that those interested in malware obtain a copy.
Next week’s program features a report about the NSO Pegasus source code slip up and a new introduction to the video program.
Kenny Toth, July 10, 2018
DarkCyber for July 3, 2018, Now Available
July 3, 2018
DarkCyber for July 3, 2018, is now available at www.arnoldit.com/wordpress and on Vimeo at https://vimeo.com/277849110 .
Stephen E Arnold’s DarkCyber is a weekly video news and analysis program about the Dark Web and lesser known Internet services.
This week’s program covers four stories.
The first story reports that French authorities conducted multi-city simultaneous raids to take down Dark Hand. The Dark Web contraband site was operated by a housewife. Authorities seized digital currency and user and customer data.
Second, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has published the results of a study of active shooters. The report is available without charge and provides details about the demographics of active shooters. One set of data provides a snapshot of where active shooters obtain their weapons. One of the surprising findings revealed in the report is that most active shooters are over the age of 35.
The third story explains how an individual can use the open source SpiderFoot software to scour the regular and Dark Web for personal information. Instead of paying for a commercial service, the SpiderFoot system can be used effectively by an individual with some programming skills.
The fourth story reveals that Iran’s blocking of Telegram, a popular encrypted messaging application, had unexpected consequences. Despite the disruption of some Iranian government processes, censorship of the Internet is gaining momentum in Iran and other countries.
Kenny Toth, July 3, 2018
Dark Web News Reviews DarkCyber Video News about the Dark Web
July 2, 2018
The DarkCyber research team was surprised and honored with Dark Web News’s review of our weekly video news program. “DarkCyber: Weekly Video Series Explores the Dark Web in Depth” describes the weekly videos as a “well timed show.”
The core research team, working with Stephen E Arnold, consists of Cynthia Murrell, Patrick Roland, Whitney Grace, and Stuart Schram IV. On an on going basing, this team uses its “Overflight” system and other research tools to identify news about events, tools, and procedures which are related to the Dark Web, i2p, and related services such as encrypted chat, deanonymization of digital currency transactions, and intelligence-centric procedures, software, systems, and hardware.
The Dark Web News review stated:
A show such as Arnold’s DarkCyber has been long overdue.
That’s an important point.
Stephen E Arnold, the producer of the show, told Stuart Schram in an interview about the program review:
Dark Web News provides high value information to its readers. I wanted to provide a weekly video news program. Coverage of stories like the OxyMonster arrest, the Dark Web drug dealer housewife, tools like OSINT Framework, and the investigative procedures used in the Hansa case are not gathered in one place and explained in our eight to 10 minute program format. Our goal is to provide education plus useful information to those curious about the Dark Web and related services.
Funding for the program comes from Arnold Information Technology, and the program features no commercial advertising or paid endorsements. Note that DarkCyber sometimes includes information about Mr. Arnold’s books and lectures. As a result, the selection of what to cover is only influenced by the research team and by Mr. Arnold, not advertisers who pay to play in the DarkCyber information sandbox.
If you are not familiar with Dark Web News, we strongly recommend that you visit the online information services. You can find the story about DarkCyber plus a wealth of other cyber information at https://www.darkwebnews.com.
Also, you can locate the weekly program at the Beyond Search blog at www.arnoldit.com/wordpress and on Vimeo. You can also locate programs by searching Google, Google Video, YouTube, or Vimeo for “Arnold DarkCyber.”
Kenny Toth, July 2, 2018
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