iBabyRainbow Next: Another Amazon Twitch Pace Setter?
May 24, 2021
I read “Twitch Launches a Dedicated Hot Tubes’ Category after Advertiser Pushback.” The write up states:
Twitch says its policies on what is and isn’t allowed on the platform aren’t changing. The company is not going to prevent people from streaming in hot tubs or swimwear. While sexually suggestive content remains banned, context-appropriate clothing — like bathing suits in a pool — is allowed. “Being found to be sexy by others is not against our rules, and Twitch will not take enforcement action against women, or anyone on our service, for their perceived attractiveness,” the company wrote, in bold, in a blog post this afternoon.
The creator innovation of people in bathing attire sitting in kiddie pools is fascinating. The segregation of these creators based on advertiser feedback makes clear that Amazon’s live streaming platform is moving downstream.
In our preparation for our lecture at the 2021 National Cyber Crime Conference and an upcoming talk at the Connecticut IAFCI Spotlight on Fraud event in June, we revisited the Amazon Twitch stream for iBabyRainbow. This talented performer offers content on other Web sites under the clever name of BabyRainbow. With a bit of clicking and posting, one can find fascinating content available for a fee.
Parents of young persons are, based on our research, are essentially behind a curtain of cascading data flows. Awareness of these talented performers’ contributions to video art is low, vanishingly small.
Will there be advertisers who want to deliver messages to the viewers of the inflate-a-pool streams and the even more roiled data streams from iBabyRainbow’s pool?
It seems as if there will be advertisers eager to dive in and bat the colorful floating animals in glee. If my references to these creators’ content seem murky like a mine drainage pond, do some exploring in the digital Amazon. You might be surprised at what you find at the end of the rainbow. A new channel tailored to certain advertisers behind a dam of salaciousness.
May we suggest the curious run queries for “iBabyRainbow” on Amazon Twitch and then query the phrase “BabyRainbow” on other general purpose Web search services. Better yet, give TikTok or Twitter search a whirl.
And check out the function of Twitch tags to segregate users and content.
Stephen E Arnold, May 24, 2021
Google Says, Roku You!
May 19, 2021
YouTube TV is a popular streaming service accessible through various sling boxes a.k.a. carriages. Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku are the top carriages that offer YouTube TV. Roku, however, could soon be off that list says Android Police in: “Google Tells YouTube TV Customers To Spam Roku Support.”
Google owns YouTube and its affiliate TV streaming service and the search engine giant is pursuing a new contract with Roku. Google wants Roku to push YouTube TV to the front of its interface. Roku, however, claims Google is using its monopoly power to force them into a new contract.
“…Google is looking to position YouTube as the premier streaming destination on Roku, requesting a dedicated search page, boosted music results, and a full block on search returns from other sources while the YouTube app is open. In perhaps its most brazen move, the company has reportedly asked Roku to meet specific hardware requirements to continue carrying its apps. On paper, none of these demands have anything to do with YouTube TV. Instead, Roku alleges that Google is using negotiations for its cable streaming service to gain leverage for YouTube as a whole, a move labeled “anticompetitive” in this morning’s email.”
Roku reasonably requests its users to petition Google to keep YouTube TV on its carriage. Google denies that it wants access to user data or it would interfere with search results. They also told YouTube TV subscribers to message Roku’s customer support in order to keep the cable alternative.
Bicker, bicker, bicker. Google wants more power over Roku, but the company will not cave. Solution: Just stick the YouTube TV thing into the YouTube free thing. That’s a “Roku you” for sure.
Whitney Grace, May 19, 2021
DarkCyber for May 18, 2021 Now Available
May 18, 2021
DarkCyber is a twice-a-month video news program usually available on YouTube at this link. The topics in the May 18, 2021, video include a look at what the Signal subpoena “signals” about advanced US intelware systems. The program also explores ways to spy on a mobile phone. If you want to purchase your own IMSI catcher, you will find a an online ecommerce site ready to respond. (Keep in mind intercepting mobile content can be problematic in some jurisdictions.) Reluctantly we revisit the increasingly embarrassing Microsoft security software and systems. We report that a UK cyber security company has entered into a partnership with Microsoft in order to put the polish on that digital Yugo. The program profiles a not-so-clever trick to smuggle liquid meth into the United States. The scheme included a drug mule, a VW SUV, and a fuel tank available from an auto parts shop. Hint: The ploy did not work. This program’s drone news explains the new features of the UAVTEK bug nano. This is a remarkable device which can operate in swarms, perform surveillance whether in the air or perched in an inconspicuous location. The new version can carry a payload; for example, additional sensors and micro-explosives.
DarkCyber is available at www.arnoldit.com/wordpress and on YouTube. (Sometimes the really smart software used to filter objectionable content becomes irritated with the video news program. Is it because the LE and intel centric content is troublesome? Is it because DarkCyber does not run ads (no big momma ads nor from individual companies), and the content is not sponsored. No wonder videos are objectionable. I mean no ads, no sponsorships, no shilling! Terrible, right?
Kenny Toth, May 18, 2021
PS. This video is available on Facebook (we think). Try this url: https://bit.ly/3wfTnNu
DarkCyber for May 4, 2021, Now Available
May 4, 2021
The 9th 2021 DarkCyber video is now available on the Beyond Search Web site. Will the link work? If it doesn’t, the Facebook link can assist you. The original version of this 9th program contained video content from an interesting Dark Web site selling malware and footage from the PR department of the university which developed the kid-friendly Snakebot. Got kids? You will definitely want a Snakebot, but the DarkCyber team thinks that US Navy Seals will be in line to get duffle of Snakebots too. These are good for surveillance and termination tasks.
Plus, this 9th program of 2021 addresses five other stories, not counting the Snakebot quick bite. These are: [1] Two notable take downs, [2] iPhone access via the Lightning Port, [3] Instant messaging apps may not be secure, [4] VPNs are now themselves targets of malware, and [5] Microsoft security with a gust of SolarWinds.
The complete program is available — believe it or not — on Tess Arnold’s Facebook page. You can view the video with video inserts of surfing a Dark Web site and the kindergarten swimmer friendly Snakebot at this link: https://bit.ly/2PLjOLz. If you want the YouTube approved version without the video inserts, navigate to this link.
DarkCyber is produced by Stephen E Arnold, publisher of Beyond Search. You can access the current video plus supplemental stories on the Beyond Search blog at www.arnoldit.com/wordpress.
We think smart filtering is the cat’s pajamas, particularly for videos intended for law enforcement, intelligence, and cyber security professionals. Smart software crafted in the Googleplex is on the job.
Kenny Toth, May 4, 2021
DarkCyber for April 20, 2021, Now Available
April 20, 2021
The DarkCyber video news program for April 20, 2021, is now available on Beyond Search or at this link. The program covers cyber crime, lesser known online services, and related technologies. DarkCyber appears twice each month and contains no sponsored content or advertising.
This week’s program includes five stories:
- Policeware marketing, unchanged since 1980, is given the investigative news treatment. Interesting but not news and not unusual
- Caller ID spoofing solutions for programmers and general mobile phone users
- The sounds of silence: How large companies are explaining security lapses
- Cisco Systems explains who cares about privacy
- Russia’s most advanced drone looks like a 40 year old US aircraft, just with artificial intelligence.
The DarkCyber video news program is produced by Stephen E Arnold, publisher of Beyond Search and author of CyberOSINT: Next Generation Information Access. The stories are selected and written by the team which assembled The Dark Web Notebook: A Guide for Law Enforcement.
Kenny Toth, April 20, 2021
DarkCyber for April 6, 2021, Now Available
April 6, 2021
DarkCyber is a twice-a-month video news program about the Dark Web, cyber crime, and lesser known Internet services. You can view the program at this link.
This program covers five stories:
- Banjo, founded by a controversial figure, has been given an overhaul. There’s new management and a new name. The challenge? Turn the off tune Banjo into a sweet revenue song.
- The Dark Web is not a hot bed of innovation. In fact, it’s stagnant, and law enforcement has figured out its technology and is pursuing persons of interest. A “new” Dark Web-like datasphere is now emerging. Robust encrypted messaging apps allow bad actors to make deals, pay for goods and services, and locate fellow travelers more easily and quickly than ever before.
- User tracking is a generator of high value information. Some believe that user tracking is benign or nothing about which to worry. That’s not exactly the situation when third-party and primary data are gathered, cross-correlated, and analyzed. Finding an insider who can be compromised has never been easier.
- New cyber crime reports are flowing in the aftermath of the Solarwinds’ and Microsoft Exchange Server fiascos. What’s interesting that two of these reports reveal information which provides useful insight into what the bad actors did to compromise thousands of systems.
- The final story reports about the world’s first drone which makes it possible for law enforcement and intelligence operatives to conduct a video conference with a bad actor near the drone. The innovative device can also smash through tempered glass to gather information about persons of interest.
DarkCyber is produced by Stephen E Arnold. The program is a production of Beyond Search and Arnold Information Technology. Mr. Arnold is the author of CyberOSINT and The Dark Web Notebook. He will be lecturing at the 2021 National Cyber Crime Conference.
Kenny Toth, April 6, 2021
DarkCyber for March 23, 2021, Now Available
March 23, 2021
DarkCyber for March 23, 2021, is now available at this link.
The March 23, 2021, program contains four stories.
The feature is an interview with the director of GovWizely, Erik Arnold. A former Lycos and Vivisimo executive, Mr. Arnold was a principal researcher on a study about the SolarWinds’ breach. The client for this report was an investment firm. The focus, therefore, was different from the obfuscation and marketing reports generated by cyber security firms and consultants.
Some of the report’s more interesting finding are discussed in the video. A more comprehensive review of the SolarWinds’ breach will be provided on March 25, 2021. Mr. Arnold will conduct an informational webinar on March 25, 2021, at 11 am Eastern time. Registration is required, but there is not charge for the one hour program. You can sign up at https://www.govwizely.com/contact/.
Other stories in the March 23, 2021, program are:
- A look at the management and credibility challenges the Microsoft Exchange Server security lapses create
- How anyone can implement an email tracking function. Three commercial services are mentioned and a GitHub repository is provided for those who want to reuse open source surveillance and monitoring code
- The Russian GROM. This is a weapons capable drone which has been upgraded to carry 10 mini-drones. Each mini-drone can perform kinetic (micro munition) or reconnaissance functions. The 10 drones can function as a swarm, coordinated via artificial intelligence to adapt to changing battled conditions.
DarkCyber is a video news program published twice each month. The videos are available on YouTube. The video news program covers the Dark Web, cyber crime, and lesser known Internet services. The producer is Stephen E Arnold, publisher of Beyond Search which is available at www.arnoldit.com/wordpress.
Kenny Toth, March 23, 2021
DarkCyber for March 9, 2021, Now Available
March 9, 2021
This week’s DarkCyber is available on YouTube. The program includes two stories. The first is a summary of our SolarWinds’ research project. An investment firm commissioned a report to answer this question, “What are some companies that will benefit from the breach of SolarWinds’ Orion enterprise software?” The second story describes a loitering drone which has seen action in a recent hot fire skirmish.
The SolarWinds’ story comes at the breach of SolarWinds’ Orion product from a different angle. Most of the existing studies focus on what happened and what organizations are affected. Those reports fall into several broad categories: [1] Technobabble. These are explanations ignoring the obvious fact that non of the installed cyber security systems spotted the SolarWinds’ malware for more than six months, maybe more. [2] After action reports identifying issues with how SolarWinds and many other organizations software are assembled; for example, the use of open source libraries without making sure these libraries do not contain malware and managing basic security processes. [3] Academic / technical discussions of the specific types of malware used in the breach. (The reality is that the malware was based on existing exploits and used methods frequently discussed on hacker forums.)
In the course of our exploration of the hack, we learned that the existing, easily findable information provided a road map for the bad actors. Instead of lightning flashes of genius, the bad actors learned from a range of sources. We mention some of these in this video summary of portions of our research. Then we looked at SolarWinds itself. In this video summary, we provide a snapshot of the distraction factors at SolarWinds in the months leading up to the discovery of the breach. We identify the numerous balls SolarWinds’ executives were juggling. Obviously the firm’s security ball was fumbled by the juggler. The video summary identifies the types of commercial and open source software enabling the breach. One interesting finding is that Microsoft GitHub is the “home” for many useful tools. Some of these were likely to have facilitated certain functions added to existing malware. The final part of the video summary reveals the major findings of our research and analysis process. A more comprehensive and detailed version of this summary will be presented to units of the US government in March. Some of the information will be provided to the attendees at the US 2021 National Cyber Crime Conference. The DarkCyber video summary, we believe, is useful.
There is no written report available to the public. However, if you want a comprehensive briefing about the report, please, write us at darkcyber333 at yandex dot com. There is a charge for the one hour Zoom briefing and a 30 minute question-and-answer session following the formal presentation.
The second story documents the steady advance of artificial intelligence deployed in autonomous kamikaze drones.
Kenny Toth, March 9, 2021
About TikTok and Privacy: $92 Million Catch Your Attention
March 4, 2021
I have commented about the superficial understanding shared among some “real” and big time journalists of data collection. What’s the big deal about TikTok? Who cares what kids are doing? Dismissive attitude flipped off these questions because “real” news knows what’s up?
“ByteDance Agrees to US$92 Million Privacy Settlement with US TikTok Users” suggests that ignoring the China-linked TikTok may warrant some scrutiny. The story reports:
The lawsuits claimed the TikTok app “infiltrates its users’ devices and extracts a broad array of private data including biometric data and content that defendants use to track and profile TikTok users for the purpose of, among other things, ad targeting and profit.” The settlement was reached after “an expert-led inside look at TikTok’s source code” and extensive mediation efforts, according to the motion seeking approval of the settlement.
My view is that tracking a user via a range of methods can create a digital fingerprint of a TikTok user. That fingerprint can be matched or cross correlated with other data available to a specialist; for example, information obtained from Oracle. The result is that a user could be identified and tracked across time.
Yep, today’s young person is tomorrow’s thumbtyper in one of the outfits compromised by the SolarWinds’ misstep. What if the TikTok data make it possible to put pressure on a user? What if the user releases access information or other high value data?
TikTok, TikTok, the clock may be ticketing quietly away.
Stephen E Arnold, March 4, 2021
Insights into Video Calls
February 24, 2021
I read a ZDNet write up. The word I would use to describe its approach is “breezy.” Maybe “fluffy?” “Microsoft Teams or Zoom? A Salesman Offers His Stunning Verdict” reveals quite a bit about the mental approach of the super duper professionals referenced in the article.
The security of Microsoft Teams and Zoom concern me. The SolarWinds’ misstep resulted in Microsoft’s losing control of some Azure and Outlook software. But we only know what Microsoft elects to reveal. Then there is the Zoom-China connection. That gives me pause.
What’s the write up reveal? Policy or personal preference dictates what system gets clicked. But the write up reveals some other factoids, which I think are quite illuminating.
First, the anonymous sales professional states:
“I’m on video calls eight hours a day. I just do what’s easiest…Some of my meetings are in the middle of the night. You want me to think then?”
Not a particularly crafty person I think. The path of least resistance is the lure for this professional. I like the idea that this professional’s thought processes shut down for the night. To answer the rhetorical question “You want me to think then?”, I would reply, “Yes, you are a professional. If you don’t want to think, go for the Walmart greeter work.” Lazy radiates from this professional’s comment.
Another person explains that answering a question about video conferencing features can be expressed this way:
“Zoom to Teams is like Sephora to Ulta. Or Lululemon to Athleta.”
I assume that this is a brilliant metaphor like one of Shakespeare’s tropes. To me I have zero idea about the four entities offered as points of reference. My hunch is that this individual’s marketing collateral is equally incisive.
A source focused on alcohol research (who knew this was a discipline?) This individual is convinced that Zoom’s “has more security protocols.” This individual does not know that most Zoom bombing is a consequence of individuals invited to a meeting.
Here are my takeaways from the write up:
- The salesman cuts corners
- The person who speaks in terms of product brand names is likely to confuse me when I ask, “What’s the weather?”
- The alcohol researcher’s confidence in Zoom security is at odds with the Zoom bomb thing.
For my Zoom sessions, I use an alias, multiple bonded Internet services, and a specialized VPN. I certainly don’t trust Zoom security. And Microsoft? These pros develop security services which could not detect a multi month breach which resulted in the loss of some source code.
My verdict: Meet in person, wear a mask, and trust but verify.
Stephen E Arnold, February 24, 2021
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