Open Source Intelligence 101

Audio forensics and investigations are defined as the field of digital forensics that is related to the acquisition, analysis, and evaluation of sound recordings. The results of an audio investigation are usually presented as evidence in court cases, whether they come from a criminal investigation or part of an official inquiry. We spoke to Sound Engineer, Kiana Schulla Pronk , to find out all there is to know about what is doable in an audio investigation. I was born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa. After becoming involved in the music scene in my high school years, I attended City Varsity School of Media and Creative Arts in Cape Town (CBD) 2016 - 2017. I completed a 2-year Diploma in Sound Engineering and graduated in March of 2018. This institution had the resources to train us and give us the tools to become an expert in the field that we study, to which I chose Sound Engineering. For 2 years, I studied full time and underwent training to become an Audio En...

Ethical hacking, sometimes known as white hat hacking is when a digital forensics expert or OSINT investigator attempts to penetrate a computer system, network or app on behalf of the owners – with their permission. Ethical hacking is usually done to find if there is any security vulnerabilities that a hacker or cybercriminal could use to exploit someone. The purpose of ethical hacking is to test the security of the systems involved and identify if there are any vulnerabilities in the system as well as the network or infrastructure. Investigators involved will often attempt to exploit the vulnerabilities themselves to see whether malicious activities are possible. Black hat hackers are the unethical counterpart of ethical hackers. Rather than take advantage, ethical hackers will use their skills to document if there are any weaknesses in the systems and give advice on how to fix them and then strengthen their overall security systems. Here are some ways ethical hackin...

Imagine this common scenario, someone leaves a company after many years and starts working for a competitor business in the same business park. It is suspected that the employee may have taken private company info with them, such as client, supplier and pricing lists. No matter what company information it might be, when it is suspected that the employee may have stolen digital assets then it is vital that the company takes the right steps to ensure the evidence is protected and preserved, especially if it is needed in a possible civil litigation. For example, at our OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence) department we receive a call from a client stating that they suspect their former employee took important propriety information with them when they left. They still have the former employee’s computer in the office, here’s what we’ll do next… First, we’ll tell the client to immediately isolate the computer in question. If the computer is turned off, then it needs to be lef...

Did you know that your SMSs, WhatsApp or social network inbox messages can be used as evidence against ? Well, for those who are possibly heading towards a divorce or a nasty breakup need to be extra careful about sending messages! Because of all the advancements in the area of digital forensics, including social media investigations and cellular forensics, there has been a massive spike in cases that use evidence found on digital devices such as smartphones and computers. Many people send messages without even thinking twice, this is known as “spontaneous venting”, however it can come back to hurt you, so always rethink what you’re saying before you hit send… When it comes to evidence in a divorce, usually a nasty one, things such as SMSs, WhatsApp messages and other direct messages are most commonly used as well as emails, phone numbers, GPS locations and search history. Most divorce lawyers will tell their clients to stay off social media platforms and avoid sending nasty mess...