A complementary pass sent to law enforcement agents for ISS World Europe [June 7 - 9 in Prague] promotes, among other things, sessions titled ‘Zero In On Your Target: Advanced Social Engineering Techniques” and “New Cutting-Edge Surveillance Tools” hosted by The Hacking Team. It’s a sign that Italy’s premier provider of intrusive or ethical malware solutions is making a strong … [Read more...]
Gartner, Frost & Sullivan and the Red Light District of Industry Analysis
A veneer of objectivity surrounds major IT analyst organizations like Gartner and Frost & Sullivan - the belief that reviews and recommendations are entirely based on merit and cannot be influenced by cash. In fact the opposite is true. For companies that wish favorable coverage or inclusion in the much revered “Magic Quadrant,” getting in the door with Gartner is … [Read more...]
Amdocs: Power Behind Bulk Metadata and VoLTE Interception
When the U.S. bulk metadata story broke 2013, we liked to joke that carrier billing would be far more accurate and reliable if service providers tuned the job over to the NSA. As it happens, billing for the same carriers was then and still remains in the hands of a vendor once alleged to have close ties to the intelligence community -- Amdocs -- though the alleged spies were … [Read more...]
Thomson Reuters OSINT — With a Little Help From Their Friends
Best-known for its long history in wire service journalism and other media, Thomson Reuters has branched out in recent years to offer sophisticated OSINT search, analytics and visualization capabilities. The company’s portfolio of “Integrated Solutions” today helps law enforcement agencies (LEAs) scan millions of public records and apply complementary tools that quickly lead to … [Read more...]
FBI Network Investigative Techniques: Gray Realm of Legal Blackhat
Recent reports on FBI Network Investigative Techniques (NITs) skirt two key issues: What is the legal authority for the legal Blackhat activities, and once a warrant is obtained, what are the specific technologies involved -- just malware or something more? As it turns out, both the legal and technical aspects of NITs constitute a gray realm that blurs the black and white … [Read more...]