Cybercrime
Investigations
The CI2A Cyber Investigative Process
Effective cybercrime investigations require a specialized knowledge of investigative techniques, cyber threat intelligence, and criminological theories. CI2A has decades of cybercrime and cybersecurity experience. Our staff has held positions as Chief Information Security Officers, Chief Security Officers and high-tech crime law enforcement investigators. We center on and perform regular research specifically in cybercrime, cyber victimology, and the latest cyber investigative techniques. We operationalize this research to help our clients through high stress cybercriminal victimization situations. We uniquely focus on the attacker along with criminology, victimology, sociology, internet science, and computer science to provide a cybercrime investigations service unlike any other.
We subscribe to the body of research created by Jaishankar (2007), who is the founder of the academic discipline known as “Cyber Criminology”. According to Jaishankar Cyber Criminology is “the study of causation of crimes that occur in the cyberspace and its impact in the physical space”. Dr. Jaishankar “academically coined the term Cyber Criminology for two reasons. First, the body of knowledge that deals with cybercrimes should not be confused with investigation and be merged with cyber forensics; second, there should be an independent discipline to study and explore cybercrimes from a social science perspective.” (Jaishankar, 2007). We combine this criminological philosophy into both our investigative techniques, cybercriminal profiling, and services to offer true cybercrime investigative and advisory services. We encourage our clients to visit Dr. Jaishankar’s website, International Journal of Cyber Criminology, to view some of this intriguing research. The website can be found at http://www.cybercrimejournal.com.
Unlawful Surveillance
Smartphone infections grew by nearly 400% in 2016. CI2A handled several unique and rare unlawful surveillance cases which unfortunately law enforcement had discounted as the clients being paranoid. The activity occurring on these clients’ devices sounded like something out of a spy thriller but were real situations which were affecting our client’s lives. They were at the end of their rope when they contacted CI2A and we helped them determine there was in fact nefarious activity occurring on their devices. All type of malware exists some of which targets smartphones and can intercept text messages and voice calls. Malware such as the Faketoken malware that intercepts a smartphone user’s data and ex-filtrates it out to a network of command and control (C2) servers. CI2A helps our clients by listening to their suspected unlawful surveillance situation then initiate actions to cease the surveillance and develop evidence and a case against the bad actors. Our clients have stated again and again that we provided them with peace of mind in these very intimidating and anxiety filled situations.
Cyber Bullying Investigative Assistance
This very devastating crime occurs via digital devices such as smart phones, computers, and tablets. It manifests itself through SMS, text, and apps, or in social media, forums, and interactive gaming. Cyberbullying involves the transmission, posting, or sharing of very negative, harmful, false, or mean content about the victim. It can involve the sharing of personal or private information about someone else causing embarrassment or humiliation. Cyberbullying is typically unlawful and can be addressed via criminal charges or tort litigation. CI2A helps our clients to understand their rights, provide next steps to cease the activity and collect evidence to either criminally or civilly prosecute the perpetrators.
Cyber Stalking Investigative Assistance
Cyber stalking can involve other traditional criminal elements. Elements which include intimate partner and sexual violence are often times involved. Cyber stalking also has a broad category classification. The elements of the crime broadly involve using some form of electronic communication to repeatedly harass or frighten a person. This broad classification makes traditional law enforcement difficult to apply in many of the cases and results in the victim feeling even more helpless and intimidated. CI2A works with law firms throughout the United States and can turn the tables on a perpetrator or cyber stalker. We help our clients by forensically documenting the evidence so that it will be upheld in a court of law. We can then help through reporting and advisory services for the victim to pursue some form of legal action against the perpetrator(s) whether it is criminal or civil. Our clients are delighted by being placed back in the control seat and helping to deliver true justice against bullies and predators.
Impersonation
Impersonation involves assuming a person’s identity online. This can be through various social media outlets, email mis-representation, and other forms of electronic media. Perpetrators of this crime don’t realize they can be held criminally and civilly liable and even face charges of identity theft often times receiving hefty prison sentences. CI2A can help through collection of Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), Social Media Intelligence (SOCINT), and Human Intelligence (HUMINT) to identify the culprits, collect and document the evidence and lead our clients back to the control seat by pursuing successful criminal and tort charges against the perpetrators.
Doxing
Doxing involves obtaining private and personally identifiable data on a person and then broadcasting it onto a public media source. This occurs frequently on the darknet. People of high-notoriety and high-wealth and their families are often the primary victims of this cybercrime. Countless people have been “doxed” and don’t even realize it. Personal information out in illegitimate areas of the internet can lead to identity theft, home invasion, unlawful surveillance, physical intrusion and worse. CI2A helps our clients with doxing through our proven, effective, and methodical cybercrime investigation techniques. Our clients get back their peace of mind and turn the tables on the criminals that prey on them by retaining our firm to deal with the issue.
Swatting
Swatting is a very dangerous crime. It falls into the category of a cybercrime because it involves using electronic deception to make a call to local authorities targeting the perpetrator’s home, family and welfare. There have been cases where people have been killed due to swatting attacks. In a swatting attack, the perpetrators call a local law enforcement agency claiming there is a violent and armed encounter in progress at the location. Often times they claim someone is held up at the location with hostages. This spawns a tactical team (SWAT) deployment by authorities. The perpetrators who swat someone hope to disrupt the lives of their victims and some are even motivated and hope the incident causes physical injury or death to their victims. These attacks are extremely serious, egregious and can be prosecuted as felony crimes in most states. CI2A has highly experienced law enforcement and digital forensics investigators who can help to identify the perpetrators and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.
Dogpiling
Dogpiling occurs when someone posts something on social media or other public access forum and then a heap of respondents begin to harass the poster into changing their opinion. The First Amendment allows for this activity but it can also quickly turn into a situation of cyber bullying, cyber stalking, or even terroristic threat. Any of these can have serious criminal or civil implications for the perpetrators(s). We help our clients by forensically documenting the evidence so that it will be upheld in a court of law. We can then help through reporting and advisory services for the victim to pursue some form of legal action against the perpetrators(s) whether it is criminal or civil.
Revenge Porn
Over 38 states have placed some type of criminal revenge porn statutes in their law books. Revenge porn occurs when a current or former partner post or transmits elicit, sexual photos made during a person’s relationship with the perpetrator. Even if the photos were sent by the victim to the perpetrator they cannot be shared without the victim(s) exclusive and expresses consent. In one historically significant case of revenge porn the victim was awarded over 6 million dollars in civil damages. We help our clients by forensically documenting evidence so that it will be upheld in a court of law and positively identifying the perpetrator. We can then help the victim through reporting and advisory services to pursue some form of legal action against the perpetrators(s) whether it is criminal or civil.
Many other types of cybercrime investigations
CI2A is uniquely experienced, qualified and trained in cybercrime investigations. Whether the assistance you require involves any of the aforementioned crimes or if the cybercrime you are experiencing is unique, we are the firm to contact.
Cyber VIP Protection
Intelligence Monitoring
CI2A has created one of the most comprehensive and effective Cyber VIP Protection Programs available on the globe.Read More