Let me give you several case scenarios and then ask you to think about each as if you were assigned the investigation. What would you do?
- A murder has been committed by an invisible darknet bio-assassin for hire who was paid with cryptocurrency. She then exchanges her payment into multiple cryptocurrencies and transfers these funds to several cryptocurrency wallets and exchanges to cover her tracks. How would you find her or determine who hired her?
- A spider-like robot with a USB connection crawls under an office door and connects to an unattended laptop. The robot contains hacking software, which is used to steal valuable intellectual property from your client while also planting malware on their network.
- A young woman has been kidnapped and sold to a human trafficking ring. Her car and cell phone are never found. Where will you look for clues that might help you find her?
- The new and decentralized version of the internet where communications are untraceable is being used by the kidnappers of your client’s CEO to communicate their ransom demand, payable in untraceable cryptocurrency.
- A senior manager is under investigation after authorizing an electronic funds transfer. The employee swears that he received a video call on the company’s proprietary communications app from his VP of Finance, instructing him to wire the funds. The VP now denies that she made any such call, and there’s no electronic evidence to back up the manager’s story. The desperate manager wonders whether the video call could have been somehow faked and all traces removed from the company’s system.
- A friend uses virtual reality and a remotely-controlled robot to tour Paris, France. Someone intercepts control of the robot to commit a murder in Paris, and then returns control to the original user. Who has legal jurisdiction to investigate the crime? How could you prove that your friend is innocent?
Some of the scenarios are possible with the technology that exists today, and the others might happen sooner than you think.
The way we have investigated techno-crimes in the past is no longer working.
Technology is growing at an exponential rate, and cybercrime, ransomware, and data breaches continue to explode in growth.
We don’t have enough technology crime investigators to satisfy the needs we have today.
What will we do tomorrow?
Could you find the experts you would need to help you investigate the scenarios I described? If you can find experts, what will happen with your investigation if they’re not available? Do you have a backup plan?
Many investigators tell me that they don’t feel ready to investigate techno-crimes, and they aren’t sure where to start.
The first step is to educate yourself about techno-crime, and then think about how to develop an investigative strategy.
If you’re interested in learning more about techno-crimes, then follow the link to get more information about my book, Techno-Crimes and the Evolution of Investigations.
The book will make you think about the following topics:
- What you need to know about hidden darknets crime and investigations
- How the next version of the Internet will make finding digital evidence harder
- Why investigators may not always be able to find digital evidence in the cloud or on user devices
- Whether billions of new connected Internet of Things devices will create new ways to break into home and office networks
- How the crooks are using technology to hide their activities from investigators
- Why investigators will need to be able to handle cases involving cryptocurrencies, blockchains, or crypto tokens
- How deepfake technology and data poisoning will make it harder for everyone to know what evidence they can believe
- Why new technologies will create crimes never before seen
You’ll also receive a link to a Bonus Resources web page that will give you even more information than I could cover in the book!
Here’s a sampling of what’s included in these extra resources:
- Images of information and illegal items currently for sale by darknet vendors
- Links to darknet vendors, markets, and other resources
- A downloadable Smart Home and Mobile Device Security Checklist
- Links to encryption hardware and software products, as well as encrypted cloud-based resources
- Information about and links to secure email providers
- Links with additional information about cryptocurrencies, blockchains, and crypto tokens
- Examples of deepfake audios and videos, and links to other resources
- Even more information about new technologies that may create new types of crime, along with challenges for your investigations
Click on the link or the image of the book cover below to see more details about Techno-Crimes and the Evolution of Investigations.
If you’re still not sure if the book is right for you, here are several reviews:
I consider Walt Manning to be one of the leading experts in the field of techno-crime investigations. His new book, Techno-Crimes and the Evolution of Investigations, may be one of the most important and timely books for every law enforcement and investigations professional to read. His many years of experience in both law enforcement and the private sector have given him a unique perspective on the development of techno-crimes, along with potential solutions to help us all evolve into what will be needed for the future of investigations. Every investigator needs to read this!
James D. Ratley — President Emeritus, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.
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Walt Manning has been studying crimes using technology since they first began. He has seen first hand how the advancement of technology has led to the techno-crime revolution. Techno-crimes are not the crimes of the future. They are the crimes of today. It’s vitally important that you understand how they work, and what we can do to investigate and prevent them.
Bruce Dorris, J.D., CFE, President and CEO, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
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In addition to being essential reading for investigators, Techno-Crimes and the Evolution of Investigations provides for all of us invaluable insight into the evolution of technology and the impact upon our own privacy and security.
Peter Warmka — former Senior CIA Intelligence Officer, Cybersecurity Consultant/Educator, and author of Confessions of a CIA Spy – The Art of Human Hacking
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Techno-Crimes and the Evolution of Investigations emerges the reader into a dark digital world that some might think is science fiction technology, but chapter after chapter, the reader learns in clear and simplistic terms not only about the various techno-crimes, but also what challenges those investigating may face.
Tom Caulfield, Chief Operations Office, Procurement Integrity Consulting Services.
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This book is a goldmine of all things techno-crime and should be on every investigator’s bookshelf as the go-to reference for their investigations.
Ryan Duquette — Cybersecurity and Cyber Incident Response Expert, Keynote Speaker
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Digital forensics expert Walt Manning in Techno-Crimes and the Evolution of Investigations has put a huge spotlight on the growing gap between current investigation protocols and the ever-expanding universe of cybercrime. READ THIS BOOK to know what you’re up against.
Donn LeVie, Jr. — President, Donn LeVie Jr. STRATEGIES, LLC, author of Strategic Career Engagement: The Definitive Guide for Getting Hired and Promoted
