Training on Intelligence and Evidence Gathering in Darknet Environments
Online Training on Intelligence and Evidence Gathering in Darknet Environments for Law Enforcement
Cybercrime poses a growing risk to individuals and large organizations in the USA and around the world. As such, efforts and resources should be allocated by law enforcement agencies to enforcement of policies, regulations and laws in effort to reduce and mitigate the risks of online crime. Unfortunately, the implementation of existing law enforcement efforts in preventing online crime and deterring criminals’ initiation of criminal events both online and offline is still unknown. We believe that in order to design online environments that are effective in reducing and mitigating victims’ harm, as well as preventing the initiating of online and offline criminal events, law enforcement agencies should draw on an evidence based cyber security approach.
An Evidence Based Cybersecurity is an approach aiming to support law enforcement agencies’ and policy makers’ decision-making processes regarding the deployment of enforcement efforts by calling for rigorous scientific investigations of the effectiveness of these policies, tools, and efforts in achieving their goals in the field. This approach focuses on the human players who use cyberspace for various purposes, the various junctions along the cybercrime ecosystem on which these actors meet, and the technology they use in order to support their operations. The proposed training aims at preparing law enforcement agents such as detectives, investigators and special agents to become effective professionals through exposure to theoretical knowledge, practical skills and hands-on experience that are most needed by governmental, private and law enforcement organizations.
The Evidence Based Cybersecurity Research Group at Georgia State University and the Criminal Investigations and Network Analysis at George Mason University offer a training program on Intelligence and Evidence Gathering in Darknet and Encrypted Communication Platform Environments. The two-day workshop will be implemented online, and will leverage the Evidence Based Cybersecurity research group’s internet network, which is separated from GSU’s network, and allows the group to assess the effectiveness of security tools and policies, as well as gather intelligence from the darknet without jeopardizing the GSU internet users’ community.
The training program will implement a wide range of activities including a set of lectures and hands-on exercises in an effort to deliver key methodological and technical skills which are necessary for developing a cost-effective intelligence and evidence gathering by law enforcement agencies. The interdisciplinary team of educators (composed of Criminology, Computer Science and Computer Information System scholars) will support workshop participants’ development of knowledge in a number of areas as well as critical thinking, which is essential for designing an effective response to online crime challenges.
Comments from Course Participants, June 29-July 1, 2020
“All instructors are true subject matter experts in this field. I enjoyed the lecture followed by the practical hands on training with the student assistants in the breakout rooms. Great class!”
“Most valuable experience: To see the extent of my company’s interests being trafficked [on dark web marketplaces. Telegram gives access to chat threads and posts vanity photos of fraudulent activity that will help initiate an investigation and possibly mitigate vulnerabilities for fraud loss from credit and gift cards.”
“I have attended other darkweb classes and this by far has been my favorite and most helpful.”
“The availability of the one on one assistance was by far the most effective training I have had on the darkweb. There was more of an opportunity to ask questions and gain better understanding.”
Comments from Course Participants, April 26-29, 2020
“The training is valuable in both law enforcement and corporate environments.”
“The training can provide law enforcement with a baseline approach to scaling /modifying their investigations.”
“I gained a great deal of knowledge in regard to crypto currency, darknet background and how to gather intelligence and evidence that will stand up in court. The actual ‘building’ of a system that allows connectivity to the darknet, utilization of tools to collect evidence and preserve evidence was in-depth.”
Presenters
Dr. David Maimon, Director Center for Evidence Based Cybersecurity, Georgia State University
David Maimon is an Associate Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Georgia State University. He received his Ph.D. in Sociology from The Ohio State University in 2009. Prior to joining Georgia State University ranks, David held a professor position at the University of Maryland. David’s research interests include theories of human behaviors, cyber-enabled and cyber-dependent crimes and experimental research methods. His current research focuses on computer hacking and the progression of system trespassing events, computer networks vulnerabilities to cyber attacks, and decision-making process in cyber space. He is also conducting research on intellectual property and cyber fraud.
Saba Aslanzadeh, Graduate Assistant, Evidence-Based Cybersecurity, Georgia State University
As a graduate student in Computer Science, Saba is focused on advancing her knowledge and skills in the field of cyber security. She has demonstrated a proactive approach to research, having actively sought out opportunities to engage in projects related to fraud detection and the detection of illicit markets on social media. Her expertise in data science, data mining, and machine learning enables her to effectively analyze and address cyber security threats. Saba is dedicated to making meaningful contributions to the field through her research and professional pursuits.
Jordan Howell, Research Coordinator for Evidence Based Cybersecurity, Georgia State University
C. Jordan Howell is a doctoral candidate at the University of South Florida and the research coordinator for the Evidence-Based Cybersecurity Research Group at Georgia State University. Jordan received his master’s in criminology in 2016, a graduate certificate in digital forensics in 2017, and anticipates graduating with his Ph.D. in criminology in May, 2020. He has published several papers in theoretical criminology, and his main research interest is cybercrime. Currently, Jordan’s work focuses on cybercrime intervention using experimental designs and developing analytic strategies capable of predicting cybercrime involvement. Additionally, Jordan is dedicated to making cybercrime research more accessible to those entering the field, which he does through teaching various digital forensics courses at the graduate level.
Eden Kamar, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Evidence Based CyberSecurity, Georgia State University
Dr. Eden Kamar is a postgraduate in the Evidence-Based Cybersecurity Research Group at Georgia State University. She received her Ph.D. in criminology specializing in cybercrime and cybersecurity at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and her MPhil in Criminological Research from the University of Cambridge (UK).
Her research focuses on cybercrime and cybersecurity, namely, technology-facilitated sexual abuse of minors, phishing attacks, illicit markets, malicious codes, and information system vulnerabilities. In her research, she employs innovative approaches and rigorous methods, including but not limited to honeypots, open source intelligence, digital forensics, and experiments, to understand different types of cybercrime, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and cyber victimization.
Manik Kaur, Research Assistant, Evidence Based CyberSecurity, Gerogia State University
Manik is a Graduate student pursuing her Ph.D. in Computer Science. Her research interests lie in the applications of Machine Learning in Cybersecurity and Criminal Behavior. She graduated with a Masters’s in Computer Science at Georgia State University in 2018. After her Master’s, she worked as a Data Science Associate at Scintel Technologies and DHL for three years. She is working as a Teaching Assistant at Georgia Tech’s Data Science and Analytics Bootcamp, focusing on various technologies like Excel, Python, JavaScript, SQL Databases, Tableau, and more. As a Graduate Research Assistant at Georgia State University’s Evidence-Based Cybersecurity research group, she is working on a project with Federal Reserve Bank to produce trends and insights into fraudulent payment activities and identities by collecting data from the darknet and encrypted web channels.
Manish Kolla, Undergraduate Research Assistant, Evidence-Based Cybersecurity, Georgia State University
Manish is an Undergraduate Computer Science student with a passion for Data Science and its applications in Cybersecurity. Driven by a keen interest in understanding the darknet, he utilizes his expertise in web automation, data mining and machine learning using the process of ETL (Extract-Transform- Load) to analyze darknet forums, uncovering and characterizing the threats lurking within. Manish’s proactive approach to research and his ability to effectively manage a team have been instrumental in his academic endeavors.
Ekaterina Botchkovar, Partnered Faculty, Evidence Based Cybersecurity, Georgia State University
Ekaterina Botchkovar is an associate professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Northeastern University. Her areas of specialization include cross-national research, Criminological theory, and survey methodology. Specifically, her research focuses on empirical testing and applying of Criminological theories to various types of deviant and criminal behavior and victimization. At present, she is working on the project investigating Cyber crime and victimization on college campuses in the U.S. She is also involved in the longitudinal study of war and its consequences in Ukraine. Professor Botchkovar’s research has been published in Criminology, Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, Justice Quarterly, Journal of Quantitative Criminology, Theoretical Criminology, Social Science Research, and other journals.
Registration
Where: Online
When: January 31 – February 1, 2024
Audience: Open to DHS attendees only
Cost: Free to DHS employees
To Register Email: [email protected]