Linkage Investigations: Cryptocurrency, Dark Web and Social Media

With the development of the internet came a new tool for criminals to conduct illegal activity. With the emergence of the dark web and cryptocurrency, criminals gained anonymity from their illicit transactions, making it more challenging to detect by law enforcement agencies. Social media and gaming platforms have crossed the deep and dark web barrier. This introductory course and workshop will focus on criminal case studies, the different webs and social networking sites, and how they have expanded cyber crimes and created new channels for sharing information. We will review the use of cyber technology looking at cryptocurrency, surface and dark web platforms, and social networking and gaming sites such as Facebook,  Instagram, Twitter, Google+, Telegram, Omegle, Twitch, and those that are on the dark web. This course includes over 280 warrant templates for most social media sites and applications, learning about metadata, capturing IP and URL addresses, artificial intelligence, bot intelligence, reviewing a router interrogation, and other digital data.

Investigators will learn how the dark web and cryptocurrency function and are linked. Different case studies will be offered to understand and learn about cryptocurrency and dark web criminal activities and the many different social media sites that are only available on the dark web. This course discusses a lot of OSINTS and will include two free software intelligence licenses, explicitly created for LEO training on investigative software programs, Hunchly and Maltego. The workshops will be hands-on learning, including touring the dark web safely, using OSINT linkage software that will take you to the surface and dark web, and linking investigators to social media accounts and many forms of identifiers.

A laptop is required to participate in the workshops. Please bring a computer that will not be restricted by your IT Department so OSINT can be downloaded, including virtual private networks and the TOR browser, to access the dark web.

Upon Completion, Participants will be able to:

1. Gain general education on cryptocurrency and the dark web

   1. Centralized and decentralized platforms

   2. Block chain function

   3. Tracing and tracking cryptocurrency

2. Understand the technological criminal and their victims

   1. Cyber-criminal typologies, victimology, and case studies

   2. IP and URL addresses, metadata, and other digital identifying data

3. Understand cryptocurrency and technology

   1. Crypto typologies, Bitcoin, Ether, Monero, and more

4. Understand the different levels and history of the internet

   1. The beginning of online money to current data

   2. Surface, dark web, and web 3

5. Understand and demonstrate the linkage of policing and investigations of cryptocurrency, dark web, and social media platforms

   1. What to look for amongst how they are connected (linkage)

   2. Access to OSINT with hands-on training

   3. Free trial access to paid-for linkages software programs such as Hunchly and Maltego

6. Understand innovative technology and digital evidence

   1. Cyber contracts, tracking software, surface web tools for investigations (OSINT)

   2. Artificial intelligence and bots connected to the webs and social media sites

   3. How to conduct a router interrogation

7. Understand and write search and seizure warrants and subpoenas amongst social media sites and applications

   1. Template examples of over 180 social media sites and applications

8. Understand hackers, scams, and how organized crime plays a crucial role in the dark web and social media sites

9. Compare a lot of case studies and examples to other cases

10. Know cyber criminals’ future and build bridges amongst police, academics, and agencies.