Computer Security Fundamentals by Chuck Easttom Chapter 13 Cyber Detective

© 2012 Pearson, Inc. Chapter 13 Cyber Detective 2 Chapter 13 Objectives Find contact information on the web Locate court records on the web Locate criminal records on the web Use Usenet newsgroups to gather information

© 2012 Pearson, Inc. Chapter 13 Cyber Detective 3 Introduction Preceding chapters have examined these topics:  Identity theft  Hacking  Investigating potential employees

© 2012 Pearson, Inc. Chapter 13 Cyber Detective 4 Introduction (cont.)  Identity theft Criminals use a small amount of information to garner more. Look at Internet techniques for finding additional information. Security personnel need to know how this is done to defend against it.

© 2012 Pearson, Inc. Chapter 13 Cyber Detective 5 Introduction (cont.)  Hacking Obtain information to social engineer or to guess passwords.  Investigating potential employees Calling references may not be enough. Hiring a private detective may be impractical.

© 2012 Pearson, Inc. Chapter 13 Cyber Detective 6 Introduction (cont.) Network administrators in particular must be investigated.  The network cannot keep out the person who set it up.  Information about his past from a source other than supplied references may affect the hiring decision.

© 2012 Pearson, Inc. Chapter 13 Cyber Detective 7 Introduction (cont.) The Internet is a valuable investigative tool.  Useful for finding out about potential employees, babysitters, and so forth.  Much of the information is free.  States have court records online.

© 2012 Pearson, Inc. Chapter 13 Cyber Detective 8 Introduction (cont.) Information is a two-edged sword.  An innocent person may use it for legitimate investigations.  A less scrupulous person may use it for identity theft or stalking.  Invasion of privacy has ethical, moral, and legal ramifications.  Practice searches on your own name unless you have written consent.

© 2012 Pearson, Inc. Chapter 13 Cyber Detective 9 General Searches Search to find addresses, phone numbers, or addresses       

© 2012 Pearson, Inc. Chapter 13 Cyber Detective 10 Court Records and Criminal Checks Sex offender registries   You may not be able to base employment decisions on certain information.  Check with an attorney first.

© 2012 Pearson, Inc. Chapter 13 Cyber Detective 11 Court Records and Criminal Checks (cont.) Civil court records  Civil issues, as well as crimes, may make a person unsuitable for a particular job.  No centralized Web site for these issues.  Many states and Federal courts offer online records, for example:

© 2012 Pearson, Inc. Chapter 13 Cyber Detective 12 Court Records and Criminal Checks (cont.) Other resources  The National Center for State Courts  The Law School at Emory University  Public record finder

© 2012 Pearson, Inc. Chapter 13 Cyber Detective 13 Court Records and Criminal Checks (cont.) Other resources  Pacer  The Boost  State public access ctl.ncsc.dni.us/publicaccess/

© 2012 Pearson, Inc. Chapter 13 Cyber Detective 14 Court Records and Criminal Checks (cont.) Other resources  Prison searches  Federal prison records  Public records  United Kingdom public records

© 2012 Pearson, Inc. Chapter 13 Cyber Detective 15 Usenet Newsgroups on many subjects. Use Google “Groups” option. Anyone can post anything. Search for potential employees. Can be an important investigative tool. Information must be verified elsewhere.

© 2012 Pearson, Inc. Chapter 13 Cyber Detective 16 Summary The Internet is a valuable investigative resource  To hackers and identity thieves  To employers of network administrators as well as babysitters Periodically check your own identity to see what information is available.