Ken Welch, CFE

A new CIS/MS-ISAC report sheds light on #TribalSector #cyberthreats and concerns. What is keeping tribal cybersecurity leaders up at night? Link to the full report in our summary. https://bit.ly/4h7PGlr Center for Internet Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency #TribalOrganizations #TribalNet #Cybersecurity #CyberRisk #Ransomware #CybersecurityAwarenessMonth #CyberCrime #SocialEngineering #InformationSecurity #DataBreach #CyberMaturity #ThinkEXTEND

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Unlock actionable intelligence faster with GrayKey, empowering you to solve cases quickly, reduce crime in your community, and maximize your mobile forensics investment. With GrayKey, you gain... Technical Features: • Faster brute force access to iOS and leading Android devices, unlocking critical evidence. • Ability to access and extract data from devices, regardless of their state. • Access to credential stores like Keychain and Keystore, potentially decrypting previously inaccessible content. • Category-Based Extractions to target specific data efficiently. Evidentiary Results: • Protect your community with real-time information through swift extractions. • Bring closure to victims by obtaining in-depth data to help bring criminals to justice. • Solve more cases by accessing devices quickly and securing vital evidence sooner. • When time is critical, selectively extract the specific data needed to jumpstart your investigation. Discover how GrayKey can enhance your investigations today. www.claritasinsight.com #OnlineInvestigations #CyberSecurity #MobileForensics #CLARITAS

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In this article for the IACP's Police Chief Magazine, PenLink's Johnmichael O'Hare and our own Trey Amick talk about how digital forensics and open-source intelligence (#OSINT) are playing crucial roles in modernizing police investigations: https://ow.ly/UH9O50SUg9q #DFIR

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What’s happening at Metadata Forensics this week? ✈️ On-site client support in GA, IL, TN, TX, and VA. 💻 New and current research work in progress. 👥 More expansion coming soon. If you or someone you know has Digital Forensic experience within DoD and are looking to transition, please message me to see if we can assist. #Onthemove #Litigationsupport #Digitalresearch #ourteamrocks #Moregrowthcoming #slingshotengaged

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👔 White Collar Forensic LLC Tuesday Tip - Avoiding Investigative Bias 💡 💡 Each Tuesday, we publish a tip based drawn on our collective investigative, forensic accounting and compliance experience. 🗓 Today's tip is about avoiding investigative bias. An investigation must be rooted in the facts and supported by evidence to be credible. There is no room for preconceptions as to guilt or innocence, whether we think the allegations are true or if the source of the allegations is trustworthy. 👩🏽‍🎓 As much as we like to think we can be objective, we all carry around biases. Biases are preconceptions about people, events and things. For example, we may be skeptical about the motivations of a witness that came forward or question the credibility of anonymous whistleblower. A certain amount of skepticism is good as long is that it doesn't influence the results of the investigation. ✂ It is important to evaluate the allegations critically and separate them from who raised them or how they were first surfaced. In this way, we can attempt to isolate the source of our skepticism such as the credibility of the person who is raising the issues, from the issues themselves. This allows the investigator to test the allegations without biasing the results and allowing preconceptions to influence the investigative plan. 🏫 Here's one way to approach an investigation that is free from bias. 📝 Write down the allegations. ℹ Formulate the investigative steps that can be taken to determine if the allegations are true. ⚙ Execute on the investigative steps and analyze the data. ⚗ Analyze and report the results. 👀 Analyzing the results is simply this. Look at the evidence gathered and determine if it supports the allegations that were raised. ❓ For example, if the allegations were that an employee is working with outside parties to steal the company's intellectual property, one investigative step may be to obtain and analyze that employee's emails. 📨 If the review of the emails reveals conversations involving the employee and non-employees in which company-sensitive data is being discussed, targeted or disclosed and those conversations don't appear to be for the benefit of the company, this is evidence that supports the allegations that this employee may in fact be involved in the theft of intellectual property. 🚨 The Bernie Madoff Ponzi Scheme had been reported 8 years earlier but the investigators who initially received the allegations allowed their preconceptions about the person raising the allegation to bias them. Because of this, they didn't act on the allegations and the fraud continued for 8 more years. 📷 Focusing on the allegations and the evidence that either supports or refutes them and separating them from the source of the allegations, is one important way to avoid allowing your preconceptions from biasing the results your investigation. https://lnkd.in/exb_Prg8 #WhiteCollarForensic #TuesdayTips

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In light of the identity theft risks posed by the National Public Data (NPD) breach, NCLC advocates advise consumers to place a “security freeze” on their credit reports at the Big Three credit bureaus, which prevents the credit bureaus from releasing these reports for credit and other applications. “Unless you think you are going to apply for credit or an apartment in the near future, the safest option to prevent identity theft is to lock down your credit report with a freeze,” advised Chi Chi Wu, senior attorney at NCLC. “In my opinion, a freeze is much more effective than other options, such as a fraud alert or credit monitoring services, in stopping identity theft.” #ProtectConsumers #CreditReports #DataBreach

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CISA outlines what steps school districts can take to understand and respond to anonymous threats. It also provides advice for staying prepared for future incidents and coordination with law enforcement or other local partners. #ThreatResponseGuide #K12schools #ThreatManagement #ValentinoSignatureServices #BePrepared #PurposePassionIntegrity

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Join us on Wednesday, May 29th at 8:30 AM to discover how CERT Ukraine and CISA work together to combat cyber threats! Limited tickets available - act fast! Link in bio for more details and to get tickets. #CERTUkraine #CISA #CyberDefense #Collaboration #CyberSecurity.

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FinCen BOI reporting requirements are back with a January 13th deadline for LLCs, corporations, etc. The injunction was lifted, so the requirement stands for now; business owners should proceed with BOI filings accordingly. Big fines and even criminal penalties will apply for rule violations. Merry Christmas!🎁 #boi #fincen #business #smallbusiness

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Oof, $20 Million. In 2021, a cyber attack on a mortgage loan servicer resulted in a $20 million settlement with multiple state AG offices. State regulators found compliance violations of state and federal laws in the servicer's IT and cybersecurity programs. Identified deficiencies included inadequate IT patch management, centralized vulnerability monitoring, IT inventory tracking, and encryption of certain sensitive data at rest. The company's lack of cooperation during the examination exacerbated the situation. As part of the settlement, Bayview Companies agreed to specific corrective measures: - Establishing a corporate governance and risk management framework encompassing IT and cybersecurity. - Implementing internal audit requirements and independent assessments. - Documenting policies for patch and vulnerability management. - Ensuring robust systems for securing information accessible to third-party service providers. - Crafting a corrective action plan and providing extended reporting to states for three years. Key Takeaways: It is crucial to proactively address and resolve cybersecurity issues. Cooperation with government officials upon issue identification is essential for effective remediation. #CyberSecurity #DataProtection #ComplianceGovernance

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Cybersecurity risk management continues to be a top challenge facing federal agencies. We worked with the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency and other OIGs to report on trends across the government. Read about progress made and what can be improved. https://lnkd.in/etKZ4WSy

Uncover the disturbing tactics of scammers targeting victims of investment fraud, promising to recover lost money. These fraudulent schemes prey on individuals already victimized by financial scams, offering hope of restitution in exchange for upfront fees or personal information. This blog post sheds light on the deceptive promises made by these fraudsters and offers crucial insights into identifying and avoiding such schemes. Learn how to safeguard your finances and stay informed about this alarming trend. Read the full article here to stay one step ahead: https://lnkd.in/d7saJ5cz #InvestmentFraud #ScamAlert #FinancialSafety

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Not-for-profits are susceptible to various types of fraud, waste and abuse, and the Occupational Fraud 2024: A Report to the Nations, from The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, outlined the top vulnerabilities in the current fraud landscape. Travis Casner, CFE, partner, Forensics & Litigation Services, analyzes these findings as well as best practices for fraud prevention and detection. https://lnkd.in/gpHpUaXK

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FinCEN Issues Proposed Rule to Strengthen and Modernize Financial Institutions’ AML/CFT Programs - Corruption, Crime… https://okt.to/4sxfGK via @@mikevolkov20

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Collins Einhorn attorney, Reine Hamdar, recently moderated a panel discussion hosted by the MENA American Chamber of Commerce. The panel featured Sgt. Torey Johns, MI State Police, Cyber Crimes Unit; SA Ryan Ormond, FBI; and Dave Trader, CISO of Presidio. The discussion was an in-depth look at the increasing threat of cyber-attacks on small businesses and how business owners should protect themselves. Given the high stakes, it is imperative for all businesses to invest in proper cybersecurity solutions, conduct regular security audits, and stay compliant with evolving data protection regulations. Establishing a proactive defense system can mean the difference between long-term survival and catastrophic failure in the face of growing cyber threats. Reine Hamdar is a member of the firm's Professional Liability and AI Ethics & Compliance Practice Groups. Her practice focuses on the defense and representation of professionals in the legal, insurance, accounting, architectural, engineering, and real estate fields. Learn more about Reine Hamdar and her practice here: https://lnkd.in/giev7RFx #ceflawyers #cybersecurity #smallbusiness #liabilitydefense

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Katie Jensen writes for National Mortgage Professional about the Security Exchange Commission's $3.5 million settlement with Flagstar Bank over “negligently” making “materially misleading statements regarding a cybersecurity attack on Flagstar’s network” between November 22 and December 25, 2021. Aster Key's Brad Blumberg was quoted in the story as saying, "Cybersecurity is both a technological and cultural challenge." https://lnkd.in/etEAehxC

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