Smartphone safety for children

Were more connected than we were a few years ago and were continuing to grow as time goes by.

These days, teenagers and even small children are getting caught up in all the new technology that is being introduced. The ability to communicate with friends with the push of a button is a sought after thing, and having a smartphone is a privilege that all teenagers assume they should have. However smartphones can bring a few danger with them.

It’s about time you sit down with your children and have a chat with them about smartphone safety.

You will never be able to remove them completely from the world of technology, so make sure to sit down and have an educational conversation instead of arguing with them.

Who are they talking to would be a great question to ask yourself?

Are they chatting to their friends or someone they met online? Let them know that people are usually not who they seem to be online and they should apply “stranger danger” online as well as in the street.

What kind of content are they looking at? Are the apps, games, videos, etc. They’re looking at appropriate for their age? Remember to be aware of any cyber-bullying is taking place.

Are they texting and driving? Texting and driving is beyond dangerous, especially for young teens who have just started driving and have little experience. There are apps you have use to control this, but there should be strict rules in place too.

Do you have any questions about smartphones safety or cellular forensics? At TCG Digital Forensics, we offer a range of services, from cyber forensics and mobile phone analysis to image enhancements and suspect profiling. Contact us on 0870010523 or contact@tcgforensics.co.za

7 steps to good digital parenting

Parenting today’s tech savvy kids can seem overwhelming, but you can do it! Take these seven simple, but still challenging steps, to becoming a good digital parent.

Yes when they are small we all have a hand on things. But as they get big it becomes more difficult to keep an eye out for things and so much can go wrong. Scams, hacking, kidnapping and so much 

more.

Talk with your kids

Educate yourself

Use parental controls

Set ground rules and enforce consequences

Friend and follow but don’t stalk

Explore, share, and celebrate

Be a good digital role model

Talk early and often be open and direct and always stay calm. Always try and search online for anything that you do not understand and try out some apps, games and sites yourself. Discuss and sign a family safety agreement so that the bond is already there. Restrict where and when they may use the device and that way boundaries will be set. If a rule is broken remove the tech privileges and do try and stick to them.

Follow your kids on social media but also respect their online space and freedom, try not to flood their accounts with comments and likes. Go online with your kids and explore their digital world, share your own online experiences and learn from each other and have some fun!

Get in contact with us on 0211100422 or www.tcgforensics.co.za

All about Holiday Scams

It’s the festive season and everyone wants to travel. Now let us help you avoid any scams that you might come across when traveling or on your holiday as we both know this will be the worst! No one wants to be worried over this great festive season.

New research into cybersecurity has said that the UK alone has lost about 7M to fake sites and fraud in 2018. We are going to show you the five most common scams

Nowadays a fraudster will use increasingly sophisticated methods! They will target the most popular destination and time of the year to start with. They are well aware that we are all looking for great deals. As victims often find out just before they travel or even in-resort that they have3 been defrauded, it can then be difficult and expensive to obtain a legitimate replacement booking.

Some research we did and found out that 1 in 5 Brits in their lifetime are either been scammed or nearly scammed. As McAfee believes the actual figures are likely to be much higher as lots of people don’t actually report this issues small or big. As per below the big 5 scams that are common.

1. Fake Websites that look real

2. Being directed away from trusted sites for payment

3. Amazing Deals received via pop-up, emails and texts

4. Fake accommodation listings

5. Using unsecured networks

The above is just the simple one’s we can advise. Always just go with your gut feeling and if you do not know ask. Always report a scam or report it if you feel that it’s being suspicious activity.

Also always remember to connect with caution and avoid sharing sensitive data or bank account details. Consider using a VPN to help keep your connection secure. If you are going to rent do call the agent directly for information other than just sending an email or sms, always double check and do a little research and look at the comments and rates of the accommodation.

Try and book through a place that is well know or maybe a place that a family or friend has been to and recommended you to go. Another thing you can check is the payment page. Check for https:// rather than (http://) which should always appear on the payment page. Misspellings, additional words or characters, fuzzy or low-resolution pictures and logos are also be indicators of fraudulent website.

Otherwise you can always contact us! 

0211100422 or contact@osint.co.za or contact@tcgforensics.co.za

Let us recover your Digital Evidence quickly and easily!

People use their computers for almost everything; many of these things can be used against you. Hiding money, illegal activities, inappropriate emails and just about anything you can think of.

Often, if you are trying to hide something, you’ll make an effort to completely clean out your computer by deleting “everything” and reformatting. The problem is, when you contact IT support and you are told that all is lost, they probably have no idea what a digital forensic investigator can do!

The harsh truth is that the evidence is still there waiting to be found you just can’t see it. The only question is – do you want it recovered or not?

Many businesses that have a disgruntled employee, or feel that an employee is involved in unacceptable activities at work, may want to acquire some digital evidence, they can use a digital forensic investigator to recover all the evidence that they need.

We at TCG Digital Forensics are pleased to provide all the evidence that you need off of a computer, cellular device, laptop or tablet. The obvious advantage that we have here is that we recover digital evidence that few others could and keep all affairs private.

Need something recovered? Don’t hesitate to give us a call on 087 001 0523 or email contact@tcgforensics.co.za

Do you know the History of Digital Forensics?

Before the 1980s, crimes involving computers and digital devices were dealt with using existing laws. So, the field of digital forensics is relatively new. While its history may be short, it is quite complex.

As the years went by, the range of digital crimes being committed increased, but it was not until the 1980s that federal laws began to include computer offences. Canada was actually the first country to pass legislation in 1983, followed by the US Federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act in 1986.

The fact that computer and digital crimes grew so much during the 1980s and the 1990s caused law enforcement agencies to start making specilised groups to deal with the technical aspects of the investigation. For example, the Computer Analysis and Response Team that the FBI formed in 1984.

Throughout the 1990s there was a high demand for these new investigative resources, this lead to the creation of regional and even local level groups to help handle the load. But, it was not until 1992 that the term “computer forensics” was actually used in academic literature.

Since the year 2000, a lot of people and agencies have written and published guidelines for digital forensics. A European lead international treaty, the Convention on Cyber crime, came into force in 2004 with the aim of reconciling national computer crime laws, investigative techniques and international co-operation.

The issue of training also received some attention. Companies, such as forensic software developers, began to offer certification programs, and digital forensic analysis was included as a topic at the UK specialist investigator training facility.

Since the late 1990s digital devices have become available everywhere, basically everyone has a phone or some kind of digital device. Devices have advanced way beyond simply communicating, they are great forms of information, even for crime not usually associated with digital forensics. However, digital analysis of phones has lagged behind traditional computer media, mostly because of problems over the ownership of the devices.

The complex field of digital forensics will always have unresolved issues. Many issues will include; increasing size of digital media, the wide availability of encryption to basically everyone, the variety of operating systems, increasing number of people owning multiple devices and lets not forget the legal limitations on investigators.

The TCG Digital Forensics Division is based in Cape Town and combines the experience digital forensic seasoned investigators with the latest technologies to achieve the results that you require! We do all forms of Digital Forensics such as Cyber Forensics (Penetration Testing / Hacking Recovery / Cyber Investigations), Cellular Phone Analysis, Hard Drive Analysis, Device Acquisitions and Due Diligence Investigations.

What can you do to keep your Broken Phone’s Data Safe?

Only you know how valuable the data on your mobile phone is, what you do with the information is up to you. So, do you know how to keep your personal data safe on your phone when it suddenly breaks?

The answer isn’t a simple one – how do you use your phone when the screen is cracked? It happens a lot more often than you think. The question is what do you do to protect your data when you can’t use your phone properly?

Here are a few things you can do to make it difficult for anyone without professional forensic skills to get to your stuff…

      1.       Use a secure lock screen – Swiping to unlock is easy enough for a monkey to do, so make sure you always lock it properly!

      2.       Set up Find My Device – Install Find My iPhone on your iPhone or Find My Device on your Android from Google Play Protect. Even if you can’t use the phone you can still access the data.

      3.       Change your Password – Use another device to change your Google password, this extra step will stop anyone from accessing your data and ensuring damage is minimal.

      4.       You may need to speak to a Professional – If you feel your data is precious enough to stress over, then you need to hire someone such as a professional digital forensic expert to assist you in retrieving or destroying it.

Looking for both cellular and computer forensics services? TCG Forensics is a digital forensics company in South Africa that is always at your service. We generally work directly for private investigators, polygraph examiners, attorneys and similar parties although we can accept a direct brief from a corporate entity that requires our services. We are able to assist bona fide law enforcement agencies with the procurement of forensic software and hardware once credentials have been verified.

How to know if your Phone has been Hacked

Are you worried that someone might have hacked into your cell phone? Don’t worry you’re not alone! There are hackers all over the world who are looking to hack into your phone and invade your privacy.

If you suspect that your phone has been hacked, here’s how to check…

• Your battery is going dead a lot quicker than usual
• Your phone always feels warm
• You are going through a lot of data lately
• There are pop-up notifications everywhere
• Unauthorized purchases on your credit card or posts on Facebook or Twitter
• Your phone shutdowns for no reason
• You’re having issues with echoing during calls

Here’s how to avoid contracting spyware…

• Don’t click on strange links
• Lock your phone at all times and use a PIN
• Only download apps from secure sources
• Be careful when buying a second-hand phone

Your cell phone is the perfect spying device – it allows hackers to listen, track and view everything you do without you realising it.

Remove all traces of any spyware or malware from your cell phone with our affordable, effective cell phone debugging services. Contact TCG Digital Forensics and secure your cell phone today. Email contact@tcgforensics.co.za or call 087 001 0523 | 087 001 0511/2

The most important skills you need for a career in Digital Forensics

Tech meets criminal justice in the field of digital forensics--a branch of forensic science dealing with recovering and analyzing information from data storage devices (including computers, phones, networks, and more). Digital forensics examiners help track down hackers, recover stolen data, follow computer attacks back to their source, and aid in other types of investigations involving computers.

Want to know what it takes to become a digital forensics examiner? Here are some key skills needed for the career…

Analytical talent: It stands to reason that anyone in an investigative role needs to have the analytical skills required to piece together information and solve the case. Cyber security expert, Ondrej Krehel says: “High speed of analytical thinking, and precise observation skills, which are often gained and tested at high tech military and intelligence cyber units are also important skills to have." The ability to find patterns and make correlations is crucial in the investigation process!

Computer science/tech skills: Since digital forensics is such a technical field, it helps to come from a background studying or working with computer science. An important quality of any great digital forensics investigator is a deep understanding of how technology really works. If you have experience with computer systems, programming, or other related fields, this will help you transition into digital forensics since you will already have a general knowledge of how technology and networks work, how digital systems interact with each other, and what is possible from a compromise perspective.

Understanding of cybersecurity: The field of digital forensics is all about solving cybercrimes--and who has a better knowledge of those than cybersecurity professionals? It's impossible to guard against data breaches without knowing the techniques being used to target systems, and this same knowledge that helps to prevent crimes also is useful in solving them. Many of the most talented forensics examiners will have had experience working on a cybersecurity team.

Organisation: You can have a messy desk and be a great digital forensics examiner--but mental organisation is a must, as is organised record-keeping. Being extremely organised and thorough is a must! Documentation of your findings is necessary as it is often required to present them to others such as attorneys and judges.

Communication skills: In relation to the above point, digital forensics doesn't exist in a vacuum. The team you work with and people you work for need to know what's going on, meaning that you need to communicate it to them. According to Ondrej Krehel, "Having both strong writing and speaking skills is extremely important to effectively communicate your findings to other team members and your clients."

Desire to learn: Cybercrime is constantly evolving, so it's a must to keep your knowledge up-to-date and always seek out ways to be better at your job. To be a digital forensics examiner, you must have great pride to be one of the best in what you do. Self-critique skills for constant improvement of your work is a very desired trait!

As for higher education, degrees are helpful in breaking into the digital forensics field, but what really establishes someone's credentials is the product of their work and the ability to conduct digital forensics in very detail-oriented manner!

At TCG Digital Forensics, we do all forms of Digital Forensics such as Cyber Forensics (Penetration Testing / Hacking Recovery / Cyber Investigations), Cellular Phone Analysis, Hard Drive Analysis, Device Acquisitions and Due Diligence Investigations.

We can recover Computer Evidence quickly and easily!

People use their computers for almost everything; many of these things can be used against you. Hiding money, illegal activities, inappropriate emails and just about anything you can think of.

Often, if you are trying to hide something, you’ll make an effort to completely clean out your computer by deleting “everything” and reformatting. The problem is, when you contact IT support and you are told that all is lost, they probably have no idea what a digital forensic investigator can do!

The harsh truth is that the evidence is still there, waiting to be found, you just can’t see it. The only question is, do you want it recovered or not.

Many businesses that have a disgruntled employee, or feel that an employee is involved in unacceptable activities at work, may want to acquire some digital evidence, they can use a digital forensic investigator to recover all the evidence that they need.

At the TCG Digital Forensics Division, we are pleased to provide all the evidence that you need off of a computer, cellular device, laptop or tablet. The obvious advantage that we have is that we recover digital evidence that few others could and keep all affairs private!

Need something recovered? Don’t hesitate to give us a call on 079 691 0138 or email craig@tcgforensics.co.za

What is Mobile Phone Analysis?

As mobile devices become more and more dominant in our lives, the opportunity to store and circulate information is more possible than ever.

Mobile devices have many different features, like the ability to take photos and videos. When a multimedia file is taken, many devices automatically embed GPS location of the handset at that time. This then allows the location of the user at that exact moment to be established at a later date.

Multiple communication features, such as Bluetooth, WiFi 3G and 4G enable the transfer of information that can even cross international boundaries. Users can browse the internet, send and receive emails, post blogs and even removable media cards can be inserted into the device allowing information to be exchanged.

Depending on the client, the following information can be recovered from a mobile phone:

• SMS
• Email
• Call history
• Photos
• Videos
• WhatsApp history
• Passwords

Mobile devices are similar to computers, but with far more powerful capabilities. The value of the evidence found on a smartphone or any other mobile device must never be overlooked! The TCG Forensic Division has the cellular and digital expertise to extract and uncover the evidence you need.