Why does Social Media Intelligence matter?

Do you know what social media intelligence is? Well to put it simply, it is the collection, curation and overall analysis of data found online in order to provide a look into the actions and habits of a certain individual or group.

In a time where most of the people in the world are on social media networks, social media intelligence can be used to learn a lot by just studying what they do online.

Here are some interesting social media facts and stats:

 - The top eight social media networks are Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, Twitter, WhatsApp and YouTube.

- Did you know that more than half of the public use social media at least once a day?

- YouTube is the most popular social media sharing website.

- Facebook is the most popular social media sharing website – used by almost 70% of adults!

- Social media use is higher for those who are younger – almost 90% of users are 18-29 years old.

So why does social media intelligence and evidence found on social media matter?

Every single day a huge amount of information and data is created on social media networks, and social media intelligence is there to study and understand the behaviour of those who are online.

Social media intelligence is a way for professional digital forensics experts to gather, interpret and understand data that is found online, this is especially important in social media investigations.

It is important to note that social media evidence can be deleted, changed and locked down by certain privacy settings. That is why it takes a professional to preserve the online evidence so it is admissible in an official court of law.

For more information about social media intelligence as well as open source intelligence and more in the digital forensics world, please visit www.osint.co.za | www.tcgforensics.co.za or contact the TCG Digital Forensics Division on 021 110 0422 or email contact@tcgforensics.co.za | contact@osint.co.za

Always think before you hit Send!

Did you know that your SMSs, WhatsApp or social network inbox messages can be used as evidence against you in a court of law? Well, for those who are possibly heading towards a divorce or breakup need to be extra careful about sending messages!

Because of all the advancements in the area of digital forensics, including social media investigations and cellular forensics, there has been a massive spike in cases that use evidence found on digital devices such as smartphones and computers.

Many people send messages without even thinking twice, this is known as “spontaneous venting”, however it can come back to hurt you, so always rethink what you’re saying before you hit send…

When it comes to evidence in a divorce, usually a nasty one, things such as SMSs, WhatsApp messages and other direct messages are most commonly used as well as emails, phone numbers, GPS locations and search history.

Most divorce lawyers will tell their clients to stay off social media platforms and avoid sending nasty messages and posting unnecessary statuses, the sad thing is that most of these clients choose not to follow this vital advice.

Anything that is in writing, you have to assume that someday a judge is going to see it. So, if it is not something that you don’t want a judge to see – don’t hit the send button!

You can always erase your messages, but that doesn’t mean they’re gone forever…

With the latest tools and forensic software, the digital forensics investigators at the TCG Forensics Division as well as OSINT are able to assist investigators and attorneys in Cape Town, Pretoria and nationally. For more information about the digital forensics services on offer please call 021 110 0422 or email contact@tcgforensics.co.za

Did you know Digital Forensics Investigators use Social Media Networks to gather Evidence?

When it comes to social media networks, there is a lot under the surface that you may not see… It’s not just “likes”, “shares” and “stories”, there is vital evidence and records that are imbedded into all social media sites, particularly, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

In most investigations, digital forensics experts are scouring social media platforms because:

> A background check needs to be conducted
> Someone is making an accusation against a witness
> A corporate position on an issue, fact or circumstance needs to be determined
> Proof regarding someone being cyber bullied or threatened
> Establishing association between two people
> Evidencing intent, weakness or motive
> Investigating someone’s physical location in regards to their alibi

Over the years people have argued that using social media networks to acquire evidence against them violates their privacy rights, whether the site itself infringes the privacy of its users or even whether illegal activity occurs with actual knowledge of it happening.

When it comes to this it is vital that the digital evidence is preserved and gathered in the proper way. To properly collect and authenticate social networking content, the correct tools and programs need to be used at all times.

Significant digital forensics skills are needed to analyze the preserved data to answer questions like:

- Who is posting the content?
- Is the content offensive and can it be used in convincing evidence to a real, live person?
- When was this content posted to social media?
- How much of it exists across the entire social networking platform?
- What other related evidence is there?
- How accurate is the reported physical location?

Everyone uses social media; it is a vital part of our lives no matter how much you deny it. So, because people choose to broadcast their personal lives to the public, digital forensic investigators can use it to get current and accurate evidence.

At TCG Digital Forensics, we can provide you with a wide variety of services, from OSINT services, social media investigations and data recovery to digital suspect profiling and CCTV image verification.

How digital investigators gather evidence and solve crime with social media

Social media can be a great tool to document our daily lives, and when it comes to solving crimes, law enforcement officials and digital investigators view it as a valuable tool, too.

Who & How

An survey showed that majority use social media for several reasons:

1. Identifying people
2. Gathering evidence
3. Discovering criminal activity and locations
4. Community outreach
5. Soliciting crime tips
6. Notifying the public
7. Recruitment

People put a great amount of personal, detailed information online. Targets even brag and post illicit valuable information in reference to travel, hobbies, places visited, functions, appointments, circle of friends, family members, relationships, actions, etc.

The networks most used by law enforcement officials and digital investigators:

- Facebook
- Twitter
- Youtube

Some social media platforms can reveal more information than others.

DLA combines the experience of two seasoned investigators with both criminal and civil backgrounds with the latest technologies to acquire the digital evidence that you desire.

How digital forensic investigators use social networking for evidence

Social media is much more than it may seem. It’s not just “likes” and posting photos and sharing statuses. Important evidence and even corporate business records have become integrated into social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Most of the time, the content investigators are looking for on these social media sites are in relation to:

- Conducting a background check or making an accusation against a witness

- Determining a corporate position on an issue, fact or circumstance

- Proving whether a person was cyber-bullied or threatened

- Establishing whether someone associated with another person of interest

- Evidencing intent, weakness or motive

- Challenging an individual’s physical location alibi

However, over the years people have argued about whether using social networking site content violates their rights, whether the site itself infringes the privacy of its users or even whether illegal activity occurs with actual knowledge of it happening.

In light of this, make sure the evidence is preserved and acquired properly is critical, which can be hard given its dynamic and multi-format nature. To properly collect and authenticate social networking content, the correct tools and programs need to be used at all times. Significant digital forensics skills are needed to analyze the preserved data to answer questions like:

- Who posted the offending content?

- Can the offending content even be attributed by convincing evidence to a real, live person?

- When was the offending content posted on the social media site?

- How much of it exists across the entire social networking platform?

- What other related evidence is there?

- How accurate is the reported physical location

We use social networking constantly; it is basically a part of our everyday lives. So, because people choose to broadcast their personal lives to the public, digital forensic investigators can use it to get current and accurate evidence.

DLA can provide you with a wide variety of services, from data and WhatsApp history recovery to digital suspect profiling and image verification.