4 Important Steps to take if you’ve been Hacked!

Have you ever been hacked? Whether you are an individual or a business owner, getting hacked is a terrible experience that can cost you time, money and possibly destroy your business.

Hackers can get away with a lot of things, including stealing your sensitive data and your money. This data, whether it is your personal information and passwords or your customer’s private records can be used to target you in future attacks.

Here’s what you can do to recover from a hack…

Contact Customer Services. If the hack is on your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. profile be sure to contact their customer services as soon as you possibly can. Social networking companies are getting more efficient at cracking down on stolen accounts, so they should be able to help you fairly quickly.

Scan your System. If you manage to get your account under control, always check your entire system as well for suspicious files or strange behaviour. Simply fixing your Facebook profile page doesn’t mean all your other data hasn’t been affected. Always go through your entire system, this includes your emails, online banking, apps, etc.

Do the Basics right. If you’ve been the victim of an attack, you need to make sure you do through all the basics and get them right.

-- Change your passwords on a regular basis and always use a different passwords
-- Use two-factor authentication
-- Install a trusted anti-virus software
-- Patch and update your software on a regular basis
-- Back up your data
-- Be wary of putting too much personal information on your social media accounts

Contact the Professionals. If all else fails and the hack is too much for you to recover from on your own – always contact the professionals before you do anything else that may damage your system even more. While most companies have in-house and contracted skills to manage and administer their network, it’s not uncommon that outside specialist skills are needed to recover from a serious breach. Contact the TCG Digital Forensics team for quick, reliable and affordable hacking recovery.

When you have been hacked you may feel that you have lost a lot more than just your data, you’ll feel embarrassed and the business you’ve put so much time and money into may be compromised. Get your dignity back by using these 4 important steps!

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 does a Criminal hack your Cellphone?

A lot of people would be really surprised if they knew how easily hackers gain access to cellphones to steal personal and private data or information.

These days cyber criminals have software and systems that can hack your mobile phone with just your number, where they listen to your private calls, read your messages and emails, access your online banking and anything else you store on your phone.

A hacked phone is a concern to most people, but it is even more of a concern to massive enterprises and businesses across the globe. Cellular phones are used daily by businesses and often sensitive information is shared over calls and through messages, meaning a hacked phone can lead to loss of financial data and important customer information!

What is even scarier is the fact that tutorials on how to hack cellphones can be found on the internet for just about anyone to access. This is why it is so vital for everyone to set up security to protect their mobile phone and communications.

Did you know that every year billions of phones are hacked because they are unprotected?

Securing your phone and communications from hackers requires multiple steps including creating secure, unique passwords, avoiding public Wi-Fi connections, and diligence in checking links in emails and messages to ensure authenticity before clicking on them, and encrypting calls and messages.

Are you looking for professional digital forensic services which include cellphone analysis, penetration testing, image enhancements and so much more? Call the TCG Digital Forensic’s team on 021 110 0422 or email contact@tcgforensics.co.za

Smartphone Safety for Children

It’s 2018, we’re more connected than we were a few years ago and we’re 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 dangers 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? 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 cyberbullying 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 smartphone 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 087 001 0523 or contact@tcgforensics.co.za

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.