Who Can Spy the Best?

By Vickie Zisman

Well, in the wake of all Facebook scandals, it’s an appropriate title, isn’t it? And the answer to the question is? – Neither; because the best spies go undetected. Social networks are a treasure trove of information – both junk and useful combined. Facebook has profited from it immensely, as I suppose has its Internet peers: Google, Twitter “and the rest”. But, what the recent scandal showed is that their profit is our loss. I will not regurgitate all the info that leaked out since FB gross misconduct surfaced, however, I would like to focus on the solutions – to combat potentially harmful criminal activity and facilitate greater business efficiency on the Net. Cyber Intelligence is a field generally wrapped in an aura of mystery and a Q style brilliance. I would like to take dispel this claim – and translate it into practical tools and applications. Namely, how you safeguard Public Safety and execute a preventive strike to potentially hostile elements lurking on the NET and various other applications. I refer to OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) tools only.

So how do we identify hostile elements? BLER’s sophisticated suite is able to identify and “connect dots” using open source data such as phone numbers, mail address, SN id, nicknames, and even topics, connecting them to members’ profiles.

Face recognition and processing also help to peg fake accounts. The process involves proprietary algorithms and software that has the ability to cross-reference information (including location) and provides the ‘connection” (result). The first step is the Profiling Process – connecting all the target’s pictures that have faces on them to all related images on the net. We are able to ascertain age, race, emotion, if the target wears contact lenses or has any other unique characteristics.

After the initial profiling, the system uses the target’s image as an “alert” to conduct a search between all the target’s profiles in the database, and then provides all profiles where the Modeled Suspect appears and shows their confidence level. This feature is a highly powerful tool that automatically shortens complicated investigations.

The modular suite offers five systems – including GTM enabling the operator to customize the optimal solution to address specific threats and hostile activities – identifying and connecting the target’s multiple profiles/aliases.

Today, the Dark Web is a hotspot for criminal activities, from drugs, counterfeits, terrorist activities, to pedophiles and money laundering. The Dark Web Monitor uses sophisticated unique modules for the capture, collection and analysis of data gathered. Governments and businesses understand the value of this information – be it for security reasons or industrial intelligence. The systems are already installed with various clients from Asia, LATAM, Europe and more. Governmental security and intelligence authorities, Law Enforcement, security services, or private business, especially in finance & insurance spheres, all need to tackle extensive information and safety threats posed by terrorists and business competitors.

However, there is an additional aspect of this technology that has nothing to do with threats and everything to do with business enterprises and marketing.

The smart Analytics Engine is gathering info from web-based platforms, mobile applications and social networks, smartly working with the changes imposed by Facebook platform, targeting the desired crowds. This solution can certainly help advertisers to get back in the saddle, providing them with sharp and secure advertising- casting the net for customers, lost in the web in during this period.

All in all, this versatile and modular technology is Keeping the People Safe, offering them relevant content and making the best of our turbulent and challenging technological realities.