Sunday, January 27, 2013

Judge for yourself

I noted the reference made by Talwant Singh, Member (Judicial), E-Committee of Supreme Court of India, to a quote made by Hunter S Thompson ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter_S._Thompson ) recently:  “We cannot expect people to have respect for law and order until we teach respect to those we have entrusted to enforce those laws.” Quite refreshing to see a senior public figure conversing in a language and using references understood by ordinary man and woman in the street. A few members of the British Judiciary I can recall in my life time over the last 50 years who were spoken about that endeavoured to keep that common touch: Lord Denning, Lord Wilberforce, Lord Woolf, Lord Bingham. I did hear from a few barristers, they thought, that Lord Justice Judge had endeavoured to make a good fist of it in keeping the lines of communication open. There are no doubt many others that are not on my radar but might be on yours. Have a look at wikipedia and see if there are any there that you know?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_of_the_Rolls
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:British_judges

A barrister with a common touch whose work I learned about at school and on television (when I was growing up) was Edward Marshall Hall ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Marshall_Hall ).  So worth having a read about his work, too.

I have digressed slighly, sorry, from what I originally set out to say. So turning back to that intended topic, but non-judicial thought this time, that is this is not the first time a man from India has endeavoured to communicate with people from all walks of life. You may think I would reference Mahatma Gandi ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahatma_Ghandi ) at this stage, and that would be an excellent reference choice to make, but, no, I have someone else in mind: Joseph Rudyard Kiplinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudyard_Kipling ). Kipling wrote that great and wonderful poem 'IF'. A poem that might rightly take its place in learning materials for school children. This poem teaches a wide range of communications skills (used in the english language) and social skills and at the same time seeks to empower each person to be an individual, keep inner strength, and at the same time not lose personal identity and values. Importantly, it defines that anyone should be able to talk with anyone no matter who they are.

If

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

Lastly, because maintaining a common touch is an important life skill, there is something else about the poem 'If' which has an interesting reference. According to the Kipling Society, Rudyard Kipling knew Cecil Rhodes, Lord Milner and Dr Jameson ( http://www.kipling.org.uk/kip_fra.htm ) and it is the qualities of these men that inspired the peom 'IF'. Why might this be of interest? Messrs Milner and co were sent on an errand to South Africa as the British Government had received word that some British land and mine owners had allowed their avarice and greedy to get so out of control they had decended into total loss of control of their positions, property and money. When Lord Milner and entourage arrived at site the owners were living in the servants' sheds in drunkenness, filth and depravity, whilst the servants were living in the owners' mansions, wearing the owners clothes and spending their money. Milner looked to immediately establish a refreshment on education for these land and mine owners and took skills taught at Toynbee Hall in the EastEnd of London. Toynbee Hall it is known is renowned for it educational principles and later adopted by Hull House in Chicago. Hull House, as you may know, formed the first edcuational programme that later became the foundation for the Open University. Milner's work resulted in the education programme in South Africa being called the 'Kindergarten', which taught that even rulers need humility if they are to communicate with people they expect will serve them. It does make me wonder whether Milner, Rhodes and Jameson had sought observations from Kipling learned from his life skills and whether the poem 'IF' contains elements from conversations which Rudyard Kipling had with these men due to their friendship?

Friday, January 25, 2013

Kindness Cures Recession

Kindness Cures Recession

Such a simple act, yet its remedies are far reaching.

Kindness is an act of generosity without expecting or demanding
anything in return.

Kindness Cures Recession.






Tuesday, January 22, 2013

S**T Talker

No doubt most of us, one time or another, have experienced a deja vu moment. A feeling of fleetingly living the same life-experience again. I think moments like this are summed up brilliantly by Pink Floyd in the words of the song Comfortably Numb:

"When I was a child
I caught a fleeting glimpse
Out of the corner of my eye

I turned to look but it was gone
I cannot put my finger on it now
The child is grown
The dream is gone
I... Have become comfortably numb
"

Anyway, I digress slightly, but hope it conveys what I was thinking, feeling when I was listening to a Music Radio Station, I believe it was Magic 105.4, and the people in the studio were having a laugh and messing around with an american female 1970s style electronically synthesized voice. You may recall the sort of thing if you had seen repeats of early versions of Department S, Mission Impossible, Ironside and so on and those voice distortion devices that were placed against the phone mic to disguide the voice of the caller.  It was at this moment, when I heard it on the radio that my mind was racing, where had I heard something similar in electronic voice alteration/manipulation? Having racked my my mind for a few days I realised that it reminded me of a computer program called Shit Talker.  I unreservedly apologies to readers of this blog, I am not being offensive, it is the name of the program.

Although we had some laughs in the office; believe it or not, it is relevant to investigations when checking out hoax and other types of calls. Of course, today, with voice detection and recognition techniques these type of programs do not present a problem. But if, sometime, you want to have a laugh in the company of friends then the program is still available http://unaesthetic.net/st/dl.shtml . I wouldn't use it on the phone though, it isn't a good idea.

Monday, January 21, 2013

Smartphone BYOD

Smartphone BYOD

The article about Application Performance Management highlights five factors to influence APM in 2013. Approaching APM not from the service angle (end-to-end interoperability) but what the user gains from it is an uncertainty with BYOD (e.g. mobile tablet etc), as stated by the article. BYOD is not simply about browsing habit to prove an issue or trend but whether such devices are used (a) as company property? (b) what work material is available? (c) is that on-site access or off-site access? (d) are external private access points accessible? (e) are there, regarding (d), obligations to reveal? .....and so on

During the heady parts of the recession, and even now, many companies operational costs and write down (depreciation) on operational assets (phones, computers etc) have been slimlined and moved some obligations on to staff to use their own smartphones and tablets, thus the company also realises reductions in capital expenditure by avoiding mobile services contracts, too.


Strange that so much effort and money has been spent and is being spent on cybercrime detection and prevention and yet the more likely statistic as to where an ICT attack would occur seems not to be determined from yet another market survey but plain, good old-fashioned common sense. If employees bring their own devices to work employers cannot legislate as to what happens whilst at work. If employers don't pay for communications devices/services because they want to turn an operating profit or 'twinkle' before their shareholders then it is not difficult to comprehend, from a security point of view, that smartphones are potential carries of 'digital infection' that are deliberately being allowed to propagate with BYOD. National societies have watched over the last two decades at the decay in common-sense and seen the removal of barriers that locked pandora's box shut. Why have the barriers been taken away? For the sake of emotional gratification of earning a short-term profit, globalisation and commercialisation that required reduction and removal of local barriers originally put in place by mandatory regulation.  

The task for digital investigators is to now re-engage with digital access policies in companies and discover the implemented and evolving communications route plan.

http://www.apmdigest.com/compuwares-top-5-apm-predictions-for-2013

Additional research

zdnet - http://www.zdnet.com/byod-mobile-workers-thumbing-nose-at-it-security-7000003519/

Forbes - http://www.forbes.com/sites/markfidelman/2012/05/02/the-latest-infographics-mobile-business-statistics-for-2012/
 

 Network World - http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/061912-byod-20somethings-260305.html

Monday, January 14, 2013

Programming Mobile Parameters - the new area of mobile forensics

Programming Mobile Parameters - the new area of mobile forensics

Shortly I shall be running a course at the LinkedIn MTEB Subgroup 'ForensicMobex' identifying parameters programming for mobile phones. The purpose of the course is in support of the discussion at http://trewmte.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/mobile-examination-hw-sw-considerations_29.html that access to evidential data goes beyond the common selection and choice of data extracted and harvested by mobile phone forensic tools.

The material for this course originates from of the MTEB mobile phone programming course.

The image (see weblink below) shows many parameters involved in programming a mobile phone and the image represents just one of the many pages, each of which shall be explored and discussed:

http://tinyurl.com/bjd4az8

The second image (see weblink below) in the top left hand corner identifies the radio transmissions technologies that can be discussed dependent on the interest of the group:

http://tinyurl.com/byvgl9q

To join the course requires participation from each stakeholder joining and those who have already joined this group.

Sunday, January 06, 2013

Mobile Phone Examiner Exam Guides

Discussion held at ForensicMobex (MTEB subgroup) on LinkedIn.

Mobile Phone Examiner Exam Guides

It has been noticed that a number of the mobile phone examiner exam guides set out to suggest the questions in the guide will help the person sitting the exam to pass the exam. However, some of the questions can be confusing in the way they have been stated.

In running this series of responses, the responses are not intended or desired to be critical of anyone or examining body. The following series of responses are merely produced to offer helpful observations to answering those exam questions.

Just follow the discussions marked as Mobile Phone Examiner Exam Guides 2,3,4, etc

Friday, January 04, 2013

Cellphone Surveillance

Cellphone Surveillance

Have you ever tried traversing the ground (metaphorically speaking) between two opposite and opposing opinions? It is never easy. Here is an informative and interesting short article (weblinks below) on how far cellphone surveillance generates contentions. The Courts faced between balancing the needs of law and governance, (unelected) government - that of public servants using technology as a tool in the need for surveillance and detection of crime - and those of the citizen living in a democracy.

The reference materials used in the article are most important as they underpin the author's opinion to establishing the believed causal link to effect and affect (I guess) - that of surveillance gluttony at a cost to deminishing democracy and freedoms. The other side of that coin, which in fairness is not extrapolated at all to the same degree in this article, that of what has surveillance and detection achieved? I am mindful that the Judges founded their Court rulings on the evidence before them and the article illuminates the fulcrum for this is that 'things' get pushed too far for comfort when it comes to infringing law and governance and citizen's freedoms. The article appears to suggest (but I accept I could have misunderstood the message) that totalitarism is the occupational desire of (unelected) government in order for it to perform and to provide treatment to a problem or issue.


http://reason.com/archives/2012/12/17/your-cellphone-is-spying-on-you?goback=.gde_128064_member_199071347

http://reason.com/archives/2012/12/17/your-cellphone-is-spying-on-you/1

Tuesday, January 01, 2013

Directory of Data Recovery Soft Tools

Directory of Data Recovery Soft Tools

Practitioners of eDiscovery or data recovery approach the matter from many angles. Primarily, any ESI (electronically stored information) data requires understanding and analysis of devices and systems which may contain/store the ESI. Take the eDiscovery issue. There are the argumentative issues of what is viewable and what is not:
  
"If there is a large volume of ESI, you should discuss the best method for it to be searched, collected, filtered and reviewed with your lawyer."
www.out-law.com/en/top...privilege/


However, there is a myraid of issues involved prior to even enabling ESI to become visible and legible. Indeed, tools that can be used for common and standard office based systems can have limited or absolutely no effect for industrial based devices and systems. Today's savvy investigator is not only expected to technology aware but also technology astute where ESI is concerned:

"A typical smart phone contains a 2 GB removable memory card, which can contain the equivalent of 40 banker’s boxes of paper, or 100,000 pages."
A Litigation Neccesity: Electronically Stored Information (ESI) Review Tools
 

This is not an exhaustive directory listing below and even then I shall need to add another 400 entries or more as there are so many varieties out there. If your product is not listed here send an email to me (trewmte@gmail.com) with details and I shall include it in the directory list.

Updated List 22/01/2013
Elcomsoft EPRB, Elcom Soft Co. Ltd - Password, Recovery (http://www.elcomsoft.com/)
Unstoppable Copier, Roadkil - Damage recovery (http://www.roadkil.net/)
DataGrab, Foolish IT - Desktop, Recovery (http://www.foolishit.com)
TCHunt, 16 Systems - Recovery, Forensic (http://16s.us/TCHunt/index.php)

Directory List Started 01/01/2013
Avanquest, Stellar Phoenix - Rescue, Recovery (http://www.avanquest.com/)
GetData, RecoverMyFiles - Recovery (http://www.recovermyfiles.com/

CnW Recovery - Forensic, Recovery (www.cnwrecovery.com)
PureDarwin - Rescue
Live Android - Rescue
Blackberry - Recovery, Rescue
AccessData FTK - Forensic
EnCase - Forensic
DidJiX - Media Production
Slax - Desktop, OS Installation
Puppy Linux - Desktop
Passmark, OSforensics - Rescue, Password
Securemac - Resecue, Password
John the Ripper, Resecue, Password
Arch Linux - OS Installation, Rescue
Linux Mint - Desktop, OS Installation
Tails - Secure Desktop
Tiny Core Linux - Desktop
Passware Inc, Rescue Password
OSXDaily, Rescue, Password
Oxid.it, Rescue, Password
AVG Rescue CD - Windows Antivirus
Redo Backup and Recovery - System Administration
Finnix     - System Administration
BackBox - Security
Ubuntu Mini Remix - Desktop
Edubuntu - Education, OS Installation
Kubuntu - Desktop, OS Installation
Lubuntu - Desktop, OS Installation
Ubuntu     - Desktop, OS Installation
Ubuntu Studio - Media Production
Xubuntu - Desktop, OS Installation
GParted LiveCD     - System Administration
Parted Magic - System Administration
CAINE     - Forensics
ArtistX - Desktop
Slackware (Disc 1) - Rescue
GeeXboX - Home Entertainment
Bodhi Linux - Desktop
Sabayon  - Desktop, Gaming, OS Installation
SystemRescueCD - Rescue
Scientific Linux - Desktop, OS Installation, Rescue
PCLinuxOS - Desktop, OS Installation
Knoppix  - Desktop, OS Installation
AV Linux - Media Production, OS Installation
BackTrack - Security
Synergy Linux - Desktop, OS Installation
antiX     - Desktop, OS Installation
Bridge Linux - Desktop
Damn Small Linux  - Desktop, OS Installation
Zeroshell - Firewall
Kororaa  - Desktop, OS Installation
CentOS     - Desktop, Rescue
BitDefender Rescue CD - Windows Antivirus
Porteus  - Desktop
Clonezilla - System Administration
F-Secure Rescue CD - Windows Antivirus
VectorLinux - Desktop, OS Installation
Fedora Design Suite - Media Production
Fedora Desktop Edition - Desktop, OS Installation
Fedora Electronic Laboratory - Science
Fedora Games Spin - Gaming
Fedora KDE Plasma Desktop Spin - Desktop, OS Installation
Fedora LXDE Desktop - Desktop, OS Installation
Fedora Robotics Suite - Robotics
Fedora Scientific - Science
Fedora Security Lab - Security
Fedora Xfce Spin - Desktop, OS Installation
Grml - Rescue, System Administration
Sugar on a Stick - Education
Kanotix - Desktop, OS Installation
Ophcrack LiveCD - Security
Chakra     - Desktop
Lightweight Portable Security - Secure Desktop
ArchBang - Desktop
Mythbuntu - Home Entertainment, OS Installation
Ubuntu Cloud Live - System Administration
Ubuntu Rescue Remix - Forensics, Rescue
Swift Linux - Desktop
Snowlinux - Desktop, OS Installation
SliTaz     - Desktop
Gentoo     - OS Installation, Rescue
GNOME Live Media - Desktop
XBMCbuntu - Home Entertainment
Càtix     - Desktop
DragonFly BSD - Desktop, OS Installation
Parsix     - Desktop
paldo     - Desktop
ReactOS - Desktop
KahelOS - Desktop
DEFT Linux - Security
GhostBSD - Desktop
PC-BSD     - Desktop, OS Installation
Webconverger - Kiosk
Dreamlinux - Desktop
aptosid - Desktop, OS Installation
austrumi - Desktop
pfSense - Firewall
REMnux     - Security
TurnKey Linux Development - Server, System Administration
Ubuntu Privacy Remix - Secure Desktop
Ultimate Edition - Desktop
CrunchBang Linux - Desktop, OS Installation
openSUSE - Desktop, OS Installation
CDlinux - Desktop, Rescue
jggimi     - Desktop
Berry Linux - Desktop
Hiren's BootCD     - Diagnostics, Rescue, System Administration, Windows Antivirus
Knoppix Japanese Edition - Desktop
Debian     - Desktop, OS Installation, Rescue
BSDRP     - Firewall
Avira AntiVir Rescue System - Windows Antivirus
Baltix     - Desktop
OpenIndiana - Desktop, OS Installation, Server
PelicanHPC - Clustering
dyne:bolic- Desktop, Media Production
Mandriva - Desktop
Plop Linux - Rescue
Toorox     - Desktop
Network Security Toolkit - Security
Ultimate Boot CD - Diagnostics, Rescue, System Administration
stresslinux - Diagnostics
Symphony OS - Desktop, OS Installation
Forensic Hard Copy - Forensics
RIPLinuX - Rescue
OpenDiagnostics Live CD - Diagnostics, Windows Antivirus
MeeGo - Desktop
Thinstation - Thin Client
linuX-gamers.net live - Gaming
Zenwalk Live - Desktop
FuguIta - Desktop
MEPIS - Desktop, OS Installation
Trinity Rescue Kit - Rescue
Bootable Cluster CD - Clustering
Kaspersky Rescue Disk - Windows Antivirus
m0n0wall - Firewall
SuperGamer - Gaming
Devil-Linux - Firewall
Knoppel - Desktop
Windows PE - OS Installation, Rescue, System Administration
PLD RescueCD - Rescue
TiNA Knoppix - Science
Doscore - Desktop
redWall Firewall - Firewall
4MLinux - Server
Pardus Live CD - Desktop
LinuxConsole  - Gaming
Openwall GNU/*/Linux - Server
PC Tools Alternate Operating System Scanner - Windows Antivirus
Puppy Arcade - Gaming
SchilliX - OS Installation
Vyatta Core - Firewall
ULTILEX - Desktop, Rescue, System Administration
Frenzy     - Rescue, Security
T2 @Live - Desktop
Guadalinex - Desktop
Panda SafeCD - Windows Antivirus
Bio-Linux - Science
Darik's Boot And Nuke (DBAN) - System Administration
LiveCD-OpenBSD     - System Administration
LiveUSB-OpenBSD - System Administration
MarBSD     - Desktop
BOSS Live CD - Security
Musix GNU+Linux - Media Production
floppyfw - Firewall
puredyne - Media Production
Elive     - Desktop
PTS Desktop Live - Diagnostics
Kleo - System Administration
PaiPix - Science
Skolelinux - Desktop, Education
xPUD - Desktop
Helix  - Forensics
GNUstep live CD - Desktop
Pentoo     - Security
BSDanywhere - Desktop
SLAMPP - Server
Crash Recovery Kit for Linux - Rescue
Jibbed     - Desktop
Linux-EduCD - Education
JUX - Education
ROCK Linux - Desktop
avast! BART CD     - Windows Antivirus
STUX - Desktop
NimbleX - Desktop
BeleniX - Desktop
LUC3M - Desktop
KnoppMyth  - Home Entertainment
g:Mini     - Desktop
GoboLinux - Desktop
MirOS BSD - Server
Adios - Education
LFS LiveCD - OS Installation, Rescue
MitraX     - Desktop
AliXe     - Desktop
Kate OS LIVE - Desktop
cdlinux.pl - Desktop
Kaella     - Education
Mutagenix - Desktop, Diagnostics, OS Installation, Rescue
Pyro Live CD - Robotics
Danix     - Desktop
Freeduc - Desktop, Education, GIS
X-Evian - Media Production
eduKnoppix - Education
Trinux     - Security
KCPenTrix - Security
Stanix Professional - Desktop
INSERT     - Rescue, Security
FreeSBIE - Desktop
LG3D LiveCD - Desktop
Kazit - Desktop
Xfld - Desktop
BDI-Live - CNC Metalworking
Formilux - Desktop
Dappix     - Desktop
aquamorph - Desktop
Legnoppix - Robotics
GIS-Knoppix - GIS
Quantian - GIS, Science
Kaboot     - Desktop, Rescue, Science
KnoSciences - Education
FCCU GNU/Linux Forensic Boot CD - Forensics
Anonym.OS - Secure Desktop
Operator - Security
ABC Linux - Desktop
Ging - Desktop
ffsearch-LiveCD - Server
AmaroK Live - Home Entertainment
loonix-live - Desktop
ATMission - Desktop, Server
PXES - Thin Client
VigyaanCD - Bioinformatics, Education
KANOTIX CPX-MINI - Desktop, OS Installation
Hikarunix - Gaming
CDMEDICPACSWEB     - Medical
Klax - Desktop
Feather Linux - Desktop
eMoviX     - Home Entertainment
SNAPPIX - Development
Xebian     - Desktop
Snøfrix - Education
SLYNUX     - Desktop, OS Installation
Benix Kanotix - Desktop
Julex - Desktop
PHLAK - Security
Freepia - Home Entertainment
AdvanceCD - Gaming
KNOPPIX-BV1AL - Desktop
Archie     - Desktop
CHAOS - Clustering
ELE - Secure Desktop
WOMP! - Home Entertainment
Flash Linux - Desktop
Shabdix - Education
Blin Linux - Desktop
LLGP - Gaming
Sentry Firewall CD - Firewall
Timo's Rescue CD - Rescue
Lisp Resource Kit - Development, Education
Sulix - Desktop
MiniKnoppix - Rescue
Toothpix - Medical
PLD Live CD - Desktop
Salvare - Rescue
NIOde - Development
ClusterKnoppix - Clustering
LAMPPIX - Server
bioknoppix - Bioinformatics, Education
MoviX2     - Home Entertainment
GNU/Linux Kinneret - Education
Luit Linux - Desktop
MiniKazit - Desktop, OS Installation
jollix     - Gaming, Home Entertainment
Arabbix - Desktop
muLinux - Desktop
eLearnix - Education
KnoppiXMAME - Gaming
FlashMob ISO - Clustering
StreamBOX-LiveCD - Media Production
ByzantineOS - Home Entertainment
MoviX - Home Entertainment
LiveOIO - Medical
PlumpOS - Clustering
Local Area Security Linux - Desktop, Security
Pollix   - Development
TPM Security Server - Forensics, Security
Phrealon - System Administration
Knoppix STD - Security
tlf-morphix - Hobby
KnoppixQuake - Server
Ankur - Desktop
Morphix-NLP - Science
FreeBSD LiveCD  - Desktop, OS Installation, Rescue
Emergency CD - Rescue
KibZiLLa - Desktop
Lin4Astro - Astronomy
Gentoox - Desktop
OpenGroupware Knoppix CD - Server
Cool Linux CD - Desktop
3Anoppix - Desktop
FIRE - Forensics
LNX-BBC - Desktop, Rescue
BerliOS MiniCD - Desktop
MIOLUX     - Desktop, Rescue
SuperRescue - Rescue
Lonix - Rescue     2002.10
PCG-C1VN Live CD - Desktop
WarLinux - Security
DemoLinux - Desktop
tomsrtbt - Rescue
Virtual Linux - Desktop
PLAC - Forensics, Rescue
Repairlix - Rescue