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Washington State Investigators P.I. News

How to safely access and navigate the Dark Web

How to safely access and navigate the Dark Web
This is the last installment in a series of Dark Web articles brought to you by Washington State Investigators. Is your business data on the Dark Web? Learn how to find out if you've been compromised in this step-by-step guide to accessing the underbelly of the internet. The Dark Web is easy to find. With…
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One of the biggest hacks happened last year, but nobody noticed

One of the biggest hacks happened last year, but nobody noticed
Millions of email addresses, passwords, and cell numbers were in the stolen database, but questions remain over where the breached data came from. Hackers last year quietly stole a database containing the details of over 57 million people. The breach has only come to light this week, after the stolen data was put up for…
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Four misleading myths about the Dark Web

Four misleading myths about the Dark Web
Combat Dark Web threats by understanding their reality. The Dark Web can threaten your data security. Don't compound the risk by believing these misconceptions. It's too easy to fear the dark. The hidden, encrypted internet known as the Dark Web has earned a reputation as a monolithic, mossy rock under which lurks criminals and black…
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Dark Web: The smart person’s guide

Dark Web: The smart person’s guide
Nefarious profiteers use the encrypted internet to sell stolen data, drugs and weapons. Facebook and the UN use it to protect dissidents and journalists. This guide shines a light on the Dark Web. Hacking is a fact of life for business and consumers alike. Often, leaked data surfaces and is sold to miscreants—hackers, shady government…
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From the dark web to the ‘open’ web: What happens to stolen data

From the dark web to the ‘open’ web: What happens to stolen data
The online black market is becoming a well-oiled and lucrative machine, thanks to the massive amount of stolen data flowing through the underground. In any data breach, it's particularly interesting to note the number of individuals whose personal information was compromised. Case in point, the title of Zack Whittaker's June 9, 2016 article on TechRepublic…
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Remote Install Cell Phone Spy Software Exposed

Remote Install Cell Phone Spy Software Exposed
Can You Install Spy Software Without Having Access to the Phone? Every week I receive emails from folks asking different versions of the same question: I don’t have physical access to the phone. Can I install cell phone spy software remotely? The answer, of course, is no. You need physical access to their phone to…
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Five Important Questions About DEA’s Vehicle Surveillance Program

Five Important Questions About DEA’s Vehicle Surveillance Program
With each week, we seem to learn about a new government location tracking program. This time, it’s the expanded use of license plate readers. According to the Wall Street Journal, relying on interviews with officials and documents obtained by the ACLU through a FOIA request, the Drug Enforcement Administration has been collecting hundreds of millions…
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Big Brother is watching

Big Brother is watching
Companies, big brother is not just government, compile tons of personal information on you. Here’s what they have, how they use it, and why you should know. Your personal information—everything from your shopping habits to your health history—can be available to creditors, employers, landlords, insurers, law enforcement agencies, and, of course, criminals. All they need…
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16 Things You Should Know About Court Records

16 Things You Should Know About Court Records
When it comes to how court records are organized, which search methods work best, and how these records can supplement an investigation, there is a lot of information out there. Nearly every investigation conference we've attended has had a track on court records, and we hear time and time again that the most reliable and…
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This Online Anonymity Box Puts You a Mile Away From Your IP Address

This Online Anonymity Box Puts You a Mile Away From Your IP Address
Editor’s note: The ProxyHam project described in this story, along with the DefCon talk describing it, have been cancelled under mysterious circumstances. Read our update here. In the game of anonymity-versus-surveillance online, the discovery of the user’s IP address usually means game over. But if Ben Caudill has his way, a network snoop who successfully…
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