Digital Criminals – How they got caught

I took a quick look at some Computer Misuse Act 1990 cases just trying to find some common denominators.

Where’s my money? Emotionally linked to the crime

Here’s what I noticed

  • High victim volume cases against the perpetrators left little solace or compensation for individual victims
  • Perpetrators had an emotional link to the crime, highly motivated by revenge, response to personal disaster or trauma.
  • Insider threat – abuse of trust cases were high i.e. Police officers doing unauthorised searches, teachers broadcasting false info.

Questions to ponder

What kind of internal controls failed?
Did the perpetrator leave too many digital breadcrumbs and careless whispers because of emotion?
What defences did the perpetrators have? I.e. IDS, logs, VPNs, Encryption
What was the real goal of the crime?
Who were the technical accomplices?
Did they know it was wrong? i.e. linked to Malicious Communications Act 1988

How you got Hacked…..and why

In the past,  I’ve spent hours on the phone trying to show someone how to configure an email client.

Small business put up little fight hackers and snoopers.

Normally intelligent individuals suddenly become dummies when faced with anything “technical”.

Individuals are routinely breached because they are either

Too busy to care about basic hygiene (tech bits)

Have no password management skills

Have no trusted technical support partner

Do not monitor their set-up

…or most importantly, not bothered.

These same individuals take extreme cause with their daily online banking.

Tomorrow it rained

I worry profusely about everything, sometimes it cripples my ability to actually move forward with thought or actions.

The Walking Dead: Michonne – always worrying

I caught an interesting comment from a linguist stating that Chinese verbs never changes. Present, past or future tense are all the same so a statement like “Tomorrow it rained” is perfected acceptable.

Maybe this can help me get a hold of my anxiety and worry about the future and accept what is unavoidable.

Ok, this week I’m going to have to admit my failings even if those around me do not.

I can walk

I can talk

I have no pains

Thank You

Alone in the Dark

Alone in the Dark is one of my favourite old school PC games from 1993.

Scaring myself silly till Dawn

Titles like this are truly best when you are alone physically and virtually, lights out with a big screen and good headphone.

I’ve started Survival Horror Until Dawn™ nearly 2 years after it’s initial release.

 

Knowing full well that I would get this title one day I avoided most of the public spoilers and streams but know just enough about the game to have a good first-time experience.

One of it’s most enjoyable features is the Butterfly effect in that all your decisions impact the life or death of game characters.

This is way too close to real life but a great lesson to be learned.

Stop and think, there will be consequences to all your decisions.

Urgent but not Important

I’ve always tried to focus on the important stuff like planning for a child’s birthday or my tax returns.

The struggle is handling things that are just constantly in your face. Mainly other people’s agenda, issues or crisis.

I’m busy….leave me alone

I sit here like a stress sponge constantly soaking up unbearable anxiety and grieve.

For private technical requests, I use a help desk system to ease the stress.

This has the bonus benefit or resolving the issue faster and focuses in on the precise issue. Most times the end-user just wants to vent to a human.

Could I switch career at this stage?  Someone floated the idea to me last week. It’s risky but hard to avoid InfoSec right now and quite frankly I don’t want to do anything else.

My chess game has deteriorated below 800 Elo right now. I simply cannot concentrate.

Booking up London flights for May, June and August in a couple of weeks.

Consequences schmonsequences, as long as I’m Rich!!!

Massive work-life conflict is on the rampage with me, even eating an Apple is complicated nowadays.  I really wish my actions would not have such deep long lasting impact all the time.  It’s like I can’t afford to make a single strategic error in work or play.

Holidays are hard work
Work is hard work
Love is hard work

Working long hours hardly makes me better it just gives me more alone time.

So in under 15 years, I’ll be retired…but what does that look like?

Too young to retire, too old to start again

Will I have to depend on someone to care for me physically and financially?