Speakers 2022

Personal Profiling Through Open Source Forensics.

David Benford, Managing Director (Blackstage Forensics)

Our social media presence creates opportunities for nefarious individuals to trace our homes and our family, friends and even contact details and passwords! Using sample case studies, this talk will demonstrate the methods used by third parties to digitally profile targets, their friends, families and colleagues through online sources. The talk will highlight the types of data that users, sometimes unwittingly, share online that can create both privacy and security vulnerabilities, and will also offer some solutions to mitigate against such attacks

David Benford MSc is managing director of Blackstage Forensics in the United Kingdom. He has worked internationally in open source intelligence and digital forensics since 2007 and his specialist field is around privacy & security vulnerabilities from online data and mobile devices. He has worked with numerous clients from broadcasting, film & entertainment, sport and public & private sectors.

Applications of Artificial Intelligence During Forensic Examinations of Images and Videos in Child Sexual Abuse Investigations.

Dr. Claude Chibelushi Director of Research and Development, Semantics 21

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is having a profound impact on many facets of law enforcement; digital forensics practice is no exception. In particular, AI has brought significant changes into investigations of child sexual abuse (CSA). We will walk through key steps in forensic examinations of images and videos, in CSA cases. We will review examples of AI used for the analysis of these data. We will also discuss the challenges involved, from trawling through massive amounts of digital media, up to extracting relevant evidence and producing actionable insights.

An internationally-recognised AI expert in digital media understanding, Claude spent years as a research lead at Staffordshire University, and conducted some of his work at the University of Oxford, and with BMW. He has current engagements with various other prestigious institutions, such as the University of Warwick. He now heads S21's R&D, including the NEXUS team.

Using Higher Level Authority in Investigating Complex Crime.

"John Doe" forensic investigator at undisclosed.

This talk highlights the application and use of higher level authorities to conduct forensic recovery of intelligence against a drug importation offence. The talk will be based on a case study against members of a Motorcycle gang who were importing large scale amounts of controlled drugs into the UK.

A day in the life of a law enforcement digital forensic investigator.

Gurlabh Singh, Digital Forensics Specialist at Staffordshire Police

In this talk, we are going to explore a digital forensic examination from the moment of seizure through to case completion. We will go through the acquisition, processing and analysis phases and look into how ISO17025 and the FSR codes play a vital role in a digital forensic laboratory.

With a background in X-act Forensics, SYTECH, and CCL Solutions, Gurlabh is currently serving as a digital forensics specialist with Staffordshire Police. His day to day work involves the investigation of criminal cases.

TBC.

Raj Samani, Senior Vice President/Chief Scientist, Vice President, Jen Ellis Community and Public Affairs

Raj Samani is a computer security expert responsible for extending the scope and reach of Rapid7’s research initiatives. He joins Rapid7 from McAfee where he served as McAfee Fellow and Chief Scientist after serving as VP and Chief Technical Officer in EMEA. Raj has assisted multiple law enforcement agencies in cybercrime cases, and is special advisor to the European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) in The Hague. Raj has been recognized for his contributions to the computer security industry through numerous awards, including the Infosecurity Europe hall of Fame, Peter Szor award, Intel Achievement Award, among others. He also co-authored the book 'Applied Cyber Security and the Smart Grid' as well as the CSA Guide to Cloud computing, and he has served as technical editor for numerous other publications

Jen is a co-chair of the Institute for Security and Technology’s Ransomware Task Force, an interdisciplinary group of leaders who are working together to combat ransomware through a comprehensive framework of recommendations for public policy and other government action. Jen is also a nonresident senior fellow of the Atlantic Council, sits on the boards of the Center for Cybersecurity Policy and Law, I Am The Cavalry, and the Aerospace Village, and is a member of the board of advisors for the CyberPeace Institute and the Global Cyber Alliance.

Investigating Unusual Devices.

Sarah Morris, Head of the Digital Investigation Unit, part of the Centre for Electronic Warfare, Information, and Cyber, Cranfield University

In this talk, Sarah outlines the problems and challenges associated with unusual and uncommon devices.

With over 13 years of experience in complex technical digital investigations, Sarah is the Head of the Digital Investigation Unit, part of the Centre for Electronic Warfare, Information, and Cyber. Sarah is focused on Digital Investigation and exploitation, a field devoted to the digital analysis of a variety of digital devices for any investigative scenario. This includes (but is not limited to) digital forensics, incident response, intelligence operations, open-source intelligence, civil proceedings, and corporate investigations. Sarah is focused on binary level analysis where appropriate and has a broad and deep technical skillset.

Investigating Complex Cyber Attacks.

Hinesh Mehta, Cyber Crime Unit Manager, Detective Inspector, West Midlands Police

Hinesh will look at the anatomy of a cyber attack, taking attendees through the initial attack through to the conclusion. Using a real life case study, the talk will highlight the combination of different forms of cyber knowledge (OSINT, DF ETC) to aid the investigation of an incident.

Hinesh has been a police officer for 19 years spending the majority of this investigating crime as a detective, including both CID and murder investigation. As a software engineer in a previous career, Hinesh has always sought to increase police awareness of digital technology and started the countries first Digital Media Investigator Unit. Specialising in cybercrime since 2015, Hinesh was heavily involved with the creation of four new cyber investigation units across the West Midlands region, enabling the police to respond to the ever-changing cybercrime risk. More recently, Hinesh was instrumental in developing the West Midlands Cyber Resilience Centre, a public/private sector partnership which aims to prevent businesses becoming victims of cybercrime. In his current role as Detective Inspector of the Regional Cybercrime Unit, Hinesh brings a wealth of knowledge of the reality of cybercrime today.

What Ransomware Evidence is Left Behind for Investigators?

Phil Ridley Head of Cyber Security Division Ransomware Attacks.

Ransomware is an increasingly common problem to deal with in today’s world. What was once limited to corporations has now become an issue for all public, private and government organisations to deal with. Aside from the obvious impact of a business not being able to operate, or a local council not being able to provide services, often overlooked is how the ransomware was deployed in the first place. This presentation will cover the common threats, tactics, and procedures that ransomware groups exploit, and highlight the key forensic artefacts that can be examined to determine how a compromise took place. Using real-world examples, attendees will understand what sources of evidence are involved in ransomware attacks and the key pieces of information that can be analysed during an investigation.

Philip Ridley is the Head of the Cyber Security Division at IntaForensics. He joined the company in July 2020 as an experienced information security, digital forensics, incident response and compliance practitioner. Philip has conducted incident response investigations for over fifteen years and has led teams of investigators and consultants to solve technical challenges for customers, including complex and multi-national investigations. This has provided him with extensive experience in providing evidence and reports to a wide-ranging audience of all technical abilities including C-level executives as well as technical practitioners. He has experience working with some of the biggest organisations in the world and has routinely worked with national and international law enforcement as well as internal enterprise information security teams showing the utmost professionalism and discretion. At IntaForensics, Philip offers guidance and support to customers to help address their security challenges when they fall victim to a cyber-security breach. He works closely with external clients to help them design, plan and exercise their own incident response processes.