Our open source collection methods protect the identities of our clients and analysts, focusing on unique data that goes beyond traditional searches, while paying attention to metadata, postings that are tangential to the ultimate subject of inquiry, and data sets that are not indexed by traditional search engines. Depending on the scope of the requirement, we may analyze the deep web, dark web, social media sites, news organizations, proprietary data and sources available to private investigators. For human source collection, we maintain direct access to sources from multiple sectors and industries, including but not limited to journalists, executives, government employees, and private sector employees. Our global service offerings include:
We provide basic global background and compliance checks at significant volume to identify sanctions, global criminal activity and negative press, supplemented with in-depth enhanced due diligence analysis when required. This means identifying red flags related to ethics, lifestyle, and unprofessional behavior by executives at foreign entities that are candidates to be crucial client partners.
New market entry in foreign countries can be a treacherous endeavor and many “fair” bid processes are not what they seem. We provide competitive intelligence to new market entrants, identify the correct decision makers and important influencers, and help level the competitive playing field for our clients.
We conduct site visits, human source interviews and local-jurisdiction intelligence collection around the world, in order to determine whether a potential joint venture partner could potentially pose a future risk to the reputation or operations of our US-based clients. A relatively small investment on the front end can define the risks involved and may ultimately help prevent our clients from making costly mistakes.
While much can be learned about an individual’s lifestyle from “open source” collection and social media analysis, an examination of tangential relationships often reveals much more. Influence and social network mapping support our due diligence efforts. We create baselines against which future activity can be monitored and measured, enabling regular updates about a person’s changes in behavior.
Some specific examples of previous investigations include:
After a major settlement award, assets were moved out of the defendant’s entity and into unrelated, offshore entities to obscure their value. We moved quickly to identify the new entities, locate the assets, and provide counsel with hard facts to inform future proceedings.
We were hired to identify an anonymous individual that was disparaging his previous employer and harassing one of its executives. After extensive research, the subject was positively identified and we provided possible remedies to help change the subject’s behavior. Similarly, insider threats come in many shapes and sizes. We have provided bespoke investigative services to determine actual threats vs. benign activity, as well as implemented extensive insider threat monitoring to counteract foreign influence.
In another case we used digital forensics and technical collection techniques to positively identify a stalker targeting a high profile individual. Supplemented with proprietary databases and open source collection, we provided a thorough analysis of the individual and his behavior. Our evidence was used to successfully obtain a court order against the individual subject.
An employee was selling merchandise out the back door of his employer’s manufacturing facility. We investigated the individual, using both clear web and dark web methodologies to identify and expose his illegal transactions.
We have helped law enforcement solve their most difficult criminal cases. We have been asked to support a criminal investigation into missing persons and human trafficking cases, utilizing digital forensics and open source collection techniques not utilized by the typical law enforcement officer. Other criminal investigation support has included conducting link analysis between two seemingly separate criminal incidents on their property, enabling our client to make risk and security decisions.
We helped college football programs determine which athletes posed the least risk to the school’s brand. Similarly, we provided prospective and current player reputation and risk assessment to NFL teams based on social media histories, supplemented with customized training programs around how to use social media professionally.
C-suite executives and managers were being targeted by activist investor groups, exposing security vulnerabilities in their personal digital footprints. We conducted “white hat” investigations of those vulnerabilities, explained why they existed, helped close security loopholes and trained the entire executive team and management staff on how to better maintain digital privacy and security.