Cybersecurity has become one of the most common skills with a growing influence in the coming years. Many wonder what tools will be used and which will go extinct as more advanced tools are developed.
This article will explore the tools that CYber Hunters like myself use daily as a Pentetraion and Cybersecurity specialist.
Datashare and Pinpoint
Datashare and Pinpoint are essential tools for eDiscovery, which involves identifying, collecting, validating, and analyzing digital evidence.
Simply put, it's about working with electronic materials related to investigations.
These tools allow sharing of case materials online with external users, providing end-to-end analytics and search capabilities. They are indispensable for conducting investigations effectively.
Archivarius 3000 and DtSearch
Archivarius 3000 and DtSearch are designed to handle large amounts of textual information.
They can read files and extract relevant information such as nicknames, email addresses, phone numbers, and hyperlinks. These tools enable searching through vast amounts of data using advanced search operators.
They are also useful for searching partial data (e.g., searching by email addresses or partially obscured phone numbers). Additionally, they can be used to create non-relational databases quickly.
Venator
Venator is a versatile OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence) browser based on Librewolf, a privacy and security-focused fork of Firefox.
This browser is specifically tailored for use in Eastern Europe, which sets it apart from similar tools like Oryon and CSI. It provides additional panels for quick access to search engines and specialized OSINT resources categorized by research topics such as telephone numbers, email addresses, nicknames, and websites.
Spreadsheets
Don't underestimate the power of Google Sheets. It is a versatile tool that allows you to prototype almost any data collection service using open sources. By leveraging the Google ecosystem, including search operators known as dorks, Google Sheets becomes a powerful OSINT tool.
I have used it to develop a media monitoring system for specific queries, an identification system for Telegram channels, and checking email addresses and user nicknames.
Breadcrumbs and Shard
Breadcrumbs is an analytical platform for exploring the blockchain of different cryptocurrencies. It facilitates investigations, monitoring, tracking, and sharing of up-to-date information about blockchain transactions.
It also helps identify individual crypto wallets. A Russian alternative called Shard was introduced last year, offering similar functionality at no additional cost.
Start
Start is a popular bookmark manager among OSINT experts. While its primary purpose is to organize useful resources, it can also function as a dashboard for network monitoring, collecting RSS feeds, and even serve as an effective honeypot (a trap for cyber investigations) by placing tracking pixels on its pages.
Maltego and SpiderFoot
Maltego and SpiderFoot are comprehensive software systems for OSINT that incorporate other services and databases through APIs. These tools enable the connection of custom services and data.
Despite their outdated interfaces lacking features like file forensics, timelines, and cartographic data presentation, they allow users to build and share investigation graphs.
Depending on the modules integrated into these programs, they can support various investigations.
Dork Search, Advangle, and DorkGenius
Dork Search is a tool for automating and suggesting advanced search operators, also known as Google Dorks. It saves time by manually eliminating the need to search for dorks through trial and error.
In 2023, I discovered an alternative service called Advangle, which proved equally effective. Additionally, I recommend trying DorkGenius, which employs AI to generate advanced search queries for Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo. I currently use all three products in my work.
CanaryTokens and IP Logger
CanaryTokens and IP Logger are popular loggers that provide information about internet users' connections and devices.
These services commonly create basic honeypots, such as hyperlinks, images, emails, documents, invisible pixels, or even fake credit cards.
Over the past year, both services have significantly enhanced their functionality. They now allow for the collection of comprehensive digital fingerprints of users, which greatly enhances their effectiveness in crime investigations and active OSINT activities.
Universal Search and Yandex.Audience
Universal Search is a powerful tool that automates various OSINT methods. It simplifies and streamlines the process so effectively that even newcomers using it in their work can appear as experienced professionals.
On the other hand, Yandex.Audience is a promising domestic tool for ADINT (Advertising Identifier Intelligence).
ADINT enables the creation of social graphs and tracking of individuals using their email addresses, phone numbers, MAC addresses, and iOS and Android device identifiers.
Conclusion
These tools have become indispensable in my daily work as a crime investigator. They allow me to handle digital evidence efficiently, search through large amounts of information, explore blockchain transactions, conduct OSINT investigations, and automate various tasks.
With the constant advancements in technology and the development of new tools, the field of crime investigation continues to evolve, and these tools play a crucial role in staying ahead of the game.
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