homepage
Open menu Go one level top
  • Train and Certify
    • Get Started in Cyber
    • Courses & Certifications
    • Training Roadmap
    • Search For Training
    • Online Training
    • OnDemand
    • Live Training
    • Summits
    • Cyber Ranges
    • College Degrees & Certificates
    • NICE Framework
    • DoDD 8140
    • Specials
  • Manage Your Team
    • Overview
    • Security Awareness Training
    • Voucher Program
    • Private Training
    • Workforce Development
    • Skill Assessments
    • Hiring Opportunities
  • Resources
    • Overview
    • Reading Room
    • Webcasts
    • Newsletters
    • Blog
    • Tip of The Day
    • Posters
    • Top 25 Programming Errors
    • The Critical Security Controls
    • Security Policy Project
    • Critical Vulnerability Recaps
    • Affiliate Directory
  • Focus Areas
    • Blue Team Operations
    • Cloud Security
    • Digital Forensics & Incident Response
    • Industrial Control Systems
    • Leadership
    • Offensive Operations
  • Get Involved
    • Overview
    • SANS Community
    • CyberTalent
    • Work Study
    • Instructor Development
    • Sponsorship Opportunities
    • COINS
  • About
    • About SANS
    • Why SANS?
    • Instructors
    • Cybersecurity Innovation Awards
    • Contact
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Customer Reviews
    • Press Room
    • PGP Key
  • Log In
  • Join
  • Contact Us
  • SANS Sites
    • GIAC Security Certifications
    • Internet Storm Center
    • SANS Technology Institute
    • Security Awareness Training
  • Search
  1. Home >
  2. Blog >
  3. The Dark Side of Threat Research
Deb Radcliff

The Dark Side of Threat Research

White hat threat researchers, security pros and cyber investigators share tips for protecting their personal lives from bad guys encountered online.

November 12, 2019

Before starting any cyber investigation into the dark web, Bryan Seely scrubs his social media profiles, creates a fake identity, opens an anonymous Google voice account and buys a new burner phone. These are just a few safeguards he takes to protect himself from being attacked by some of the shadowy characters he interacts with online during his dark-web research.

"I've had death threats appear in texts and online. Probably some of my sources that I got information from while I was doing the shady work and was pretending to be someone I wasn't," says Seely, an ethical hacker and speaker known for pranking the Secret Service, FBI and White House during live demonstrations.

Seely's not paranoid; he's careful. Those responsible for the glut of malware and cybercrime are not nice people. And their elite black hat skills make them dangerous enemies to have.

"There's a lot of vigilantism on the dark web and in the whole online community," says Mark D. Rasch, cyber attorney and investigator. "If you piss someone off, they'll make death threats and will come after you using cyber and physical means to get to you."

Self-Assess

The bad guys retaliate by trying to find human weaknesses that they can use as leverage. (Such was the case in my previous blog on mental health). So it's important to go through your digital history and scour old blog and social media posts, delete old email accounts, ensure old court records are closed and sealed, etc.

"When you go that deep, you have to understand that anything and everything can and will be used against you by people who want to discredit you," says a security pro who asked not to be identified. "Say that you were busted for shoplifting at 17, burned the flag when you were 19, told a dirty joke or commented on a questionable video on the internet. If it can be found, they will find it and use it against you."

Fake a New Identity

Beyond assessing your risk and scrubbing your social media and online accounts, experts also recommend creating a fake, but believable identity.

"I proxy to other parts of the world, build a new identity as comprehensive as I can with social media accounts, create a different origin story, and don't tie anything back to anything that can be secondary or tertiary tied to me," says John Toney, a former government agent who now runs a cyber intelligence practice group in the private sector. "The bad people in this space are very good at doing their own investigations and tying things back to you."

Also be sure to use disposable technologies, including a disposable VPN, and isolate your research systems from your personal and business systems. To protect against unwanted spyware, be careful what you download, adds Toney. Searching images for steganography, for example, can introduce unwanted malware.

Keep a Low Profile

Finally, Seely advises staying out of the limelight, no matter how magnificently you took down that botnet network or ransomware operator. Seely adds that when he became a public figure, the threats against him escalated.

"Don't go public just because your employer asks," Seely adds. "They don't always have your best interests at heart."

Each of the investigators and researchers interviewed for this blog agrees that the onus is on the employees (rather than the employers) to protect themselves and their families from counterattacks by the criminal groups they encounter during their research or investigations.

"Your best bet is to take every precaution to protect yourself," says the anonymous security pro quoted earlier in this blog. "Be diligent, but not paranoid."

Shameless SANS Promotion

For more ways to protect yourself and set up for dark web research, check out our new SANS course on Open Source Intelligence here. https://www.sans.org/course/open-source-intelligence-gathering

Share:
TwitterLinkedInFacebook
Copy url Url was copied to clipboard
Subscribe to SANS Newsletters
Join the SANS Community to receive the latest curated cybersecurity news, vulnerabilities, and mitigations, training opportunities, plus our webcast schedule.
United States
Canada
United Kingdom
Spain
Belgium
Denmark
Norway
Netherlands
Australia
India
Japan
Singapore
Afghanistan
Aland Islands
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antarctica
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba
Bosnia And Herzegovina
Botswana
Bouvet Island
Brazil
British Indian Ocean Territory
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Christmas Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Colombia
Comoros
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Croatia (Local Name: Hrvatska)
Curacao
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
East Timor
East Timor
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
French Guiana
French Polynesia
French Southern Territories
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Heard And McDonald Islands
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
Indonesia
Iraq
Ireland
Isle of Man
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Jersey
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Kiribati
Korea, Republic Of
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Lao People's Democratic Republic
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia, Federated States Of
Moldova, Republic Of
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
Northern Mariana Islands
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Palestine
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Pitcairn
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Reunion
Romania
Russian Federation
Rwanda
Saint Bartholemy
Saint Kitts And Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
Saint Vincent And The Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome And Principe
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Sint Maarten
Slovakia (Slovak Republic)
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
South Africa
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Sudan
Sri Lanka
St. Helena
St. Pierre And Miquelon
Suriname
Svalbard And Jan Mayen Islands
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad And Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Turks And Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States Minor Outlying Islands
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam
Virgin Islands (British)
Virgin Islands (U.S.)
Wallis And Futuna Islands
Western Sahara
Yemen
Yugoslavia
Zambia
Zimbabwe

Tags:
  • Blue Team Operations

Related Content

Blog
SUMMIT_Free_SANS_2021_Summits_Teaser.jpg
Digital Forensics and Incident Response, Cyber Defense Essentials, Industrial Control Systems Security, Purple Team, Blue Team Operations, Penetration Testing and Ethical Hacking, Cloud Security, Security Management, Legal, and Audit
November 30, 2020
Good News: SANS Virtual Summits Will Be FREE for the Community in 2021
They’re virtual. They’re global. They’re free.
Emily Blades
read more
Blog
_MUST_HAVE_RESOURCES_OSINT.png
Blue Team Operations
June 8, 2020
"Must Have" Free Resources for Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT)
Free OSINT resources to help in any investigation, pen test or to just see if your organization is exposed
SANS Institute
read more
Blog
Blue Team Operations, Penetration Testing and Ethical Hacking
May 29, 2020
Spiderfoot and the Dangers of Doxing
I had heard so many great things about SEC504 (GCIH), that I decided to take it, and one of the OSINT tools we use in this course I called Spiderfoot.
370x370_kenneth-may.jpg
Kenneth May
read more
  • Register to Learn
  • Courses
  • Certifications
  • Degree Programs
  • Cyber Ranges
  • Job Tools
  • Security Policy Project
  • Posters
  • The Critical Security Controls
  • Focus Areas
  • Blue Team Operations
  • Cloud Security
  • Cybersecurity Leadership
  • Digital Forensics
  • Industrial Control Systems
  • Offensive Operations
Subscribe to SANS Newsletters
Join the SANS Community to receive the latest curated cybersecurity news, vulnerabilities, and mitigations, training opportunities, plus our webcast schedule.
United States
Canada
United Kingdom
Spain
Belgium
Denmark
Norway
Netherlands
Australia
India
Japan
Singapore
Afghanistan
Aland Islands
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antarctica
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba
Bosnia And Herzegovina
Botswana
Bouvet Island
Brazil
British Indian Ocean Territory
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Christmas Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Colombia
Comoros
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Croatia (Local Name: Hrvatska)
Curacao
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
East Timor
East Timor
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
French Guiana
French Polynesia
French Southern Territories
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Heard And McDonald Islands
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
Indonesia
Iraq
Ireland
Isle of Man
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Jersey
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Kiribati
Korea, Republic Of
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Lao People's Democratic Republic
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia, Federated States Of
Moldova, Republic Of
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
Northern Mariana Islands
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Palestine
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Pitcairn
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Reunion
Romania
Russian Federation
Rwanda
Saint Bartholemy
Saint Kitts And Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
Saint Vincent And The Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome And Principe
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Sint Maarten
Slovakia (Slovak Republic)
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
South Africa
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Sudan
Sri Lanka
St. Helena
St. Pierre And Miquelon
Suriname
Svalbard And Jan Mayen Islands
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad And Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Turks And Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States Minor Outlying Islands
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam
Virgin Islands (British)
Virgin Islands (U.S.)
Wallis And Futuna Islands
Western Sahara
Yemen
Yugoslavia
Zambia
Zimbabwe
  • © 2021 SANS™ Institute
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn