How To Spot a Troll

 Be on the lookout for Trolls.

With the political season in full swing and a sprint towards the end with the final debate tonight, be on the lookout for political trolls. Trolling will still be active in many different forms after the election. 

Common troll actions online or off are similar in malicious nature and one sided. Do you really think a person who will knock you over for a cab be a pleasant person online? Someone cut you off on the road and give you the finger? Very thoughtful and caring and no doubt similar in their online persona.

How about someone following you walking all the way home filming all the way to your home address and network? That actually happened to me and in the last 50 yards I turned around and let the expletives fly.  Common little items you may notice in a person can be hidden and multiplied online.

You can be trolled online and not even know it.

Many social sites let you peruse account activity without becoming a member, albeit with restricted messaging privileges. Someone can be trolling you right now as you read this.

Is this a political action account?

Several accounts have been set up online on multiple platforms as political only accounts, meaning they only conduct self serving politics. Building followers some real and some fake along the way.

Can this action figure above be a real person or a person hiding with an ulterior motive?

Pattern analysis can define the account better than the person hiding behind the account. Patterns will reveal hashtag creations and associations that the person thinks they are masking with layers of malicious similarity. Lets get this person 10,000 followers, or attempts to attract others and link more fake accounts to show a social power and strength. 

Account layering is now becoming common practice as many bad actors attempt to gain leverage to sway and disinform. 

The new online version of the old game is now called whack a troll. They are seemingly everywhere. 

Join our cause...please.

This account became active just in time for the election.

Russia and Iran have interfered to date with this current election process, as per the FBI. 

Many more attempts are likely before and during the election. This election has been the most challenging to date and no doubt foreshadows more difficulties in upcoming elections. 

Old accounts that are now becoming active are another give away. Sole purpose accounts with fake groups and followers have been proliferating online for years. Some repackaged, others retooled but all share the common traits of sole purpose posting, tweeting and blogging to attain a political goal. 

Can there be hidden financial agendas as well?

What about other hidden agendas?

New FBI warning.

New dangerous versions of trolls have been appearing online with different dangerous motives. One deceptive troll tactic is to fake a common friendship or association. So and so from xyz group gave me your name. Trolls come with many hidden agendas and dangerous forms. 

The FBI has recently confirmed an alarming social trend in other dangerous trolling incidents.

The time is now to be informed abut the dangers and the many different varieties of trolls online. The troll can be after your ID, finances or family. You have every right to protect yourself. You also have the right to know who and what you are protecting yourself from. The person or entity behind the actual account attempting to cause harm.

Be careful and informed of the dangers. Monitor, educate and inform. The dangers online and off never take a break and are evolving at a rapid pace. Be proactive and not reactive. 

There are new avenues of danger possible at every click, text, email or post. 

Cybersecurity Awareness Month is October. Stay safe and be cybersecurity aware everyday.

@AlvieriD

Analyst, Researcher and Tracker.

Malware Literally Just Killed Someone

 

 Ransomware leads to death.    

   By Dominic Alvieri, @AlvieriD

   September 22nd, 2020.

    Did anyone notice ransomware literally just killed someone?

    

    Ransomware just got upgraded to Murderware.

German police are treating the cybersecurity event as a homicide. A lifesaving surgery was cancelled at the last minute in Dusseldorf University Hospital on Wednesday, September 9th due to a ransomware attack on the hospital. The patient was immediately rerouted to the next hospital available about 20 miles away. The patient passed away during the ambulance trip.

The digital footprints are familiar. 

Reports allege that the attack intended to attack a university (Heinrich Heine University) and redirected to Dusseldorf University Hospital. A woman was arriving for a lifesaving procedure when the ransomware attack took down the hospitals IT systems. 

The vulnerability in question is a Citrix VPN appliance controller. 

Chinese nationals have been employing this attack vector heavily this year. So have others.

Different motive? Different bad actor(s)? Same verdict. 

Death brings about change. Change is needed in the war on cyber crime. Ransomware is an evil business that is surging. Cyber criminals have been long overdue in facing the punishment for the true cost of their crimes. 

The vulnerability exploited was the  Citrix CVE 2019-19781 which is known and patches have been available. 

Dusseldorf University Hospital was not patched.

Chinese nationals have employed similar payload and encryption schemes used in this attack. 

Dusseldorf University Hospital was not the intended target. 

It is one of the first ransomware cases to be investigated as a homicide. Cyber criminals have been quietly holding systems, corporations and people in a digital stranglehold.  

Hopefully this will be the turning point. The trigger event.

Public awareness during the Covid-19 crisis must parlay into cybersecurity awareness. 

I am not convinced this will be the last death caused by ransomware, or software in general. 

Analyst, Researcher and Tracker. @AlvieriD

 

 The Social Bubble of 2020.

  By Dominic Alvieri, @AlvieriD

  September 26th, 2020.

    If you were in a hot air balloon and it had a hole in it, wouldn't you try and fix it right away?

    What about several holes?

The social madness of 2020. The Social Bubble.

The social madness online during the pandemic peaked with election counting rumors, blatant lies and malicious calls to action.

 Internet changes ahead?

Arguably we are in one of the most difficult periods in American history.  

Covid-19, racism, geopolitical risks, social injustice, fake news, reviews and accounts, and daily cyber attacks, just to name a few. How will history reflect on this perilous time? 

Will it be edited for content? Fact checked? Are we in several bubbles? 

Are we in a Super Bubble?

How we respond will dictate our future.

Back to the frog and the boiling pot of water.

How many times have you seen an ad touting a job for $10? Politicians have argued this point this week specifically. Why pay people to stay home when jobs are available?

Companies big and small have many more jobs available. Corporate answers would be competitive wages and above market. $12-14 no doubt. Benefits as well?

$10 an hour for a singe parent of two is below the FPL, Federal Poverty Line. 

How many ads have you seen below the Federal Poverty Line? The Federal minimum wage has not increased since July, 2009. During that time, many S&P 500 companies have expanded and continue to push these so called jobs. It is not a job, it is a joke. 

Doubling the minimum wage might still be below the Federal Poverty Line. Lets do the math.

Would you be able to live on $14.50 an hour? If you are unable to pay your bills you are surely not investing in the stock market, Has that remained the same since 2009?

If your child has to live with you because they only have one full time job, that is a huge red flag. Financially behind means technologically behind and therefore behind overall.

We are arguably in one of the most turbulent times in American history.

Stalled international mergers, or robbery from some perspectives are another red flag. TikTok comes to mind. SMIC is another name about to be reclassified. Major ramifications in several industries are underway. Decoupling technologies are detrimental worldwide. 

There is no winner in the battle for it all. 

The battle for our data and our integrity are at stake. Technology is readily available to not only push content, but to manipulate, alter and misdirect it to a desired endpoint. Not to mention the varieties that require ransom to release what is righfully yours. A ransomware attack in Dusseldorf, Germany earlier this month caused the death of a woman. It is life and death now, in many regards.

The battle for what is right, and what is real is underway.

Justice is blind, injustice is not. 

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness...and justice for all. Rights I hold dear 

Are we just going to leave everyone else behind? @AlvieriD

September 26, 2020 and millions of people in the world still do not feel free or fed.

The Federal minimum wage has not change since July, 2009, below.

Now is the time to change many outdated policies and procedures.

The Federal Minimum Wage has not changed sine 2009.

Many needed changes are coming. We are not only at the precipice of technological decoupling, we are at a major crossroad in history. We are all just to busy to notice everything right now. 

The year 2020 has been overwhelming at times.

The Double Bubble. The Super Bubble. The Total Bubble.

The Bumbled Bubble, The Perfect Bubble.

Now is the time to patch all the holes in all the bubbles. 

Flip Flop on TikTok.

 Trump flip flops on TikTok.

By Dominic Alvieri @AlvieriD

ByteDance would own 80% of the new entity, with Oracle being the trusted US technology partner and 12.5% owner, and Walmart would own 7.5%.

TikTok would go public in the US next year. Now is the time for US Data Policy Regulation.

ByteDance will still own the majority.

In an amazing turn of events, President Trump has flip flopped on TikTok an now gives his blessing. The pressure to approve this deal is overwhelming. The possible backlash from Beijing. The backlash from devoted users. The backlash from Wall Street. 

The security concerns remain. ByteDance will still retain the majority and incorporating a new entity in any jurisdiction will not change the business fact. If ByteDance requests any data it does not already have, how can a minority owner block that process? Maintaining data in the United States alone would not deny the immutable fact that majority rules and the data grab is already complete.

  

The security nightmare begins. MAC addresses have been secretly copied. Data concerns remain.

What would stop any request from the majority owners domiciled government? 

The deal still has several steps towards final approval. China is in support of this 80/20 structure.

TikTok would go public next year and be listed on a US exchange. 

Wall Street has already called. Wall Street loves this deal. Wall Street loved Luckin Coffee too.

There are cybersecurity issues that remain. Valuable assets with a security nightmare. 

How can you deny a ByteDance request? MAC addresses have been secretly copied. 

what if they want more from the host?

Now is the time for US Data Policy Regulations. 

Dominic Alvieri, @AlvieriD

Analyst, Independent Researcher and Tracker.

The Bumbled Bubble, All Around.

 

The Bumbled Bubble.

     By Dominic Alvieri @AlvieriD

        The Bumbled Bubble is not just about valuations. 

        Out of date policies, practices and procedures are holding our country back. 

 

The Federal minimum wage has NOT CHANGED since 2009 at $7.25 per hour. The chart below from NASDAQ.com during that same period of time shows a staggering return of 541%, not including dividends. Chart below courtesy of NASDAQ.com. During that time that the minimum wage has not changed. That must be repeated. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has gained 325.78%, not adjusted for inflation (CPI), and 225.45% from July 24, 2009, to the last trading day of August, 2020.

 If one were to adjust the minimum wage by the lower end DJIA return over the same period the minimum wage would be $23.60 per hour. The jobs that are being pushed at $8-12 an hour. That is not a job. We all can hear of the record $364 million dollars raised by a party. The other party is not far behind. They have good paying jobs and benefits. Companies are keeping wages down and hours below the benefit threshold. A common trick. Many old tricks are being exposed daily and the bad actors continue to act as if everything is just swell.

The data is from the US Government, DJIA, NASDAQ.com websites. Twitter Fact Check That. @AlvieriD

The Pandemic funding shows flaws in the systems and society. PPP loans were being pushed to prevent companies from laying workers off. The massive Federal Reserve cash injection has inflated stocks to such lofty levels and artificial record highs. A couple of four that has not lost their jobs they received an extra $3,400. The FEMA Emergency Fund level is a new important number to watch. If the economy does not improve by that point, will the Fed be able to step in again? What about stepping in to more than double the minimum wage? You can please highlight the more than 11 year run at this minimum that said owner has been taking advantage of. 

What then? Ten dollars an hour for anyone who lost a twenty dollar an hour job? People who didn’t lose their jobs and could buy stocks at the lows did well. What if I don’t have any stocks? What is a stock? 

Middle income workers had to drain savings accounts and sell stocks at the low in March to survive because of the uncertainty, delays, and capacity issues flooding the unemployment systems. Some systems are outdated technologies including Cobalt. Many states have different networks, within a standard, but they are not the same as the government systems. Technologically or by fiscal implementation standards. Is the same politician around? Probably.

 

Part 2. As the markets soared to unsustainable heights, tens of millions of workers are still looking to replace multiple jobs with living wages. Productivity and cost reductions by corporations during the Pandemic brought about the realization that staffing levels can be lowered and you can increase the bottom line. You can paint any picture you want. I see people with the new cars and items, and I see the people unable to maintain their homes. Franchise and business owners get to buy another Maserati or Mercedes while others have to beg that same owner to get to eleven dollars an hour?

Do the math. Is that a living wage? Is $15? How much is that new iPhone?

Fake accounts count but people without a social media account don’t? 

Did anyone else hear that?

Wall Street pays better. They avoid struggling areas in the Bronx, West Philadelphia or Crenshaw. Go to any state. You don’t know what the real issue is. Wall Street has an issue as well. No more Chinese companies to go public like Un-luckin Coffee. 

Now what? 

There is something about a person in cybersecurity that is not common...you see things. You find things. You can sometimes hear things, but you have to listen.

                     

Part 3. Please Do Not Part. The Federal Reserve ad infinitum is not possible. 

 My children would like an iPhone as well, not a black and white tv.

Again. The Federal Reserve has pumped a record amount of money into the economy, read markets. Money has nowhere else to go. not to the intended bottom line. At least  not your bottom line. Valuations continue to be distorted. Reports that 6 out of 7 major stocks account for the majority gains in the S&P 500. Apple soared to a market capitalization of 2 Trillion dollars this past week. 

With the flood of companies rushing to cash out at record highs accountability must be noted today, not years from now. AirBnB and Stripe are discussing going public. Bumble and Skillz have filed this past week with more coming as reported. Valuations continue to be created out of thin air in some cases, ala the 1990’s Dotcom Bubble “new metric.” It is different this time. Pay Per Account. Reports value the Bumble IPO at over 6 Billion dollars. What metric was that again?

 Wait, am I the buyer? Who am I buying from?

Mr Buffet, what is the going rate for a fake account? Recent reports of new fraudulent and fake accounts sexually exploiting minors have been dubbed “Instagram Joe” and “TikTok Tony” on social media. They are everywhere. Every platform suffers from that plague. Even on LinkedIn. A fake recruiter contacted me that I scared off was on LinkedIn. Something about Cybersecurity that makes the bad guys run. That was an easy spot. Not even a good Troll. Social, racial and political Trolls abound. It is hunting season.

The MO is usually the same. Multiple fake social accounts on multiple platforms. Several fake email accounts. Silicon Valley needs to work together. Two systems on the same network can get in trouble, no? Closing the account is simply kicking the can to the next, if he is not already there. They have multiple outlets.  

Will that account be there next month? Is that account and traffic real? Validating an IPO with metrics that need to be purged of what is now known before the sale. If I have 10 accounts and 2 are fake and fraudulent accounts doing more harm then good, how can they be included? What would you pay?

A fake account is not a valuable asset. It is fraud on both sides. The user behind the account, and the accountant who validates a known fake. Every platform has fake accounts.  

 

American middle class be aware. Middle class is now low income.

The old adage is true, the rich keep getting richer while the poor get poorer. 

 

 

CNBC, CNN and other major news outlets continue to push what sells. Push what is paid for. Why don’t we talk about Pelosi’s hair cur or Trumps Tweets. That sells. The homeless and most unemployed do not have social accounts to make their voice heard. Corporate America will see the woman in NC making $33 a week in unemployment and does not even qualify for the new $300 wage loss provision. The wage loss provision does not kick in unless you make over $100 a week in unemployment. That doesn’t sell, but that is the truth.

Black Lives Matter supporters, does anyone know what is going to happen to that nice woman? Does she not count? Don't we all count?

Dominic Alvieri. Analyst, Independent Researcher and Tracker. @AlvieriD

  

Attention Walmart shoppers...

 

TiKTok Still going, going...

August 29^th, 2020 By Dominic Alvieri @AlvieriD

 

         Attention Walmart shoppers…

              …and Microsoft, Oracle, Triller, SoftBank, Twitter…

    One way or another, TikTok is changing in the next few months.

 

The process is just insane. The company is unable to protect its data from Chinese law. The president of the United States is forcing the sale. CEO Kevin Mayer quit this week after only a few months. Lawsuits have been filed and investment banking teams are meeting around the clock all over the world. All risks are not known to all parties.

 

TikTok has been caught logging MAC addresses and has not been helpful with fake accounts on its platform. Some of the videos are so stupid and bullying, but they remain on the site and it has been growing like crazy. ByteDance, parent of TikTok has finally released subscriber rates to increase its sale price. With all the bad press surrounding the company, this is a last ditch effort to glorify the value of its assets under its waning control.

The data grab is complete.

Legacy accounts will have to be changed.

It will be a security nightmare for the acquirer of US TikTok assets.

 

Bloomberg has reported that SoftBank has filed to sell $14 Billion in assets to raise cash. Microsoft, Oracle, Twitter and even Walmart has stepped up to the table. Reuters reported early this morning that Triller made a $20 Billion bid late last night with the help from another firm. That is not a serious bid. The stakes are higher.

No doubt there will be more twists and turns to this saga this week. Stay tuned.

 

            

Analyst, Independent Researcher and Tracker.

       @AlvieriD

2 Bitcoin Thieves

2 Bitcoin Thieves...

    By Dominic Alvieri @AlvieriD

        Please return the original Bitcoin stolen and keep the balance.

                               I wish it was just 2 Bitcoin thieves.

                         

Year after year I have had Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies stolen. Every year the keep rising.

Year after year I have had my identity stolen as well. Send another email. Write another letter. Not this year. I have been fighting back. Cybersecurity has to be active, not passive. National, corporate and your personal future are at stake.

Year after year I keep waiting for something to be returned. Keep waiting. I am done waiting. Year after year I have skilled up.

 

 With the onset of the Pandemic, I was struck again. SIM jacked, May 22^nd, 2020 at 2:58am, EST. Every account compromised after the first 3 minutes. Cryptocurrency accounts were the first to go. Why? So easy. So fast. Gone before you know it. Out of your account and into another and probably off to an illegal mixing service with attempts to hide the ownership trail. It can still be traced but that is not for the faint of heart.

Cold storage. What? I term many associate with food is actually one of the few safeguards you have with Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies and certain other assets. Cold storage is keeping your assets offline. Not just cryptocurrencies, but other assets as well. Do not have all your bank accounts online. I strongly suggest it. It saved what little I had left. The national idiots are easier to catch. Once again, try reporting a cybercrime overseas. Good luck in some cases. Keep waiting. Keep getting frustrated that your investment that was stolen continues to rise.

I have a more detailed article on Bitcoin coming up. This is not investment advice. This is just my personal opinion. Store of value? Not unless you store it offline. No one says that. I am telling you. This is not an investment blog, just information and my opinion. Merchants do not want to participate in Bitcoin due to the volatility and ease of theft.

Put it on the Blockchain. If you hear someone say that, they do not know what they are talking about. Technology evolves daily. There is not just one Blockchain and it is not just for cryptocurrency transactions. That is another issue. But you have the clue.

 

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have continued to rise since the years they have been stolen from me. I have officially now had more cryptocurrency stolen over my lifetime then I have made in cryptocurrency investments. Trace back the $25k in Bitcoin stolen years ago. That alone should be over six figures. Hope the thief has enjoyed it. Probably spent it years ago. 

How would you feel. Why don’t we ask the poor people who got scammed out of Bitcoin with the Twitter hack a few weeks ago. I was one of the first to report and confirm that. Twitter did a great job, as did Coinbase, a US based firm. Facts. How would you feel having your stolen investments go up and you just write a letter and send an email?

 

We are Americans, not American’ts. Be careful with your assets and your social accounts. Most importantly, your phone. Watch what you put on it. Watch what access you give to your data. Use 2FA and biometrics. Layer your protection. It can happen to you before you finish reading this blog.  

What have you done during the Pandemic?

 I am not a writer, but I am writing a blog. I am not a YouTuber, but I am making videos. I am alive. There is always hope. You can take everything and I will still build again. Protect yourself. This is what I am doing. I'm fighting back.                                                                                                                

Independent Security Researcher.   @AlvieriD