How To Hide Files NOT Steganography

privateinvestigator

So you have some files, music, video, or anything you wanna hide from folks for whatever reason? Well, here’s an easy solution that does a good job of hiding stuff without you having to encrypt the data or spend any loot.

You will need a zipping program to accomplish this. There are many open source zipping tools on the web such as WinZip, WinRAR, 7-Zip, etc. Just grab one of those and you’re good.

What makes this work is that images are read from the header down, whereas Zip files are read from the footer up. This enables you to merge the files and no one will ever know that your “secret stuff” is, in essence, hidden right inside the picture. GIFs work best, but JPGs and other file types should work just as well. In this example I will be using a .jpg – my company logo (I’m a shameless plugg’r, grossly incorporating ME into everything…;). Now onto the process…

The first thing you will need to do is select a picture to be your container. Again, I chose my the Victory Investigations logo. Then collect the files you would like to hide.

files

 

Once you’ve done this, you’ll need to create a folder on the hard drive like so:

haddrive

Place all of the files you want to hide AND the container picture inside that folder.

Next, using your zipping program, zip the files you want to hide as seen here:

archive

The contents of your folder should look like this now:

result

As you can see, I’ve chosen the name of my zipped file to be “STAYOUT“.       Yeah, I know, cheesy, right?

Now the real fun begins…

You need to access the command prompt. You can do this a couple of ways. One, click Start then type “Run“, without the quotes. Then Type “CMD” without the quotes and the command prompt will appear. OR hold down the Windows and “R” keys on your keyboard, then type “CMD” without the quotes. Either way will get to the Command Prompt. At this time, you should have a window appear like so:

cmd3

Now you have to drill down to the directory where your file is located. At the prompt type cd\ to get to the root directory. Then type cd and the name of the directory where the files are located (in this case it’s “There’s Nothing Here”).

cmd4

The next thing you need to do is type the following (of course, replace the file names I chose with the names you have chosen):

copy /b Container.JPG + STAYOUT.rar Container.jpg

Now the command prompt should look like this:

cmd6

AND VOILÀ!

You can check the properties of the container picture before you add the secret files and after hiding them and you’ll see that the size has increased by the amount of the added files.

beforeafter

You can now access your hidden files in two ways. Firstly, simply change the extension to .RAR and open the file using WinRAR. Secondly, you can just right-click on the JPEG image and choose Open With and then scroll down to WinRAR. Either way, you’ll see your hidden files show up that you can then extract out.

end2

Please note:  this is ONLY one way of hiding files. I know there are other ways and even different procedures to accomplish what I’ve demonstrated here. 

Also realize that this method, in no way, protects your data from folks like myself – private investigator and digital forensic specialist. As a computer forensics specialist, I am trained to look for this type of data. With that said, if you believe that your spouse or child is hiding things from you, it may be time to consult with a digital forensics specialist. There are legal ways of obtaining this type of information without using surreptitious monitoring software or hardware. Contact us today for a FREE, discreet consultation. Also, you can join me on Google+ here.

Spies Like Us

Most of us are under no delusions that “BIG Brother” is watching us and listening to our conversations. But do we really know the extent to which the government can reach into our personal lives?

Billions of electronic and voice communications are transmitted through networks across the world every day and our government and some other governments have the technology to intercept them all. And they do. I know what you’re thinking…Yeah, but the government and law enforcement only listen to those they have good cause to listen to….Maybe, but they can monitor you and me by the authority of the Patriot Act and I’m of the opinion that, although they may not monitor all data, they do store it for future use. With that said, I believe this massive power is a good thing in terms of protecting our country from domestic and foreign terrorists and other adversaries of the United States.

Companies such as Microsoft and Verint have developed technology that makes all this “spying” possible.

“Legal Intercept” by Microsoft is an application by which they can reroute any VoIP communication through a recording agent before it reaches the intended recipient. VoIP may include  instant messaging protocols that transmit audio, audio messages transmitted via gaming systems, video conferencing software, Skype and Skype-like applications, meeting software, etc. Since being acquired by Microsoft, Skype’s security has come into question because of known law enforcement agency pressure to enable them access to the data. While most VoIP communication is encrypted, some is not and can be easily intercepted by anyone with internet access and some know how. After all, VoIP does run through the PUBLIC internet. Even cell networks aren’t as secure as they claim and many of the applications riding on the network are not secure, which use Session Initiation Protocol or SIP sessions that are exposed to anyone that has access to the network.

Verint, also an American company, has developed what are called “Monitoring Centers“. These monitoring center solutions enable the interception, monitoring, and analysis of target and mass communications over virtually any network. Verint’s systems are primarily used to target certain criminal elements and terrorist groups, however, the technology can be tailored to collect and store millions of citizen’s emails and phone calls for later analysis. Verint’s “Vantage Monitoring” allows “nationwide mass interception” that “efficiently collects, analyzes, and exposes threats from billions of communications.” The company also states it can help governments automatically identify people from the sound of their voice using speech identification software, intercept the cellular and satellite mobile phone communications of “mass populations over a wide area” using a covert portable device, and provide data-mining tools to build detailed profiles about criminals and other “negative influencers” in real time. Verint’s technology is being used in over 75 countries. A little scary to say the least.

On a much smaller scale, your private life can be infiltrated by someone close to you by using simple applications and other software. There are programs (spyware) written specifically to monitor someone’s cell phone activities. This software can track you using your phone’s GPS capabilities. It can monitor your text conversations, see what pictures you take or receive from others, capture email and social media activity, and even listen in on your calls. Spyware for the computer is also available and very powerful. Even though it’s possible for this breach of privacy to occur, Victory Investigations can detect and nullify the program for you.

There are also very good applications for this type of monitoring technology. If you have a troubled teen or child and feel like you have no control or just feel the need to know what they’re up to, call us. We can offer effective solutions to fit your needs.

Victory Investigations is certified in digital forensics and is a member of The American Society of Digital Forensics & eDiscovery. Call us today for any and all of your investigative needs.

Victory Investigations is a licensed and insured Private Investigations agency located in Greensboro, NC and conducts investigations worldwide. www.VictoryPI.com is also licensed to perform Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM). Contact us today for a FREE consultation:  (336) 298-2034, 1-888-482-6273, investigator@victorypi.com Visit us also on Google+ for great insights!

 

The World of Competitive Intelligence

In years past, the corporate world and the broader business community acknowledged the value of using information to obtain a competitive advantage in business situations. Some companies created special departments or units charged with this mission. These units worked independently or assisted other parts of the organization by gathering data, information, and knowledge regarding the company’s competitors, the industries in which they competed, and industries that affected their own. Job titles like Chief Information Officer or Director, Business Intelligence Unit appeared in corporate telephone directories. membership rosters of organizations like the Society for Competitor Intelligence Professions (SCIP) grew rapidly. Books on CI strategy were and still are available in the business book sections at most large bookstores.

This was the story…

Nowadays, many of these departments have been decreased by a large percent. However the need for companies to obtain business intelligence has risen.
Some will stop at nothing to gain an unfair advantage over their competitors. Believe it or not, your proprietary systems, intellectual property, and the like is simultaneously your strongest asset and your Achilles Heel.

It isn’t legal for an individual or a company to use electronic eavesdropping or harassment against you, but it does happen. As such you have a right and it is your duty to protect yourself and/or your company.

To read my blog on why it’s not just a corporate problem click here.

Victory Investigations has the equipment and the know how (commonly refered to as “trade craft”) to perform a successful sweep of your business, car or vessel, and home. We’ve found “bugs” (covert listening devices / transmitters), wiretaps, hidden cameras, GPS tracking devices, spyware, loggers, and many types of jammers.

We have found it all.

Most importantly, Victory Investigations has the proper training and licensing to perform such sweeps.

There is no doubt…If you posses valuable information, you ARE a target. Whether you are a victim or not, remains to be discovered.

 

Victory Investigations is a licensed and insured Private Investigations agency located in Greensboro, NC and conducts investigations worldwide. www.VictoryPI.com is also licensed to perform Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM). Contact us today for a FREE consultation:  (336) 298-2034, 1-888-482-6273, investigator@victorypi.com

Interested in mobile phone spyware? Click here.

Add us to your circles on Google+ here!

Counter Surveillance

Believe it or not, your proprietary systems, intellectual property, and the like is simultaneously your strongest asset and your Achilles Heel.

Are you a victim of electronic eavesdropping or harassment? You may never know…

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