SEARCH Group, Incorporated

𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 We're honored to share that 𝗗𝗿. Gary C. Kessler, a pioneer in digital forensics, has entrusted 𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛 with the maintenance and future development of his acclaimed File Signatures Table. For over two decades, Dr. Kessler's resource has been a cornerstone for #DFIR professionals worldwide, aiding in the identification of file types through their unique signatures—commonly known as "magic numbers." Explore the enhanced version now hosted by SEARCH: 𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝.𝙤𝙧𝙜/𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙜 Key features include: 🔎 Dynamic Search: Easily filter by file extension, signature, description, and more. 📁 Comprehensive Database: Updated with new file signatures to reflect the evolving digital landscape. 🛠️ Community Contributions: Users can suggest additions or modifications, fostering a collaborative environment. This initiative aligns with our commitment to support the digital forensics community by providing reliable and up-to-date resources. 𝗔 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗿. 𝗞𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗿 We extend our deepest gratitude to Dr. Kessler for his invaluable contributions to the field and for entrusting us with this legacy. His work has laid the foundation for countless investigations and educational endeavors. #SEARCHorg #filesignatures #morethantheISPlist

This week's Tools, Tips, and Techniques Tuesday is brought to you by Assistant Director Eric Jollymore from the Digital Forensics Services team. This is the second in a three part mini-series. He shares the following tip: In digital forensics and law enforcement, there are times when video needs to be reviewed — or shown to others — without the original audio. Maybe you're redacting sensitive conversations, removing irrelevant background chatter, or preparing a courtroom exhibit. With ffmpeg, removing audio from a video file is fast and easy: ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -an output_no_audio.mp4 What this does: -i input.mp4 → Your original video file -an → Tells ffmpeg to strip out all audio output_no_audio.mp4 → The resulting silent video file Why this matters: Helps you protect privacy or sensitive details Makes it easier to present video in a court-safe format Avoids distractions when the visuals are the focus of review This is a lightweight and effective tool for both redaction workflows and quick media prep — and it preserves the integrity of the visual evidence. You can download ffmpeg from ffmpeg.org #SEARCHorg #DigitalForensics #ToolsTipsAndTechniquesTuesday #ffmpeg #MediaRedaction #AudioRemoval #EvidenceHandling #LawEnforcementTools

Heading to the 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝘾𝙮𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝘾𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 put on by the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office in a couple weeks? Join the team from SEARCH Group, Incorporated in Room 205/206 for hands-on labs designed for investigators, analysts, prosecutors, and forensic professionals who want to sharpen their skills and leave with tools they can use immediately. 🧙♂️ 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗢𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗧 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗣𝗿𝗼: Whether you're searching native features on social platforms, using third-party lookup tools, or constructing precise Google queries, our labs 𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘢 𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘑𝘦𝘥𝘪: 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩, 𝘔𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘠𝘰𝘶: 𝘗𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘖𝘚𝘐𝘕𝘛 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴, and 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯: 𝘜𝘯𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢'𝘴 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘗𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘴 will sharpen your skills in uncovering valuable digital clues quickly and effectively. 📑 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗠𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘆 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: From unruly timestamps to inconsistent data, you’ll learn how to clean, convert, and decode large datasets in our labs 𝘙𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘴: 𝘌𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘭 𝘛𝘪𝘱𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘐𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘊𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘞𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘐𝘵 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘞𝘢𝘺: 𝘋𝘢𝘵𝘢 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, and 𝘚𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘛𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘴 𝘰'𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘦: 𝘗𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘛𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘈𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘴.  💻 𝗧𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁: The rise of AI-generated CSAM is reshaping how exploitation cases unfold. In 𝘈𝘐 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘈𝘐𝘨 𝘊𝘚𝘈𝘔, we’ll show you how this content is created, and in 𝘐𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘈𝘐𝘨 𝘊𝘚𝘈𝘔: 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘴 find what artifacts it leaves behind, and how to start building cases in this evolving space. 🔐 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗨𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗘𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: In 𝘋𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘥𝘦 𝘔𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦: 𝘗𝘢$$𝘸0𝘳𝘥 𝘈𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴, learn how to approach password-protected content using breach data, OSINT, and creative password strategies to uncover what suspects tried to hide. ⚡ 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿: Whether you're extracting evidence with REGex or automating tasks with Python scripts, the labs 𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘷𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳: 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘙𝘌𝘎𝘦𝘹 𝘪𝘯 𝘋𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘤 𝘐𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 and 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘋𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘖𝘗𝘗: 𝘖𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦’𝘴 𝘗𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘯 will give you hands-on experience with tools that cut through digital clutter and boost your investigative efficiency.   Computers and test data sets will be provided. These sessions are expected to fill-up quickly - don’t miss your chance to sit down, dive deep, and level up! #SEARCHorg #NCCC

Happy #SEARCHt4! This week's Tools, Tips, and Techniques Tuesday is brought to you by Assistant Director Eric Jollymore from the Digital Forensics Services team. This is the first in a three-part mini series. He shares the following tip: Sometimes you don’t need a forensic video suite — you just need to convert a file or grab a short, meaningful portion of it for quick review. Enter ffmpeg — a versatile, open-source tool that lets you convert and trim video files with just a few keystrokes. This tool is powerful and it has been around for many years. To convert a video from .mov to .mp4: ffmpeg -i input.mov output.mp4 Need just a portion of the video? Try this: ffmpeg -i test.mov -ss 00:00:03 -t 00:00:08 -async 1 cut.mov What’s happening here: - i test.mov → Specifies the input file - ss 00:00:03 → Start 3 seconds into the video - t 00:00:08 → Capture 8 seconds of footage - async 1 → Ensures audio/video stay in sync - cut.mov → Output file containing your trimmed clip This is a great method when you only need a slice of the evidence — whether it’s the key moment in a surveillance video or a short clip for case documentation. Always preserve the original file. Use converted or trimmed versions for review or reporting, and clearly document any changes. Additional options can be explored and tested to preserve quality. There is A LOT of capability in this free platform. You can download ffmpeg from ffmpeg.org #SEARCHorg #DigitalForensics #VideoEvidence #ffmpeg #ToolsTipsAndTechniquesTuesday #MediaConversion

Happy #SEARCHt4! This week's Tools, Tips, and Techniques Tuesday is brought to you by Program Manager Lauren Wagner from the Cybercrime and Digital Forensics team. She shares the following tool: One of the critical tenets in online investigations is: 𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙞𝙩, 𝙨𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙩! Screenshots are great, but sometimes you want the actual content - especially when it comes to a social media post that might get deleted or altered later. 𝗵𝘁𝘁𝗽𝘀://𝗰𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹𝘁.𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 is a lesser-known but incredibly powerful resource to help you accomplish this. It's an open-source, ad-free media downloader that makes quick work of saving content from many online space, for instance Videos from X, or Instagram carousel posts. It's fast, simple, and doesn't require any login or payment! ⚠️ A quick but important reminder: This tool should never be used to download or process CSAM or any other sensitive material. Always follow your agency’s guidelines and use appropriate tools for evidence handling. #SEARCHorg #CyberInvestigations #SocialMediaPreservation #morethantheISPlist

Happy #SEARCHt4! This week’s Tools, Tips, and Techniques Tuesday is brought to you by Program Manager Lauren Wagner from the SEARCH Cybercrime and Digital Forensics team. She shares the following tool: Stumble across a vehicle photo online and can read the plate but not sure of the make or model? Have a VIN as part of a larger investigation? Here’s a lesser-known but incredibly useful tool to check if a license plate or VIN matches a specific make and model: 🚗 O’Reilly Auto Parts Garage (𝘄𝘄𝘄.𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘆𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗼.𝗰𝗼𝗺) Designed for DIY car maintenance, this tool can actually be a great OSINT asset. Enter a license plate and state—or a VIN—and it returns the vehicle’s year, make, and model. This can help confirm if a plate matches the car it’s on, spot inconsistencies, or identify a potential swap. It also gives insight into maintenance history and common parts, which could support larger vehicle profiling efforts. Need more context or a visual reference for other plate queries? These additional tools can help: 🚘 License Plates of the World (𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀.𝗰𝗼𝗺) Offers images and design details for license plates across the U.S. and internationally—perfect for confirming whether a plate style is legitimate, current, or obsolete. 🚘 Temporary License Plates (𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰-𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆.𝗰𝗼𝗺/𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘆-𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲-𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀) An excellent resource for identifying temporary license plates from all 50 states, including dealer-issued and print-at-home versions that are often misused in fraud. 🚘 SearchQuarry (𝘄𝘄𝘄.𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆.𝗰𝗼𝗺) Provides limited free plate and VIN lookups to get general vehicle info. Can be useful for quick checks to verify make/model/state of registration. A little creativity with these tools can help you connect the dots during a vehicle-based investigation—especially when you're working from just a plate or a visual. #SEARCHorg #OSINT #CyberInvestigations #VehicleOSINT

Happy #SEARCHt4! This week’s 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀, 𝗧𝗶𝗽𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 is brought to you by Sherry Torres from the SEARCH #Cybercrime and #DigitalForensics team: 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 & 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝗝𝗦𝗢𝗡 𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗼𝘅! If you've ever received a .json file from an electronic service provider in response to a legal request, you know the struggle—raw JSON can be a tangled mess. But good news: you don’t need fancy paid tools to make sense of it! #Firefox to the rescue: ✅ Drag-and-drop your .json file directly into Firefox ✅ Or right-click the file and select "Open with" > Firefox Firefox does an awesome job of automatically formatting and displaying the nested structure—making it easier to navigate and analyze the data. No extra software, no headaches! #lawenforcement #DFIR #SEARCHorg #morethantheISPlist

Fantastic week with the #Wisconsin #ICAC 𝗧𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲! SEARCH had the pleasure of teaming up with investigators for an impactful week of training, collaboration, and a little Wisconsin hospitality. Huge thanks to 𝗪𝗜 𝗗𝗢𝗝 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲/𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗖 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 Jesse Crowe for championing this training opportunity and bringing our program to your talented team. We’re also thrilled to officially welcome Jessica Stutzman (pictured bottom-left with instructors, Sherry Torres and Lauren Wagner) to our cadre of contract trainers! 🎉 Jessica is the Chair and Lead Developer/Instructor of the #IACIS #OSINT course and brings deep expertise, dynamic instruction, and real-world experience to our mission. We're so excited to have her on board! (Bonus: yes, we made time for cheese curds! It’s Wisconsin, after all.) #SEARCHorg #lawenforcementtraining #OSINTforgood #morethantheISPlist IACIS: International Association of Computer Investigative Specialists

Happy #SEARCHt4! This week’s Tools, Tips, and Techniques Tuesday is brought to you by Program Manager Lauren Wagner from the SEARCH Cybercrime and Digital Forensics team. She shares the following technique: When conducting an investigation, historical imagery can provide crucial context for understanding how locations have changed over time. In the web version of Google Earth (𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵.𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗴𝗹𝗲.𝗰𝗼𝗺), you can access historical satellite views by clicking on the clock icon in the toolbar and adjusting the timeline slider. This feature can help verify alibi claims, track property developments, or examine past environmental changes. Similarly, Google Maps (𝗺𝗮𝗽𝘀.𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗴𝗹𝗲.𝗰𝗼𝗺) offers historical street views through Street View’s time-travel feature. Simply enter Street View mode by dragging pin man to your desired location, then click on the 'see more dates', and select older images from the timeline on the bottom. This can be useful for tracking changes to buildings, signage, or other location-based evidence over time. These tools provide investigators with a way to visualize the past—adding valuable context to cases involving property disputes, missing persons, or fraud investigations. #SEARCHorg #OSINT #CyberInvestigations #GoogleEarth #GoogleMaps #morethantheISPlist

US #ICAC: Join SEARCH for a no-cost, 𝟯-𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀-𝗼𝗻 #Freeware #Forensics 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗰𝗸, 𝗔𝗥, 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟴-𝟭𝟬, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱, hosted by the Arkansas State Police! This training focuses on Windows-based forensic analysis using only free tools—an essential skill for maximizing investigative capabilities without added software costs. 🔍 What’s in store? ✔️ Learn how to conduct forensic investigations entirely with free tools on Windows systems ✔️ Hands-on exercises covering acquisition, analysis, and reporting ✔️ Focus on the practical examination of key forensic artifacts using freeware ✔️ Unlock cost-effective, real-world forensic solutions ✔️ Network with peers and expand your investigative toolbox 📍 Who can attend? This free training is exclusively for ICAC Task Force personnel. A foundational background in Digital Forensics is preferred, as we will focus on practical application rather than defining core forensic concepts. While we won't cover the fundamentals of hash values, Registry hives, the $USNJournal, .LNK files, and other forensic artifacts in-depth, we will use freeware tools to examine and analyze them. 💻 Register now on icactaskforce.org 📩 Questions? Reach out to Sherry Torres Spots are limited—secure yours today!