Marco Fontani joins the Forensic Focus podcast to discuss Amped Software’s latest AI-powered tool, DeepPlate. DeepPlate is a deep learning system designed to read license plates affected by common issues introduced by surveillance systems, making it a valuable asset for forensic video analysts.

Marco provides an in-depth overview of DeepPlate, explaining how it currently supports eight countries (France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the UK, and the United States) and how it uses separate models for each country to account for varying license plate formats. He also discusses the synthetic data generation process used for training the models, ensuring privacy and mitigating bias.

The conversation delves into the limitations and considerations when using AI-based tools in a forensic workflow, with Marco emphasizing the importance of bias mitigation techniques and proper interpretation of confidence scores. He stresses that DeepPlate is an investigative tool designed to provide a second opinion, rather than a tool for court admissibility.

00:00 – What is DeepPlate and what is its purpose?

02:45 – How many countries does DeepPlate currently support?

09:30 – What are the challenges of diplomatic and personalised number plates?

11:30 – How would a forensic video analyst use DeepPlate as part of their workflow?

13:40 – Can DeepPlate be used in Court?

16:30 – What is Amped Software’s position on AI?

19:00 – What will be the impact of updated models on results?

20:50 – What kind of data is used to train the system?

23:30 – How has the system been tested?

26:15 – What are the access conditions for using DeepPlate?

28:05 – Does Amped Software retain user data for DeepPlate and if yes for how long?

29:45 – Is it possible to buy additional seats for your license?

31:00 – What are the limitations and considerations when using AI-based tools like DeepPlate for forensic and investigative purposes?

35:20 – Does Amped Software plan to use AI in other areas?

Show Notes

Washington State Judge Blocks Use Of AI-Enhanced Video As Evidence In Possible First-Of-Its-Kind-Ruling - https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7181308834370494464/

Neural Network for Denoising and Reading Degraded License Plates - https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-68780-9_39

Introducing DeepPlate, Amped’s Investigative Tool for AI-Powered License Plate Reading - https://blog.ampedsoftware.com/2024/02/28/introducing-deepplate-ampeds-investigative-tool-for-ai-powered-license-plate-reading

Join Si and Desi for another episode of the Forensic Focus Podcast. This week, they discuss the lack of transparency and potential misrepresentation in the cybersecurity industry, particularly regarding the use of open-source tools by companies and the questionable interpretation of data and statistics in marketing and advertising.

The conversation also delves into the implications of relying on computer systems and algorithms to make important decisions, such as in the case of the Post Office scandal in the UK and the Centrelink repayment debacle in Australia. They emphasize the importance of human oversight, critical thinking, and considering the human impact of such decisions, rather than blindly trusting the outputs of computer systems.

00:00 – The state of the digital forensics industry

02:30 – Desi’s talk at BSides Brisbane

05:30 – Sweaty Cyber Advice and Strongman

09:40 – Companies integrating open source software

23:00 – Advertising, statistics and logical fallacies

28:00 – The Post Office scandal and computer accountability

49:00 – Security, compliance and regulations

56:00 – Closing thoughts

Show Notes

Hardly Adequate YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@hardlyadequate

Oxfordshire’s Strongman & Strongwoman - https:\oxfordshire.rocks\

CPS, Computer Records Evidence - https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/computer-records-evidence

Your Logical Fallacyis - https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/

British Post Office Scandal - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Post_Office_scandal

The Guardian, Robodebt Scandal - https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/mar/11/robodebt-five-years-of-lies-mistakes-and-failures-that-caused-a-18bn-scandal

Tyler Vigen, Spurious Correlations - http://www.tylervigen.com/spurious-correlations

Forensic Focus Discord - https://discord.gg/97zKvTXHeS

Sophie Powell joins Si and Desi on the Forensic Focus Podcast to discuss various topics including her recent participation in a TryHackMe webinar, the challenges of applying for graduate schemes, and the relevance of the Cyber 9/12 competition to her career in cybersecurity. They also touch on the psychology of conspiracy theories and the implications of deepfake technology.

00:00 – Welcome to the podcast

03:00 – Sweaty Cyber Advice

03:55 – Fitness and forensics

07:00 – Mental health and mindfulness

09:10 – Gamified assessments

17:00 – Video recorded self-assessments

20:10 – Filtering candidates to fill roles

24:25 – Graduate schemes versus graduate jobs

27:40 – Apprenticeships and student loans

33:40 – Starting out on a graduate scheme

37:35 – UK Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge

43:55 – Dangers of deepfakes

51:10 – Conspiracy theories and computer psychology

54:40 – Closing thoughts

Show Notes

Hardly Adequate - https://hardlyadequate.com

Try Hack Me - https://tryhackme.com/

UK Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge - https://www.ukcyber912.co.uk/

Chris Doman, Co-Founder of Cado Security, joins the Forensic Focus podcast to discuss cloud forensics and incident response. Cado Security provides cloud-based software for collecting and analyzing forensic evidence in cloud environments.

Chris discusses the challenges of cloud forensics, such as the constantly changing nature of cloud environments and the need to standardize and normalize data from different sources.

Cado Security is working on partnerships with cloud and EDR vendors, as well as IR providers, and is planning to release new features related to SaaS and email compromise investigations.

00:00 – Introducing Chris Doman from Cado Security

03:00 – Starting and growing Cado Security

05:45 – Cado Community

06:30 – Cloud forensics tools

10:40 – Collecting, processing and presenting data

12:00 – Advantages of cloud to cloud

13:50 – Audit logs

16:00 – Automation

20:30 – Training and investigation support

28:00 – Release cycle and managing updates

30:30 – Roadmap

40:30 – Chain of custody

43:00 – Encryption and storage

43:30 – Cado Security at events

Alan Platt, Professional Services Consultant at MSAB, discusses his experience as a former UK police officer working in digital forensics. He talks about the different levels of digital forensics capabilities within police forces and how MSAB products like XAMN and XEC Director are used by frontline officers versus lab analysts.

The discussion covers how MSAB partners with law enforcement to develop custom workflows for mobile device acquisitions that facilitate ISO compliance. Alan explains MSAB's managed service offering, where approved MSAB staff can remotely access a customer's XEC Director server to assist with software updates and troubleshooting. He emphasizes the strict data segregation policies enforced by customers to prevent MSAB from accessing any sensitive case data.

Looking ahead, Alan mentions MSAB's new CEO and hints at some exciting developments coming down the pipeline. He spotlights recent enhancements to XEC Director's speed and database functionality for managing large estates of networked Kiosks. Alan also plugs the new XEC Director training he created to help users fully leverage the platform's capabilities.

00:00 – Introduction to Alan Platt

07:00 – Training

12:00 – Workflows

17:20 – Ensuring a secure environment

19:45 – Customer training

20:35 – Helping customers comply with ISO accreditation

25:00 – Validation and verification

27:30 – ISO standards

30:00 – MSAB’s pipeline plans

32:40 – XEC Director

43:45 – Privacy of user data

Nick Harvey, a former Detective Inspector in the Metropolitan Police, discusses his transition from law enforcement to his current role as a Customer Success Manager at Cellebrite. He describes his experience in tackling county lines, a form of organized crime in the UK where drug dealers set up operations in smaller towns and cities to expand their business. He also discusses the role of mobile phones in criminal investigations and how data-driven approaches can expedite the justice process.

Nick goes on to highlight the challenges of explaining digital evidence to judges and juries and the potential impact of artificial intelligence in forensic investigations. He also emphasizes the importance of communication between digital forensics units and investigators and the need for tools that can handle large data sets and provide actionable insights.

Nick shares his thoughts on the impact of regulations on forensic processes and the need for a balance between oversight and efficiency. He concludes by advising investigators to be open to new approaches and to focus on the objectives of their investigations.

00:00 – Introduction to Nick Harvey, Customer Success Manager at Cellebrite

02:40 – Data driven approach to tackling county lines crimes

07:50 – Changing landscape of mobile forensics

11:45 – Operation Venetic and EncroChat crime

15:20 – Ensuring admissibility of evidence

19:50 – Machine learning in crimes and crime detection

24:00 – Machine learning in Cellebrite’s tools

27:10 – Working at Cellebrite

31:30 – Managing large volumes of data

34:40 – Training tool users and empowering investigators to get the most from data

36:00 – Regulations and compliance frameworks

39:55 – Advice for digital investigators

Subscribe to the Forensic Focus Podcast: https://www.forensicfocus.com/podcast/

Keith Lockhart, Vice President of Training at Oxygen Forensics, discusses the evolution of training in the digital forensics industry. He highlights the shift towards online training and the use of technology to deliver courses remotely. He also mentions the importance of gathering feedback from customers and adapting training programs to meet their needs.

Oxygen Forensics is focused on providing a range of training options, including on-demand content and hands-on training with shipped devices. Additionally, Keith discusses the company's new technologies, Oxygen Corporate Explorer (OCE) and Oxygen Analytic Center (OAC), which offer collaborative review and data collection capabilities. 

00:00 - Keith Lockhart’s career 

06:45 – Educational background

09:15 – Technical knowledge and software development

14:55 – Transitioning to a training role

20:05 – Sharing knowledge and presenting evidence in court

24:15 – Products and training from Oxygen Forensics

34:00 – Receiving customer feedback

35:30 – Online versus in-person conferences and training

38:10 – Providing training and tools in different languages

41:00 – Oxygen Forensic Certifications

44:10 – Oxygen Forensics’ focus for 2024

Si interviews Monica Harris from Cellebrite about new products and developments in the field of digital forensics. They talk about the importance of staying connected to the community and understanding their needs.

Cellebrite has recently launched several new products, including Endpoint Mobile Now, a SaaS solution for the patent pending remote collection of targeted data on iOS and Android devices. Another new product is Mobile Ultra, a mobile forensics solution that provides access to mobile data on a wide range of iOS and Android devices.

Cellebrite aims to develop technology that meets the needs of their customers and provides solutions for the challenges they face in digital forensics.

00:00 – Introduction to Monica Harris and Cellebrite

03:20 – New Cellebrite products and upgrades

05:40 – Cellebrite Endpoint Mobile Now

12:00 – Storage, privacy and ownership of acquired data

13:30 – Bandwidth requirements

15:00 – Targeting specific data

18:45 – Cellebrite Mobile Ultra

22:15 – Cloud collection platforms

26:10 – Collecting data from the cloud

27:05 – Screen share and capture capabilities

29:15 – What’s coming up for Cellebrite?

32:10 – AI and machine learning

36:40 – Final thoughts and invitation to get in touch