Training

This three-day course covers the fundamentals of financial investigations and incorporates some of the more advanced processes that elevate an investigation. During this course, students will learn about investigative processes, practical tools, and sources of information necessary to plan and conduct financial investigations. The course begins with a description of the basic composition of elements within illicit financial networks and how they work to compromise legitimate business and financial sectors. Course material will describe government, regulatory, and investigative actions within the United States, and by international partners to detect and investigate illicit actors and networks. The course also includes considerations for investigation planning and promotion of creative thinking.

This webinar will focus on strategies to enhance collaboration between law enforcement officers, school staff, and other stakeholders to prepare safety plans designed to enhance security, operationalize these plans, and conduct effective post-event debriefings that inform future operations. This virtual event will be led by a panel of law enforcement and school safety professionals that will share their insights on securing these extracurricular events. Participants will have the opportunity to engage with the panelists in a question-and-answer session.  

This course builds on the concepts introduced in FC101 (FIPS) and FC105 (FREA), introducing investigators and prosecutors to emerging issues in financial crime. Topics include money laundering, analyzing large financial data sets, conducting effective interviews, and managing large amounts of financial evidence. This course consists of a mix of lecture, discussion, and hands-on exercises. Students conduct a mock investigation that includes interviews, data analysis, and the examination of various documents.

*Money laundering. Methods of laundering money. Tracing illegal funds. Emerging issues. FinCEN.
*Spreadsheeting skills. Spreadsheet architecture. Formulas and calculations. Pivot tables.
*Working with financial data. Benfords law analysis. Disentangling commingled funds.
*Hands-on experience. Work a mock financial case as part of an investigative team.

This course provides students with the fundamental knowledge and skills they need to investigate crimes involving virtual currency. Instructors explain foundational concepts like the characteristics of money, virtual currency, and cryptocurrency. Blockchain technology, proof work, and proof of stake are covered; and students learn how industry-leading cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Monero) work and how they differ from each other. Finally, students learn investigative techniques for tracking and documenting transactions; and best practices for seizing and securing cryptocurrency.

*Virtual currency basics. History of money and of virtual currency. Categorizing virtual currency.
*Blockchain. History of the blockchain. Understanding different protocols.
*Cryptocurrencies in detail. Bitcoin, Ethereum, Monero and other privacy coins.
*Investigative techniques. Seizing virtual currency; tracking transactions through the blockchain; documenting investigative results.

This course addresses key objectives focused on training intelligence analysts working at or towards the intermediate-level (practitioner and/or experienced analyst). This course expands upon core analytic fundamentals covered in NW3Cs FIAT, ISIA, and IWAB offerings. The course begins with an in-depth case study to illustrate the complexities and challenges of a major case scenario for intelligence analysts. The course then examines key concepts related to analytic thinking, cognitive biases, structured analytic techniques, and effective time and project management. Finally, the course concludes with a section on addressing analytic uncertainty in intelligence writing. With guidance from experienced experts, students gain hands-on experience in the course with a complex practical case scenario that will challenge students on both days of the course.

Key concepts covered in this course include:
*Identifying cognitive biases
*Structured analytic techniques
*Project and time management
*Conveying uncertainty in intelligence writing

This course introduces the problem of intellectual property theft and provides tools, techniques, and resources for investigating and prosecuting these crimes. A combination of lecture, discussion, and interactive exercises illustrates the potential dangers and economic repercussions of counterfeit products, as well as best practices and techniques for investigating IP theft. Students are provided with a state-specific folder that includes relevant statutes, sample organizational documents for IP investigations, and additional resources for investigators and prosecutors.

This course is presented in collaboration with the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG).
Awareness. Types of IP crimes. The criminals who commit these crimes. Impacts and dangers.
Investigation. Online and traditional techniques. Working with brand experts and the private sector. Large amounts of evidence. Resources.
Statutes. Prosecutorial theories. State-specific discussion.
Hands-on experience. Work with real counterfeit products. Identify fakes with expert guidance.

This course introduces analysts to the broader concepts of connecting the dots through link analysis. A critical portion of conducting a successful analytical investigation is the ability to link together and understand the complexities of the connectedness between people and organizations. Introduction to Link Analysis (ILA) expands on the basic principles of link and association analyses explored in the Foundations of Intelligence Analysis Training (FIAT) while building a framework for more advanced methods such as social network analysis.

Expanding basic knowledge of link and association analysis
Explaining the process of social network analysis
Understanding the visual mapping and mathematical components associated with link and social network analyses

This course covers the acquisition, examination, and analysis of many types of financial records, including bank statements and checks, wire transfer records, and business records. Topics include recognizing and investigating common indicators of fraud, using spreadsheets to facilitate analysis and pattern recognition, and financial profiling. There is a strong focus on presenting financial evidence in multiple modalities: spreadsheet data outputs, graphic representations, and written/oral presentations.

*Introduction to analysis. Best practices. Finding patterns. Indicators of fraud. Presenting your findings.
*Financial records. Bank records. Business documents.
*Financial profiling. Methods of profiling. Reasons to create a profile. Creating a profile.
*Hands-on experience. Work a mock financial case as part of an investigative team.

This course provides training on digital forensics for video, specifically targeting common file formats rather than proprietary video encodings or delivery methods. It aims to prepare investigators to answer critical questions about the file and ensure key evidence is not overlooked. This training is designed to support investigations by providing the necessary expertise to handle the complexities of video evidence in the digital age, addressing possible pitfalls including deepfakes, manipulated video, and potential overlooked evidence.

Key concepts covered in this course include:
Digital video file creation
Tool and result verification
Metadata and parsing
Image classification
Hash value comparison
Image/video classification and reporting results

This course introduces analysts to the broader concepts of connecting the dots through link analysis. A critical portion of conducting a successful analytical investigation is the ability to link together and understand the complexities of the connectedness between people and organizations. Introduction to Link Analysis (ILA) expands on the basic principles of link and association analyses explored in the Foundations of Intelligence Analysis Training (FIAT) while building a framework for more advanced methods such as social network analysis.

Expanding basic knowledge of link and association analysis
Explaining the process of social network analysis
Understanding the visual mapping and mathematical components associated with link and social network analyses