BIG Blockchain Intelligence Group Inc. (BIG), a developer and provider of blockchain and cryptocurrency search, risk-scoring and data analytics tools and investigation services, today announced the launch of the world’s first investigator-developed, 8-hour online certification course for cryptocurrency investigations.
Highlights:
- BIG’s course, originally created and certified for US law enforcement officers, has been modified to also address the needs of financial intelligence analysts, investigators & compliance professionals
- Students that take all 5 modules and pass the final exam earn the credential of Certified Cryptocurrency Investigator from BIG
- Developed in-house by a former Supervisory Special Agent for Homeland Security Investigations and a Certified Fraud Examiner / Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist
“This course isn’t a simple introduction to bitcoin. This is a certified training solution for law enforcement investigators and compliance professionals that need a solid, in-depth understanding of how to trace, track and monitor cryptocurrency transactions and/or crypto crimes. The Cryptocurrency Investigator Certification Course draws on years of experience from our in-house investigators and Certified Bitcoin Professionals. Our Director of Forensics and Investigations, Robert Whitaker, served in law enforcement for 23 years, including as a Supervisory Special Agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Our Director of Financial Institution Strategy, Teresa Anaya, is ITIL 3 Certified, a Certified Fraud Examiner, and a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist, with over 25 years experience focused on fraud, money laundering, and terrorist financing investigations, including for the FDIC after the financial crisis of 2008, and for Standard Chartered Bank, Bank of America and others. By leveraging the decades of experience of our team, in conjunction with receiving industry feedback, we’re proud to offer this professionally designed course that’s intentionally organized to be easily understood. That’s why, of the 50+ initial people that have gone through our training so far, 100% reported a positive satisfaction rating.”
The Cryptocurrency Investigator Certification Course consists of 5 fee-based modules that begin with the basics, progress to more advanced topics, and finish with a detailed forensic review of cryptocurrency transactions covering a variety of crypto crimes. Each individual learning module is approximately 1 to 2 hours long, enabling law enforcement and compliance professionals to take the modules one at a time, and at their own pace. The 5 modules can be purchased individually or as a bundle at a reduced price, providing a cost-effective and easy solution for clients with limited training budgets.
The course was developed with the investigator in mind, and is beneficial for all law enforcement and financial compliance specialists regardless of experience level; students do not need to be a computer forensics expert to understand how to recognize, investigate and successfully prosecute or report cryptocurrency related crimes.
The Cryptocurrency Investigator Certification Course modules comprise:
- Introduction to Cryptocurrency: Covers the basics of fiat, virtual and cryptocurrencies and the many different types of cryptocurrency; lays the foundation for law enforcement, financial institutions and financial crimes investigators to gain a firm and vital understanding of what cryptocurrency is, how it works, and how it can be used in both legitimate and illicit activities.
- The Bitcoin Trail: Explores the most dominate cryptocurrency, who invented it, and the reasons why and how it is being used; delves into cryptocurrency mining, common criminal schemes where bitcoin is used, and how Anti-Money Laundering (AML) compliance professionals and law enforcement investigate related criminal activity using advanced analytical tools.
- The Dark Web: Provides an overview of the part of the internet commonly used by criminals and their criminal enterprises; students learn of additional crimes where cryptocurrency is involved, how criminals use peer-to-peer exchanges, and little-known real-world investigation tips.
- Cryptocurrency and the Criminal Element: Reveals the criminal element of cryptocurrency and how to identify and track the evidence left behind; students are introduced to insights that are crucial to investigators, such as how dark web marketplaces and cryptocurrencies work together and how they translate into the physical world.
- Blockchain Forensics: Deepens understanding of the intricacies of blockchain technology and explores analytical tools for investigating crypto crimes; students enhance their ability to identify the proper investigative tactics related to crime involving cryptocurrency, and gain understanding of how blockchains work and the pseudo-anonymous nature of cryptocurrency, giving investigators the ability to efficiently and quickly analyze the data to spot illicit activity and/or support criminal investigations and prosecutions.
The Cryptocurrency Investigator Certification Course was developed in-house by BIG’s team of forensic experts, including a former Supervisory Special Agent for Homeland Security Investigations in conjunction with a Certified Fraud Examiner / Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist. The training, originally created and certified for US law enforcement officers, has been modified to also address the needs of financial intelligence analysts, investigators, and compliance professionals. Students that take all 5 modules and pass the final exam earn the credential of Certified Cryptocurrency Investigator from BIG.
“We made sure the Cryptocurrency Investigator Certification Course provides the foundation of knowledge that’s essential to helping law enforcement and compliance professionals navigate the new era of cryptocurrency. But it was also our mission to go beyond pure knowledge by including actionable tips and insights from the field that can be put to immediate use by investigators, including real-life examples of how criminals utilize cryptocurrency to further their illicit activities, and strategies on how to investigate cryptocurrency transactions. These are the hard-earned lessons that only come from real investigative experience into criminals using cryptocurrencies in illicit ways.”
After completing the modules, law enforcement and compliance professionals will be better prepared to identify and investigate illicit activities involving cryptocurrency. In particular, students will be able to:
- understand the reasoning behind a decentralized currency
- explain the double-spend problem, 51% attacks and how to buy and use bitcoin
- reference case studies
- identify cryptocurrency evidence
- explain how the criminal element utilizes cryptocurrency
- understand how dark web marketplaces and cryptocurrencies work together
- know how analytic and forensic tools enable investigators to follow the virtual-money trail