China’s “Thousand Grains of Sand” Espionage Strategy Persists
Two weeks ago, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) released an article titled “Chinese Gate-Crashers at U.S. Bases Spark Espionage Concerns,”Continue Reading
Author: Ron Alvarez
Ron Alvarez is an IP investigations and protection consultant and writer in New York City. He is a former NYPD lieutenant where he investigated robbery, narcotics, internal affairs, and fine art theft cases. Ron has since coordinated the private investigation of international fraud and money laundering cases, as well as IP-related investigations and research involving the four pillars of IP: copyright, patents, trademarks, and trade secrets.
Ron is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and earned a B.A. in Government and Public Administration from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan. He has written a number of articles for various investigative publications, as well as published "The World of Intellectual Property (IP) Protection and Investigations" in November 2021.
Tornado Cash Founders–Linked to North Korea–Indicted for Laundering Over $1 Billion in Criminal Proceeds
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently unsealed an indictment charging the founders of Tornado Cash with a series ofContinue Reading
NFT Marketplace-Impersonations Lead to Cryptocurrency Theft
Last month the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the indictment of a Moroccan national for spoofing an NFT marketplace-websiteContinue Reading
DOJ Supercharges Fight Against Cyber Crime
On July 20th, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the merger of the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCEP) withContinue Reading
Chinese Fentanyl and the U.S. Overdose Epidemic — UPDATE
Almost four years ago (November 2019), I wrote a blog post titled “Chinese Fentanyl and the U.S. Overdose Epidemic” toContinue Reading
Another Wake-Up Call for PIs Duped by the Chinese State
Last week a retired NYPD sergeant working as a private investigator and others were convicted of acting as illegal agentsContinue Reading
Crypto Tracking Detectives
Five years ago this month, I published a post that spoke to the challenges law enforcement was having with identifyingContinue Reading
Ethical Hacker Demonstration on 60 Minutes – Must Watch
This past Sunday, 60 Minutes in the U.S. aired a segment titled, “Ethical hacker scams 60 Minutes staffer to showContinue Reading
7th Anniversary of IP Probe Blog
Dear IP Probe – Blog Reader: I hope this message finds you and yours healthy and safe. With your permission,Continue Reading
Employment Opportunity for Private Investigators Worldwide
Illegal Chinese Police Stations–Operating in Your Democratic Country–Seek Duped Private Investigators to Fill Their Surveillance Squads Dear Private Investigators Worldwide:Continue Reading
So, What Is “Store Now, Decrypt Later (SNDL)” and Why Should You Care?
For a few years now, we’ve been hearing about quantum technology and what today’s supercomputers would take thousands of yearsContinue Reading
Message to Researchers Submitting Proposals for U.S. Science Funding—“If You Propose—You Must Disclose”
Rebecca Trager has written a timely article for Chemistry World titled, “US researcher entanglements continue post-China Initiative as worries overContinue Reading
To Catch a Chinese MSS / IP Spy—UPDATE II
This week the New York Times (NYTs) published an article online (that will also appear this Sunday in their MarchContinue Reading
DOJ Launches the new, “Disruptive Technology Strike Force”
On Wednesday, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the launch of the new, “Disruptive TechnologyContinue Reading
FBI Ransomware 21st-Century Stake-Out
Two weeks ago the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the recent takedown of a notorious ransomware operation called Hive.Continue Reading
50 Canadian Universities Reportedly Do Advanced Research with Chinese Military Scientists
Three days ago The Globe and Mail (a prominent Canadian newspaper) published an article titled, “Canadian universities conducting joint researchContinue Reading
What is Steganography and Why Should Investigators Care?
A recent BBC article titled, “Industrial Espionage: How China Sneaks Out America’s Technology Secrets,” has introduced me to the termContinue Reading
New York Times Reports on Suspected Chinese-State Police Stations in New York City and Other Parts of the World
For the past two years, I’ve been posting about China’s practice of hiring private investigators (PIs) to advance their transnationalContinue Reading
NFT Collectors Beware—North Korean Hackers are Phishing in Your Waters
On December 24, 2022, Slow Mist, a blockchain security firm, presented an analysis of a North Korean Advanced Persistent ThreatContinue Reading
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Dear IP Probe Blog Readers: It’s nearly the end of the year – and what another year it’s been. JustContinue Reading
University Chancellor Announces Updated Background Screening Policy for Foreign Students / Lab Researchers
In a CBS News report broadcasted on Tuesday, the Chancellor of the Texas Tech University System, Dr. Tedd Mitchell, announcedContinue Reading
The New Arms Race: Semiconductors (Microchips a.k.a. CHIPS) Pt: 3
On Tuesday, Taiwan’s TSMC (the manufacturer of the world’s most advanced semiconductors) announced that they would invest $40 billion toContinue Reading
To Catch a Chinese MSS / IP Spy–UPDATE
As a follow-up to my post titled, “To Catch a Chinese/MSS—IP Spy” — convicted Ministry of State Security (MSS) spy—YanjunContinue Reading
U.S. Intelligence Appeals to Academic IP Researchers: Watch Out for Chinese Spies
Earlier this year, the Biden administration dropped the “China Initiative” program established by the Department of Justice in 2018 toContinue Reading
November 16th — The 7th Annual Aspen Cyber Summit — NYC (FREE LIVE STREAM)
7th Annual Aspen Cyber Summit–NYC *A free live stream will be made available of the plenary session to viewers aroundContinue Reading
New York Times Reports on Private Investigators Being Used to Spy on Dissidents in the U.S.
For the last two years, I’ve been posting about China’s practice of hiring private investigators (PIs) to advance their transnationalContinue Reading
To Catch a Chinese MSS / IP Spy
Xu Yanjun was depressed. He had a superior that did not appreciate him. He regretted having taken the career pathContinue Reading
Ransomware Book–Book Review
Just a quick follow-up to my previous post where I referred to a soon-to-be- published book titled, “The Ransomware HuntingContinue Reading
COVID-19 Ransomware Hacker Sentenced to 20 Years
Yesterday, the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) announced the sentencing of a ransomware hacker to 20 years in federal prison. TheContinue Reading
Copyright Alliance–Creator Voices Video with IP Probe Blog Founder: Ron Alvarez
Dear IP Probe Readers: Recently I was invited to make a brief comment about the importance of copyright protection forContinue Reading