There are various tool features in Maltego Carbon that enable users to extend the functionalities of the tool. First, data extractions may be re-run based on prior parameters.  Second, various "transforms" may be downloaded from the Maltego community and integrated into the toolset.  Third, new transforms may be created and applied.  Further, new entities may be manually created and linked, with access from the Components Palette.  

This software tool enables the uses of macros.  A “macro” is a sequence of pre-defined scripts that are set to run based on a basic command to start the task process.  Macros are helpful because they encapsulate complexity within a simple command. Macros may be created on-the-fly during various types of data extractions, for example.  They are also helpful for conducting re-runs for new data—based on prior parameters (which would be helpful for cross-time comparability, potentially).  

There is not a clear built-in version control in the tool for iterated data extractions, but this may be easily handled by the file re-naming of the various project files for different versions along with recorded dates of the extractions. 

An "entity" in Maltego is a type of object. New entity types and relationships may also be defined, with relationships manually input to customize an instance of Maltego Carbon. Some entities may be defined with default values; these values are "givens" while other types of data may be more dynamic based on the data extractions (machines and transforms) applied.  This is a form of so-called "lazy evaluation," in which only unknown information is pursued (and known information is taken as a given).  In the dropdown menu of typical entities, these include the following:  AS, Affiliation, Alias, BuiltWithTechnology, Circular Area, DNSName, Device, and Document.  New entities should have their own unique names so as not to interfere with the preset entities. There are some built-in glyphs that may be applied to the various new entity types to differentiate them from others.  

 

Members of the community who are creating custom tools may (selectively) enable their distributed teams to access unique transforms through a Web application for access and a pass-through of the extracted data using that particular transform from their own respective Maltego clients. 

The various transforms may be distributed within various "seeds" ("containers" for transforms) that are made available to various groups, public or private.  To use a particular transform, users will also need to have imported the proper related entities.  

Below, TDS (Transform Distribution Server) Transforms are explained.  The TDS is a proxy server for transforms (bits of code that enable the creating of apparently equivalent types of information or potentially close approximations or potentially unrelated information).  Updates may be made to the particular type of transform through the proxy server.  There are also ways described here in terms of connecting public online data with privately-held local data (on local networks).  (Note:  The following videos address how to extend Maltego Carbon with either custom code or accessing others' transforms.  It will take two clicks to get to the videos because of the video owner's setting on YouTube.)  Access to the TDS server requires a verified email and password-protected log-in.  

At some point, users of Maltego Carbon may move from "mere" user to some level of programmer to extend the capabilities of the tool.  

Follow-on Videos about Maltego TDS: