I said, "Be careful...(From the website...)"The World's Smallest Color Pinhole Camera built-in the fashionable tie. When tie this tie with your clothes lets you record exactly what you saw. No external power needed, just connect it directly with MP4 player to hidden recording so you will not miss any action. It is also great as a surveillance camera, a toy for hobby enthusiasts, as body worn solutions and so on." (more)
Is that a battery clip, or are you just happy to see me?
...and the Number Two story according to SanLuisObispo.com is...State investigators are still looking into allegations that Sheriff Pat Hedges violated the law last year by secretly taping a meeting between two subordinates.The discovery of the tape has triggered a series of other legal actions:• a $1.25 million claim filed by Chief Deputy Gary Hoving;• a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by Hoving against the sheriff, the county and Undersheriff Steve Bolts;• detectives in the sheriff’s narcotics unit retaining an attorney after Hedges said he had eavesdropped while investigating criminal allegations against the unit. (more)
Sound travels very well through solid materials. The old listening for the train by putting your ear to the tracks is an example of this trick.
The effect is electronically enhanced many thousands of times - by using a small audio amplifier connected to either:
• a contact microphone,
• a piezoelectric sensor,
• an accelerometer,
• a spike microphone,
• or, a hollow tube pushed up to a pinhole or crack in the wall, ceiling or floor (which takes advantage of sound conduction via air, solids or a combination of both).
Old School...
The snoop never enters your premises.
They set up their listening post in your immediate vicinity.
New School...The snoop never enters your premises.
The snoop can be eavesdropping from anywhere.
"How?"
By using a GSM bug.
A professional electronic surveillance detection inspection is recommended to detect this spy trick for you.
In preparation for the Beijing Olympics and a series of other international events, American companies, such as Honeywell, General Electric, United Technologies and IBM, are helping the Chinese government design and install one of the most comprehensive high-tech public surveillance systems in the world. (more)
from Mike Mullins - TechRepublic...
Keystroke loggers are a particularly dangerous security threat because users typically don’t realize they’re even there...Most antivirus and antispyware programs will miss software keystroke loggers, so how can you protect against these sneaky devices? Fortunately, there are some programs designed for this specific task. For example, SpyCop and SnoopFree Software are both software programs specifically designed to detect software keystroke loggers...
For a comprehensive list of keystroke loggers, Keyloggers.com maintains an updated list of both hardware and software versions sold by a multitude of companies. (more)
from the company's web site...
"
The proliferation of data loss due to the inappropriate or sometimes criminal use of removable media devices has reached alarming levels.
Sanctuary Device Control allows you to regain control of the peripheral storage devices that your user community attempts to connect to your network assets. Through granular policy-based controls, Sanctuary Device Control reduces risk of data theft, data leakage and malware introduction via unauthorized removable media and assures compliance with the landslide of regulations governing privacy and accountability.
Positive Approach to USB Security
Hardware such as USB memory sticks, FireWire external hard-drives, scanners, music players, digital cameras, PDAs, and CD/DVD burner drives are scattered throughout offices around the world. Their proliferation amplifies the threats posed by outsiders or users who plug in devices that could compromise the security of sensitive data.
By employing a whitelist approach, Sanctuary enables only authorized devices to connect to a network, laptop or PC - facilitating security and systems management, while providing the necessary flexibility to the organization." (more) (our earlier warnings 1, 2, 3, 4)
Geoslavery is a new form of human bondage based on cellphone or GPS tracking. Four years ago in IEEE Technology and Society Magazine, Pete Fisher and I [Jerome E. Dobson] defined geoslavery as "a practice in which one entity, the master, coercively or surreptitiously monitors and exerts control over the physical location of another individual, the slave." ...
This year in the Geographical Review, Pete and I warned that human tracking will become commonplace, mainly because of reduction in price. As recently as 10 years ago, the cost of round-the-clock surveillance was about $350,000 per watched person per year -- an exorbitant price tag justified only for high-value targets in matters of national security or corporate espionage. Now the cost is less than $500 per watched person per year. (more)
iPhone.
Sure, you knew that.
But, can you name Time's Law & Order inventions of the year?
Hint... Both work at the speed of light.
High-speed chases may be money shots in Hollywood, but everywhere else they're just dangerous. The StarChase Pursuit Management System uses a laser-guided launcher mounted on the front grill of a cop car to tag fleeing vehicles with a GPS tracking device. Then the fuzz can hang back as real-time location data are sent to police headquarters.
Available: Early 2008 (more)
The hunt for better non-lethal weaponry gained new urgency when several people died in recent years after being shocked by a Taser. The LED Incapacitator, funded by the Department of Homeland Security, is a novel alternative. When officers shine the flashlight-like device in a person's eyes, high-intensity LEDs, pulsating at varying rates, will make the suspect temporarily blind and dizzy. Available: 2008. (more)
IL - A lawyer in Wheaton hid his cameras in a roll of toilet paper and a basket of potpourri in the women's restroom.A bar owner in Downstate Chatsworth concealed his in a bathroom fan and a laundry basket.And in East Dundee a podiatrist stands accused of tucking a camera underneath an examination table so he could watch patients undress.Though authorities charged the three men with other felonies in connection with these acts, the actual videotapings were only misdemeanors. Illinois statutes, it seems, are as outdated as Super 8 film.But a new state law going into effect Jan. 1 fast-forwards the criminal code into the 21st Century by making it a felony to record or transmit images of an adult in a restroom, tanning bed, tanning salon, locker room, changing room or hotel room without permission. If convicted, violators could face up to 3 years in prison.
At least 19 states, including Indiana, currently classify video voyeurism as a felony, according to the National Center for Victims of Crime. At least four others have bills pending. (more)
I'm not paranoid, that's him! (more)
Got some free time?Want to amaze your friends and surprise your enemies?This video is designed to demonstrate how to make a fake satellite spy video using Google Earth. Big Brother Is Watching You. (video)
NY - Christina M. Paikin, 36, of Seneca Street in Chittenango, was charged with eavesdropping, possession of an eavesdropping device and second-degree criminal contempt. She is scheduled to appear in the Town of Sullivan Court Jan. 7. (more)
They read...
From the publisher...
"The purpose of this [site] is to provide reviews and recommendations on specific products, books, websites, etc and to implement technology based solutions for your investigative needs. It is kind of a "gadget reports/warehouse" which is investigative related only." (link)
(Summary of an article by Gerhard Lindenmayer)
1. Layered Approach2. Encrypt, Encrypt, Encrypt 3. Security Policy Enforcement4. Strong Password Protection5. Antivirus6. Employee Data Removal7. Internet Access Restrictions8. Regularly Scheduled Patches9. Firewalls and Intrusion 10. Regular Penetration Tests
(See the full article for an explanation of these concepts.)
It looks like a power strip.
It acts like a power strip.
It also acts as a surge protector.
What could possibly go wrong?
Ahh, well, ummm... It turns into a giant wireless eavesdropping microphone when called from any telephone in the world!
But, don't let that bother you. It really is a great surge protector. So great, it even surge-protects your telephone! What could possibly go wrong?
Ahh, well, ummm... If you plug your telephone into it the damn thing becomes a wiretap ...which can be monitored from any telephone in the world!
But, don't let that bother you. What are the chances that someone would call in and monitor your room or your phone calls just at the moment you are talking?
Ahh, well, ummm... The damn thing also has ears! Whenever it hears you say anything - in the room, or on the phone - it snitches on you!!! It sends a freekin' text message to your eavesdropper!
"No problem." I hear you say, "Thanks for the tip and the photo, Kevin. Now that I know what this horrid little thing looks like I'll keep alert."
Dude! This gizmo can be built into anything. Eavesdropping detection audits are a standard business practice. You need to start checking for these things, now. Call me, from a safe phone. (more)
Australia - A defense lawyer for the man accused of bugging the telephone calls of murdered Supreme Court registrar Corryn Rayney was negotiating with the prosecution, Perth Magistrate’s Court was told yesterday.
Timothy Matthew Pearson appeared on one Commonwealth charge of intercepting a communication passing over a telecommunications system. (more)
AccessPoint - Digital KeySafeDesigner key box with electronic time stamp that records last nine access events. Easy to use, one hand operation ensures quick access. Low profile, subtle design compliments door frame with a variety of natural colors. Change code anytime for added security. Solid, weather resistant metal construction. Know what time your children and others enter your home.
KeySure - One-time Use Plastic Container
Patented key control product is a "keyless" lock box. It is a container in the form of a security seal, to access the key; the box must be physically broken. It prevents keys from being handled, duplicated or used surreptitiously. A product for keys not accessed on a regular basis. (additional options)
As of midnight on February 18, 2008, cellular telephone companies will not be required to provide analog service. While most wireless telephone users will not be affected by this transition (often called the “analog cellular sunset”), some users may be affected. In addition, the transition could affect some alarm systems and some users of OnStar in-vehicle communications service.You will not be affected by the transition if you:•
use a digital handset; or• subscribe to wireless service from Sprint/Nextel or T-Mobile.You may be affected by the transition if you:• use an analog-only handset (there are very few of these left in service); and• receive service from a cellular telephone company, including AT&T Mobility, Verizon Wireless, Alltel, US Cellular, and Dobson (and other companies that market their services as “Cellular One”); or if you• use service that may rely on analog cellular radio equipment, such as an alarm system with a wireless radio link or OnStar service in an older vehicle. (more)
vendetta - noun
1. A feud between two families or clans that arises out of a slaying and is perpetuated by retaliatory acts of revenge; a blood feud.
2. A bitter, destructive feud.
An Italian newspaper has posted a seven-minute secretly taped phone call on the internet in which Silvio Berlusconi (former Italian president) apparently tries to persuade state broadcaster, RAI's head of drama to hire two actresses. The alleged reason is to encourage two centre-left politicians linked to the women to join his opposition bloc in parliament...The phone call was recorded by police as part of an ongoing investigation into corruption allegations concerning Berlusconi and RAI. Italy's richest man denies any wrongdoing, dismissing the country's prosecutors as a "Red Army". (more)
vendetta - noun
1. A feud between two families or clans that arises out of a slaying and is perpetuated by retaliatory acts of revenge; a blood feud.
2. A bitter, destructive feud.
Ferrari still fuming over spy case...Ferrari's senior management has made it clear that it remains far from happy about McLaren's handling of the spy affair - and especially their continued insistence they had done nothing wrong until a recent public letter of apology. Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo and company CEO Jean Todt both hit out at McLaren during a meeting with the Italian press, stating they were furious at the way their Woking-based rivals approached the FIA hearings into the spying affair. Quoted by Corriere dello Sport, Todt said: "At the hearing McLaren came with 200 signatures of managers saying they never had access to the information."Then, three months later, when the FIA did its verifications, it was demonstrated that was completely false. They went corrupting their own personnel to make them sign false documentation. (more)
Ferrari Rewards Photocopy Employee Who Tipped Off F1 to Spy Scandal...
Montezemolo also revealed that the English photocopy shop employee, who alerted Ferrari about confidential information in McLaren's possession, has been invited to the team's Maranello factory. (more)
Charlie Wilson's War
Tom Hanks and Philip Seymour Hoffman turn in their greatest performances in years in this historical thriller riddled with hilarious one-liners.Hanks stars as Charlie Wilson, a congressman from Texas ... Upon returning to the States, Wilson immediately calls for a meeting with a U.S. security bigwig. CIA Agent Gust Avrakotos (Hoffman) ends up at his office door.After a hysterical sequence of events during their brief meeting that includes a cocaine scandal, a bottle of wine and a bugging device, the two pair up to try to covertly help the Afghan war effort. (more) (trailer) (reality check)
Despite the widespread proliferation of iPhones, Blackberries and other state-of-the art devices, concerns over invasions of privacy by the Bush Administration is leading to a Luddite-like return to more primitive modes of communication, including the time-honored “tin can and string.”
While somewhat larger and less chic than the more high-tech hand-held devices, “tin can conversations” are extremely difficult to “bug,” and create no permanent record of communications that can later be “data-mined” by NSA super-computers.
Although the traditional range of these home-made devices was typically no more than 55 feet, newer, mass-produced versions offer strings as long as 55 miles, and come in a variety of colors, including black, gold, hot pink, and for traditionalists, “silver can.”
Apple has announced that it’s coming out with the ”iCan” next Spring, which will also double as a device to download music. Unfortunately, the only selection available will be the “can-can” song. (more)
S. Korea - The high court has upheld a lower court's ruling that found two former heads of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) guilty for their involvement in the agency's illegal wiretapping of phone conversations of high-profile figures.The Seoul High Court Thursday confirmed the sentences on Lim Dong-won, 73, and Shin Gunn, 66, former NIS directors during the Kim Dae-jung administration (1998-2003) of three years imprisonment suspended for four years. "The tapping team operated 24 hours a day and Lim and Shin were aware of the operation," the court said in its ruling.They regularly received reports of cell phone conversations of political and business leaders, journalists and even ordinary citizens, it said."Consequently the two were aware that the information was collected through illegal eavesdropping," the court said. (more)
Santa has been spying on kids for centuries but now, his these days, his job is easier, thanks to modern technology.
“At Santa Claus Office in Finland, St. Nick’s elves give EPC Gen 2 tags to visiting boys and girls, who wear them so he knows who’s naughty or nice.”
EPC Gen 2 tags translates to RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification), aka spy tags. (more) (more)
Spy back on Santa. (more)
UK - It's a case of 'Bah humbug' - with the emphasis on 'bug' - at the beleaguered offices of Craigavon Borough Council this Christmas.
The council has come under the spotlight again after a bugging device was found in the office of a senior member of staff.The Dictophone-type device was removed by the Mayor, Robert Smith, who has said little more than the matter is 'being dealt with'.The staff member involved has apologised, saying that his actions were connected to his ongoing dispute within the Civic Centre. (more)
The next time you see something flapping in the breeze on an overhead power line, squint a little harder. It may not be a plastic bag or the remnants of a party balloon, but a tiny spy plane stealing power from the line to recharge its batteries.
The idea comes from the US Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) in Dayton, Ohio, US, which wants to operate extended surveillance missions using remote-controlled planes with a wingspan of about a meter, but has been struggling to find a way to refuel to extend the plane's limited flight duration.
So the AFRL is developing an electric motor-powered micro air vehicle (MAV) that can "harvest" energy when needed by attaching itself to a power line. It could even temporarily change its shape to look more like innocuous piece of trash hanging from the cable. (more)
MO - A part-time bail bondsman from Sparta was sentenced today in federal court for wiretapping a Springfield woman’s telephone, according to John F. Wood, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri.Richard A. Hugh, 54, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison without parole.Hugh placed the phone tap on the victim’s telephone line in December 2005 in an attempt to get information that would help him locate Basil Minor, who was a fugitive in a Lawrence County circuit court case. Hugh recorded conversations from that telephone from Dec. 13 to 24, 2005, using equipment he purchased at Radio Shack. (more)
In the era of computer-controlled surveillance, your every move could be captured by cameras, whether you're shopping in the grocery store or driving on the freeway. Proponents say it will keep us safe, but at what cost? (more)
Ex-agents bring covert lingo to the world of corporate espionage. (more)
...from a Condé Nast Portfolio article...
They're leaving "the Company" to snoop on your company. How C.I.A. agents are pushing corporate espionage to ominous new extremes. ...corporate espionage is becoming almost as sophisticated as government spying... The best estimate is that several hundred former intelligence agents now work in corporate espionage... ...extreme methods of electronic monitoring... The influx of spies into the corporate sector isn't limited to Americans. ...confidential reports by outside private investigators tell a story of corporate espionage run amok. (more)
The British National Party has been engulfed by a bitter internal row with around 50 senior figures resigning the party whip amid claims the leadership has been spying on private emails and telephone calls.The Labour MP Jon Cruddas has written to the head of the Metropolitan police, Sir Ian Blair, calling for an inquiry into what he claims are "criminal activities involving senior members" of the party."They appear to be monitoring phone calls and emails of their members and removing computers from private households. This is not the behaviour of a normal political party and I would like to see the police investigate this." (more)
India - Credit card crooks in Kolkata may be getting more tech savvy, using wire-tapping gadgets to cash in on unsuspecting card users. It's a new cause of worry for city police and CID. Wire-tapping is a complicated scheme and much more difficult to track down. It's a technical maze that involves telephone wires, receiving-terminals and a cable line parallel with telephone cables to copy the card details when it is swiped for a transaction. (more)
CA - Lawyers for defendants in the Anthony Pellicano wiretapping case argued in federal court here on Monday that evidence seized from the Hollywood private detective’s offices had been improperly obtained and should be tossed out.Facing a trial date of Feb. 27, lawyers for Mr. Pellicano and his five co-defendants attacked the search warrants used to raid the detective’s offices in November 2002 and to unearth a trove of digital audio recordings in the ensuing months. They also argued that the case should be dismissed because of what they assert was rampant misconduct by government investigators.But United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer appeared to be having none of it. (more)
Make your own remote controlled helicopter spycam.
One-stop shopping list...
• Helicopter
• Wireless Video Camera / Receiver
Telecommuting covers a lot of territory these days... home desktop and roaming laptop computers, cell phones with computer-like features, and a variety of personal digital assistants (PDAs), used to read and send email, access Web sites, review and edit documents, etc.
"How do I stitch up the security loopholes?"
"Where can I get some help?"
The government buried some good advice under these arcane titles.
• Security for Telecommuting and Broadband Communications (NIST Special Publication 800-46)
and its supplement...
• User’s Guide to Securing External Devices for Telework and Remote Access (NIST Special Publication 800-114)
For more good advice hiding under arcane titles visit The National Institute of Standards and Technology, Special Publications web page. ~Kevin
Nothing is hacker-safe these days unfortunately, not even your VoIP service. But knowing that going in, and protecting yourself appropriately, can make a world of difference. The folks at the Sipera VIPER Lab have released what they feel are the Top 5 VoIP Vulnerabilities in 2007.
They are:• Remote eavesdropping of VoIP phone calls...
• VoIP Hopping, one of the enablers of remote eavesdropping...
• Vishing, enables hackers to spoof caller ID... (q.v.)
• Toll fraud...
• The Skype worm...
(more)
Taiwan's main opposition on Sunday accused the government of bugging its offices to find out its campaign strategy ahead of next month's legislative elections. (more)
...from Neurophilosophy...Remote viewing is a form of "psychoenergetic perception" (i.e. clairvoyance) developed as part of a long-term $20 million research program initiated by U.S. intelligence agencies in the early 1970s. Now known by the codename Stargate, the program was initiated largely in response to the belief that the Soviets were spending large amounts of money on psychic research.Research into remote viewing began in 1972 at the Stanford Research Institute, "an independent non-profit research institute that conducts contract research and development for government agencies" (actually, a think tank that has nothing to do with Stanford university).Led by Harold Puthoff, who had worked for the National Security Agency and was at the time a Scientologist, the research involved training people who were believed to be gifted psychics to use their alleged abilities for psychic warfare. Among these individuals were the New York artist Ingo Swann, who claimed to have remotely viewed the planet Mercury, and Uri Geller, the psychic spoon-bending fraudster. (more) (the manual)
Just in time for holiday gift-giving. "You gotta slop, bop, flip flop, hip hop, never stop." Be a 21st Century Dovell Electronic Bubble-Wrap'er!
...from the website...One of the single greatest gifts (and curses) to anyone who is a little anal retentive is bubble wrap. Sure it's good for protecting packages, but the real joy is popping each and every bubble. You can't let even one survive or your mission as bubble popper has failed. But what happens when you desire the joy of popping bubble wrap but don't have the time to invest in popping a full 60' roll? Welcome to the future, my friends; electronic bubble wrap is here.Each keychain device has 8 rubbery little "bubble" buttons. They have a pretty close tactile feel to actual bubble wrap. Guess what happens when you push one? That's right, you hear a little pop. In a nutshell, that is the simple beauty of the electronic bubble wrap keychain. But there is one bonus, and here's where the OCD can kick in a little. Every 100th "pop" is not a pop at all, but a silly sound: a boing, a bark, a rude noise, etc. And since you can easily pop (pun intended) the keychain in your pocket, you'll always have bubble wrap when you need it most (you know, like when your boss starts talking). (more) (movie)
...peeking into closed practices or electronically eavesdropping on coach/player meetings (as China allegedly did to Denmark during the Women's World Cup of soccer), that is cloak and dagger stuff.
Now, with the teams facing off this Sunday, here are 10 glaring examples of sports spying... (more)
S. Korea - Concerns have re-emerged over the illegal transfer of high technology abroad, which has been worsening in recent years, in the wake of the latest leak case in which industrial spies handed over key automobile building technology of Hyundai Motor to Chinese firms.Prosecutors Friday arrested two Hyundai Motor employees, who stole core technology for the automatic transmission of a sports utility vehicle (SUV) that the carmaker has developed with an investment of 300 billion won ($323 million) for two years, to a Chinese carmaker.Experts estimate the leaked information could cause trillions of won in damages...
Samsung Electronics, for example, has already adopted an advanced security system in its Digital Media Research Center, where each researcher’s location can be traced through satellite-recognized identification cards, in addition to anti-eavesdropping devices. (more)
Sri Lanka - A Government bigwig has commenced a dirty programme of eavesdropping and recording the personal telephone dialogues of the opposition politicians and making them available to listen for a few handpicked media persons.As a part of this programme, an editor-in-chief of a weekend English newspaper was summoned to the Presidential Secretariat and he was made to listen to a telephone dialogue between a UNP leader and another politician. (more)
CA - A man was arrested on suspicion of computer crimes and invasion of privacy for allegedly hacking into his Gardena employer's computer system and using video equipment to spy on the company's restrooms, police said on Wednesday.
Ryan Castillo, 29, was arrested last night and booked for "unauthorized access to a computer network," a felony, and for "looking into and observing a person in a restroom," a misdemeanor, said Gardena police Lt. Ed Burnett. The restrooms can be used by men or women, Burnett said.
"After further investigation, they discovered that an employee of the business had a small receiver with several video clips of a female employee using the restroom," Burnett said.
"It was also discovered that the suspected employee had hacked into the company's computer network and e-mail system," Burnett said. (more)(video)
The new GSM bugs are coming; lots of them. GSM bugs are very simple cell phones which auto-answer and do not ring when called - from any phone in the world.
• Inexpensive.
• Easy to operate.
• Easy to hide.
• Untraceable when used with a pre-paid SIM card.
...from the SingaSPY Tonga website...
GSM Room / Office Transmitter
TKS-171.AAA
Key Specifications:•
GSM room / office transmitter.
• This is an amazing listening device.• With a powerful internal and external mic.
• It is not only works as a standard dial and listen mode but also works as a voice activated unit which you could set up remotely.
• It is very reliable remote monitoring device ideal for long term activity. (more)
(their TKS-171aa model)
Need to know if there is one in your office?
Call us.
New spy phone allows real-time eavesdropping on calls. (video)
Countermeasure: Don't accept candy from strangers. (duh)
A former U.S. defense contractor spent more than two years working with China's military to design and test a radar-evading component for a new Chinese cruise missile as part of an espionage conspiracy, according to a federal indictment.The indictment of Noshir S. Gowadia, an Indian-born engineer, was submitted to U.S. District Court in Hawaii in October and states he worked closely with a Chinese government agent and missile technicians to illegally supply the stealth-missile technology during six visits to China between 2003 and 2005. (more)
The image of the friendly firefighter helping rescue a wayward kitten from a tree might need updating. If the federal Department of Homeland Security has its way, firefighters across the country will be armed not only with firefighting equipment, but also issued training materials on how to recognize suspect behavior on the part of citizens and what to look for in peoples' homes that might be "suspicious." In other words, firefighters would become domestic spies. In fact, such training already has begun. (more)
...from the website...
SPOOFEM.COM offers you the ability to change what someone sees on their call display when they receive a phone call. This is typically referred to as "Caller ID Spoofing" or "Call Display Spoofing".
You can show any phone number you wish on their call display. You can change your voice to male / female, record the conversation, SMS text message and be able to protect your privacy by not showing your number on their caller ID. (more)
There are other spoof options, too.
• Prepaid virtual calling card (free test call)
• SpoofCard Widget (free test call download for Mac OS X)
• Telespoof (free test call)
• Spooftel
While spoofing is currently legal, it may not be in the near future. Laws against it are in the works.
• H.R. 5304 [109th]: Preventing Harassment through Outbound Number Enforcement Act
• H.R. 251: Truth in Caller ID Act of 2007
If spoofing becomes illegal should you believe your Caller ID again?
No.
Sunday isn't only Jets vs. Patriots.
It could be Spy vs. Spy.According to league sources familiar with the situation, the Jets were caught using a videotaping device during a game in Foxborough last season that resulted in the removal of a Jets employee. After Gillette Stadium officials saw him using the recorder early in the game, he was told to stop and leave the area. He had been filming from the mezzanine level between the scoreboard and a decorative lighthouse in an end zone. The camera was not confiscated by the Patriots or stadium security.
Tuesday night the Jets admitted that they did videotape the game and their employee was confronted, but said they had permission from the Patriots to film from that location. (more)
A former Lafayette Police Chief's trial will not head to court until March... Former chief Randy Hundley was slated for trial Dec 10th. He along with three other officers are facing eavesdropping charges. The four were indicted last year for allegedly hiding a microphone near the desk of Hundley's secretary in 2004. (more)
Canada - Three of the largest professional organizations representing plastic surgeons in Canada are filing formal complaints against a Toronto physician who hired a private investigator to spy on a colleague whom she suspected was causing a drop in her business.The Ontario Society of Plastic Surgery, the Canadian Society of Plastic Surgery and the Canadian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery plan to ask Ontario's medical watchdog to investigate Dr. Behnaz Yazdanfar's decision to send an undercover female investigator to consult with plastic surgeon Dr. Sean Rice and secretly record the conversation. (more)
Former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby is dropping his appeal in the CIA leak case, his attorney said Monday. Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, was convicted of perjury and obstruction for lying about his conversations with reporters about outed CIA operative Valerie Plame. (more)
He is viewed as an expert in Munchausen's syndrome by proxy, a condition which means parents deliberately induce or fabricate illnesses in their children to get attention for themselves.He pioneered the use of covert video surveillance in the late eighties and early nineties, which led to a number of parents and step parents being prosecuted for abuse.
More recently...
He was banned from child protection work for three years. (more)
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe is under pressure in a new wiretapping scandal after he was recorded threatening to punch a disgraced former advisor in the face for his role in a corruption scandal.The conversation was taped last year on a line in Uribe's office, where he discusses matters of state and the operations of a government that receives billions of dollars in U.S. military and economic aid."I am furious with you and I hope someone is recording this call!" Uribe shouted at Luis Fernando Herrera, a one-time aide accused by a suspected drug lord of asking for $15 million in exchange for pulling strings to help him avoid extradition."If I see you I am going to punch you in the face!" Uribe yelled. (more)
"Lie Die Hard" director John McTiernan was granted bail and released on a $50,000 bond Monday, pending an appeal of his guilty plea for allegedly lying to the FBI about his knowledge of celebrity PI Anthony Pellicano's alleged illegal wiretapping operation.Tiernan, 56, pleaded guilty in April 2006 to making a false statement to federal investigators. He later recanted his guilty plea, claiming he was jet-lagged and under the influence of alcohol and prescription medications when he made the statements to the FBI.He also said he was given bad advice by his then-attorney. (more)
The exotic and, some say, quixotic Mata Hari has spawned considerable cultural speculation since her mysterious World War I execution. Greta Garbo shot this fame further by playing her in a 1931 film. Kurt Vonnegut had Mother Night's protagonist dedicate his memoirs to her. Even the sexually diffident George Lucas permitted Indiana Jones to lose his virginity to her.We won't know until 2017 -- the year when the case documents will be unsealed and revealed to the public -- if Mata Hari was a spy or not. But in the meantime, Yannick Murphy's third novel
considers the circumstances that galvanized her legend, while ruing upon larger issues of womanhood, the burdens of perception and societal abuse. (more)
Moscow - To enhance its military capabilities, Russia on Sunday successfully launched a Kosmos series spy satellite from a cosmodrome leased from Kazakhstan. (more)
Former world champions Renault escaped punishment yesterday, despite being found guilty in the second major spying controversy to hit Formula One this year.
The French team's representatives had been summoned to appear before the governing body in Monaco to answer charges of unauthorized possession of McLaren technical information between September 2006 and last October."They were found to be in breach of article 151c but there is no penalty," a spokesman for the International Automobile Federation said after a World Motor Sport Council hearing lasting several hours. (more)
MA - A Newton activist who concealed a camera to videotape a Boston University police sergeant was convicted of violating state wiretapping laws. An associate is charged with witness intimidation.Peter Lowney, 36, was sentenced last week to six months probation and fined $500. A Brighton District Court judge ordered him to stay away from the sergeant and remove footage from the Internet. (more)
Australia - The husband of murdered Supreme Court Registrar Corryn Rayney appeared in Perth Magistrate’s Court today to face a charge of bugging his wife’s phone prior to her death.
In a brief court appearance, Lloyd Rayney did not address the court and the matter was put forward to late February on the request of the prosecutor Matthew Phillips.Mr Rayney is charged with intercepting communications passing over a telecommunications system under the Commonwealth Interception and Access Act 1979, the crime for which the penalty can be up to two years in jail. (more)
CA - A bumbling private eye was caught with his pants down - literally - when he broke into Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell's Beverly Hills pad and used his bathroom.
The gumshoe had been hired by Cornell's bitter ex-wife, Susan Silver, to serve the rocker with papers stating that she was suing her ex over the ownership of 15 guitars. But when P.I. Matthew Turner showed up at the house, Cornell wasn't home and he let himself in. Too bad it was all caught on camera.Now Turner, who works for the Manhattan Beach, Calif.-based investigative firm Thomas Dale and Associates, is being charged with aggravated trespassing by the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office and faces a pre-trial hearing on Dec. 12."He broke into their home. He even used the Cornells' bathroom," a source told Page Six. "Chris and his wife, Vicky, had gotten death threats in the past, so they have a state-of-the-art surveillance system which captured all of this on tape." (more)
Afghanistan - Taliban fighters hanged a 12-year-old boy from a mulberry tree, claiming he was passing information on Taliban roadside bomb attacks to police and British forces, Afghan police have said. (more)
"...in the fashionable neighbourhood of Friedrichshain, a German hairdresser was astonished to find a plastic bag containing classified plans for the Bundesbank's new safe in garbage cans in his very own backyard.The plans detailed "floor thickness, movement detector placements, doors, passageways and barred gates" reported mass circulation daily Bild."These plans are secret," was written at the top of the page in bold capitals. (more)
Rapid7 announced today NeXpose will include a check for a zero-day vulnerability found in many wireless keyboards. The impact of this vulnerability is that an attacker with a directional antenna and a laptop can eavesdrop on keyboard communications, capturing every keystroke from a distance of over 30 feet away. (more)
TN - The assistant director for Rutherford County Emergency Management has been fired after a camera was found in an EMA restroom.Reed is accused of hiding a camera in a restroom (within a stack of boxes) at the EMA office. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating the allegation.A female employee found the camera. ... It is unclear how long the video camera was in the bathroom and if tapes were made. (more)
China on Wednesday rejected as "baseless" allegations that it was carrying out state-sponsored espionage against British businesses. ...China has rejected similar allegations from other Western nations this year. It has been accused of cyber attacks on U.S. and German government computers and a British security source said there had been frequent Chinese attempts to penetrate British government systems. (more)
DEAR ABBY: Is it all right for a family member to eavesdrop on a conversation on the extension line?
The other day, my husband and I picked up the phone at the same time. It was my mother calling to chat and to ask a question. Although the call was clearly for me, my husband remained on the line because, he said, he had a question for her when I was done with the conversation.I contend that this was rude, as I didn't know he hadn't hung up the other phone. He contends that he had a right to listen because it is his house, and he can listen in if he wants.Although nothing of a personal nature was discussed, I still think he should have given me my privacy and asked me to let him know when Mom and I were done talking so he could ask his question. This has caused a major rift in our family. Please respond.-Nancy
Belmont, Calif.DEAR NANCY: When a spouse starts using the old "I can do it if I want because it's my house" line, it's usually because he/she knows he/she is wrong. I don't know whether your husband is a bully or simply has no life of his own, but eavesdropping is a very unpleasant trait. And in the interest of family harmony, he should cut it out. (more)
He should cut it out?!?! Abby, what were you thinking? Non-consensual eavesdropping is a federal and state crime! Criminal and civil penalties apply, and the days of spousal immunity for eavesdropping are pretty much history. The "my house, my phone" party line does not mean "my conversation." It was not his conversation. There was no consent. What if he punched her? Would you buy his "my wife, my chattel" baloney?
Secrets of Computer Espionage: Tactics and Countermeasures
"Is someone spying on you?It could be your boss, your competition, or a private investigator, but it could just as easily be a foreign intelligence agent - or the whiz kid down the street. More and more people today want to know what's on your computer, your PDA, your cell phone, or your wireless network.Joel McNamara takes you inside the mind of the computer espionage artist... This is the book that teaches you to think like a spy, because that's the only way to outwit one."
Contents at a Glance
Acknowledgments.
Introduction.
Chapter 1 Spies.
Chapter 2 Spying and the Law.
Chapter 3 Black Bag Jobs.
Chapter 4 Breaching the System.
Chapter 5 Searching for Evidence.
Chapter 6 Unprotecting Data.
Chapter 7 Copying Data.
Chapter 8 Snooping with Keyloggers.
Chapter 9 Spying with Trojan Horses.
Chapter 10 Network Eavesdropping.
Chapter 11 802.11b Wireless Network Eavesdropping.
Chapter 12 Spying on Electronic Devices.
Chapter 13 Advanced Computer Espionage.
Appendix A: What's on the Web Site.
Index.
The latest prototype product from NEC Japan has to be one of the most novel uses of alternative energy we've ever seen - it's a wireless security camera that draws its power directly from fluorescent light tubes.
Key to the development is ... the magnetic field created by the AC source in the light. A field frequency of 45-100kHz can be used by the ring to generate 120mW of electricity, which is enough to power the camera.
From that point on the otherwise-standard camera ... beaming its images to a PC using an ordinary Wi-Fi chip that also draws power from the light.
NEC suggests that its camera could be installed in office light fittings to help companies keep an eye on their staff at work... (more)
The futuristic ideas of Nikola Tesla are now taking hold. This product is a good example. Other examples include the super-cool Tesla Roadster and the Norelco Toothbrush.
State and federal agents have broken up a nationwide "pretext" identity-theft scheme involving private detectives who obtained personal information about their targets — from financial and medical records to tax returns — through deceit and lies, according to a federal grand-jury indictment unsealed Thursday. (more)
IL - A Cary teen accused of helping a friend videotape his sexual encounter with an unknowing high school classmate pleaded guilty to a reduced charge Tuesday in a plea bargain that allows him to escape a possible felony conviction.Stefen W. Mueller, 18, admitted guilt to a misdemeanor attempted eavesdropping as part of a deal with McHenry County prosecutors made formal in court Tuesday morning. (more)
Security researchers have cracked the rudimentary encryption used in a range of popular wireless keyboards. Bluetooth is increasingly becoming the de-facto standard for wireless communication in peripheral devices and is reckoned to be secure. But some manufacturers such as Logitech and Microsoft rely on 27 MHz radio technology which, it transpires, is anything but secure.
Using nothing more than a simple radio receiver, a soundcard and suitable software, Swiss security firm Dreamlab Technologies managed to capture and decode the radio communications between a keyboard and a PC.
The attack opens the way up to all sorts of mischief including keystroke logging to capture login credentials to online banking sites or email accounts. (more)
An amusement park with a spy theme is planned as part of a major entertainment complex in Spain...
The park, named Spyland, will be part of a massive leisure complex called Gran Scala that is being planned for the Zaragoza province of Spain. The entertainment district is expected to include 32 casinos, four theme parks, mega-hotels, shopping and other attractions. Construction on Spyland is scheduled to start in late 2008, with a projected opening date of 2010...
Spyland will be a family attraction with rides and interactive activities based on the history of secret agents around the world. Visitors will be able to play the role of spy, undertake missions, collect clues and infiltrate fictitious borders as they move through six zones in the park, including a small water park called Aquantica. Guests will also be able to test technologies used in spying. Stunt shows will be based on the escapades of real spies.
Developers originally tried but failed to get permission to build Spyland in Dubai or France... (more)
• Pull conversations out of walls or floors.
• Amplify them 50,000 times.
• Broadcast them up to 1/2 mile away.
This odd-ball little eavesdropping bug is creative mix of technologies. No need to enter someone's office or home. Just attach this thing to the floor above, ceiling below or the outside wall. Then, head to comfortable spot within a 1/2 mile range. No nearby comfortable spot? Put the receiver and a recorder in a car, and park it nearby. Return daily to pick-up your recordings. (more)
Grab a map. Draw a 1/2 mile circle around your own home or office. How many good listening posts do you see? Maybe hundreds in a suburban environment. Definitely hundreds-of-thousands in a city.
When was the last time you had a professional debugging inspection?
Need a quick example... Go to Google Maps; search for Dearing, KS. The distance between 2200 Road and 2000 Road is exactly one mile. The listening post could be anywhere in this town!
Could we find this bug?
Of course.
Mike Lane on Wiretapping. (cartoon)
Leading British firms and government agencies have been warned Chinese state organisations may be spying on them.UK intelligence network MI5 has contacted 300 chief executives and security experts at banks and financial institutions to raise the concerns. (more)
Consumer Reports magazine had 40 children check out the "fun factor” in 24 toys, priced less than $10 to $200, to determine the hot holiday sellers this year. The top four toys overall ranged from a racing timer to a magnifying handheld "bionic eye” to a remote-controlled vehicle equipped with a "spycam.” The children in the test ranged in ages from 6 through 12. (more)
FutureWatch: The next generation of spies is in the pipeline!
Every Rock & Roll hit from the
50's, 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's+
"Hey, do I take care of my friends or what?" • Just in time for your holiday parties!
• FREE!!!
• Play 'Name That Tune' (really fast).
Side One • Side Two
I said, "Be careful...
Sound travels very well through solid materials. The old listening for the train by putting your ear to the tracks is an example of this trick.
High-speed chases may be money shots in Hollywood, but everywhere else they're just dangerous. The StarChase Pursuit Management System uses a laser-guided launcher mounted on the front grill of a cop car to tag fleeing vehicles with a GPS tracking device. Then the fuzz can hang back as real-time location data are sent to police headquarters.
The hunt for better non-lethal weaponry gained new urgency when several people died in recent years after being shocked by a Taser. The LED Incapacitator, funded by the Department of Homeland Security, is a novel alternative. When officers shine the flashlight-like device in a person's eyes, high-intensity LEDs, pulsating at varying rates, will make the suspect temporarily blind and dizzy. Available: 2008. (more)
From the publisher...
It looks like a power strip.
AccessPoint - Digital KeySafe
Charlie Wilson's War 
While somewhat larger and less chic than the more high-tech hand-held devices, “tin can conversations” are extremely difficult to “bug,” and create no permanent record of communications that can later be “data-mined” by NSA super-computers. 
Santa has been spying on kids for centuries but now, his these days, his job is easier, thanks to modern technology. 
The next time you see something flapping in the breeze on an overhead power line, squint a little harder. It may not be a plastic bag or the remnants of a party balloon, but a tiny spy plane stealing power from the line to recharge its batteries. 
In the era of computer-controlled surveillance, your every move could be captured by cameras, whether you're shopping in the grocery store or driving on the freeway. Proponents say it will keep us safe, but at what cost? (more)
...from a Condé Nast Portfolio article...
...from Neurophilosophy...
Just in time for holiday gift-giving. "You gotta slop, bop, flip flop, hip hop, never stop." Be a 21st Century Dovell Electronic Bubble-Wrap'er!
S. Korea - Concerns have re-emerged over the illegal transfer of high technology abroad, which has been worsening in recent years, in the wake of the latest leak case in which industrial spies handed over key automobile building technology of Hyundai Motor to Chinese firms.
CA - A man was arrested on suspicion of computer crimes and invasion of privacy for allegedly hacking into his Gardena employer's computer system and using video equipment to spy on the company's restrooms, police said on Wednesday.
Ryan Castillo, 29, was arrested last night and booked for "unauthorized access to a computer network," a felony, and for "looking into and observing a person in a restroom," a misdemeanor, said Gardena police Lt. Ed Burnett. The restrooms can be used by men or women, Burnett said.
The new GSM bugs are coming; lots of them. GSM bugs are very simple cell phones which auto-answer and do not ring when called - from any phone in the world.
The image of the friendly firefighter helping rescue a wayward kitten from a tree might need updating. If the federal Department of Homeland Security has its way, firefighters across the country will be armed not only with firefighting equipment, but also issued training materials on how to recognize suspect behavior on the part of citizens and what to look for in peoples' homes that might be "suspicious." In other words, firefighters would become domestic spies. In fact, such training already has begun. (more)
...from the website...
Sunday isn't only Jets vs. Patriots.
The exotic and, some say, quixotic Mata Hari has spawned considerable cultural speculation since her mysterious World War I execution. Greta Garbo shot this fame further by playing her in a 1931 film. Kurt Vonnegut had Mother Night's protagonist dedicate his memoirs to her. Even the sexually diffident George Lucas permitted Indiana Jones to lose his virginity to her.
Former world champions Renault escaped punishment yesterday, despite being found guilty in the second major spying controversy to hit Formula One this year. 
Secrets of Computer Espionage: Tactics and Countermeasures
The latest prototype product from NEC Japan has to be one of the most novel uses of alternative energy we've ever seen - it's a wireless security camera that draws its power directly from fluorescent light tubes.
Security researchers have cracked the rudimentary encryption used in a range of popular wireless keyboards. 
• Pull conversations out of walls or floors.
Every Rock & Roll hit from the