Twitter users have caused an uproar by impersonating celebrities on the popular micro-blogging service. Businesses, too, are targets of fake Twitter profiles -- sometimes from competitors.
Exxon Mobil Corp. has found at least two unauthorized Twitter accounts under variations of its name. Twitter -- a networking service where users create profiles and send out short messages, or "tweets" to their followers -- terminated one of the profiles last summer. An Exxon spokesman says the oil company is considering what to do about the second profile, which it discovered several weeks ago.
In a defensive move, AMR Corp.'s American Airlines in April "registered every possible Twitter name that could be associated with us," a spokesman says. The move came after airline employees last summer found a rogue profile in the name AmericanAir, which was shut down four weeks later.
At Elevation Burger, a seven-outlet chain owned by Elevation Franchise Ventures LLC, a vendor in March found an unauthorized Twitter profile with tweets promoting rival Z Burger. Hans Hess, Elevation's founder and chief executive, complained to Z Burger and Twitter, which later suspended the profile after a letter from Mr. Hess's lawyer.
Amusement-park operator Cedar Fair LP, of Sandusky, Ohio, received an email from a marketing consultant who had created a Twitter profile in the name of its Cedar Point amusement park. The consultant, David Goebel, president of Goebel Group Inc., offered to relinquish control of the account in exchange for season passes to the Cedar Fair park and suggested that the company hire his firm to oversee its Twitter account. (more)
Recommendation: Get to know Twitter. Monitor it for malicious content about your company, the same way you monitor the Web and chat groups.
You do monitor, don't you?
Ok, I'll give you this tip for free...
Plug yourself into Addictomatic.com. It's free too.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Bugs found in Georgian Opposition Party's office
In the office of Georgian opposition party “Way of Georgia” eavesdropping bugs were discovered to have been installed in the office’s electrical sockets.
The leader of the party, ex-minister of foreign affairs Salome Zurabishvili, said that the devices were found where meetings take place among leaders of the party, which is demanding the resignation of current Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili.
“They were found by employees of the party in the electrical sockets of the room,” said Zurabishvili, who showed the devices to journalists. (more)
The leader of the party, ex-minister of foreign affairs Salome Zurabishvili, said that the devices were found where meetings take place among leaders of the party, which is demanding the resignation of current Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili.
“They were found by employees of the party in the electrical sockets of the room,” said Zurabishvili, who showed the devices to journalists. (more)
SpyCam Story #539 - The Watchful Neighbor
CA- Police in Newbury Park say they've found evidence that a man arrested for allegedly spying on his female neighbors with a hidden camera may have taped other people as well. Police say Michael Farge, 38, recorded the daily activities of his neighbors, including them changing, for more than two years.
Residents of the community of condos near Wheelwright Lane told KTLA that Farge was good friends with the women he is accused of watching, a woman and her 19-year-old daughter.
They said Farge had a key to the victims' house and watched their house and pets when they were out of town. (more) (video)
Technical director of new product development... charged with 5 counts of spying
A federal grand jury indicted former Arlington Heights resident David Yen Lee on charges he stole trade secrets to divulge to a competitor.
The indictment, which U.S. attorney Patrick Fitzgerald announced Friday, charges Lee with five counts of economic espionage.
According to the indictment, the 52-year-old Lee worked as technical director of new product development for the Wheeling branch of Valspar Corp., a Minneapolis-based paint company, from 2006 to March 2009.
According to the indictment, Lee downloaded documents and data from Valspar and its China subsidiary, Huarun Ltd., to an external thumb drive... (more)
The indictment, which U.S. attorney Patrick Fitzgerald announced Friday, charges Lee with five counts of economic espionage.
According to the indictment, the 52-year-old Lee worked as technical director of new product development for the Wheeling branch of Valspar Corp., a Minneapolis-based paint company, from 2006 to March 2009.
According to the indictment, Lee downloaded documents and data from Valspar and its China subsidiary, Huarun Ltd., to an external thumb drive... (more)
Building Spy Bats
Researchers are studying creatures that fly through the night in hopes of making tiny flying spies.(right) AeroVironment's DARPA-funded prototype drone made a successful test flight, lifting itself and its energy source.
The most popular of these drones are called Ravens, built by the Monrovia, Calif., company AeroVironment. They are about 4.5 feet across, weigh six pounds and can stay aloft for about an hour and a half. (More, with two cool clips of a bat flying in slow motion.)
Friday, June 26, 2009
Japan discovers 1970's 'Broken Window Theory'
A Tokyo district plagued with burglaries has turned to planting flowers to beautify its streets and help stamp out crime.
"'Operation Flower' began about three years ago. By planting flowers facing the street, more people will be keeping an eye out while taking care of the flowers or watering them," said Kiyotaka Ohyagi, a Suginami City official...
Suginami, with a population of 528,800, saw a record 1,710 break-ins in 2002... Suginami says its efforts have paid off, with the number of burglaries falling to 390 in 2008, down almost 80 percent from 2002.
Oh, by the way...
The flowers are part of a wider crime prevention campaign. The district also has 9,600 volunteer patrollers and 200 security cameras set up in areas where there are frequent break-ins. It also emails crime information daily to residents. (more)
Broken Window Theory... (via The Atlantic - March 1982)
...at the community level, disorder and crime are usually inextricably linked, in a kind of developmental sequence. Social psychologists and police officers tend to agree that if a window in a building is broken and is left unrepaired, all the rest of the windows will soon be broken. This is as true in nice neighborhoods as in rundown ones. Window-breaking does not necessarily occur on a large scale because some areas are inhabited by determined window-breakers whereas others are populated by window-lovers; rather, one unrepaired broken window is a signal that no one cares, and so breaking more windows costs nothing. (It has always been fun.)
Philip Zimbardo, a Stanford psychologist, reported in 1969 on some experiments testing the broken-window theory. He arranged to have an automobile without license plates parked with its hood up on a street in the Bronx and a comparable automobile on a street in Palo Alto, California. The car in the Bronx was attacked by "vandals" within ten minutes of its "abandonment." The first to arrive were a family—father, mother, and young son—who removed the radiator and battery. Within twenty-four hours, virtually everything of value had been removed. Then random destruction began—windows were smashed, parts torn off, upholstery ripped. Children began to use the car as a playground. Most of the adult "vandals" were well-dressed, apparently clean-cut whites. The car in Palo Alto sat untouched for more than a week. Then Zimbardo smashed part of it with a sledgehammer. Soon, passersby were joining in. Within a few hours, the car had been turned upside down and utterly destroyed. Again, the "vandals" appeared to be primarily respectable whites. (more)
"How does this apply to information security?"
If management doesn't care, employees won't care. When employees don't care, your company is easy pickings for info-vultures. Patch all the holes. ~Kevin
"'Operation Flower' began about three years ago. By planting flowers facing the street, more people will be keeping an eye out while taking care of the flowers or watering them," said Kiyotaka Ohyagi, a Suginami City official...
Suginami, with a population of 528,800, saw a record 1,710 break-ins in 2002... Suginami says its efforts have paid off, with the number of burglaries falling to 390 in 2008, down almost 80 percent from 2002.
Oh, by the way...
The flowers are part of a wider crime prevention campaign. The district also has 9,600 volunteer patrollers and 200 security cameras set up in areas where there are frequent break-ins. It also emails crime information daily to residents. (more)
Broken Window Theory... (via The Atlantic - March 1982)
...at the community level, disorder and crime are usually inextricably linked, in a kind of developmental sequence. Social psychologists and police officers tend to agree that if a window in a building is broken and is left unrepaired, all the rest of the windows will soon be broken. This is as true in nice neighborhoods as in rundown ones. Window-breaking does not necessarily occur on a large scale because some areas are inhabited by determined window-breakers whereas others are populated by window-lovers; rather, one unrepaired broken window is a signal that no one cares, and so breaking more windows costs nothing. (It has always been fun.)
Philip Zimbardo, a Stanford psychologist, reported in 1969 on some experiments testing the broken-window theory. He arranged to have an automobile without license plates parked with its hood up on a street in the Bronx and a comparable automobile on a street in Palo Alto, California. The car in the Bronx was attacked by "vandals" within ten minutes of its "abandonment." The first to arrive were a family—father, mother, and young son—who removed the radiator and battery. Within twenty-four hours, virtually everything of value had been removed. Then random destruction began—windows were smashed, parts torn off, upholstery ripped. Children began to use the car as a playground. Most of the adult "vandals" were well-dressed, apparently clean-cut whites. The car in Palo Alto sat untouched for more than a week. Then Zimbardo smashed part of it with a sledgehammer. Soon, passersby were joining in. Within a few hours, the car had been turned upside down and utterly destroyed. Again, the "vandals" appeared to be primarily respectable whites. (more)
"How does this apply to information security?"
If management doesn't care, employees won't care. When employees don't care, your company is easy pickings for info-vultures. Patch all the holes. ~Kevin
FutureWatch - Your Own Private Internet
For those struggling with privacy on the Web, security researchers at Hewlett-Packard might have found the light at the end of tunnel. A duo from HP's Web security group, Billy Hoffman and Matt Wood, are scheduled to present an idea at the BlackHat security conference in July that could shed new light on an old idea about how to communicate privately over the Internet.
The researchers, who previewed their concept to Forbes, say their model works like a private Internet on top of the existing public one: People can share information like files and messages via the Internet medium, but without the kind of public-facing personally identifiable information that Internet protocol addresses provide...
The darknet concept as we know it today has been around for a while, and current implementations usually rely on some sort of third-party technology to make it work. The model Hoffman and Wood are previewing is notable in that it uses the latest in rich Internet technologies to make using a darknet as simple as browsing a Web site. That innovation should drastically reduce the barrier to sharing secure information over darknets. (more)
Thursday, June 25, 2009
The Apple Lesson
"You can only give them as much security as they will take," the old saying goes.
Most organizations don't take much.
"Not our corporate culture."
"People would quit."
"How do you enforce that!"
These excuses are lame.
Worse, they are profit suckers.
Considering information is the genesis of profits, it is hard to fathom laissez faire attitudes. Employees want to be part of a successful, cool, winning organization. They want their company to be profitable. To them it means job security, better salaries and prestige.
All they need is leadership.
"Prove it," I hear you say.
via The New York Times...
Apple is one of the world’s coolest companies. But there is one cool-company trend it has rejected: chatting with the world through blogs and dropping tidbits of information about its inner workings.
Few companies, indeed, are more secretive than Apple, or as punitive to those who dare violate the company’s rules on keeping tight control over information. Employees have been fired for leaking news tidbits to outsiders, and the company has been known to spread disinformation about product plans to its own workers.
“They make everyone super, super paranoid about security,” said Mark Hamblin, who worked on the touch-screen technology for the iPhone and left Apple last year. “I have never seen anything else like it at another company.”...
Secrecy at Apple is not just the prevailing communications strategy; it is baked into the corporate culture. Employees working on top-secret projects must pass through a maze of security doors, swiping their badges again and again and finally entering a numeric code to reach their offices, according to one former employee who worked in such areas...
...the culture of secrecy had its origin in the release of the first Macintosh, which competitors like Microsoft and Sony knew about before it was unveiled. (more)
There is a lesson here.
On September 25, 1981 Apple stock traded at $1.78; today, $139.86.
This doesn't happen by letting someone pick your intellectual pockets.
Be proactive. Create a strong information secuity program.
Your employees will love it, and respect you for it.
Most organizations don't take much.
"Not our corporate culture."
"People would quit."
"How do you enforce that!"
These excuses are lame.
Worse, they are profit suckers.
Considering information is the genesis of profits, it is hard to fathom laissez faire attitudes. Employees want to be part of a successful, cool, winning organization. They want their company to be profitable. To them it means job security, better salaries and prestige.
All they need is leadership.
"Prove it," I hear you say.
via The New York Times...
Apple is one of the world’s coolest companies. But there is one cool-company trend it has rejected: chatting with the world through blogs and dropping tidbits of information about its inner workings.
Few companies, indeed, are more secretive than Apple, or as punitive to those who dare violate the company’s rules on keeping tight control over information. Employees have been fired for leaking news tidbits to outsiders, and the company has been known to spread disinformation about product plans to its own workers.“They make everyone super, super paranoid about security,” said Mark Hamblin, who worked on the touch-screen technology for the iPhone and left Apple last year. “I have never seen anything else like it at another company.”...
Secrecy at Apple is not just the prevailing communications strategy; it is baked into the corporate culture. Employees working on top-secret projects must pass through a maze of security doors, swiping their badges again and again and finally entering a numeric code to reach their offices, according to one former employee who worked in such areas...
...the culture of secrecy had its origin in the release of the first Macintosh, which competitors like Microsoft and Sony knew about before it was unveiled. (more)
There is a lesson here.
On September 25, 1981 Apple stock traded at $1.78; today, $139.86.
This doesn't happen by letting someone pick your intellectual pockets.
Be proactive. Create a strong information secuity program.
Your employees will love it, and respect you for it.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Paris Hilton bugged by hotel-room bugging
For once, it seems that someone is actually interested in what Paris Hilton has to say, as the heiress' bodyguards have reportedly found a secret recording device hidden in her hotel room in Dubai. The U.K. Daily Express reports that Hilton, 28, was less than pleased after the bug was discovered, immediately ordering more security and demanding that hotel staff investigate where the device came from. The incident has not stalled production of the Dubai edition of Hilton's My New BFF reality show.
"We're not sure what the device picked up or whom it was transmitting to. But it did leave Paris very jittery," a source working with Hilton told the Express. "Everyone she has come into contact with during her stay in Dubai has been fantastic and gracious. We've been told there are some quarters where there is anti-American feeling." (more)
While you may not be a Paris Hilton fan, give her credit. She hired competent security who knew how to find bugs. Should you need the same, contact me. ~Kevin
Update...
Paris Hilton has played down media reports that her Dubai hotel room was bugged, saying stories in the British tabloids were "another lie created by the media"... None of Hilton's spokespeople were available to comment on Wednesday morning. (more)
We'll keep you posted.
Spies Under Every Watt?
The electric-utility industry is planning a pilot initiative to see whether Chinese spies have infiltrated computer networks running the power grid, according to people familiar with the effort. Officials of the North American Electric Reliability Corp., an industry regulatory group, are negotiating with a defense contractor for the job of searching for breaches by cyberspies, according to people familiar with the plans...
The Wall Street Journal reported in April that Russian and Chinese spies had penetrated the U.S. electric grid. (more)
China dominates NSA-backed coding contest
About 4,200 people participated in the U.S. National Security Agency-supported challenge... Programmers from China and Russia have dominated an international competition on everything from writing algorithms to designing components... Of 70 finalists, 20 were from China, 10 from Russia and two from the U.S.... Of the total number of contestants, 93% were male, and 84% were aged between 18 and 24. (more)
"You too may be a big hero,
Once you've learned to count backwards to zero.
'In German oder English I know how to count down,
Und I'm learning Chinese,' says Wernher von Braun."
Tom Lehrer
1965
"You too may be a big hero,
Once you've learned to count backwards to zero.
'In German oder English I know how to count down,
Und I'm learning Chinese,' says Wernher von Braun."
Tom Lehrer
1965
From our 'What in this World Could Possibly Go Wrong' files
North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has put his youngest son in charge of the country's spy agency in a move aimed at handing the communist regime over to him, a news report said Wednesday. (more)
The Obama administration is planning to eliminate a spy satellite program at the Department of Homeland Security that had produced concerns about domestic spying, officials said. The program would have given state and local law enforcement officials access to high-resolution imagery from spy satellites to aid them in disaster relief efforts, bolster border security and help secure major events like the Super Bowl. (more)
The Iranian regime has developed, with the assistance of European telecommunications companies, one of the world's most sophisticated mechanisms for controlling and censoring the Internet, allowing it to examine the content of individual online communications on a massive scale. (more)
Kuwait's parliament will hold a vote of no-confidence on the interior minister next week after he was quizzed on Tuesday over accusations that include spying on MPs and squandering public funds. (more)
Colombia's Prosecutor General's office called Noguera and three other former DAS directors for questioning about their alleged involvement in the wiretapping scandal of the intelligence agency. (more)
Canadian police will be given new powers to eavesdrop on Internet-based communications... (more)
The Obama administration is planning to eliminate a spy satellite program at the Department of Homeland Security that had produced concerns about domestic spying, officials said. The program would have given state and local law enforcement officials access to high-resolution imagery from spy satellites to aid them in disaster relief efforts, bolster border security and help secure major events like the Super Bowl. (more)
The Iranian regime has developed, with the assistance of European telecommunications companies, one of the world's most sophisticated mechanisms for controlling and censoring the Internet, allowing it to examine the content of individual online communications on a massive scale. (more)
Kuwait's parliament will hold a vote of no-confidence on the interior minister next week after he was quizzed on Tuesday over accusations that include spying on MPs and squandering public funds. (more)
Colombia's Prosecutor General's office called Noguera and three other former DAS directors for questioning about their alleged involvement in the wiretapping scandal of the intelligence agency. (more)
Canadian police will be given new powers to eavesdrop on Internet-based communications... (more)
FutureWatch - Social Networking Strangulation
If you're planning to apply for a job with the city of Bozeman, Montana, be prepared to hand over much more than your references and résumé. The Rocky Mountain city instructs all job applicants to divulge their usernames and passwords for "any Internet-based chat rooms, social clubs or forums, to include, but not limited to: Facebook, Google, Yahoo, YouTube.com, MySpace, etc."
"Before we offer people employment in a public trust position we have a responsibility to do a thorough background check," Chuck Winn, Bozeman's assistant city manager, told CBSNews.com in an interview on Thursday. "This is just a component of a thorough background check." (more)
FutureWatch...
Yin: Expect this trend to continue and expand.
Yang: Expect to see dual social networking - one for due diligence consumption, and a sub-rosa one, for real.
"Before we offer people employment in a public trust position we have a responsibility to do a thorough background check," Chuck Winn, Bozeman's assistant city manager, told CBSNews.com in an interview on Thursday. "This is just a component of a thorough background check." (more)
FutureWatch...Yin: Expect this trend to continue and expand.
Yang: Expect to see dual social networking - one for due diligence consumption, and a sub-rosa one, for real.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Wiretap Using an Erricson Cell Phone
...unconfirmed, but interesting...
"Erricson's WAP, Wireless Application Protocol, suffers from a security flaw that allows attackers to listen into other WAP sessions traveling on the cellular carrier wave... This attack is limited, since you cannot choose which number to wiretap on, and you cannot talk at the same time that you are wiretapping a line. This vulnerability shows the lack of security of WAP as it is offered in today's cellular networks. (more)
Blue Blaze Irregulars, check and advise!
How to wiretap from an Erricson Cell Phone:
1) Type 904059
2) Menu
3) Yes
4) 1
5) RCL
6) Yes
7) 8300**
8) Yes
9) 86
(Instead of the ** you can write any number you wish, except for the number 00)
To stop the wiretapping:
1) Type RCL
2) 3
3) Yes
"Erricson's WAP, Wireless Application Protocol, suffers from a security flaw that allows attackers to listen into other WAP sessions traveling on the cellular carrier wave... This attack is limited, since you cannot choose which number to wiretap on, and you cannot talk at the same time that you are wiretapping a line. This vulnerability shows the lack of security of WAP as it is offered in today's cellular networks. (more)
Blue Blaze Irregulars, check and advise!
How to wiretap from an Erricson Cell Phone:
1) Type 904059
2) Menu
3) Yes
4) 1
5) RCL
6) Yes
7) 8300**
8) Yes
9) 86
(Instead of the ** you can write any number you wish, except for the number 00)
To stop the wiretapping:
1) Type RCL
2) 3
3) Yes
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Security Of Desks and File Cabinets
So, I am updating my address book. Up pops Michael Silva, a very smart independent security consultant in Edmonds, Washington. I verify his web site address. Interesting. It sidetracks me and I begin poking around. I found a gem for you!
Security Of Desks and File Cabinets <-- click
There may be nothing in this brief article you don't already know, but refresh your memory anyway. When it comes to securing information, this topic ranks right up there with shredding and eavesdropping.
Necessity spawns invention...
At the start of my career an executive countered my suggestion that he clear his desk at night. "I have my paperwork in very specific piles. I can't be moving all of them every night."
I invented a desk condom for him. Custom made to fit his desk, it was lightweight ripstop nylon with a drawstring along the edges. Flip it over the desk at night, pull the cord, lock the lock. Simple. Cheap. It worked for him. Kept after-hours snoops away, and kept the cleaners from knocking over his piles of papers. Stored easily, too.
If you get any grief, ask your execs, "Would you leave a stack of twenties on your desk overnight?" ~Kevin
Photo (Click to enlarge.) - My worst case.
Security Of Desks and File Cabinets <-- click
There may be nothing in this brief article you don't already know, but refresh your memory anyway. When it comes to securing information, this topic ranks right up there with shredding and eavesdropping.
Necessity spawns invention...
At the start of my career an executive countered my suggestion that he clear his desk at night. "I have my paperwork in very specific piles. I can't be moving all of them every night."
I invented a desk condom for him. Custom made to fit his desk, it was lightweight ripstop nylon with a drawstring along the edges. Flip it over the desk at night, pull the cord, lock the lock. Simple. Cheap. It worked for him. Kept after-hours snoops away, and kept the cleaners from knocking over his piles of papers. Stored easily, too.If you get any grief, ask your execs, "Would you leave a stack of twenties on your desk overnight?" ~Kevin
Photo (Click to enlarge.) - My worst case.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
"How often are Trade Secrets stolen?"
"...a trade secret once lost, is, of course, lost forever."Anacomp, Inc. v. Shell Knob Servs., 93 Civ. 4003 (PKL), 1994 U.S. Dist. Lexis 223 (S.D.N.Y. 1994).
Like eavesdropping and other forms of espionage, properly executed, you'll never know. Only the failed, suspected, obvious and fortuitously uncovered cases surface. And, of those... very few are documented in court records.
We can extrapolate the depth of trade secret espionage from documented court records.
Thanks to R. Mark Halligan, a Partner at Nixon Peabody LLP in Chicago, this is fairly easy to do. He keeps track of trade secret cases at his Web site - tradesecretshomepage.com It is billed as, "The most complete source for trade secret information on the Web!"
On with the show!
Let's look at the trade secret cases in Mr. Halligan's vault. (Click here. Stand back.) WOW! Just think... those are the cases which made it to court, and got reported - the tip of an apparently huge knowledge-berg of melting profits.
Computation: Chances look very good someone (or many people) have, are, or will be, picking your corporate pockets, too.
Did you know?: The courts determine the existence of a trade secret based on six factors. One of them is... "What security measures (above and beyond normal security) have been taken to protect the trade secret?"
Solutions:
- Make friends now with Mr. Halligan and myself. Besides due diligence, our services are very cheap insurance.
- Check out The Trade Secret Office. It provides software products that make determination of trade secret status simpler and more concrete. FREE Trade Secret Primer.
- Visit Professor Jon Cavicchi's The Trade Secrets Vault for late breaking news.
Mission Creep to Catch A Creep
Two Dutch men have been arrested after a boy they allegedly mugged spotted them using an application on the Google website... he discovered the incident had been recorded on Google's StreetView application.
Under Google's rules, his attackers' faces were blurred, but the men were identified after the company gave investigators the original unobscured picture. Police then identified the men - twin brothers - and made an arrest. (more)
"Quick, call Google...
...and Homeland Security, too!"
Golf balls are bombarding the Port of Everett and anti-terrorism cameras are being trained on a residential neighborhood to hunt down the source... port officials believe someone on Rucker Hill is whacking golf balls down the hill onto port property, endangering dozens of workers and millions of dollars worth of equipment and cargo... they say pointing video surveillance cameras toward the residential area is an appropriate use of the equipment. The cameras were paid for, along with fencing and other security equipment, with $2.3 million in grants from the Department of Homeland Security... (more)
Under Google's rules, his attackers' faces were blurred, but the men were identified after the company gave investigators the original unobscured picture. Police then identified the men - twin brothers - and made an arrest. (more)
"Quick, call Google...
...and Homeland Security, too!"
Golf balls are bombarding the Port of Everett and anti-terrorism cameras are being trained on a residential neighborhood to hunt down the source... port officials believe someone on Rucker Hill is whacking golf balls down the hill onto port property, endangering dozens of workers and millions of dollars worth of equipment and cargo... they say pointing video surveillance cameras toward the residential area is an appropriate use of the equipment. The cameras were paid for, along with fencing and other security equipment, with $2.3 million in grants from the Department of Homeland Security... (more)
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Yet another USB thumb-drive hitchhikes
South Australia's Health Minister John Hill says sensitive files on planning for the new Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) have disappeared.
He says the files kept on a USB drive were lost by an employee from SA Health's Major Projects Office this month...
The SA Opposition says a review must find out why it took nine days for Government ministers to be told the sensitive material had been lost.
Opposition health spokeswoman Vickie Chapman says loss of the files could sabotage the tendering process for the project.
"The biggest item of infrastructure promised by this Government is now at risk," she said.
"Now the most serious interpretation of this is that these documents contain material perhaps even the public sector comparative figures that will just give a field day for prospective tenderers." (more)
You know you are going to loose your USB drive some day.
Why not encrypt it today?
It's FREE. Click here.
Want an easy OTS solution? Click here.
Pick one, or risk being a NIT.
(Negligent Idiot Twit)
He says the files kept on a USB drive were lost by an employee from SA Health's Major Projects Office this month...
The SA Opposition says a review must find out why it took nine days for Government ministers to be told the sensitive material had been lost.
Opposition health spokeswoman Vickie Chapman says loss of the files could sabotage the tendering process for the project.
"The biggest item of infrastructure promised by this Government is now at risk," she said.
"Now the most serious interpretation of this is that these documents contain material perhaps even the public sector comparative figures that will just give a field day for prospective tenderers." (more)
You know you are going to loose your USB drive some day.
Why not encrypt it today?
It's FREE. Click here.
Want an easy OTS solution? Click here.
Pick one, or risk being a NIT.
(Negligent Idiot Twit)
GPS phones could spy on swine flu sufferers
From our "Thin Cover for Ulterior Motives" files...
Health authorities in Japan think they might have the answer to tracking and blocking the spread of swine flu - keep an eye on the population through mobile phones. The idea is to track every individual on their phone's global positioning system (GPS). Then people can be warned if they have crossed paths with anyone diagnosed with a highly contagious illness. (more)
...and what about the tykes who carry germs but not cell phones?
Oh, never mind, they already thought of that!
Schoolchildren to be RFID-chipped
Japanese authorities decide tracking is best way to protect kids
School authorities in the Japanese city of Osaka have decided the benefits outweigh the disadvantages and will now be chipping children in one primary school. The tags will be read by readers installed in school gates and other key locations to track the kids' movements. (more)
Think this is hard to do?
Think again...
World's smallest and thinnest RFID tag is powder made by Hitachi.
No, that's last year's model on the fingertip. This year's model is 60 times smaller – 0.05 x 0.05 millimeters. Look at the microscope slide with the human hair laid across the middle.
The new RFID chips have a 128-bit ROM for storing a unique 38 digit number, like their predecessor. Hitachi used semiconductor miniaturization technology and electron beams to write data on the chip substrates to achieve the new, smaller size.
Hitachi's mu-chips are already in production; they were used to prevent ticket forgery at last year's Aichi International Technology Exposition. RFID 'powder,' on the other hand, is so much smaller that it can easily be incorporated into thin paper, like that used in paper currency and gift certificates. (more)
Health authorities in Japan think they might have the answer to tracking and blocking the spread of swine flu - keep an eye on the population through mobile phones. The idea is to track every individual on their phone's global positioning system (GPS). Then people can be warned if they have crossed paths with anyone diagnosed with a highly contagious illness. (more)
...and what about the tykes who carry germs but not cell phones?
Oh, never mind, they already thought of that!
Schoolchildren to be RFID-chipped
Japanese authorities decide tracking is best way to protect kids
School authorities in the Japanese city of Osaka have decided the benefits outweigh the disadvantages and will now be chipping children in one primary school. The tags will be read by readers installed in school gates and other key locations to track the kids' movements. (more)
Think this is hard to do?
Think again...
World's smallest and thinnest RFID tag is powder made by Hitachi.
No, that's last year's model on the fingertip. This year's model is 60 times smaller – 0.05 x 0.05 millimeters. Look at the microscope slide with the human hair laid across the middle.
The new RFID chips have a 128-bit ROM for storing a unique 38 digit number, like their predecessor. Hitachi used semiconductor miniaturization technology and electron beams to write data on the chip substrates to achieve the new, smaller size.
Hitachi's mu-chips are already in production; they were used to prevent ticket forgery at last year's Aichi International Technology Exposition. RFID 'powder,' on the other hand, is so much smaller that it can easily be incorporated into thin paper, like that used in paper currency and gift certificates. (more)
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Optical Microphones
Old Lyme, Conn.-based Sennheiser is the latest vendor–and one of the few–to offer a microphone that uses optics rather than electrical signals to capture and transmit sound. The underlying concept is relatively straightforward. A light source–usually a light-emitting diode (LED)–shines against the diaphragm, and the reflections are picked up by a photodetector that's on the same side of the diaphragm. When the diaphragm moves, so do the reflections, creating changes in light intensity. The photodetector notes these changes, beginning the process of capturing them as sound waves. The light waves travel along a fiber optic cable to a unit that, besides providing power, includes a photodiode that converts the light into electrical signals.
Sennheiser's new mics, along with those from rivals such as Israel-based Optoacoustics, are aimed primarily at specific vertical markets...
...optical mics are a potential fit for high-security environments, such as government and defense contractor offices, where eavesdropping is a concern. That's because the alternative–mics with copper cables–even when they're shielded can double as antennas, radiating whatever content is traversing them.
How far those "broadcasts" travel depends on factors such as whether there are multiple walls in the area to attenuate the signal. But if the copper cables are in, say, an executive conference room that has lots of windows, there's a better chance that the signals can be picked up by someone in the parking lot below.
That scenario is one of the reasons why many government guidelines, such as the National Security Agency's TEMPEST, require fiber for secure applications. Often, the concerns such guidelines address often apply to the general enterprise market, too. (more)
In 1994, while optical microphones were still esoteric spy tools, I created a fiber optic microphone teacup for my clients. (front view) (rear view) (bottom view). Only 323 were made. If you still have yours, hold on to it. It's rare. ~Kevin
Does the word "spy" ring a Bell?
A great-grandson of Alexander Graham Bell has been arrested on charges of being an international spy.
Walter Kendall Myers, 72, and his wife Gwendolyn, 71, were arrested June 4 in Washington, D.C. after the FBI alleged the pair were spying on the United States for Cuba for three decades.
Myers is a former U.S. State Department analyst who had top-secret security clearance, according to The Associated Press. (more) (interesting historical background)
Walter Kendall Myers, 72, and his wife Gwendolyn, 71, were arrested June 4 in Washington, D.C. after the FBI alleged the pair were spying on the United States for Cuba for three decades.
Myers is a former U.S. State Department analyst who had top-secret security clearance, according to The Associated Press. (more) (interesting historical background)
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
FREE - Secure email service
from the website...
PrivacyHarbor.com’s private and FREE (Basic Account) email system keeps your messages out of the hands advertisers and others who want to see your email. You don’t want people reading your letters or listening in on your phone calls, so why would it be acceptable for spammers and companies to pry on your emails? The clear answer is, it’s not. Keep every message private, safe and secure with PrivacyHarbor... Private webmail account: More secure than online banking.
They offer a nice FREE package as well as moderately priced accounts. Compare the features of each here. ~Kevin
PrivacyHarbor.com’s private and FREE (Basic Account) email system keeps your messages out of the hands advertisers and others who want to see your email. You don’t want people reading your letters or listening in on your phone calls, so why would it be acceptable for spammers and companies to pry on your emails? The clear answer is, it’s not. Keep every message private, safe and secure with PrivacyHarbor... Private webmail account: More secure than online banking.
They offer a nice FREE package as well as moderately priced accounts. Compare the features of each here. ~Kevin
Monthly Poll Results - "If legal, would you..."
...use a Cell Phone Jammer?"71% YES
29% NO
Selected comments received...
"Perfect place to use them in conference rooms and Churches."
"The worst place for me is the bank, you're standing there, waiting, quiet (I have my phone on vibrate usually) and phone nearby you rings and someone cusses and argues or talks about idle crap while everyone else has to stand around and listen? Or in a diverse place, you might get a loudmouth in Spansih, another in Mandarian, or someone giving an idiotic opinion that doesn't make sense and then me and people in line start discussing and bickering cause that's all we can DO!!! I want to JAM em so bad right then and there. Legal or not. ;)"
Do you think a law would get passed...
... if it were your BlackBerry?
NJ- A bill sponsored by Senator Raymond J. Lesniak which would require telecommunications companies to provide caller location information for crime victims to law enforcement agencies was approved by the Senate Law, Public Safety and Veterans Affairs Committee Monday.
The measure would amend the state's wiretapping statute to require cell phone carriers and mobile broadband providers to disclose location information regarding a crime victim's mobile or wireless communications device under certain circumstances.
Lesniak's recent experience in which intruders broke into his Elizabeth home and robbed him underscored the need for this legislation. During the robbery, the thieves took his BlackBerry. Had the senator's cell phone carrier been able to cooperate with local law enforcement officials, police could have tracked down and apprehended the thieves much quicker, reducing the risk to the rest of the community. (more)
(click to enlarge)
...and, he might want to give BAK2u a try on his new BlackBerry. It backs-up and wipes-out confidential information on stolen BlackBerrys. ~Kevin
NJ- A bill sponsored by Senator Raymond J. Lesniak which would require telecommunications companies to provide caller location information for crime victims to law enforcement agencies was approved by the Senate Law, Public Safety and Veterans Affairs Committee Monday.
The measure would amend the state's wiretapping statute to require cell phone carriers and mobile broadband providers to disclose location information regarding a crime victim's mobile or wireless communications device under certain circumstances.
Lesniak's recent experience in which intruders broke into his Elizabeth home and robbed him underscored the need for this legislation. During the robbery, the thieves took his BlackBerry. Had the senator's cell phone carrier been able to cooperate with local law enforcement officials, police could have tracked down and apprehended the thieves much quicker, reducing the risk to the rest of the community. (more)
(click to enlarge)...and, he might want to give BAK2u a try on his new BlackBerry. It backs-up and wipes-out confidential information on stolen BlackBerrys. ~Kevin
The Captain's Mates
Philippines - Two Filipinos and a Jordanian national in the Philippines are facing possible extradition to the United States for hacking into the telephone systems of large US corporations and selling the information to Pakistani nationals living in Italy, the United States Department of Justice said over the weekend...The three are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of unauthorized access to computer systems and possession of unauthorized access devices including passcodes to US telephone systems. They each face a 25-year maximum prison sentence and a hefty fine...
...telecom companies lost an estimated $350 million in stolen revenue as a result of the phreaking syndicate. (more) (more)
(The Captain's story)
Even with "free" VoIP telephone service there is still a niche market ($350 million) for phone phreaks to plunder. In this case, they were selling phone service. Remote eavesdropping is another service. Make sure your business phone systems have been hacker-proofed. The Captain has many, many mates out there. ~Kevin
Pink - The Official Color of Info-Theft
(click to enlarge)Laid-off employees have emerged as the single biggest threat to data security...
The biggest security breaches in corporations these days are employees who have been laid off or who are about to get laid off.
When employees leave an organization on their own terms, particularly in good times, many companies scramble to figure out what they had access to and what the value of that information would be to a competitor. There is a large body of case law in the technology industry involving theft of trade secrets, and globalization has added a new twist because laws in some countries are either unenforceable or nonexistent. But in a downturn where millions of workers are being cut, the scale of the problem grows by several orders of magnitude.
So how does a CIO minimize data theft when so many employees are being cut? I posed that question to security guru Phillip Dunkelberger, CEO of PGP Corp. His answer: Once employees get their pink slips, it's already too late. He said the real work has to be done well before the termination notices go out. In fact, it has to begin even before the rumors start swirling that layoffs are imminent and employees have time to gather up their contact lists and whatever else they might deem necessary for their survival in case they get laid off. (more)
Some employees facing the poop-chute won't be satisfied with old data. Their egos and wallets crave more. Be sure to check for bugs, wiretaps and secret tunnels back into the corporate network. Keep an eye on their friends and lovers who still work for you, too...
Make your own "Official Pink Slip" Click here. ~Kevin
Monday, June 15, 2009
Security Director Alert - The Corruption Files
You can now purchased corrupted files on-line; only $3.95 each.Definition: Corrupted File ~ (n.) A file that contains scrambled and unrecoverable data due to hardware or software failure.
"Q: Can my teacher trace the file back to your website?A: No. Our files cannot be opened, traced, or reverse engineered. We also upload new files periodically to make sure our files always stay “fresh.” We didn’t just change a .jpeg extension into a .doc. We take pride in our corruption!"
Corrupted files are often signs of viruses, or glitches in the transmission process. Now, corrupted files can be a red flag that your colleague or student is a slacker, or a human engineer...
aka Spy:
"This is a copy of the Compensation Committee's Report your boss wants me to work on. See... it came through corrupted. Could you send me another copy of the file? I'm working from home today, let's try my private email account. That might work better. Thanks!"
"Keep this site a Secret!" is at the top of every page at Corrupted-Files.com So, don't spread this around. Ok? ~Kevin
The $1.95 Tool Every Spy Should Have
Pilot Japan has broken the barrier between pencils and erasable gel pens! To highlight this fact, their newest FriXion pens have plastic bodies reminiscent of wooden pencils. These erasable gel pens write in vibrant gel colors that are unattainable with colored pencil lead. The pens are so erasable, you'll be amazed. An incredible selection of 24 colors is available. (more)Here's the secret spy pen rub...
The ink is thermo-sensitive! Heat it. It disappears. Cool it. It reappears. All you need is a hair dryer and a refrigerator. (video)
Friday, June 12, 2009
FutureWatch - Bidirectional TV
From those wonderful folks who brought you Fruit Loops... ...a TV that stares back, figures out who you are, and chooses the next commercial just for you.
It knows you are more likely to buy Count Chocula or Lucky Charms.
"Kill the bird. Cue the Count."
How are they going to do this? Well, by targeting the ads to individual households using a technology called “community addressable messaging,” which allows “advertisers to select cable households within particular areas that have demographic factors, such as income, in common,” says the WSJ." (more)
Funny thing is... you may like this! You've never purchased a Shamwow in your life and the sight of Vince makes you run to the bathroom, or change the channel. But, you might be interested in a special on high-quality Viva towels. ~Kevin
Sign of the Times
Eavesdropping and info-leak concerns create a modern version of, "Park your weapons at the door, partner."
FutureWatch - Ring, Ring, Ah-choo
Scientists predict mobile phone viruses will pose a serious threat...If you own a computer, chances are you have experienced the aftermath of a nasty virus at some point. In contrast, there have been no major outbreaks of mobile phone viral infection, despite the fact that over 80 percent of Americans now use these devices. A team headed by Albert-Laszlo Barabasi, director of the Center for Complex Network Research at Northeastern University, set out to explain why this is true...
"We haven't had a problem so far because only phones with operating systems, so-called 'smart phones', are susceptible to viral infection," explained Marta Gonzalez, one of the authors of the publication. "Once a single operating system becomes common, we could potentially see outbreaks of epidemic proportion because a mobile phone virus can spread by two mechanisms: a Bluetooth virus can infect all Bluetooth-activated phones in a 10-30 meter radius, while Multimedia Messaging System (MMS) virus, like many computer viruses, spreads using the address book of the device. Not surprisingly, hybrid viruses, which can infect via both routes, pose the most significant danger."(more)
I Spy Father's Day - Secret Safes and more...
59372 98324 19043 78903 95320...
Date: Sunday, June 21Assignment: Get Pop something cool!
Suggested material: Peanut Butter Safe
Facts: Everybody’s got peanut butter tucked in the back of their cupboards. Now you can keep your valuables back there, too, without anyone knowing the difference. It looks—and weighs—just like a real jar of old fashioned peanut butter, but the top screws off to reveal a hollowed out center for hiding small items. Smart food, indeed!
Fun fact: We’ve had college kids buy these to hide their cell phones in.
Technical Data: Interior space 4” x 2”
Cost: $18.00
Procurement: Click here.
Alternate Spy Gear: Click here.
Top Secret: Until Monday...
Free $10 Gift Card with Orders Over $50.
...59372 98324 19043 78903 95320 O&O
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Spybusters - Top Ten Spybusting Tips
(cover story - Plaintiff Magazine, June '09)Who are these snoops?
Snoops can be competitors, vendors, investigators, business intelligence consultants, colleagues vying for positions, overbearing bosses, suspicious partners, the press, labor negotiators, government agencies. The list is long.
Why would I be a target?
Money and power are the top two reasons behind illegal surveillance. If anything you say or write could increase someone else’s wealth or influence, you are a target.
Is snooping common?
Yes. The news is full of stories about stolen information. In fact, many news stories themselves begin with leaks.
Can I protect myself?
Yes. Espionage is preventable. If... (full article)
Doctor Probed in Sex Video Case
Philippines - A three-pronged probe by the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) and possible wiretap charges await celebrity doctor Hayden Kho over his sex videos posted online. PMA spokesman Bu Castro said in a radio interview the PMA has formed a committee to look into the claims against Kho for conduct unbecoming of a doctor. (more)
Monday, June 8, 2009
Spies Hitting Financial Industry Center
Thanks to its status as a financial centre, Switzerland is seeing a sharp rise in spying activities amid the global economic crisis, the Swiss intelligence service told AFP. "We have seen a general interest for financial information," Juerg Buehler, who heads the service, part of the defence ministry, said in an interview. "This trend is reinforced with the financial crisis and competition between financial centres..."
Given the rising risks of foreign intelligence penetration, Buehler said his service is trying to make the banking industry aware of the dangers.
But he acknowledged that "we cannot have police patrolling in front of every bank". (more)
Side note: Most financial institutions already retain the services of eavesdropping detection / counterespionage consulting firms. ~Kevin
SpyCam Story #538 - "Craigslist? CRAIGSlist!?!?"
"Ok, mom, we get it."MA - Two sisters in Quincy say a roommate they found on Craigslist was spying on them.
Police arrested 42-year-old Deryck Reid after one of the sisters says she stepped out of the shower and Reid was pointing a cell phone camera in her direction.
Police searched the apartment on Nightingale Avenue in South Quincy and found video equipment, laptops and a camcorder in Reid's room.
Police say that Reid may have committed similar crimes in the past. (more)
2008 U.S. Wiretap Report (with chart)
US - State and Federal Wiretapping Decreases in 2008
A recent report releases information on 2008 state and federal wiretapping programs.
1,891: Wiretaps authorized by federal and state courts in 2008
14: Percentage decrease in wiretaps from 2007 to 2008
386: Number of applications by federal authorities for wiretaps in 2008
1,505: Number of applications by state authorities for wiretaps in 2008
41 days: Average operating time for a wiretap
92: Average number of people whose communications were intercepted per wiretap order
(more)
A recent report releases information on 2008 state and federal wiretapping programs.
1,891: Wiretaps authorized by federal and state courts in 2008
14: Percentage decrease in wiretaps from 2007 to 2008
386: Number of applications by federal authorities for wiretaps in 2008
1,505: Number of applications by state authorities for wiretaps in 2008
41 days: Average operating time for a wiretap
92: Average number of people whose communications were intercepted per wiretap order
(more)
$$$ - Zap the Tapper - Get Yourself 4 Big Ones
The Colombian government offers a 200 million peso (US$ 90 thousand) reward for information leading to those who ordered the illegal wiretapping carried out by Colombia's intelligence service DAS. (more)
SpyCam Story #537 - Stalk the Stalkers
Until recently, it has been a one-way transmission path for spycamers. They see you. (click photo to enlarge)A few years ago, a product came on the market that lets you see what the stalkers are stalking using their wireless cameras in the 900 MHz - 2.4 Ghz frequency range. Great, but what about all the new spycams being sold which operate in the 5.8 GHz range?
Just released is the VS-125 by Suresafe Technology, Inc. It covers the missing band 5.8 GHz band and has a few other surprises as well. It scans the 1.2 GHz and 2.4 GHz bands... simultaneously. It also demodulates audio so you can hear as well as see. (more)
How much does it cost? $450.USD, plus any bank transfer charges and shipping. ~Kevin
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