New: Cybercrime Investigations without Tapping

Qatar - An official at the Cyber Crime Unit at the Interior Ministry denied that Qatar was tapping phones, any other telecommunication devices or blocking political websites attacking the country.
  

Captain Ali al-Kobeisi, an officer at Cyber Crime Unit said that the Interior Ministry did not establish the Anti-Cyber Crimes Unit for eavesdropping on people, but to protect them.

“We do not tap phones, Blackberry devices or discussion forum websites. We do not eavesdrop on anyone. This unit is not for tapping. (more)

SpyCam Story #575 - Not Feeling Lucky Anymore

India - The Swedish model Lucky Farmhouse, who used a spycam to expose her boyfriend Yaniv Benaim's links with Goa police, says she has enough to establish a clear nexus between the police and Goa's notorious drug mafia.

"I have not put out all the (spycam) recordings because I need to save those in case they will be coming after me. If they make any problem for me in the future, I will put it out," Lucky said in an email interview from Sweden on Monday.

The 33-year-old model, who was living-in with Atala, had shocked the Goa police after she posted her boyfriend's clippings on social networking website youtube.com. (more) (more)

Protect Your Social Notworking Privacy

The Paradox of Exposing Without Exposing...

• Facebook Safety: A Primer 
• Facebook: 5 Privacy Settings You Must Tweak Now
• New Threat: Undetectable Facebook Scams
• Your Facebook Profile May Be Sold by Russian Hacker
• Facebook Hopes to Discuss Privacy With Sen. Schumer

Facebook Books...
Facebook For Dummies 
The Truth About Facebook - Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know, and Much More - The Facts You Should Know
Facebook for Parents: Answers to the Top 25 Questions

SpyCam Story #574 - Bath Man

MI - A Pellston man facing multiple felony charges for allegedly using a hidden camera and computer in his home to obtain sexually explicit images... Jaimie Emanuel McDonald, 36, was arrested March 2 by the Emmet County Sheriff’s Department, after two individuals in his home discovered a hidden camera shooting through a two-way mirror in the bathroom they had been using.

An affidavit in district court states that McDonald’s video camera was attached to a nearby computer, which captured the images of three victims — one of whom is under the age of 18 — taking showers and using the toilet... McDonald had allegedly been capturing video for five months — September 2009 to February 2010.

Originally, McDonald faced seven felonies... however, three more charges were added against him in a separate case, relating to the same incident, when another victim came forward. (more)

New BlackBerry SpyWare

US software firm Retina-X Studios on Tuesday released a more vigilant version of its Mobile Spy program that captures every email and picture from BlackBerry smartphones...

The previous version of Mobile Spy software kept track of text messaging and telephone calls, providing online access to data by employers, parents or whoever else is paying for smartphone accounts.

New Mobile Spy 4.0 software also provides employers or parents with smartphone contacts, calendar events, memos and records of which mobile phone towers a device was within range range of, according to Retina-X...

Versions of Mobile Spy are available for iPhone devices as well as for smartphones running on Android, Symbian, or Windows Mobile software, according to the Retina-X website.

Monitoring by Mobile Spy software is designed to go unnoticed after the software is installed on smartphones, the company said. The monitoring service is available for an annual subscription of 100 dollars. (more)

When bugs, taps and spies just aren't enough...

China to Enforce New Encryption Rules
China is set to implement new rules that would require makers of certain electronic equipment to disclose key encryption information to be eligible for government procurement sales, creating a possible showdown with foreign companies that are unlikely to comply. 

Beginning Saturday, makers of six categories of technology products, including smart cards, firewall technology and Internet routers, will have to disclose encryption codes to authorities for certification to participate in bidding for government purchases. Such encryption information is closely guarded by companies, and industry officials say foreign companies that fall under the new rules are unlikely to comply, which could mean they are cut off from government contracts for those products...

 

Disclosing encryption information is "something companies cannot and will not do," said Jorg Wuttke, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China at a briefing last week, because such codes are often kept secret by companies for both competitive and security reasons. 

Two companies that are likely to be affected by the rules are Gemalto NV, a maker of smart cards and other digital security products, and Cisco Systems Inc., the U.S. network-equipment giant. Cisco declined to comment on the new rules. Gemalto didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. (more)

Gordon Brown - Hot Miked

UK - Eight days before the U.K.'s hotly contested election, Prime Minister Gordon Brown committed the campaign's biggest gaffe on Wednesday when a live microphone caught him calling a voter "bigoted" after she confronted him over government policies including immigration... In an interview later with the British Broadcasting Corp., a visibly distressed Mr. Brown apologized to the voter over the incident... (more)

"But I didn't break a law." "No problem. We fix."

A month after the conviction of Australian citizen Stern Hu for taking kickbacks and stealing trade secrets, China has issued definitions of what constitutes commercial secrets...

They were published late on Monday. China's lack of clarification of state or commercial secrets, highlighted by the Rio employees' trials, has alarmed both Chinese and foreign investors. (more)

The Tale of the Trojan Kid

NY - A Granville man was charged with eavesdropping Saturday after his ex-girlfriend discovered a recording device hidden in a child's backpack, police said.

Donald A. Connolly, 34, of Route 22, was charged with felony eavesdropping after someone in the ex-girlfriend's home spotted a red light on a 4-year-old's backpack, Glens Falls Police Sgt. Keith Knoop said.

Knoop described the incident as follows:
Connolly and the ex-girlfriend have a 4-year-old child in common. Connolly had dropped the child off at the woman's Glens Falls home Saturday, and a short time later the light was spotted on the backpack. They found what appeared to be a recording device sewn into the backpack, and brought it to the Police Department. Police confirmed it was an audiorecorder. (more)

Electronic surveillance: Report of the National Commission for the Review of Federal and State Laws Relating to Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance (Paperback)

"The book provides a background briefing on surveillance technology as it existed in 1976 - although classified devices of the period are not covered. There is a comprehensive description of telephone tapping techniques, wireless transmitters and how their transmissions are concealed, non-audio eavesdropping and tape-recording technology. Coverage is thorough and includes numerous block diagrams but no circuits or schematics. There is a section on counter measures (TSCM) which mostly emphasises how difficult this task is and another on the falsification of recordings." reviewed by John A. Faulkner "signalsnatcher" (Sydney, NSW, Australia)

Smith & Jones - Back in Black

Forget you ever read this...

Men In Black director Barry Sonnenfeld has confirmed Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones's involvement in the new sequel. The filmmaker added that the movie will also be made in 3D and could be the big blockbuster release for May 2011's Memorial Day weekend. (more)

Bollygate I

India - ...a wiretap scandal is set to capture the attention of Parliament next week after media reports alleged that advanced tapping technology acquired by the government had been used to listen in on the conversations of opposition leaders as well as some Congress politicians.

The Indian version of the Watergate scandal surfaced in a report on Friday, claiming that sophisticated equipment meant to eavesdrop on and track terrorists and terror suspects had been used to spy on the conversations of the Congress's Digvijay Singh, NCP leader Sharad Pawar and CPM general secretary Prakash Karat. (more)

Bollygate II

India - Even as ... the alleged tapping of the phones of political leaders and senior bureaucrats is creating ripples in political circles, the fact remains that ordinary citizens are vulnerable to eavesdropping what with the advanced equipment used for the purpose. The new off-the-air GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) monitoring device, which has been used to track calls in the present case as claimed by the magazine, can be deployed anywhere. The device needs no authorisation as the phone is not being tapped at the exchange; it is only the signals that are intercepted between the phone and the cellphone tower and recorded on a hard disk.

The equipment can track and tap into any cellphone conversation within a two-km radius.

If this is not impressive enough, there are technologies available in the market that can convert your cellphone into an intelligence system by activating special software, to spy on you... a leading provider of analysis and surveillance solutions, has a technology that allows one to listen in to all phone calls made or received by the target handset, and also forwards all incoming and outgoing messages (SMS) on the target handset to a pre-defined number...

Interestingly, the application allows one to listen to a room conversation from anywhere in the world. It enables the user from the pre-defined number to call the phone when it is switched off and listen to the conversations taking place around the phone. (more)

Bollygate III

India - Even as various political leaders expressed outrage at reports that the government was eavesdropping on their telephone conversations, the UPA Government appeared gearing up to face the heat... Sources in the Prime Minister’s Office said, “We are getting this examined. We have taken note of it and it is being looked into.” (more)

SpyCam Story #573 - Bollygate IV

India - An office-boy of a call centre was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly installing a spy-camera in the ladies' lavatory in the office, police said.

Sanjay was apprehended following investigations into a complaint filed by a call centre in north-west Delhi's Peetampura and its women employees after they found a spy-camera in a packet of freshener. (more)

Spybusters Tip # 823 - Two Wiretaps You Can Find Yourself

Imagine this...

• Partners in a business have a falling out, but one of them seems to know everything.

• The founder of a growing company is forced out, but still seems to know everything.

• A divorce is pending. The husband moves out, but still seems to know everything.

Q. "How could this be?"

A. The other person may have purchased a legal wiretap... from the phone company!
(The act of eavesdropping is still illegal, however.)

Q. "What can I do?"

A. Pick up a different phone and search for it.

Call your local phone company business office. Review your account. Specifically, look for an OPX or an FX, which your "partner" may have added.

An OPX is an Off Premise Extension. It is just what it sounds like; an extension phone, located in the same area served by your exchange, but somewhere else.

An FX is a Foreign Exchange. Same as an OPX, but located in some other exchange or area code.

Bonus Spybusters Tip...

Q. Not receiving all you calls? 

Are people leaving voice mail messages, but you never hear them, or they show up late? Check your account for Remote Access to Call Forwarding. This feature allows the other person to redirect your calls, at will, from anywhere, to anywhere. 

Once engaged, they can answer your customer's calls - using your company name, or send them to their own voice mail (using a recording of your voice mail greeting). They may even selectively transfer these intercepted messages back to your voice mail - possibly edited. (Think Mission Impossible).

Double Bonus Spybusters Tip...

Double check the number of phone lines listed as coming to your address. This should exactly match the number of lines you think you have. Any extras? Call a qualified TSCM specialist for a sweep. 

Triple Bonus Spybusters Tip...

Once you have sorted all this out with your local phone company business office, ask them to "flag" your account. This means they will only discuss your account, and make changes, if they are given the correct password. Pick a good password. Don't use "Afganistan Banana Stand," that's mine. Don't tell anyone what your password is.

"Is that a snooper in your pocket, or are you just glad to hear me?"

...via the seller's web site...

Works on wooden walls, doors, windows, steel plates, etc. 

Highly Sensitive, carefully adjust audio slowly, as not to cause discomfort to your ear-buds.

This product is being sold as an investigative tools for law enforcement or licensed investigators. Anyone else ordering this device should only be ordering it as a simple toy since MANY COUNTRIES STRICTLY PROHIBIT OWNERSHIP OF SPY DEVICES. (more)

Why do I mention it?

So you will know what you're up against.

Lost Tracking Device Found Moonlighting

The Orange County district attorney’s office filed charges Thursday against a former Costa Mesa police officer suspected of hiding a tracking device inside a woman’s vehicle, then showing up at places she would frequent, according to a news release.

Aaron Paul Parsons, 30, was charged with one misdemeanor count of unlawful use of an electronic tracking device. If convicted, he faces a maximum of six months in jail...

After several encounters, the woman became suspicious and checked her car, finding the device apparently belonging to the Costa Mesa Police Department. She immediately reported it to police. (more)

Espionage Bumble, Brilliant Marketing or...

 Drunken idiot employee? You decide.

"You are looking at Apple's next iPhone. It was found lost in a bar in Redwood City, camouflaged to look like an iPhone 3GS." (more, with video)

Cell Phone Spyware - Beware

The Internet ad claims... for $99.95 and 5 minutes of your time, you too can spy on any cell phone in the world! 

Sound too good to be true? Read the hype. You decide.

• Unleash the very latest technology that allows you to spy on any Cell Phone, Laptop or Bluetooth enabled device...

• Not just one program but an entire suite of programs designed to work with old phones, new phones, smart phones, java phones -There is a solution for any phone out there...

• INSTANT DOWNLOAD - PURCHASE RIGHT NOW!

• That means that in as little as 5 minutes you can be checking any phone you want.  

• ...instantly you will be reading your wife's SMS/text messages, listening to your kid's phone conversation, even knowing what your boss or your neighbor is saying. All of this is done in stealth mode. This means they will never know that you are doing this. And this works on ALL phones. Samsung, Motorola, Nokia, Ericsson, Blackberry, absolutely all of them. This will work in all countries, on all networks.

• "Will I have to install any software on the phone(s) I wish to spy on?"
No. This product only needs to be installed on your phone. (more)

You may also want to read the fine print before pressing that "Download" button. 
Legal Info - Refund Policy

"There is no guarantee that this product will do what it claims to do;" 
"The product, service or membership referenced herein is sold with a no refund policy allowed. All sales are final!" (more)

You've been warned.
Learn more about Cell Phone Privacy here.  ~Kevin

CSI your USB

"We're going to show you how to mimic Microsoft's offering (Computer Online Forensic Evidence Extractor) using open-source software to unlock Windows accounts, investigate suspicious activity, see any file on a Windows disk and even peruse files that others believe have been permanently deleted." (more) 

Quick Take...

• Grab an old USB stick. (2GB or more)

• Read the directions. (here)

• Load BackTrack 4 onto your stick. (BackTrack 4 download)

(ta-daaaa!) 

• Now pretend you are William Petersen

Employee Spies on Boss (Oh, both are cops.)

The Botswana Police Service has suspended a senior police officer barely four months after he returned to work following his suspension arising from charges that he was allegedly involved in irregularities relating to tender procedures for the purchase of high-tech equipment to eavesdrop on cell phone and electronic mail conversations. This time around the officer was suspended for allegedly hacking his boss’s computer, thereby accessing privileged information. (more)

"Just one of my old CDs, officer."

There's a potential new form of steganography -- the sending of messages in ways that leave no hint the messages even exists -- that could lead to corporate data loss via CDs. (more)

Report... Espionage Goes Commercial

via securityinfowatch.com...

"Today, I've been perusing a new report from the Defense Security Service (DSS), and if you've been thinking espionage ended with the Cold War and exists today only in James Bond movies, think again! This report looks at how espionage -- either through human contact or through technology infiltrations -- is targeting U.S. Defense Department contractors, especially in regards to new technology related to UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles)...

So, the point is that the espionage is being pushed out into the commercial arena, rather than from traditional government spies. But how involved are the governments, really? Are they facilitating commercial contact for espionage purposes? It's a question that we'll likely never have answered, and if they are doing that, it gives them plausible deniability."

(more) (download the report) 

"Juz following up on complaint, newzboy."

Russia - Moscow's Tverskoi District Court has authorized the seizure of documents and computers from the New Times magazine after it published a story on police corruption...

The New Times said it had received a court notice about the impending confiscation and would appeal... The independent magazine also said it has complained to the Federal Security Service that an eavesdropping device had been found in the car of its editor-in-chief, Yevgenia Albats. (more)

How Do They Do It - Net Tapping

"Our latest products are the industry's only intelligent network surveillance probes for 1Gbps and 10Gbps networks. 

Designed for use in distributed surveillance environments under the control of separate mediation systems, they are ideal for monitoring large and complex networks and offer advanced features such as target discovery based on Webmail/Email address, chat/IM id, VoIP calling information, and IP address/subnet.

DeepProbe has the capability to fully inspect every network packet, so the controlling mediation systems don’t need to rely on CMTSs, switches, routers or other probes for filtering and intercept." (more)

“This is one of the most unusual cases I have ever encountered”, said Suzanne Stringer, of the Crown Prosecution Service.

UK - Man frames co-worker’s husband as collector of child pornography... (his goal) was to break up the marriage of the co-worker with whom he was infatuated. The police finally managed to trace the real culprit after it emerged that the Finnish man had previously appeared unannounced at his co-worker’s home when her husband was at work...

Furthermore, the police uncovered photographs taken inside the victim’s home in Karttunen’s possession. From his workplace, a tractor factory, the investigators also found a bugging device containing recordings of the victim’s family life. (more)

"Most enterprises do not actually know whether their data security programs work or not..."

The business of trading in corporate secrets is bigger and more lucrative than ever, a Forrester study commissioned by Microsoft, RSA and EMC has found, with tech companies in particular targeted for theft.

Most people associate espionage with war and politics. In the tech-centric 21st century, the trading of secrets for cash is where the game is at and most enterprises are overly focused on compliance and not enough on protecting their secrets.

The study concluded that most enterprises do not actually know whether their data security programs work or not. (more) (The Forrester study)

Of course they don't know... Corporate secrets are vulnerable long before they are distilled into to computerized data. Risk mitigation begins with a counterespionage strategy that takes into account pre-data information security. 

Please, get a good counterespionage strategist on-board. IT security alone is too little, too late.

"Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!" not to mention "Uh-oh!"

Alfred Wong, a former Secret Service official who reportedly oversaw the installation of the taping system at the Nixon White House, and whose job at one point was to prevent the White House from being bugged, died last week of mesothelioma, a form of cancer, the Washington Post reported. He was 91.

Wong, of Potomac, Md., spent 24 years in the Secret Service before retiring in 1975 as deputy assistant director in charge of White House security, the Post reported.

Wong told USA Today in 1994, because his job was to prevent bugs from being installed in the White House, he was reluctant to install the tape recording system ordered by Nixon, the Post reported.

“My first response was that we shouldn’t do it, but then it was that we have to do it,” Wong told USA Today. “They wanted it done surreptitiously.”

Of course, the rest is history. (more) (more)

Spybusters InfoBonus...

Report on the US Secret Service and the White House taping system during the Nixon Administration - Secret Service Participation in Tapings (click here)

Update - Feed the Children Bugging Case

Oklahoma’s attorney general has opened a formal investigation of Feed The Children because of allegations of misuse of funds, an assistant attorney general disclosed Friday.

The investigation will involve scrutiny of the charity board of directors and its former president, Larry Jones, who was fired in November.

The charity has accused Jones of taking bribes, hiding porn magazines at the charity and "bugging” executives’ offices. The charity also alleges he misspent charity funds, pocketed travel money, kept gifts from appearances, secretly gave himself a raise and misused a charity employee as a nanny.

Jones denies wrongdoing... (more)

Even more interesting... Jones asked for the AG to get involved!

Bingo Bill Fallout

AL - ...lawmaker says his secretary won't talk on the phone for fear it's bugged. (more)

Turkish Tappy - Update

This is an amazing story. A private large-scale illegal wiretapping ring - busted. The ring included cell phone company employees, businessmen, a sports writer, a sports figure, former policemen and others! 

Although unusual, it is not unheard of... remember Rupert Murdocks' newsboys' caper last year?

Turkey - Teams from the Istanbul Police Department Organized Crimes Unit decided to take action after receiving over 100 complaints of illegal tapping. After conducting a detailed investigation for over two years, police forces initiated a simultaneous operation in four different districts yesterday morning at 07:00. Two high-level administrators and a staff member of a Global Systems for Mobile Communications Company as well as five well-known businessmen, a sports writer, former national footballer Ridvan Dilmen and six former police officers were amongst the total 26 detained...

According to the allegations, the businessmen detained were claimed to have used the assistance of a telephone tapping organization to listen to other businessmen, and used prior records of messages and conversations to their advantage as extortion. Allegations also surfaced against Ridvan Dilmen that he listened in to former footballer Tanju Çolak due to claims he was interfering in his relationship with his girlfriend. Supposedly, reports of over 100 different telephone calls were found in his e-mail address. Meanwhile, the five businessmen were detained yesterday in connection to allegations they used an illegal tapping organization to track their girlfriends. 

The telephone tapping organization is claimed to have worked in conjunction with a security company which offers private detective services.

The illegal organization is claimed to have worked with the GSM company administrators that were detained and were able to keep tabs on their victims, by listening in on their phone conversations, sharing their messaging information and by obtaining information from the base station were able to track their locations and times of calls. Supposedly the organization had specific rates for famous figures they conducted this service for, such as 3-5 thousand dollars for one to three months of tracking and 5-15 thousand dollars for three to six months of tracking. (more)

A tip worth repeating... High profile individuals and prominent executives - Hire a reputable specialist to check for bugs, taps and spycams on a regularly scheduled basis. Be sure to investigate your specialist's background and credentials. You really don't want to hire an organized crime "front company" to conduct your sweep.

Wanted: Speech Therapist. Near Cairo.

Members of an Egyptian family have been using paper and pencils for communications for 11 years after the head of the family found a listening device in their apartment, local media reported on Monday.

The bug was apparently installed by Muhammad’s first wife.

The man moved to a new apartment after that but the bugs moved with him and the family decided to use notes for communication when at home.

Muhammad’s six-year-old daughter had to learn to write early.

After eleven years, they got sick and tired of writing letters to each other and turned for help to specialists only when Muhammad’s ex-wife died.

The family was shocked when they learned that the bug was fake and never worked. (more)

Don't mention the 'explosive' diarrhea you picked up on your trip.

If you are boarding a plane within the European Union you may want to watch what you are saying, as under a new security programme someone is likely to be listening in...

 

The EU is funding a new security program which will be monitoring "suspicious" behaviour on airplanes in Europe. 

The project, designed to combat terrorism, uses a combination of cameras, microphones, explosives detectors and a sophisticated computer system which would give a pilot early warning of any danger. 

Brussels is funding research at Reading University at the moment and the project could be rolled out within the next few years. But the work has alarmed civil liberties campaigners who fear the growth of the big brother state. (more)

EU Investigates Mystery Buggings

European Union officials have launched an investigation after bugging devices were found at offices used by several delegations - including those of France, Germany and the UK.

Extra security measures have been adopted ahead of a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday and Friday.

Spanish, Italian and Austrian offices had also been bugged, officials said...

EU spokesman Dominique-Georges Marro said it was "impossible at this stage" to determine who had planted the devices. (more)

Corporate Espionage: Five Areas Where You Could Be Caught Napping

1. Know Your Company’s Strengths.
While there aren’t many business managers who don’t know where their profit comes from, a significant number will automatically assume that it is only the strengths that drive those profits that someone else might wish to steal. The two do not necessarily equate. What may appear to you to be a minor part of your production chain could be the missing link for a domestic or overseas competitor.

2. Know Your Employees and the Stresses and Strains They’re Under.
The global financial crisis might be only one reason why some of your staff members are desperate for cash.  

3. Physical Security.
Know who’s coming in and out of your firm’s premises. Some companies have no policy on visitors, whether friends, customers or prospective clients. Even inquisitive members of the public sometimes gain access through sheer gall and boldness. Consider the areas to which general staff access should be restricted. Don’t forget to screen your cleaners, caterers, as well as your security guards. Anyone who has access to your premises during or after working hours is a potential threat, either through accessing sensitive information or planting listening devices.

4. Electronic Security.
This is a huge area where every business should regularly seek professional advice on the sort of equipment installed and the ways in which it is used. Anti-virus software and firewalls won’t offer much protection against a concerted attempt to penetrate your operations.

5. Personal Security.
Most employees – through no fault of their own – will lack the sense of security with which you would hope they’re endowed. You need to regularly reinforce for them your company’s security requirements, and the best way to do this is to keep it simple. (more)

Dumpster diving for advice provides far less than it costs...

"The Internet is a city of mental nourishment.

You can pick dumpsters for your food, or you can spend some money and visit a fine restaurant." ~ Chef Kevin

Do-it-yourself bugging (dumpster a la law suit)

"Morally it won’t be correct to eavesdrop on an individual’s personal discussion, but through electronics you can always and every time find a way of fulfilling your wishes no matter whether the act is ethical or not." (more)

Do-it-yourself de-bugging (dumpster a la lie)

"If you find yourself the victim of a nasty lawsuit, industrial espionage, or an intrusive ex-spouse, be on guard against audio surveillance... With proper equipment and the vigilance to use it on a regular basis, you can minimize the risk of electronic eavesdropping." (more)

Eat smart.

Meet the Canadians who busted GhostNet

A team of Canadian researchers revealed this weekend a network, dubbed GhostNet, of more than 1,200 infected computers worldwide that includes such "high-value targets" as Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Kuwait, as well as a dozen computers in Canada.

The revelation left government bodies around the world scrambling to determine what sensitive files may have been compromised by the cyber-spy network, which even now continues to spread and infect, its authors apparently undaunted by all the extra attention. (more)

The Smallest SpyCam in the World

Muvi by VEHO – Smaller than the average thumb!

2" x ¾" x ¾" It's the smallest spycam in the world. You can even wear it around your neck and use it as a webcam.

Muvi has a special VOX mode that lets you start/stop recording using your voice

Micro SD card slot

Despite its size the Muvi records in VGA quality (640x480). Incredible! Videos are stored on the included 2GB Micro SD card (1 hour of recording!), but for those of you who prefer real epics the Muvi can handle cards up to 8GB. (more) (sample videos)

Wiretapping + Blackmail = $$$

Turkey - Former Fenerbahçe soccer player Rıdvan Dilmen was arrested on Tuesday as part of a suspected organized crime group that allegedly wiretapped prominent figures, the Anatolia news agency has reported.

Thirty-six people, including Fenerbahçe's legendary player, were arrested in four different provinces in simultaneous operations conducted by the National Police Department.

These detainees allegedly wiretapped prominent figures such as businessmen, celebrities and soccer players. Police have also taken the testimony of another legendary soccer player, Tanju Çolak, under the scope of the operation. (more)

Spybusters' Tip - High profile individuals and prominent executives - Hire a reputable specialist to check for bugs, taps and spycams on a regularly scheduled basis. Be sure to investigate the specialist's background and credentials. You really don't want to hire an organized crime "front company" to conduct your sweep.

Keeping up with privacy news...

Privacy Journal specializes in reporting on the individual's right to privacy.

The monthly newsletter was founded in 1974, before there was an Internet, before there was e-mail, and before there was automated telemarketing. Thus, it's the oldest publication on privacy in the world.

It is always full of news on new technology and its impact on privacy, tips for protecting your privacy, and the latest on court decisions, legislation, professional conferences, and corporate practices.

Robert Ellis Smith, who is recognized as the leading expert on the right to privacy in the U.S., is the publisher. (more) 

In addition to the journal, PJ is an exceelnt source for specialized privacy information...

• Compilation of State and Federal Privacy Laws
• Ben Franklin's Web Site. A book about privacy in American history - from our founding to the present.
• The Directory of Privacy Professionals
and more.

"I'm gonna super-size your butt, clown!"

NJ - Police have charged a man who they say climbed in a drive-thru at a New Jersey McDonald's because he was tired of waiting for his Filet-O-Fish sandwich.

Rashon East was charged with simple assault and making terroristic threats after he turned himself in to South Brunswick police on Monday. East paid for the sandwich at the first window. Surveillance video then showed the man climbed out of the back seat and into the pickup window.

Police say East felt intense pressure to surrender because of media attention from videotape and pictures that were released. (more) 
 
Spybusters' Tip - Never underestimate the power of pro-active video surveillance. Logging entry / exit activity at your doors is one good counterespionage deterrent.

21 Technical Secrets (and their solutions)

via pcworld.com  

Here are 21 dangers that the industry is hiding from you--and what you can do about them. 

Don't despair. For every dirty little secret revealed herein, we describe a fix or a way to work around it (if any exists). You don't have to be a victim, if you know what to do.

• Your Webcam May Be Watching You
• Your Cell Phone Is a Homing Beacon
• Your Facebook Apps Are Spying on You
• Cell Phones Don't Crash Airplanes
• Your Boss Can (and Probably Does) Monitor Your Computer
• Your Geolocation Data Is Not Private
• Your Passport Could Make You a Target for Crime--Wirelessly
• The Social Web Never Forgets
• Antivirus Software Won't Protect You 
• The Cyberwar Is Heating Up (and Uncle Sam Is Losing) 
• Google Could Rat You Out
• You Can Escape Almost Any Service Contract Without Penalties
• Your ISP Is a Copyright CopYou Can Fight the RIAA and Win
• A 'Cheap' Smartphone Is a Rip-Off
• The NSA Is Tapping Your Data Stream
• Pacemakers and Other Implants Can Be Hacked
• Your PC May Be Killing YouYou're Spending Too Much on Printer Ink
• End User License Agreements May Not Be Enforceable
• 'Private' or 'Incognito' Browsing...Isn't

When not polishing his tin-foil hat, Contributing Editor Dan Tynan tends his geek-humor empire at eSarcasm.

Stare Bear "I don't want him daddy, he's creepy."

via ThinkGeek...

"The Tell Me Your Secrets Bear is an adorable plush that will be your wee geek's closest confidante. When hugged, he'll profess his love for your child, and stress that friends always share their secrets. He'll ask, "Do you have a secret, best friend? You can tell me anything." When the bear completes a trigger phrase, the audio and video turns on, recording your child's secrets, which are then wirelessly transmitted to you via email (or Twitter). Of course, mostly you'll hear things like, "I really wish Mommy would cook more bacon" or "Is this real life?" but every once in a while, you'll get valuable intelligence that will help you become a more casually despotic parent. We guarantee it." (more) (funny video)