WV - A federal judge sentenced a former Massey Energy Co. security chief to three years in prison for obstructing a criminal probe into the 2010 explosion that killed 29 miners in the worst U.S. coal-mining disaster in four decades.
A jury in October convicted Hughie Elbert Stover of lying to federal investigators about a company policy of providing advance notice of federal inspections and of obstructing a federal criminal investigation into the blast by ordering the destruction of more than 50,000 documents. Mr. Stover, 60 year old, was the top security official at Massey's Upper Big Branch mine in Montcoal, W.Va., at the time of the explosion. (more)
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
FutureWatch - Light Field Cameras
The first consumer light field camera has just been released. You'll never take another out-of-focus picture again.
"The very first light fields were captured at Stanford University over 15 years ago. The most advanced light field research required a roomful of cameras tethered to a supercomputer. Today, Lytro completes the job of taking light fields out of the research lab and making them available for everyone, in the form of the world’s first Lytro Light Field Camera" FutureWatch: Imagine this technology incorporated into CCTV surveillance cameras. No more waiting for the lens to focus. No more out of focus license plates, no more windy day auto-focus cognitive dissonance, no more fuzzy pictures of perps. Instant point, shoot and gottcha pix.
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Special Agent T-Shirt Contest #3
Contest Closed - We have a winner.
Who is this famous wiretapper? (Enter here.)
(Hint: the answer can be found at spybusters.com)
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The prize - our Limited Edition Special Agent Black T-Shirt. (Size: X-Large)
Answer: Gerard "Cheesebox" Callahan
Answer: Gerard "Cheesebox" Callahan
("How limited," I hear you say.)
Well, there are only three in the whole world! (one medium, one large, one x-large) And, they will be awarded in that order. So if you're a big Special Agent, this is YOUR contest.
We designed this custom t-shirt ourselves! It's easy, go to ooShirts.com. They have a DIY on-line design lab! All types of t's, all colors, all prices. These are the Champion brand with the logo on the left sleeve.
Shady Rat - Cell Phone Malware
A former McAfee researcher has used a previously unknown hole in smartphone browsers to plant China-based malware that can record calls, pinpoint locations and access user texts and emails.
Just as U.S. companies are coming to grips with threats to their computer networks emanating from cyber spies based in China, a noted expert is highlighting what he says is an even more pernicious vulnerability in smartphones. Dmitri Alperovitch, the formerMcAfee Inc. cyber security researcher best known for identifying a widespread China-based cyber espionage operation dubbed Shady Rat, has used a previously unknown hole in smartphone browsers to plant China-based malware that can commandeer the device, record its calls, pinpoint its location and access user texts and emails. He conducted the experiment on a phone running Google Inc.'s Android operating system, although he says Apple Inc.'s iPhones are equally vulnerable. (more)
Parasites are Not Supposed to Kill Their Hosts
Canada - An electronic stealth operation allegedly based in China hacks into Nortel Networks Inc., Canada's high-flying telecom superstar, loots its secrets for a decade and, says one cyber-security expert, contributes to the company's fatal implosion.
Queen's University professor David Skillicorn points out that after the hackers penetrated Nortel around 2000, they began stealing technical papers, research and development reports, and strategic business plans.
After that, Nortel couldn't compete for contracts "because the hackers had their technical knowledge, their financials, their bids, before they submitted them," Skillicorn told Postmedia News. "How can you compete in an environment like that? These hackers weren't into Nortel just out of curiosity. They were using the stuff they got."
A Wall Street Journal report quotes Brian Shields, a 19-year Nortel veteran who led the internal investigation into the hacking. Shields apparently found spy software so deeply embedded in company computers that it took years to realize the size and pervasiveness of the problem. (more)
Queen's University professor David Skillicorn points out that after the hackers penetrated Nortel around 2000, they began stealing technical papers, research and development reports, and strategic business plans.After that, Nortel couldn't compete for contracts "because the hackers had their technical knowledge, their financials, their bids, before they submitted them," Skillicorn told Postmedia News. "How can you compete in an environment like that? These hackers weren't into Nortel just out of curiosity. They were using the stuff they got."
A Wall Street Journal report quotes Brian Shields, a 19-year Nortel veteran who led the internal investigation into the hacking. Shields apparently found spy software so deeply embedded in company computers that it took years to realize the size and pervasiveness of the problem. (more)
Political Pots Calling Kettle Black?
via China Daily...
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation is advertising for automated computer softwares (sic) that will monitor people's posts on social networking sites, including Facebook and Twitter. The FBI's Strategic Information and Operations Center (SOIC) posted a tender for a "Social Media Application" on FedBizOpps.gov web on January 19.
The advertisement says the application will collect "open source" information and should be capable of sniffing through online media sites like news and social networking sites for keywords to help improve its real-time intelligence when it comes to current and emerging security threats.
Sources said some US government institutions have already used similar software to collect "open source" information, a practice that have been kept out of the knowledge of the public.
It is believed to be the first time the US government has admitted it will apply advanced technologies to monitor the public media. (more)
FutureWatch: Looking forward to an article about how this compares to their surveillance initiatives.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Android Toilet Paper - Five Apps for Wiping Data from Your Androids
If your phone gets lost or stolen — or if you decide to return or recycle it — you need to wipe it clean of your private data.1: Built-in Android reset - This built-in functionality is the easiest to use. Go to the restore from the Settings menu and reset.
If you lost your phone, or need some extra features, have one of these on board.
2: Mobile Security
3: Autowipe
4: Android Lost
5: Lookout Security & Antivirus
(more)
Monday, February 27, 2012
Smartphone Apps Your Personal Information
Most users are aware that Internet companies like to collect information on their clients so that they can target their adverts better. But the sheer extent of their spying is shocking. And it’s all buried in the small print of the license agreement few bother to read. Often the information collected has nothing to do with function of the application. (more)
News of the World phone hacking scandal could deepen and spread to the U.S.
The phone hacking scandal could deepen and spread to the U.S. after claims the private detective who hacked phones for the News of the World had American telephone numbers in his notes.Glenn Mulcaire, who was jailed in 2007 for illegally accessing mobile-phone messages, had the numbers of singer Charlotte Church’s Los Angeles agent and New York publicist among thousands of pages of notes seized by Scotland Yard detectives, it has been claimed.
Miss Church, 26, whose personal phones and those of her parents were hacked by Mulcaire for at least four years, settled a lawsuit against News International on February 23.
News International, which closed the News of the World in July in an attempt to contain public anger, still faces possible claims by more than 800 'likely' victims identified by police as they sift through 11,000 pages of Mulcaire’s notes. (more)
CONTEST ALERT - Wednesday Noon (EST) - Last Special Agent Shirt
The famous Security Scrapbook contest back!
Next Wednesday (noon EST) we will post a spy question. The first correct answer received wins!
 |
| Click to enlarge. |
We post this alert to give everyone an equal chance, as readers of the e-mail version receive these posts the following next day.
The prize - our Limited Edition Special Agent Black T-Shirt.
("How limited," I hear you say.)
Well, there are only three in the whole world! (one medium, one large, one x-large) And, they will be awarded in that order. So if you're a big Special Agent this is YOUR contest.
Did you know you could design custom t-shirts yourself? It's easy. I made these myself at ooShirts.com. They have a DIY on-line design lab! All types of t's, all colors, all prices. These are the Champion brand with the logo on the left sleeve.
ooShirts also provides design help, if needed. They suggested I use brighter colors to have the logo stand out better. They were 100% correct, but I went with muted gray and red for a subtle look (Special Agents don't have to shout it.) The shirt shows the colors correctly. The enlargement is brightened to show the fine detail of the printing, just look at the dots! This was a test run for us. We're thrilled.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
SpyCam Story #655 - This Week in SpyCam News
NY - Corning police have made an arrest in connection with an alleged case of voyeurism at a Market Street tanning salon. Jesse R. Cady, 23, of Creek Side Drive, Cameron, is accused of secretly video-taping a woman while she was tanning at Beach House Tanning. (more)
UK - A Carlisle man has been accused of fitting secret cameras in bathrooms to spy on women and young girls. Mark Klein, 45, of Charles Street, appeared before the city’s magistrates’ court where he was charged with voyeurism and two counts of engaging in sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl. (more)
KY - A bizarre and disturbing incident is playing out in Kentucky, where a star basketball player has been charged in connection with a video of a nude minor in his school's locker room and sharing the video to a host of other teenagers... 18-year-old Henderson County (Ky.) High senior basketball player Gavont Baker has been charged with video voyeurism and unlawful transaction with a minor in connection with a video of a nude teenager which was filmed in the Henderson locker room. (more)
GA - The voyeurism case involving the former deputy registrar of the Marietta office of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles is nearing a conclusion, with a plea agreement possible this week... The case began when the BMV office, located in the Frontier Shopping Center, was closed Sept. 23 by the Ohio State Highway Patrol after someone reported the discovery of a hidden camera in a bathroom at the office. (more)
NY - Tracy Gurnett, a Recreation Department staffer who has already sued the Town of Wheatfield once, has filed another notice of claim accusing town officials of spying on her by installing a video camera in her office. Supervisor Robert B. Cliffe and Town Attorney Robert O’Toole said this week that the surveillance camera was installed for security reasons and followed other cameras previously set up at other Recreation Department locations. Political sources told The Buffalo News that the camera was installed in the wake of suspicion that Gurnett was using the town photocopier in her office to run off copies of election fliers last fall for her live-in boyfriend, former Supervisor Timothy E. Demler (more)
NJ - Opening statements Friday in the trial of a former Rutgers student accused of using a webcam to spy on his roommate making out with another man focused on whether the defendant was malicious or just an 18-year-old boy acting his age. (more)
FL - Before Steinberg was investigated for cyberstalking, he voted against it. Rep. Richard Steinberg, a Miami Beach Democrat accused of cyberstalking a married Miami female prosecutor, has voted for several laws that crack down on stalking-–one as recently as this week. (such as) 2012 -- HB 215 – Video Voyeurism – (Vote: 1/25/2012, Judiciary Committee): The bill increases the penalties associated with video voyeurism offenses. The penalty for a first-time violation of “video voyeurism,” “video voyeurism dissemination,” or “commercial video voyeurism dissemination” is increased from a 1st degree misdemeanor to a 3rd degree felony. The penalty for a second or subsequent violation is increased from a 3rd degree felony to a 2nd degree felony. (more)
UK - A Carlisle man has been accused of fitting secret cameras in bathrooms to spy on women and young girls. Mark Klein, 45, of Charles Street, appeared before the city’s magistrates’ court where he was charged with voyeurism and two counts of engaging in sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl. (more)
KY - A bizarre and disturbing incident is playing out in Kentucky, where a star basketball player has been charged in connection with a video of a nude minor in his school's locker room and sharing the video to a host of other teenagers... 18-year-old Henderson County (Ky.) High senior basketball player Gavont Baker has been charged with video voyeurism and unlawful transaction with a minor in connection with a video of a nude teenager which was filmed in the Henderson locker room. (more)
GA - The voyeurism case involving the former deputy registrar of the Marietta office of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles is nearing a conclusion, with a plea agreement possible this week... The case began when the BMV office, located in the Frontier Shopping Center, was closed Sept. 23 by the Ohio State Highway Patrol after someone reported the discovery of a hidden camera in a bathroom at the office. (more)
NY - Tracy Gurnett, a Recreation Department staffer who has already sued the Town of Wheatfield once, has filed another notice of claim accusing town officials of spying on her by installing a video camera in her office. Supervisor Robert B. Cliffe and Town Attorney Robert O’Toole said this week that the surveillance camera was installed for security reasons and followed other cameras previously set up at other Recreation Department locations. Political sources told The Buffalo News that the camera was installed in the wake of suspicion that Gurnett was using the town photocopier in her office to run off copies of election fliers last fall for her live-in boyfriend, former Supervisor Timothy E. Demler (more)
NJ - Opening statements Friday in the trial of a former Rutgers student accused of using a webcam to spy on his roommate making out with another man focused on whether the defendant was malicious or just an 18-year-old boy acting his age. (more)
FL - Before Steinberg was investigated for cyberstalking, he voted against it. Rep. Richard Steinberg, a Miami Beach Democrat accused of cyberstalking a married Miami female prosecutor, has voted for several laws that crack down on stalking-–one as recently as this week. (such as) 2012 -- HB 215 – Video Voyeurism – (Vote: 1/25/2012, Judiciary Committee): The bill increases the penalties associated with video voyeurism offenses. The penalty for a first-time violation of “video voyeurism,” “video voyeurism dissemination,” or “commercial video voyeurism dissemination” is increased from a 1st degree misdemeanor to a 3rd degree felony. The penalty for a second or subsequent violation is increased from a 3rd degree felony to a 2nd degree felony. (more)
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Spyware Is Everywhere
Spyware is everywhere. Ask the experts. Almost every space can be bugged, and sting operations are easier than ever to carry out. Thanks to the Chinese genius for making vast volumes of low-cost gadgetry, spyware has become cheap, convenient and mean. It’s a great leveler of sorts: everyone can snoop on everyone else...
The bad news is that the corporate sector is the most eager user of spyware. It also has the money to use the most sophisticated devices available. ...
...there are 1,200 known ordinary telephone surveillance devices imported over the last couple of years by individuals, companies, private detective agencies and some State-owned firms... (more)
Special Agent T-Shirt Contest #2
Contest Closed - We have a winner.
This man invented one of the first electronic eavesdropping devices. It was used extensively by the private detective William J. Burns in the early 20th Century. What was this inventor's full name (He has a 3-word name)? (Enter here.)
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| Click to enlarge. |
The prize - our Limited Edition Special Agent Black T-Shirt. (Size: Large)
Answer: Kelly Monroe Turner
("How limited," I hear you say.)
Well, there are only three in the whole world! (one medium, one large, one x-large) And, they will be awarded in that order. So if you're a big Special Agent, wait for the last contest.
We designed this custom t-shirt ourselves! It's easy, go to ooShirts.com. They have a DIY on-line design lab! All types of t's, all colors, all prices. These are the Champion brand with the logo on the left sleeve.
Business Espionage: Corporate Spy Get 6:1 Sentence Reduction
Rick van Lee, 63, is now with his wife in Singapore after an Indonesian High Court judge decided on Feb. 2 to reduce a lower court's sentence, according to a website set up by van Lee's friends and associates. (more)
SpyCam Story #654 - Today in Voyeurism News
IN - A man arrested and charged with voyeurism is out on bond after admitting he videotaped women who were undressing at a local tanning salon, court records said.
Stephen M. Fox, 32, of the 1600 block of Patriot Drive, told police he has taken videos of women there previously using his cellphone. Police found multiple videos of various women at what appeared to be the tanning salon. (more)
KY - Officers arrested Gavont Baker, 18, on a felony video voyeurism charge. The alleged incident took place before class one morning in late January. But Baker might not be the only student to face charges. Officers say up to five students, four of them being minors, could face charges in this case.
Authorities say, during the incident, a video was recorded of a minor who was not wearing clothes. That video was then allegedly shared with other students, prompting the school district to get involved. And because the video reportedly contained a minor, without clothes, and then was shared, it falls under the state's child pornography laws. (more)
Authorities say, during the incident, a video was recorded of a minor who was not wearing clothes. That video was then allegedly shared with other students, prompting the school district to get involved. And because the video reportedly contained a minor, without clothes, and then was shared, it falls under the state's child pornography laws. (more)
WA - The third hearing for Hoquiam teacher Wesley A. Phillips is scheduled for today at 1pm in Grays Harbor District Court #1. Phillips was released on bail from Grays Harbor County Jail on January 27th after his second hearing in District Court.
41 year old Phillips is charged with Communicating with a Minor for Immoral Purposes and Voyeurism. Both charges are Class C Felonies and each count carries a maximum sentence of 5 years. (more)
41 year old Phillips is charged with Communicating with a Minor for Immoral Purposes and Voyeurism. Both charges are Class C Felonies and each count carries a maximum sentence of 5 years. (more)
MA - Smartphones are convenient, pocket-sized gadgets that allow users to snap pictures or record videos on the fly, and in the wrong hands they can be dangerously invasive devices—especially on a college campus. That was the case early Friday morning when a woman showering at Warren Towers spotted an iPhone on the floor, apparently recording her. When she tried to squash the device with her foot, she cut it on a jagged tile. As she did, a hand reached into the shower and grabbed the phone. The suspected photographer immediately fled the bathroom. Friday’s peeping incident marks the third time in the past month that women have reported surreptitious shower photographers to the Boston University Police Department. (more)
Security Directors: FREE Security White Paper - "Surreptitious Workplace Recording ...and what you can do about it."
Security Directors: FREE Security White Paper - "Surreptitious Workplace Recording ...and what you can do about it."
People Who Snoop on Significant Others - Some Common Sense
Personally….I think they’re all nuts. I come from the train of thought that says what’s done in the dark always comes to light. I don’t have to snoop or look for evidence because your foolishness will catch up with you sooner or later. I just live my life and keep my eyes and ears open, but snoop, never, and just like I thought, everything came to life. Any man that has ever cheated and/or lied to me got found out because of his own slackness. Friends slipped up, accidental emails, chick got pregnant, etc. I’ve never had to become a female Sherlock Holmes to find out the truth. Besides, if you feel so strongly in your gut that something is going on then something usually is. Your instincts are usually all the evidence you need that something might not be right. The problem is most of us ignore our guts in favor of finding physical proof to substantiate what we’ve known all along. (more) (more thoughts)
GPS Jammer Crackdown Begins
UK - The illegal use of Global Positioning System (GPS) jammers in the UK has been revealed in a groundbreaking study. GPS jammers are believed to be mostly used by people driving vehicles fitted with tracking devices in order to mask their whereabouts. In one location the Sentinel study recorded more than 60 GPS jamming incidents in six months...
In 2009 Newark Airport in the US found some of its GPS based systems were suffering repeated interference. The problem was eventually traced back to a truck driver using a GPS jammer. (more)
FutureWatch: Expect the crackdown to expand.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Animal Abuse Covert Video Activism Leads to Politicians Being Prodded to Outlawing Cameras Instead of the Problem
“For politicians, it comes across looking like they’re trying to muzzle these groups,” said Wes Jamison, an associate communications professor at Palm Beach Atlantic University in Florida who studies interest-group activism, in an interview. “It’s putting restrictions on citizen ‘gotcha’ journalism.”
Media stories about animal welfare have a “significant, negative” effect on meat demand, especially poultry and pork, according to a 2010 study by economists at Kansas State University and Purdue University in Indiana on covert exposes and news articles. (more) (sample videos)
Enemies: A History of the FBI
In Enemies: A History of the FBI, author Tim Weiner used recently declassified intelligence files to write a comprehensive history of the FBI... Weiner said that Hoover disregarded privacy protections mandated by the constitution in order to obstruct the activities of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He ordered the FBI to bug King’s bedroom and repeatedly blackmailed the civil rights leader.
"When it came down to bugging bedrooms, you had to be careful not to get caught, but there wasn't anything to stop him," Weiner said. "He decided up to a point ... where the boundaries of the law [were] when it came to black bag jobs, break-ins, bugging, surveillance, the constitutionality of gathering secret intelligence on America's enemies — both real and imagined." (more)
Hand Grenade Bug Will Blow You Away
a la Wikileaks, but for real-time bugging...
"The lack of Corporate and Governmental transparency has been a topic of much controversy in recent years, yet our only tool for encouraging greater openness is the slow, tedious process of policy reform.
Presented in the form of a Soviet F1 Hand Grenade, the Transparency Grenade is an iconic cure for these frustrations, making the process of leaking information from closed meetings as easy as pulling a pin.
Equipped with a tiny computer, microphone and powerful wireless antenna, the Transparency Grenade captures network traffic and audio at the site and securely and anonymously streams it to a dedicated server where it is mined for information. Email fragments, HTML pages, images and voice extracted from this data are then presented on an online, public map, shown at the location of the detonation.
Whether trusted employee, civil servant or concerned citizen, greater openness was never so close at hand..
Whether trusted employee, civil servant or concerned citizen, greater openness was never so close at hand..
Details
The Transparency Grenade was created in January 2012 by Julian Oliver for the Studio Weise7 exhibition at Labor 8, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, curated by Transmediale 2012 Director, Kristoffer Gansing." (more)
P.S. "Due to legal concerns the author will not provide a server for using this application. However, all code will be published for study and so that others can set up their own service, should they find a worthy need for it."
Monday, February 20, 2012
Let the Drone Wars Begin
A remote-controlled aircraft owned by an animal rights group was reportedly shot down near Broxton Bridge Plantation Sunday near Ehrhardt, S.C.
Steve Hindi, president of SHARK (SHowing Animals Respect and Kindness), said his group was preparing to launch its Mikrokopter drone to video what he called a live pigeon shoot on Sunday when law enforcement officers and an attorney claiming to represent the privately-owned plantation near Ehrhardt tried to stop the aircraft from flying.
"It didn't work; what SHARK was doing was perfectly legal," Hindi said in a news release. "Once they knew nothing was going to stop us, the shooting stopped and the cars lined up to leave."
He said the animal rights group decided to send the drone up anyway.
"Seconds after it hit the air, numerous shots rang out," Hindi said in the release. "As an act of revenge for us shutting down the pigeon slaughter, they had shot down our copter." (more)
"It didn't work; what SHARK was doing was perfectly legal," Hindi said in a news release. "Once they knew nothing was going to stop us, the shooting stopped and the cars lined up to leave."
He said the animal rights group decided to send the drone up anyway.
"Seconds after it hit the air, numerous shots rang out," Hindi said in the release. "As an act of revenge for us shutting down the pigeon slaughter, they had shot down our copter." (more)
CONTEST ALERT - Wednesday Noon (EST)
The famous Security Scrapbook contest back!
Next Wednesday (noon EST) we will post a spy question. The first correct answer received wins!
|
| Click to enlarge. |
We post this alert to give everyone an equal chance, as readers of the e-mail version receive these posts the following next day.
The prize - our Limited Edition Special Agent Black T-Shirt.
("How limited," I hear you say.)
Well, there are only three in the whole world! (one medium, one large, one x-large) And, they will be awarded in that order. So if you're a big Special Agent, wait for the last contest.
Did you know you could design custom t-shirts yourself? It's easy. I made these myself at ooShirts.com. They have a DIY on-line design lab! All types of t's, all colors, all prices. These are the Champion brand with the logo on the left sleeve.
ooShirts also provides design help, if needed. They suggested I use brighter colors to have the logo stand out better. They were 100% correct, but I went with muted gray and red for a subtle look (Special Agents don't have to shout it.) The shirt shows the colors correctly. The enlargement is brightened to show the fine detail of the printing, just look at the dots! This was a test run for us. We're thrilled.
SpyCam Story #653 - Neighbors Nail Spy Guy with SpyCam
Australia - A Geelong man has admitted to spying on his female neighbours for years...
Bruce Guy, 51, was caught in October last year after neighbours set up a night vision digital security camera...
Police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Geoff Lamb said Guy, who is identified wearing underwear and work boots in the surveillance footage, had harassed neighbours around his Highpoint home for eight years. (more)
Bruce Guy, 51, was caught in October last year after neighbours set up a night vision digital security camera...
Police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Geoff Lamb said Guy, who is identified wearing underwear and work boots in the surveillance footage, had harassed neighbours around his Highpoint home for eight years. (more)
Sunday, February 19, 2012
BUG FIND: Political Eavesdropping in Sudan
Sudan's Islamist opposition leader Hassan al-Turabi, who is seeking a "popular revolution" in the country, on Sunday accused government intelligence agents of bugging his offices.
At a news conference the veteran politician produced three short sets of wire, each connected to a tiny metal or plastic box. He said they were bugging devices found in the electrical sockets of two meeting rooms at his Popular Congress Party headquarters on Wednesday. (more)
At a news conference the veteran politician produced three short sets of wire, each connected to a tiny metal or plastic box. He said they were bugging devices found in the electrical sockets of two meeting rooms at his Popular Congress Party headquarters on Wednesday. (more)
Hey, look! New Jersey mosquitos. No, wait. They're robots. Run!!!
Experiments performed with a team of nano quadrotors at the GRASP Lab, University of Pennsylvania. Vehicles developed by KMel Robotics. Special thanks to Professor Daniel Lee for his support.
Meanwhile,
back in the
Counterespionage Compound lab,
work begins on...
Saturday, February 18, 2012
A Texacan Bugging Standoff
TX - A search warrant affidavit says a Texas constable admitted to the FBI that he had the offices of other officials secretly bugged after they were accused of illegally forcing motorists to forfeit cash. The federal affidavit quotes Shelby County Constable Fred Walker as saying he authorized the installation of hidden surveillance cameras and digital recorders. The document also includes a statement from a witness who claims Walker sold drugs seized from suspects.
An attorney for Walker, who hasn't been charged, says the constable never told the FBI that he authorized installation of listening devices and never sold drugs. Walker, at the time of the alleged bugging, was city marshal in Tenaha. (more)
Friday, February 17, 2012
Hacked: How China is stealing America's business secrets
...condensed version via theweek.com...
What's going on?
American companies are the victim of an "onslaught of computer network intrusions that have originated in China," according to a report by the U.S. government's National Counterintelligence Executive (NCE).
How is the technology stolen?
In the case of cyber-attacks, Chinese hackers may leave malware inside the computer systems of American firms, where the nefarious programs can go undetected for years, slowly bleeding companies of information.
What impact does the theft have on U.S. companies?
It can be devastating. Some say China is stealing $400 billion worth of sensitive information a year. The NCE report cited the case of paint company Valspar, which lost $20 million, or one-eighth of its annual profit, after its proprietary information was stolen by a Chinese rival.
Are there national security concerns?
Definitely... For nearly a decade, hackers had access to the computer network of telecommunications company Nortel Networks. If, as suspected, China was behind the breach, it likely gained valuable insight into the internet and telephone systems that government agencies, banks, and other businesses rely on.
What has the U.S. done about this?
Surprisingly little so far. (more)
When foreign countries knocked-off our products, and sucked up our jobs with cheap labor, we had our technology to fall back on. Once they have our technology, we'll be their cheap labor. American Business, please stop the espionage before it's too late. We can help you.
What's going on?
American companies are the victim of an "onslaught of computer network intrusions that have originated in China," according to a report by the U.S. government's National Counterintelligence Executive (NCE).
How is the technology stolen?
In the case of cyber-attacks, Chinese hackers may leave malware inside the computer systems of American firms, where the nefarious programs can go undetected for years, slowly bleeding companies of information.
It can be devastating. Some say China is stealing $400 billion worth of sensitive information a year. The NCE report cited the case of paint company Valspar, which lost $20 million, or one-eighth of its annual profit, after its proprietary information was stolen by a Chinese rival.
Are there national security concerns?
Definitely... For nearly a decade, hackers had access to the computer network of telecommunications company Nortel Networks. If, as suspected, China was behind the breach, it likely gained valuable insight into the internet and telephone systems that government agencies, banks, and other businesses rely on.
What has the U.S. done about this?
Surprisingly little so far. (more)
SpyCam Story #652 - Today in Video Voyeurism
Canada - The husband of a home daycare operator has admitted he produced and distributed thousands of pornographic images of children. Kim Moskalewski pleaded guilty Thursday to three pornography related charges and one count of voyeurism. Moskalewski told Quebec Superior Court he used his wife's daycare to produce thousands of pictures and videos of boys and girls in sexual positions. Moskalewski worked as a computer analyst at CN rail. Police seized at least five computers from his home and office last August. Crown prosecutor Carolyne Paquin says police have found 5,000 pornographic pictures so far and are still weeding through another 200,000 images. (more)
Florida - A new bill just passed in the state Senate increases criminal charges related to 'video voyeurism.' In a 40-0 vote, Senators approved the bill after adding an amendment saying people under 19 cannot face felony charges. (more)
Philippines - Neil Mark Romero, who was charged with violation of Republic Act 9995 otherwise known as Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009, denied the charges filed against him during his arraignment... Romero was accused of taking a video footage of Roliza Patenia, a category development executive of Nestle Philippines Inc. and a resident of Taguig City, inside a hotel's restroom. She claimed she was inside the first cubicle of the hotel's restroom at 11:20 a.m. of June 21 when she noticed that the rattan garbage bin was moving. Upon checking, she claimed she saw a cellular phone with its camera focused on her. (more)
Electronic Frontier Foundation Recommends Stopping Mass Spy Gear Sales to Authoritarian Regimes
Last week, EFF gave its recommendations to EU parliament on what steps to take to combat a growing and dangerous civil liberties concern: Western companies marketing and selling mass surveillance technology to authoritarian regimes. This technology has been linked to harassment, arrests, and even torture of journalists, human rights advocates, and democratic activists in many Middle East countries over the past year...
Privacy International recently released a mapping of companies and countries that have attended the notorious I.S.S. World trade shows, where this technology is bought and sold...
Example: Gamma International and its subsidiary FinFisher first made headlines after the fall of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt last year, when activists found the company’s records in an abandoned state security building, along with troves of surveillance files. The documents on Gamma and FinFisher showed how they provided Mubarak with a five-month trial of their sophisticated spying technology, most notably FinSpy, which can wiretap encrypted Skype phone calls and instant messages—a service once mistakenly trusted by activists for secure communications. (more)
Bugged Charlie Chaplin Put Through Intelligence Wringer
The FBI, which described the star of Modern Times and The Great Dictator as one of "Hollywood's parlour Bolsheviks", asked MI5 for information to help get him banned from the US. The results, including information gathered through eavesdropping, are contained in an extensive personal MI5 file released on Friday at the National Archives. (more)
Adele, and Projectile Privacy
From a recent 60 Minutes Anderson Cooper interview with singer, Adele...
Cooper: Have you ever thrown up?
Adele: Yeah. Oh yeah. Yeah. A few times.
Cooper: Really?
Adele: Yeah. Projectile. Yeah. 'Cause it just comes (makes noise) it just comes out. It does.
That kind of candid talk is typical Adele. She is naturally generous with the details of her life, but her success is changing that. Fed up with paparazzi staking out her home in London, she's just rented this very large, but very private home in the English countryside.
Adele: This here, this is just safety, this house. Come on Louie!
Anderson: That's why you're out here? Just because...for privacy?
Adele: Yeah.
She's learned about fame, the hard way. In the past, too many personal details of her life ended up in the tabloid press. So she set traps to catch the sources...
Adele: I plant stories and see who leaks them and then I get rid of 'em, yeah.
Cooper: Really? So you would tell them something that--
Adele: I'd tell, like, a group of people who I was suspicious of, I'd tell them a different story with different details in it, but all roughly the same story so I could keep my eye on it. And then when I knew it would come out, yeah, I knew who it was. (more)
When it comes to snoops, electronic eavesdropping and information leaks, Adele is on the right track; keep a low profile, tie the criminal to the crime by testing for leaks, then stomp on their toes (usually with a law suit). There is more to this privacy protection technique, of course. In fact, a whole chapter ("Test for Leaks") is devoted to a privacy protocol I developed for our corporate clients in, "Is My Cell Phone Bugged?" (chapter preview here)
Cooper: Have you ever thrown up? Adele: Yeah. Oh yeah. Yeah. A few times.
Cooper: Really?
Adele: Yeah. Projectile. Yeah. 'Cause it just comes (makes noise) it just comes out. It does.
That kind of candid talk is typical Adele. She is naturally generous with the details of her life, but her success is changing that. Fed up with paparazzi staking out her home in London, she's just rented this very large, but very private home in the English countryside.
Adele: This here, this is just safety, this house. Come on Louie!
Anderson: That's why you're out here? Just because...for privacy?
Adele: Yeah.
She's learned about fame, the hard way. In the past, too many personal details of her life ended up in the tabloid press. So she set traps to catch the sources...
Adele: I plant stories and see who leaks them and then I get rid of 'em, yeah.
Cooper: Really? So you would tell them something that--
Adele: I'd tell, like, a group of people who I was suspicious of, I'd tell them a different story with different details in it, but all roughly the same story so I could keep my eye on it. And then when I knew it would come out, yeah, I knew who it was. (more)
When it comes to snoops, electronic eavesdropping and information leaks, Adele is on the right track; keep a low profile, tie the criminal to the crime by testing for leaks, then stomp on their toes (usually with a law suit). There is more to this privacy protection technique, of course. In fact, a whole chapter ("Test for Leaks") is devoted to a privacy protocol I developed for our corporate clients in, "Is My Cell Phone Bugged?" (chapter preview here)
SpyCam Story #652 - Power, Lawyer, Judged
Australia - Prosecutors have asked the Adelaide District Court to jail a former lawyer and judge's associate who indecently filmed teenagers.Anthony Kurt Power, 28, was a lawyer in 2010 when he set up hidden cameras in his home bathroom, at his church at Golden Grove, where he was a youth leader, and at a church camp. He filmed young people without their knowledge. Police also found thousands of child pornography files on his computer. (more)
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Your Cell Can Tell Burglars When You Are Away... and More
University of Minnesota computer science Ph.D. student Denis Foo Kune, working with associate professors Nick Hopper and Yongdae Kim, and undergraduate student John Koelndorfer, described their work in a recently released paper "Location Leaks on the GSM Air Interface" which was presented at the 19th Annual Network & Distributed System Security Symposium in San Diego, California...
"It has a low entry barrier," Foo Kune said. "Being attainable through open source projects running on commodity software."
Using an inexpensive phone and open source software, the researchers were able to track the location of cell phone users without their knowledge on the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network, the predominant worldwide network. (more)
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Special Agent T-Shirt Contest #1
Contest Closed - We have a winner.
According to a Life Magazine article from 1966, what piece of "eavesdropping equipment" could a person buy for five hundred dollars? (Enter here.)
According to a Life Magazine article from 1966, what piece of "eavesdropping equipment" could a person buy for five hundred dollars? (Enter here.)
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The prize - our Limited Edition Special Agent Black T-Shirt. (Size: Medium)
("How limited," I hear you say.)
Well, there are only three in the whole world! (one medium, one large, one x-large) And, they will be awarded in that order. So if you're a big Special Agent, wait for the last contest.
We designed this custom t-shirt ourselves! It's easy, go to ooShirts.com. They have a DIY on-line design lab! All types of t's, all colors, all prices. These are the Champion brand with the logo on the left sleeve.
SpyCam Story #651 - "FL, pass that law quickly!"
FL - A Pensacola man is facing charges accused of taking photos of a woman in a public bathroom. Security video shows the suspect, Johnathan Smith going into the bathroom at Books-a-Million on Davis Highway.
A few minutes later the victim runs out, screaming for help.
Escambia deputies say, Smith took off running with witnesses in pursuit. Smith later told deputies that he knew what he did was wrong. (more)
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FL - Two women who were spied on and videotaped by a former Gainesville police officer have sued the city, the officer and former Chief Norman Botsford, claiming that the city failed to maintain policies and procedures that could have prevented the voyeurism.
The two were among the victims for which officer Brett Robison was charged with seven counts of video voyeurism in 2010. He pleaded no contest last year to a charge of official misconduct in a plea agreement that dropped the seven charges. (more)
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FL - A man faces child pornography and double-digit video voyeurism charges after a female victim witnessed him filming her at a Publix grocery store, according to a police report.
Police first arrested the man, 41-year-old Charles Korst. Police say that Korst placed a camera in a hand held basked and used it to film the undergarments of a woman shopping at the Publix located on 1700 North Monroe Street.
Police obtained a search warrant for Korst's home, which was in walking distance from the store, based on the belief that the camera and digital media used in the crime were inside.
On the same day, police executed the warrant. During a search, they found an external hard drive hidden behind a dresser drawer.
After reviewing the files of the hard drive, police say they found evidence that Korst filmed under the skirts of multiple women at many different locations. Some of the locations appear to be Target, Wal-mart, Home Depot and Publix. (more)
A few minutes later the victim runs out, screaming for help.
Escambia deputies say, Smith took off running with witnesses in pursuit. Smith later told deputies that he knew what he did was wrong. (more)
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FL - Two women who were spied on and videotaped by a former Gainesville police officer have sued the city, the officer and former Chief Norman Botsford, claiming that the city failed to maintain policies and procedures that could have prevented the voyeurism.
The two were among the victims for which officer Brett Robison was charged with seven counts of video voyeurism in 2010. He pleaded no contest last year to a charge of official misconduct in a plea agreement that dropped the seven charges. (more)
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FL - A man faces child pornography and double-digit video voyeurism charges after a female victim witnessed him filming her at a Publix grocery store, according to a police report.
Police first arrested the man, 41-year-old Charles Korst. Police say that Korst placed a camera in a hand held basked and used it to film the undergarments of a woman shopping at the Publix located on 1700 North Monroe Street.
Police obtained a search warrant for Korst's home, which was in walking distance from the store, based on the belief that the camera and digital media used in the crime were inside.
On the same day, police executed the warrant. During a search, they found an external hard drive hidden behind a dresser drawer.
After reviewing the files of the hard drive, police say they found evidence that Korst filmed under the skirts of multiple women at many different locations. Some of the locations appear to be Target, Wal-mart, Home Depot and Publix. (more)
SpyCam Story #650 - The Down Under Bus'ted
Australia - Detectives on Sydney’s north shore have arrested and charged a bus driver with voyeurism offences.
It’s alleged the 48-year-old man installed an upward-facing camera in the floor of a State Transit Authority bus near the front ticket machine last Thursday (9 February 2012) filming unsuspecting passengers.
Police allegedly seized a number of computers and electronic storage devices containing thousands of indecent images of females – taken in public places, including onboard STA buses – dating back to 2009. The victims, which include many schoolchildren, are seemingly unaware they are being filmed. (more)
Police allegedly seized a number of computers and electronic storage devices containing thousands of indecent images of females – taken in public places, including onboard STA buses – dating back to 2009. The victims, which include many schoolchildren, are seemingly unaware they are being filmed. (more)
SpyCam Story #649 - Florida's SpyCam (almost) Law
FL - The Florida Senate has unanimously approved a bill that increases the charges related to the crime known as "video voyeurism."
Senators approved the bill (SB 436) on Tuesday by a 40-0 vote after adding an amendment clarifying that people under 19 can't be charged with a felony.
This bill increases video voyeurism offenses that are now first-degree misdemeanors to third-degree felonies. It also increases current third-degree felony video voyeurism offenses to second-degree felonies. And it makes clear that people have a "reasonable expectation of privacy" inside a home. (more)
Senators approved the bill (SB 436) on Tuesday by a 40-0 vote after adding an amendment clarifying that people under 19 can't be charged with a felony.
This bill increases video voyeurism offenses that are now first-degree misdemeanors to third-degree felonies. It also increases current third-degree felony video voyeurism offenses to second-degree felonies. And it makes clear that people have a "reasonable expectation of privacy" inside a home. (more)
Monday, February 13, 2012
CONTEST ALERT - Wednesday Noon (EST) - Next 3 Weeks
The famous Security Scrapbook contest back!
Every Wednesday (noon EST) for the next three weeks we will post a spy question. The first correct answer received wins!
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We post this alert to give everyone an equal chance, as readers of the e-mail version receive these posts the following next day.
The prize - our Limited Edition Special Agent Black T-Shirt.
("How limited," I hear you say.)
Well, there are only three in the whole world! (one medium, one large, one x-large) And, they will be awarded in that order. So if you're a big Special Agent, wait for the last contest.
Did you know you could design custom t-shirts yourself? It's easy. I made these myself at ooShirts.com. They have a DIY on-line design lab! All types of t's, all colors, all prices. These are the Champion brand with the logo on the left sleeve.
ooShirts also provides design help, if needed. They suggested I use brighter colors to have the logo stand out better. They were 100% correct, but I went with muted gray and red for a subtle look (Special Agents don't have to shout it.) The shirt shows the colors correctly. The enlargement is brightened to show the fine detail of the printing, just look at the dots! This was a test run for us. We're thrilled.
As with all printing, the more you do the cheaper it gets, but even just doing three is affordable enough for special one-time occasions, like showing up with, "Will you marry me?" Happy Valentine's Day! ~Kevin
Deshredding Reveals Massive Cold War Identity Theft
The reconstructed contents of 500 trash bags offer new insights into the extent of spying activities by the East German secret police, or Stasi, in West Germany.
As the German regional public broadcaster RBB recently reported, the Stasi ran an extensive program of stealing identities of tens of thousands of West German citizens to enable their spies to operate freely in the West...
This massive fraud came to light when the agency of the Federal Commissioner for the Stasi records completed the reconstruction of about a million torn-up documents, or the contents of about 500 trash bags. The reconstruction was accomplished, for the most part, through meticulous work by hand. (more)
Spybusters Security Tip: Never use a stripcut shredder. Always crosscut, particle, or pulp shred your sensitive wastepaper. Computerized document reconstruction (de-shredding programs) are available.
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