Thursday, March 21, 2024

Trade Secret Cases On the Rise

Barnes & Thornburg LLP - Mitchell Berry
In recent years, there has been a noticeable uptick in trade secret litigation, signaling a shift in how businesses safeguard their valuable intellectual property...

Clients are increasingly turning to trade secrets as a means of protecting their innovations, particularly in sectors where rapid technological advancements and short product life cycles render patents less effective. Trade secrets offer perpetual protection as long as the information remains confidential, providing a valuable alternative for companies operating in dynamic and fast-paced markets.

The rise of trade secret litigation also highlights the need for robust internal policies and procedures to safeguard confidential information proactively. Companies must invest in measures such as employee training, restricted access controls, and non-disclosure agreements to mitigate the risk of inadvertent disclosure or theft of trade secrets. more

Did You Know: The legal system does not automatically protect Trade Secrets just on your say-so. You need to prove a history of special protections, like TSCM.

Hamas Hacked Settlement Cameras Prior to 10/7

Hamas broke into dozens of cameras in the surrounding settlements before October 7
IDF's Military Intelligence Directorate knew for some time that ISF managed to break into some civilian security cameras in Israel and collect information through them. Only when the soldiers investigated MID's large underground server rooms did the IDF discover that dozens of cameras had been hacked, some of which were inside the surrounding kibbutzim. more
Now, will you change your cameras' default passwords?

Signal App - New Usernames Keeps Cops Out of Your Data

Ephemeral usernames instead of phone numbers safeguard privacy — and makes Signal even harder to subpoena...


Signal is the gold standard for secure messaging apps because not only are messages encrypted, but so is pretty much everything else. Signal doesn’t know your name or profile photo, who any of your contacts are, which Signal groups you’re in, or who you talk to and when...

With the long-awaited announcement that usernames are coming to Signal — over four years in the making — Signal employed the same careful cryptography engineering it’s famous for, ensuring that the service continues to learn as little information about its users as possible. more

Monday, March 18, 2024

Your Doctor’s Office Might Be Bugged

It used to be safe to assume your doctor’s visit was a completely private affair between you and your physician. This is changing with ambient artificial intelligence, a new technology that listens to your conversation and processes information. Think Amazon’s Alexa, but in your doctor’s office. 

An early use case is ambient AI scribing: it listens, then writes a clinical note summarizing your visit. Clinical notes are used to communicate diagnostic and treatment plans within electronic health records, and as a basis to generate your bill...

Okay, your conversation just got recorded. But where does it go? Is it stored somewhere? How is it used beyond writing my note? The AI technology companies need to address these questions and comply with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act laws. Additionally, new regulations may be needed as the technology evolves. more

Intel Patent Addresses Privacy Issues with Voice Assistants

Intel wants to give you peace of mind when talking to your digital assistant.

The company filed a patent application for a “privacy preserving digital personal assistant.” Rather than sending your raw voice data to the cloud for processing, Intel’s tech encrypts that data to keep your personal information and identity from being shared in that environment.

“Existing digital personal assistant technologies force users to surrender the content of their voice commands to their digital personal assistance provider, and most actions of the available digital personal assistants are performed in the cloud,” Intel said in the filing. “This presents a large privacy and security concern that will only grow (over time) with increased adoption.” more

How to Hunt Down Malware on Mobile Devices

co-authored by Josh Hickman, Subject Matter Expert Collect and Review, Cellebrite

The ubiquity of mobile devices makes them prime targets for malware attacks.
Despite the expertise in incident response and malware detection for PCs and Macs, mobile security, on the other hand, often remains uncharted territory for many organizations and users alike. No longer a question of if but when an attack is going to happen, there is a pertinent need for education in identification, resolution and bolstering defences against future attacks.

What Malware Looks Like and How it Gets There

Mobile malware manifests in various forms, from ransomware encrypting data to spyware surreptitiously monitoring activities. Understanding the modus operandi of mobile malware is critical for detection and mitigation efforts...How it lands on a device and what you can do... more

Havana Syndrome: All in Your Mind?

A new study found no evidence of brain injuries among U.S. diplomats and government employees experiencing mysterious health problems known as Havana syndrome. The symptoms, which include headaches, balance problems and cognitive difficulties, were first reported in Cuba in 2016. Havana syndrome participants also reported higher levels of fatigue, posttraumatic stress symptoms and depression.

An array of advanced tests found no brain injuries or degeneration among U.S. diplomats and other government employees who suffer mysterious health problems once dubbed "Havana syndrome, " researchers reported Monday.

The National Institutes of Health’s nearly five-year study offers no explanation for symptoms including headaches, balance problems and difficulties with thinking and sleep that were first reported in Cuba in 2016 and later by hundreds of American personnel in multiple countries. more previously in the Scrapbook

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Airbnb Bans Indoor Surveillance Cameras

Airbnb said Monday that it’s banning the use of indoor security cameras
in listings on its site around the world by the end of next month. The San Francisco-based online rental platform said it is seeking to “simplify” its security-camera policy while prioritizing privacy.

“These changes were made in consultation with our guests, Hosts and privacy experts, and we’ll continue to seek feedback to help ensure our policies work for our global community,” Juniper Downs, Airbnb’s head of community policy and partnerships, said in a prepared statement.

Under the new policy, hosts will still be allowed to use doorbell cameras and noise-decibel monitors, which are only allowed in common spaces, as long as the location and presence of the devices are disclosed. more
You are still on your own to find the covert spycams...
An investigation by the US Congress into Chinese-built cargo cranes has found suspicious technology that could potentially be used to disrupt or spy on American commercial activities, according to a report.

The House Homeland Security Committee said that it has discovered cellular modems that were installed in cranes and which can be remotely accessed by hostile powers, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The committee’s discovery has fueled concerns in the Biden administration that cranes built by a Chinese firm, Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries (ZPMC), could potentially be used to spy on US ports. more

Singapore Sting: How spies Listened in on German General

Brigadier General Frank Gräfe has a work call to dial into with his boss - the commander of the German air force...What none of the call's participants know is that they're being eavesdropped on - and their conversation is being recorded. Two weeks after the call took place, the audio tape was leaked by Russia's state-run RT channel...Their man in Singapore had, according to the German government, sprung "a data leak".

But how were spies able to eavesdrop?

The answer we've been given so far boils down to a case of human error. According to German authorities, the "data leak" was down to just one participant dialing in on an insecure line, either via his mobile or the hotel wi-fi. more

Questions for executives... 
  • Are the numbers and passcodes for your conference calls distributed via email? 
  • Do you or your assistants post these at their desks? 
  • Are the numbers and passcodes ever changed? 
Observations from our TSCM inspections over the years... Yes. Yes. No. Take a hint from this cautionary tale. ~Kevin


Peru PM Resigns After Recording with Woman Leaked

The scandal escalated last week when a Peruvian TV broadcaster aired audio clips
of what it said were conversations between the two. Mr Otárola, 57, has denied any wrongdoing. A formal investigation has been launched into the allegations.

According to the Panorama programme, which first aired the clips over the weekend, the woman Mr Otárola can be heard speaking to is Yaziré Pinedo, 25... Ms Pinedo was reportedly awarded two contracts for work in the defence ministry in 2023 that earned her a total of 53,000 sol ($14,000; £11,000)...

In the audio clips, Mr Otárola can be heard declaring his love for the woman and asking her to send him her CV. The remarks appear to contradict a statement he made prior to their release, that he had only met Ms Pinedo once at a meeting. She told Peruvian broadcaster Canal N on Tuesday that she had previously had a brief relationship with him. more

Cruise Ship Employee Hid Cameras in Bathrooms to Spy

A Royal Caribbean cruise ship worker was arrested Sunday in Fort Lauderdale after admitting to planting hidden cameras in guest bathrooms to spy on unsuspecting women and children for months, federal officials say.

Arvin Joseph Mirasol is facing federal production and possession of child porn charges. The 34-year-old also has six counts of video voyeurism, all third-degree felonies, state court records show...Mirasol also admitted to entering rooms and hiding under the bed to record people naked...He remains in Broward jail as of Tuesday afternoon. more
You don't have to be a victim of spycamers. Learn how.

2024 TSCM Trend Analysis


TSCM
Equipment Market Size, Share, Competitive Landscape and Trend Analysis Report by Type, by Product and by Industry Vertical: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032

Excerpt: "For instance, Murray Associates, an independent security consulting firm specializing in counterespionage consulting and information security for 40 years, provides TSCM and eavesdropping detection using real-time RF spectrum analysis, which is an advanced TSCM technology. 

In addition, Murray Associates, recently was the first non-government TSCM organization to offer advanced TSCM technology. The firm launched non-linear junction detection (NLJD) that can locate spy cams and other bugging devices even while they are turned off or out of power.

These factors result in innovation of highly discreet and capable modern surveillance technologies that are able to evade methods of traditional TSCM to meet new, emerging technical threats. The advanced TSCM equipment market is expected to grow at the highest CAGR." more

Sunday, March 3, 2024

Career Diplomat Abruptly Admits to Spying for Cuba for Decades

A former career U.S. diplomat told a federal judge Thursday he will plead guilty to charges of working for decades as a secret agent for communist Cuba, an unexpectedly swift resolution to a case prosecutors called one of the most brazen betrayals in the history of the U.S. foreign service.


Manuel Rocha’s stunning fall from grace could culminate in a lengthy prison term after the 73-year-old said he would admit to federal counts of conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government.

Prosecutors and Rocha’s attorney indicated the plea deal includes an agreed-upon sentence but they did not disclose details at a hearing Thursday. He is due back in court April 12, when he is scheduled to formalize his guilty plea and be sentenced. more

Germany Investigates Eavesdropping by Russia


Audio of the video-conference meeting was posted to social media by the head of Russia's state-run RT channel...

Germany said on Saturday it was investigating an apparent eavesdropping of a call, after Moscow said a recording of German officers showed them discussing weapons for Ukraine and a potential strike by Kiev on a bridge in Crimea. A German defense ministry spokesperson said on Saturday the Federal Office for Military Counterintelligence was investigating what appeared to be a case of eavesdropping, and that it was possible that the recording had been altered. more

Louisiana Deputy Fired - Allegedly Spying On Former Girlfriend

A long-serving sheriff's deputy in Louisiana who allegedly told his supervisor that he had planted a recording device in his ex-girlfriend's bedroom has been fired and arrested, following a brief investigation. 

As The (Baton Rouge) Advocate reports, David Pizzolato Jr. went inside his ex-girlfriend's apartment in early January, using a key that he had, and placed a digital recording device on her headboard, the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office said this week. more

Deadliest Catch Award: Alaskan Fishermen Possibly Netted Spy Balloon

The FBI will examine what may be debris from a balloon found by fishermen off the coast of Alaska, multiple sources familiar with the matter said Friday.

The fishing vessel carrying the debris is expected to return to shore sometime this weekend, sources said, at which time the FBI will get its first look at what was recovered. more


Book: “The Sentinel State"

IT’S NO SECRET that China’s government keeps tabs on people it considers potential threats to the regime...


As Minxin Pei explains in “The Sentinel State,” the most effective methods to monitor Chinese citizens are deployed not by machines or computer code but by other Chinese citizens: a vast network of informants mobilized by government agencies at the national, provincial and local levels. The numbers are so vast, and the structure so well-organized, that this “analog surveillance state,” as Mr. Pei calls it, ensures “the survival of the world’s most powerful one-party dictatorship.”

Among Mr. Pei’s eye-opening findings is that an average of 1.13% of Chinese citizens—up to 16 million people—are political informants each year, in line with the percentage of East Germans that the Stasi recruited before the fall of the Berlin Wall but on a vaster numerical scale, given the size of China’s population. more

'Big brother' Satellite Set to Launch in 2025

'Big brother' satellite capable of zooming in on ANYONE, anywhere from space is set to launch in 2025 - and privacy experts say 'we should definitely be worried'

Privacy experts are sounding the alarm on a new satellite capable of spying on your every move that is set to launch in 2025.

The satellite, created by startup company Albedo, is so high quality it can zoom in on people or license plates from space, raising concerns among expert that it will create a 'big brother is always watching' scenario.

Albedo claims the satellite won't have facial recognition software but doesn't mention that it will refrain from imaging people or protecting people's privacy. more

Friday, February 23, 2024

Nashville Funk: Eavesdropping Devices in District Attorney Offices?

...a NewsChannel 5 investigation that revealed the presence of equipment capable of monitoring conversations without the knowledge of employees and visitors to the DA's offices, located in downtown Nashville.

Documents that Nashville District Attorney General Glenn Funk fought to keep secret raise new questions about eavesdropping in and around the DA's offices — as the TBI continues its investigation into possible illegal wiretapping.

Those documents, recently produced as a result of a months-long legal battle waged by NewsChannel 5, reveal there were more microphones — and more concern about conversations being monitored — than the DA had admitted.

Among the newly obtained evidence: notes from a staff meeting indicating that an IT employee had "discovered wide range of audio throughout ofc." more

The $1.76m Eavesdropping Story

Mr Loudon, of Houston, Texas, and his wife worked in home offices within 20 feet of each other.

His wife - a mergers and acquisitions manager at BP - worked on the oil giant's takeover of TravelCenters.

"As a result, they frequently overheard and witnessed each other's work-related conversations and video conferences." ...Mr Loudon confessed to his wife about buying the TravelCenters shares after the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority began asking questions about the BP deal and who was "in the know"...The US Securities and Exchange Commission alleged Tyler Loudon made $1.76m in illegal profits....His wife - who was "stunned by this revelation" - reported the trading to her supervisor at BP.

Mr Loudon's wife moved out of the house and ceased all contact with him. In June, she initiated divorce proceedings. more

Dump of Chinese Hacking Documents - A Window into Surveillance

Chinese police are investigating an unauthorized and highly unusual online dump of documents from a private security contractor
linked to the nation’s top policing agency and other parts of its government — a trove that catalogs apparent hacking activity and tools to spy on both Chinese and foreigners...

The dump of scores of documents late last week and subsequent investigation were confirmed by two employees of I-Soon, known as Anxun in Mandarin, which has ties to the powerful Ministry of Public Security... They reveal, in detail, methods used by Chinese authorities used to surveil dissidents overseas, hack other nations and promote pro-Beijing narratives on social media. more

Educational Opportunity: Espionage 101 for Adults

Espionage 101 for Adults

  • Feb 29 at 10:40AM - Apr 25 at 11:40AM
  • 3700 Lake Wheeler Rd.
    Raleigh, NC 27606
  • $230.00
  • This 8-week class is perfect for adults. Espionage 101: What does it mean to be a spy? What exactly do spies do in this day and age? This class will give you a basic history of spy organizations and delve into the world of espionage: biggest rivalries, mishaps, heroes, gadgets, and more. Please come prepared to learn! This class will be a combination of interactive lectures, short videos, readings (audio formats available), hands-on activities, and some homework. Schedule From: Feb 29 2024 to Apr 25 2024 Every Thursday: 10:40am to 11:40am more Can't make it to the course? Need extra credit? Click here.

Weird Wiretapping Headline: Turtle Boy Free Again

Turtleboy blogger freed from jail, pleads not guilty to new witness intimidation, wiretapping charges. 
Jailed for nearly two months, Turtleboy blogger Aidan Kearney is free once more after a judge on Friday ordered his release and declined to set additional bail conditions following his arraignment on new witness intimidation and wiretapping charges. The polarizing blogger exited Norfolk Superior Court to raucous cheers from a crowd of his supporters, taking selfies and doling out handshakes and fist bumps like a quarterback after the winning game. more

Show "Who's Side You Are On" T-Shirt

The Electronic Frontier Foundation
 brought back their popular NSA Spying shirts for the first time since 2013, with an updated EFF logo and design. more

The Electronic Frontier Foundation is the leading nonprofit organization defending civil liberties in the digital world. Founded in 1990, EFF champions user privacy, free expression, and innovation through impact litigation, policy analysis, grassroots activism, and technology development. EFF's mission is to ensure that technology supports freedom, justice, and innovation for all people of the world.

Thursday, February 15, 2024

Man Charged for Putting 'SPY' Cameras in Seattle Expedia HQ Bathrooms

A 42-year-old Lynnwood man is facing multiple felony charges for allegedly putting hidden “spy” cameras in two bathrooms at the Expedia Group headquarters in Seattle...

According to charging documents, Vargas-Fernandez placed cameras under the sink aimed at the toilet in two all-gender bathrooms at the Expedia office building between Dec. 4, 2023, and Jan. 11, 2024. Investigators said at least 10 victims were seen in the illegal footage and believe “several more victims have yet to be discovered.”

When officers searched Vargas-Fernandez’s apartment after his arrest, they found at least “33 various spy cameras carrying from full, partial, no concealment,” according to court documents. Investigators also found at least 22 SD cards and six hard drives with “at least 20 terabytes of storage.” more  video

Corporate security directors, there is an innovative, preemptive, low-cost solution...
Spy Camera Detection Training
 for your security and facilities personnel. It includes a Recording in the Workplace Policy and Inspection Log. Training, a Policy and Inspection Log with show your due diligence in court should an incident 
arise.


Spybusters Tip #725: How to Find an Apple AirTag Hidden in Your Car

Apple AirTags are useful devices for locating commonly misplaced items like keys and wallets, but they can also be hijacked for more sinister purposes, such as tracking your whereabouts without your knowledge or consent. 

For a rogue AirTag to reveal meaningful surveillance information to its owner, it must be traveling with you: hidden in a pocket, purse, or vehicle you drive regularly. In most cases, Apple should alert you if it detects an unknown AirTag with a notification to your iPhone (or iPad) like "AirTag Found Moving With You." - Turn on AirTag alerts / Find an AirTag in your car... more

How Companies are Using AI to Spy on Slack

Several employers are now using an AI-powered app to analyze and monitor messages across Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and other platforms.

What spy is this?
It’s called Aware, an Ohio-based startup that launched in 2017, per CNBC, and its clients include Nestle, Walmart, Delta Air Lines, and Starbucks.

It uses AI, trained on previous employee interactions, to analyze messages and determine:
  • How various groups of employees feel about the company or decisions it makes.
  • If bullying or discrimination is happening.
  • If employees are sharing confidential info.
  • If employees are sending inappropriate texts, photos, or videos.
  • How often teams communicate with one another.
In theory, this makes it easier for employers to stay on top of employee sentiment and potential risks in an increasingly online world. more

Aliens Could Be Spying On Us

Here’s What Their Space Probes Might Look Like
Maybe it’s abduction stories from the 1960s, in which alien doctors poke and prod human subjects with surgical tools. Or perhaps you picture something a little more like Oumuamua: a rocky, cigar-shaped “interstellar interloper” that slingshotted around the center of our solar system roughly 15 million miles from Earth back in 2017.

It’s this second type of potential “probe” that has attracted the attention of scientists, including Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb. In addition to suggesting that Oumuamua might have been an alien spaceship, Loeb, who holds a Ph.D. in plasma physics, has also searched the bottom of the ocean for evidence of alien visitors. These ideas, however, are not widely accepted in the greater scientific community. more

Sunday, February 11, 2024

Apple Self-Driving Industrial Espionage Case Ends in Sentencing

A former Apple engineer will spend four months in prison, bringing a lengthy and contentious case to a close six years after the U.S. government first charged the engineer, Xiaolang Zhang. 

9 to 5 Mac has been covering the case since shortly after it began, and their report on Zhang’s sentencing has a good overview of the issues to date.

The basics? Zhang worked for Apple in the U.S., where he worked on the company’s self-driving car project, Project Titan. He then left abruptly to work for another company, this one based in China, XMotors. When he did so, he brought several proprietary documents with him. Hence the charges against him, to which he eventually pleaded guilty. The Department of Justice also announced several charges in the case last year. more

A Bad Week for Spys

• Beijing accused of using spying, threats and blackmail against Tibetan exiles more

• Turkey says 4 suspects confess to spying on behalf of Mossad more

• Everything wrong with South Africa’s new spying law more

• The body of a former advisor to El Salvador's president showed signs of torture after he died this week while in custody on spying charges. more

• Ireland Refuses New Visa for Russian Diplomats Over Espionage Concerns more

• Accused Russian spy worked for U.K. intelligence, met with prime ministers and princes more

• US Worried About Chinese Smart Cars Spying On Americans more

• Russia jails Ukrainian woman for 10 years for spying more

• A woman who had a six-year relationship with the man of her dreams eventually discovered he was actually an undercover cop spying on her. more

• Lebanese resistance destroys spying equipment in Israeli garrison more

...and in spy movie news..
Argylle: A spy martini that's shaken, stirred and somehow still flat. more

• “Argylle” is still out snooping the competition. The spy action comedy remained in first place, raking in $1.96 million on Friday, its second in theaters... So far, the flick, which cost $200 million to make, hasn’t been performing as expected. more
Well, the trailer was fun.

AI Wi-Fi CCTV - Spooky

Scientists Are Getting Eerily Good at Using WiFi to 'See' People Through Walls in Detail
The signals from WiFi can be used to map a human body, according to a new paper.

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University developed a method for detecting the three dimensional shape and movements of human bodies in a room, using only WiFi routers.
To do this, they used DensePose, a system for mapping all of the pixels on the surface of a human body in a photo. DensePose was developed by London-based researchers and Facebook’s AI researchers. From there, according to their recently-uploaded preprint paper published on arXiv, they developed a deep neural network that maps WiFi signals’ phase and amplitude sent and received by routers to coordinates on human bodies...

The Carnegie Mellon researchers wrote that they believe WiFi signals “can serve as a ubiquitous substitute” for normal RGB cameras, when it comes to “sensing” people in a room. Using WiFi, they wrote, overcomes obstacles like poor lighting and occlusion that regular camera lenses face. more  Interesting, but no need for the average person to worry.

Device Camera's Ambient Light Sensors Can Spy

The ambient light sensors responsible for smart devices’ brightness adjustments can capture images of touch interactions like swiping and tapping for hackers...

Unlike cameras, though, apps are not required to ask for permission to use these sensors. In a surprising discovery, researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) uncovered that ambient light sensors are vulnerable to privacy threats when embedded on a smart device’s screen... An open-access paper on this work was published in Science Advances.

“This work turns your device's ambient light sensor and screen into a camera! Ambient light sensors are tiny devices deployed in almost all portable devices and screens that surround us in our daily lives,” says Princeton University professor Felix Heide, who was not involved with the paper. “As such, the authors highlight a privacy threat that affects a comprehensive class of devices and has been overlooked so far.” more  Interesting, but no need for the average person to worry.

Thursday, February 8, 2024

Van Eck Redux: Hackers Can Spy on Cameras Through Walls

Capturing real-time video through walls isn’t hard if you have an antenna and a little bit of engineering know-how. It could be a massive threat to billions of security and phone cameras... 
Kevin Fu, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Northeastern who specializes in cybersecurity, has figured out a way to eavesdrop on most modern cameras, from home security cameras and dash cams to the camera on your phone. Called EM Eye, short for Electromagnetic Eye, the technique can capture the video from another person’s camera through walls in real time. It redefines the idea of a Peeping Tom...

Results vary on how far away someone would have to be in order to eavesdrop on these different devices. For some, a peeping Tom would have to be less than 1 foot away; for others, they could be as far away as 16 feet...

Fu says. “Maybe you don’t want to put this [camera] on your wall you share with your neighbor.” more
Van Eck  Interesting, but no need for the average person to worry.

Corporate Security Alert: Google's Spyware Report

Spyware risks are rising fast, and you should definitely be worried — even Google says so...

Companies developing spyware and offering spying services to government agencies and threat actors around the world are growing in number, and to make matters worse, for all of them - business is good.

This is according to a new report from Google, which highlights the growing concern of commercially developed spyware.

Now, according to Google’s latest Buying Spying report, it tracks around 40 Commercial Surveillance Vendors (CSV). Some are more popular than others, but all play an important role in developing spyware, it said. more

Google: "If governments ever claimed to have a monopoly on the most advanced cyber capabilities, that era is over. The private sector is now responsible for a significant portion of the most sophisticated tools we detect."

Cyber Security: Ready or Not – You Decide

Critical infrastructure isn't ready yet to face China's cyber threat
If China-backed hackers were to take down U.S. critical infrastructure and hit a pipeline or water utility, officials have long said that would be considered an act of war.
https://www.axios.com/2024/02/02/china-hacking-threat-government-warning

U.S. Can Respond Decisively to Cyber Threat Posed by China
"And in terms of the way that we communicate it, we communicate it in many different ways—from our policymakers who have these discussions to the exercises that we conduct to the real-world examples that, that we do with a series of different partners." 
https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3663799/us-can-respond-decisively-to-cyber-threat-posed-by-china/

The ToothBots Are Coming

According to a recent report published by the Aargauer Zeitung (h/t Golem.de), around three million smart toothbrushes have been infected by hackers and enslaved into botnets...

In this particular case, the toothbrush botnet was thought to have been vulnerable due to its Java-based OS. No particular toothbrush brand was mentioned in the source report. Normally, the toothbrushes would have used their connectivity for tracking and improving user oral hygiene habits, but after a malware infection, these toothbrushes were press-ganged into a botnet. more

UPDATE: Okay, stop laughing. The report of a massive denial of service attack by smart toothbrushes was a misreported story from mainstream sources. A hypothetical that was mistranslated.

“The Conversation” to be Remade as a TV Series


Francis Ford Coppola‘s 1974 masterpiece “The Conversation” will be remade as a TV series
, with “Margin Call” and “All Is Lost” filmmaker J.C. Chandor attached to both write and direct the series, IndieWire has confirmed.

Chandor will direct via his CounterNarrative Films banner alongside Temple Hill, producer Adam Fishbach, and executive produced by Coppola’s American Zoetrope. Erin Levy, known for her work on “Mad Men” and “Mindhunter,” will be the showrunner on “The Conversation” remake. 

MRC is the studio behind the series, and the company optioned the TV remake rights directly from the Coppola estate. more

...and for old times' sake...

Thursday, February 1, 2024

FutureWatch: New Wi-Fi Tech Has Potential Spy Applications

Morse Micro, announced the first live demonstration of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED HaLow technology extending 3 km (nearly two miles). Morse Micro staged this record-setting field test of a long-range video call in San Francisco’s Ocean Beach neighborhood to showcase the ability of sub-GHz Wi-Fi HaLow signals to reach long distances in challenging real-world conditions. A low-power, long-reach version of Wi-Fi based on the IEEE 802.11ah standard, Wi-Fi HaLow offers more than 10x the range, 100x the coverage area and 1000x the volume of traditional Wi-Fi technologies...

Wi-Fi HaLow overcomes the limitations of traditional Wi-Fi by operating in the sub-GHz spectrum on narrow frequency bands, enabling the technology to penetrate obstacles and provide unmatched performance, even in noisy environments crowded with numerous connected devices and cameras. Wi-Fi HaLow not only increases wireless range; it also extends battery life with its power-saving features...

The company is sampling its Wi-Fi Alliance and FCC-certified MM6108 production silicon – the fastest, smallest, lowest power and longest-range Wi-Fi HaLow SoC available in the market. more

Crime: Cameras Hidden in a Church Bathroom

UPDATE: U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Thursday sentenced a man who hid a video camera in a bathroom to capture images of a young girl to 25 years in prison. more
-----
U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Stephen Nicot, 61, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to receipt of child pornography...

Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that between 2012 and 2014, Nicot hid a camera in the bathroom of a church located in the Western District of New York. 

Nicot positioned the camera so that it would capture video and images of naked individuals using the shower in the church bathroom. He did this knowing some of the individuals would be under the age of 18 and he planned to display the video of the minors. 

...law enforcement executed a warrant at the Nicot’s residence and recovered a memory card and USB drive, which contained videos and images of at least five minor victims using the church bathroom and shower. Two cell phones were also seized, which contained naked images of a minor victim that were recorded by a camera hidden in a bathroom of Nicot’s residence. more
Don't let you or your children become victims. 
Know how to spot hidden spy cameras. 

So Much Data Even Spies Are Struggling to Find Secrets

Spying used to be all about secrets. Increasingly, it’s about what’s hiding in plain sight.

A staggering amount of data, from Facebook posts and YouTube clips to location pings from mobile phones and car apps, sits in the open internet, available to anyone who looks. US intelligence agencies have struggled for years to tap into such data, which they refer to as open-source intelligence, or OSINT. But that’s starting to change.

In October the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which oversees all the nation’s intelligence agencies, brought in longtime analyst and cyber expert Jason Barrett to help with the US intelligence community’s approach to OSINT. His immediate task will be to help develop the intelligence community’s national OSINT strategy, which will focus on coordination, data acquisition and the development of tools to improve its approach to this type of intelligence work. ODNI expects to implement the plan in the coming months, according to a spokesperson. more

US spies want to use AI

The U.S. government is considering incorporating more artificial intelligence into its spying operations
— but first it has to figure out which AI models can resist tampering and protect the country’s secrets...

“The intelligence community wants to avail itself of the large-language models out there, but there are a lot of unknowns,” Tim McKinnon, who runs IARPA’s Bias Effects and Notable Generative AI Limitations (BENGAL) project, told Bloomberg. “The end goal is being able to work with a model with trust.”...

The BENGAL team tests different ways to attack AI models and uncover vulnerabilities that could hamper their effective use by U.S. spies. Officials have also invited private companies to perform these tests for the government. more

"There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven't yet met." - TSA

The Transportation Security Administration is planning to expand its facial recognition scanners to more than 400 airports, an agency official said...

The CAT-2 units are currently deployed at nearly 30 airports nationwide, and will expand to more than 400 federalized airports over the coming years,” the TSA official said...

During a discussion at the South by Southwest festival in March 2023, TSA Administrator David Pekoske said “eventually we will get to the point where we will require biometrics across the board because it is much more effective and much more efficient.” more

World's Smallest Video Camera (2024)

They just keep getting smaller and smaller...
1/11" CMOS mini medical design camera to capture 1 megapixel in a compact 1.43 x 0.81 mm package. These features make it ideal for many endoscopic devices, including those used in airway management ; gastrointestinal ; and urology applications. more

Friday, January 26, 2024

China’s Nuclear Battery Powers your Smartphone for 50 Years

A Chinese startup called Betavolt has cooked up this itty-bitty nuclear battery - about the size of a little coin - which they claim can crank out electricity for 50 years straight, with no charging pit stops needed.

As the company leaps from development to the pilot stage, they're gearing up for full-scale production and a grand entrance into the market pretty soon...

Zhang Wei, Chairman and CEO of Betavolt, said in a press release that the BV100 marks a groundbreaking achievement as the world's first mass-produced nuclear battery...

The company also deems these batteries safe for medical devices within the human body, such as pacemakers and cochlear's, with no external radiation. more
Ok, now think of this technology being applied to quick-plant eavesdropping bugs and voice recorders.