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

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

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...

• https://counterespionage.com/what-is-tscm/spy-camera-detection/

• https://counterespionage.com/spy-camera-detectors/

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

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