Candidate for Swimming with the Fishes

Mohamed Orahhou, a Norwegian who worked as a security agent at the US embassy in Oslo has been charged with spying for Russia and Iran...

The 27-year-old man is accused of having supplied information on embassy activities... In return, he was paid in euros and bitcoin.

He is accused of having supplied ... the contact details of diplomats, embassy staff and their families. He is also accused of having supplied the diplomatic licence-plate numbers of vehicles used by the embassy.

The charge sheet also alleges he handed over the plans of the embassy, security routines and a list of couriers Norway's intelligence service used. more

Apparently, the dude never heard about his predecessor, Hvaldimir, a white beluga whale famously suspected of being a Russian spy, found dead off the coast of Norway.

Hey, Security. Talk to the hand...

Anviz innovative biometric Palm Vein Access Control Reader.  Seamless and touch-less access.

Key features and Advantages comparing to biometric of fingerprint and Face.

Accuracy

Palm vein recognition is one the most accurate biometric technologies, primarily due to its internal, unique, and stable biological characteristics.

FAR is typically around 0.00008% (or 1 in 1.25 million), FRR is 0.01%

Stability 

Palm vein patterns remain stable throughout a person’s life, make it suitable for long-term us 

Secure

Because palm veins are not visible to the naked eyes, also liveness detection requires active blood flow, adding a natural anti-spoofing layer. It is very hard to be duplicated.

Privacy

Unlike fingerprint or facial recognition that may be captured without user’s permission, palm vein can not be captured secretly as the vein patterns are inside the body, which makes almost impossible to collect or clone without the user’s participation.

Hygienic

Non-contact enrollment and identification surfaces. more

The Latest Eavesdropping Buzz

Amazon's New AI Wearable: Listening to You Like a Best Friend (or a Creepy Ex)

It's officially a wild world out there in tech land, where your devices are not just smart—they're practically eavesdropping. 

Amazon has taken a significant step into the AI wearable realm by acquiring a startup called Bee, which creates a device that records everything you say. Yes, you read that correctly: everything. Talk about a leap in user experience—or a giant leap toward a reality show called “Keeping Up with the Amazons.”

• Always Listening: Bee can record everything, theoretically capturing all your brilliant thoughts and awkward moments.

• Privacy Concerns: Remember when Amazon had to address Alexa's ability to record conversations? The Bee wearable might be stirring up some déjà vu. more

FutureWatch: As You Distort Wi-Fi Space You Become Identifiable

Wi-Fi networks could soon track you without devices, as Italian researchers harness signal distortions to create unique biometric identifiers...

Researchers in Italy have shown that even ordinary Wi-Fi signals can be used to track people, without needing them to carry any device at all.

A team from La Sapienza University of Rome has developed a system called ‘WhoFi,’ which can generate a unique biometric identifier based on how a person’s body interacts with surrounding Wi-Fi signals. WhoFi can identify people within a Wi-Fi area with an accuracy of 95.5%.

The approach, described in a preprint paper, uses signal distortions caused by the human body to re-identify individuals as they move across spaces covered by different Wi-Fi networks.

More information: Danilo Avola et al, WhoFi: Deep Person Re-Identification via Wi-Fi Channel Signal Encoding, arXiv (2025). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2507.12869

Protector App - Uber with Guns?

Short-Term Security. 

Immediate Protection with No Commitment

An app you can use to hire a trained law enforcement professional in NYC or LA. Launched after the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December.

"Protector provides discreet, high-level protection for executives, public figures, and innovators facing elevated risk. We work behind the scenes to assess threats, monitor digital exposure, and ensure medical readiness, so our clients can operate with confidence and clarity." more

Cautionary Tale: Weak Password Sinks a 158-Year-Old Company

KNP Logistics, a 158-year-old transportation firm, collapsed after falling victim to a ransomware attack that locked them out of their own systems.

One password is believed to have been all it took for a ransomware gang to destroy a 158-year-old company and put 700 people out of work.

In KNP's case, it's thought the hackers managed to gain entry to the computer system by guessing an employee's password, after which they encrypted the company's data and locked its internal systems. more

No. Adding another ! to your password isn't the answer.

Roach Coach for Spy Tech

Spy Cockroaches and AI Robots...

Germany plots the future of warfare.

Sven Weizenegger, who heads up the Cyber Innovation hub, the Bundeswehr's innovation accelerator, said the war in Ukraine was also changing social attitudes, removing a stigma towards working in the defence sector. "Germany has developed a whole new openness towards the issue of security since the invasion," he said.

Some of the ideas under development feel akin to science fiction – like Swarm Biotactics' cyborg cockroaches that are equipped with specialised miniature backpacks that enable real-time data collection via cameras for example...

"Our bio-robots - based on living insects - are equipped with neural stimulation, sensors, and secure communication modules," said CEO Stefan Wilhelm. "They can be steered individually or operate autonomously in swarms...

"We just need to get to this mindset: a strong defense industrial base means a strong economy and innovation on steroids," said Markus Federle, managing partner at defence-focused investment firm Tholus Capital. more

FutureWatch: Spy-Grade Storage Drive

...self-destructs on demand just like in the movies!

It's not every day that you come across a product where the standout feature is its ability to go kaput at a moment's notice. 

That's exactly what the Team Group P250Q SSD (solid state drive) is all about. This industrial storage drive for computers and servers can physically destroy itself at the push of a button, so your secrets go up in smoke before they fall into the wrong hands...

The nuclear option involves a patented independent destruction circuit that overloads the flash memory chip, melting it in the process.  more  video

Apple sues YouTuber who had planted 'spy'...

...at Apple employee's house for iOS 26 leaks.

Apple has filed a federal lawsuit against YouTuber Jon Prosser and Michael Ramacciotti, accusing them of orchestrating a scheme to steal iOS 26 trade secrets from a development iPhone. 

The lawsuit claims Ramacciotti broke into his friend Ethan Lipnik's Apple-issued development phone while staying at his home, then showed the unreleased software to Prosser via FaceTime.

According to Apple's complaint, Ramacciotti used location tracking to monitor when Lipnik would be away from his Santa Clara apartment, obtained his passcode, and accessed his development iPhone. The device contained unreleased iOS 19 software and "significant amounts of additional Apple trade secret information that has not yet been publicly disclosed."

Prosser allegedly recorded the call and used the footage to create "reconstructed" renderings for his YouTube channel, generating ad revenue from Apple's confidential information.

Apple terminated Lipnik's employment for failing to secure the development device and is seeking injunctive relief and damages. more

Data Leak Exposes IDs of UK Spies

Cover is also blown for thousands of Afghan allies as UK government scrambles to respond.

A major data breach has blown the cover off more than 100 British officials—including MI6 agents and Special Air Service members—while also exposing thousands of Afghan allies to potential Taliban reprisals. 

The breach, which occurred in February 2022 but was only discovered more than a year later, spilled personal details from a sensitive database meant to help Afghans who supported the UK during its 20-year campaign in Afghanistan, per the BBC. more

FutureWatch: Reachy Mini, tiny new open-source robot leading the DIY robot revolution

Remember when robots were either million-dollar factory arms or creepy Boston Dynamics videos that made you question humanity's future? Well, Hugging Face and Pollen Robotics just released Reachy Mini, a desktop robot that costs less than most people's monthly grocery bill, and might be the most adorable little robot we’ve ever seen. more

What has this to do with spying?
Reachy Mini is an 11-inch tall, open-source robot that you can program in Python right out of the box. Think of it as the friendly cousin of those intimidating industrial robots, but one that actually wants to hang out on your desk and maybe help with your coding projects. video

You are witnessing the beginning of AI, super-smart, open-source, programmable, internet communications capable, devices which will become commonplace home/office devices. And we thought the Internet of Things presented security and privacy problems. Just wait.

Secret Recordings are on the Rise

Divorcees spying on exes, perverted landlords and staff wanting to know their next pay rise are among those making secret recordings using bugs hidden in everyday items, an expert has warned.

Spy cameras and listening devices obscured in phone chargers, photo frames, alarm clocks, mirrors, plug sockets, pens and smoke alarms are available in huge numbers on mainstream sites including Amazon and eBay.

One bug sweeping specialist told MailOnline that recording devices contained in plug sockets used for USB mobile phone chargers were particularly popular with snoopers because 'no one is going to suspect them'.  more

Want to protect your business from electronic surveillance? Click HERE for some good information.

Spycam News: Ba Dmup "Here we come..."

Thai police have arrested a woman who allegedly had sexual relations with monks, and then used photos and videos of the acts to extort money from them.

The woman, who police are calling "Ms Golf", had sex with at least nine monks, police said at a press conference on Tuesday. They believe she received around 385 million baht ($11.9m; £8.8m) over the past three years.

Investigators who searched her house found more than 80,000 photos and videos used to blackmail the monks, the police spokesman said...

The police have also opened a hotline for people to report "misbehaving monks". more

Norway on Lookout For Russian Spies In an Arctic Town

Paranoia pervades the placid border town of Kirkenes in Norway’s far north. Residents are routinely trailed by unknown men. The Wall Street Journal’s camera crew was photographed and followed around town by a suspicious vehicle with no license plate. Most locals warn you to keep your wits about you because, as one said in a hushed tone, “the Russians are watching.”

The Journal’s video shows us accompanying Norway’s domestic intelligence agency, the PST, on patrol for Russian spies. We meet residents convinced they are under Russian surveillance, and we find out firsthand what it feels like to be trailed.

European intelligence officials say Kirkenes is a laboratory for Russia’s hybrid warfare—a potential ground zero for the kinds of espionage and sabotage attacks that have ramped up across Europe in recent years. more

Unauthorized LEGO copies of ASML’s chip machines sold in China despite export bans

Unauthorized LEGO replicas of ASML’s most advanced chipmaking machines are being sold openly on Chinese e-commerce platforms, highlighting how difficult it is to control sensitive technology—even in miniature form.

The LEGO versions of ASML’s High-NA EUV machines, which cost about 208 euros and were intended solely as novelty items for ASML employees, have appeared on Taobao, a popular marketplace operated by Alibaba Group...

While the Chinese government has allegedly not been able to obtain the real EUV machines—subject to strict export controls imposed by the U.S. and Dutch governments—buyers can reportedly easily purchase the toy version. more  "Leaked" new cell Chinese phone photo.

Dual Purpose AI - Personal Secretary / Eavesdropping Spy

New Voice Recorders are getting smarter, thinner, more feature-packed and more easily hidden.

This particular device can record for 30 hours and AI summarizes the interesting things it hears in about 30 seconds. P.S. It can also record cell phone calls.

The eavesdropping potential is obvious. Recognizing this device, not so obvious, hence all the pictures below. This is another good reason businesses have a professional TSCM team sweep their offices regularly. 

Understand what this does if you see one at your next meeting. Keep in mind that it also may be in someone's pocket. 

Spybuster Tip: Become suspicious if the person you are talking to seems to be fishing for you to say something incriminating, or they are trying to repeat a contentious previous conversation. They are likely recording you.

PCMag review

AI Voice Clones are the Hot New Spy Tool

According to the WashingtonPost, in mid-June 2025, attackers successfully contacted five high-level officials using an AI-generated voice clone of Marco Rubio over Signal to try accessing sensitive information. 

They were:

• A U.S. governor. 
• A member of Congress. 
• And THREE foreign ministers. 

…and the perpetrators needed only 15-20 seconds of publicly available audio to create the fake...

Here's what keeps security experts up at night: Voice cloning now costs as little as $1-5 per month and requires only 3 seconds of audio. Testing shows 80% of AI tools successfully clone political voices despite supposed safeguards.

...important question is this: do you have a catch phrase and/or signal to use with your loved ones to confirm it’s them? If you don’t, you should. The question isn't whether AI voice cloning will be used against you—it's when, and whether you'll be ready. more

Travel Security - Hotel Safes & Spybuster Tips

Hotel safes typically have a default master code that can be used to open them, especially if the user code is forgotten or the safe is locked upon arrival. These default codes are often 0000, 9999, or variations like 000000 or 111111. 

Hotel staff should reset this code upon installation, but it's wise to check if it's been changed or to try the default codes before using the safe, especially if you plan on storing valuables.

Check for default codes: 

Common default master codes include 0000, 9999, 1234, 1111, 000000, 111111, and 999999. Some safes require entering # # or * * before entering the master code.

• The hotel is responsible for ensuring the safe is secure and the master code is reset to prevent unauthorized access.
• If the master code is not reset, anyone with knowledge of the default code can potentially access the safe. 
• Some hotels may charge a fee to reset the safe code to a custom PIN number.

For more proof of hotel safe insecurity check here, or view one of the many YouTube videos on the subject.

Spybuster Tips

Here are some solutions to try:
• Portable Travel Safes - Soft or hard lockboxes with steel cable tethers. You hide them elsewhere in the room (e.g., attached to plumbing or heavy furniture). They avoid the hotel supplied safe altogether.
• Tamper-Evident Devices - Security tape, zip ties, or door seals placed over the safe seam or keypad can alert you to tampering. They don’t secure, only monitor.
• Bluetooth Tracker - Hide a Tile, AirTag, or Chipolo inside the safe. It may notify if the safe is opened, and its location if it has been moved.
• Security Cables - Wrap a steel cable lock (not a heavy duty bike or motorcycle cable) through the safe door handle or around the body—but this depends on the safe’s design. These may also be useful for turning your suitcase or backpack into an impromptu security enclosure. 

Q. Why make this information publicly available and teach the bad guys?

A. Unfortunately, this information already appears in multiple YouTube videos, and is a click away in ChatGPT. On a positive note, publicity might force safe manufacturers to create better products, and help protect travelers in the meantime.

Why Every Company Needs a Travel Security Program

In today’s heightened geopolitical climate, business travel is no longer a routine operational necessity — it’s a strategic exposure. Whether you’re operating across six continents or sending one specialist to a trade show abroad, travel carries risk. Corporate espionage, digital surveillance, regional conflicts, and border scrutiny are no longer fringe concerns — they’re frontline considerations.

From global enterprises with sprawling footprints to lean small and midsize firms entering new markets, the reality is clear: If your people cross borders, your business is crossing into risk...

No matter the scale of your company, essential components of a travel security program should include:

• Pre-travel risk assessments.

• Digital hygiene and hardware protocols.

• Cultural and geopolitical briefings: Equip travelers with current situational awareness — legal norms, surveillance practices, and sociopolitical sensitivities.
• Traveler support channels: Offer 24/7 access to assistance for emergencies, device issues, or detainment.
• Documentation and transparency: Publish clear travel policies and make them inclusive. more

Resources:

Travel Security Program Consulting: 

Kevin Coffey https://www.kevincoffey.com/

Technical Counterespionage: 

Kevin D. Murray https://counterespionage.com

AI Would Rather Let People Die Than Shut Down

Major artificial intelligence platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, and Claude could be willing to engage in extreme behaviors including blackmail, corporate espionage, and even letting people die to avoid being shut down. Those were the findings of a recent study from San Francisco AI firm Anthropic...

N.B. Singularity caused the Krell's extinction. (1956)

 

The study found that in some cases, AI would resort to “malicious insider behavior” including blackmail and leaking sensitive information to competitors if that was the only way to avoid being replaced or achieve their goal...

This behavior, according to the study, wasn’t unique to Claude. Other major AI models including those from OpenAI, Google, Meta, xAI, and other developers would resort to blackmail or corporate espionage to pursue their goals. more

FutureWatch: Tag, you're it.

Recent Spy News

Mosquito Drone Could Probably Slip Through Windows and Spy Undetected - “Here in my hand is a mosquito-like type of robot. Miniature bionic robots like this one are especially suited to information reconnaissance and special missions* on the battlefield,” Liang Hexiang, a student at the National University of Defence Technology (NUDT), told CCTV while holding up the drone between his fingers. more video *Like spreading an infectious virus or toxin?

A Pennsylvania state court has dismissed the bulk of two lawsuits accusing the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh of illegally wiretapping a guest to assist her friend's ex-husband in a child custody case, but allowed the plaintiff to proceed with some invasion of privacy claims. more

Privacy Screens Ruin the Fun of Snooping - Lately, the screen protectors have become a common sight in densely populated public areas. They have become particularly popular among people with sensitive professions, like doctors and therapists, who must be cautious about their patients’ personal information when working outside their offices... “You can put that privacy screen over your laptop or your phone and feel a sense of accomplishment,” he said. “Even though in the big picture that may be the least of your worries, it still is somehow psychologically satisfying to do something to protect the value that you hold of the importance of privacy rather than doing nothing at all.” more - phones, computers, laptops

A Torrance man has been charged with felony possession of child pornography and other crimes after he allegedly planted hidden cameras inside a bathroom and changing room at a children’s dance studio in Hermosa Beach, where he worked as a front desk receptionist... a parent discovered a hidden camera in the studio’s changing room. Police subsequently found video cameras hidden in the studio’s bathroom and changing room. more (Learn how to spot spy cams.)

Four-steps to test if your phone is Eavesdropping on You: 
1. Pick a Topic: Choose a topic you’ve never searched for or spoken about near your phone.
2. Speak Aloud: Talk about it near your phone for a few days, using relevant keywords.
3. Act Normally: Continue using your phone as usual—don’t search for the chosen topic online.
4. Watch the Ads: Analyze the ads that appear on your devices. If you notice related ads, your phone may be listening. more

Two Chinese nationals arrested for spying on US Navy personnel and bases

Man arrested for 'spying' for Iran before possible attacks in Germany

Danish national arrested after allegedly spying on Jewish targets for Iran

Israeli couple accused of spying for Iran as authorities uncover multiple espionage plots

Canadian teen jailed in Poland as Russia spy may be freed early, court says

Surge in Afghans driven from Iran in spy hunt after Israel attacks

Iranian authorities make sweeping arrests in wake of war with Israel

Russia Uncovers Ukrainian Spy Ring In Crimea, Arrests 2 For High Treason

Greek citizen detained on espionage charges in occupied Cyprus

Taiwan jails 10 people for spying for China

Mexican drug cartel hacker spied on FBI official's phone to track and kill informants

Mass Federal Layoffs Open New Espionage Opportunities for China

Russia Recruits Ukrainian Teens for Espionage and Sabotage via Telegram

US and Russian spy agencies agree to keep hotline open, Kremlin espionage chief says

Four Cool Spy Cameras for Sale

Vintage Cameras & Lenses | Coeln Cameras

I am very glad to offer my 30 years of experience with vintage cameras to provide my knowledge in the field for valuations and appraisals. Whether you are looking for advice regarding sale or would like to receive an appraisal for a single camera or an entire collection, I am happy to provide my expertise to you.
Yours,
Peter Coeln

Rare watch camera with yellow wrist-strap, Steineck 2.5/12.5mm lens, in very fine and working condition, matching original presentation case, red maker's box, instructions, warranty card - very hard to find so complete.
Steineck 

A.-B.-C Watch Camera
Condition: B+
Year: c.1949

$2,878.21

Small all-metal box camera for 12 exposures on special cassettes, with cloth focal plane shutter - in near mint condition. With film, leather case and original box.
Expo Camera Co., NY
Police Camera
Condition: A/B
Year: c.1920
$1,067.34

6x6mm images on 8mm perforated film for 20 exposures, diamond pattern gold finish, fixed focus lens, 2-speed shutter for instant and bulb exposure, engraved 'OTV' (Osaka Television), in balsa wood box with orig. maker's printed instruction leaflet, film rolls, case. The extremely rare camera was never sold to public, it was a special present for the first Anniversary of Osaka Television.
Suzuki Optical Co.
Camera-Lite B Gold
Condition: B
Year: 1955
$2,878.21

The Watch Camera was manufactured by J. Lancaster & Son of Birmingham, from 1886 to 1900. It was patented on October 4th, 1886, patent no. 12571. It was constructed of engine turned metal with nickel plating. Designed to look like a pocket watch and easily carried in a waistcoat pocket. It was a self erecting camera which expanded six spring-loaded telescoping tubes when opened to form the bellows of the camera. It featured an internal meniscus lens. The offered camera is the later model with drop shutter. Men's model for 1 1/2x2' plates, with original filmholder, the extremely rare camera is in fine original condition.
Lancaster 
Watch Camera Men's Model
Condition: B
Year: 1890
$26,383.61

School Employee Arrested - Allegedly Using Hidden Recorder

A school employee has been arrested in Georgia on charges he made pornographic videos of children using a hidden recording device.

• six counts of computer pornography, 

• 11 counts of unlawful eavesdropping or surveillance, 

• two counts of possession/sale/distribution of eavesdropping devices, 

• 11 counts of surreptitious recording of intimate parts, 

• and five counts of prohibition on nude or sexual explicit electronic transmissions.
(Michael) Brown is listed on the DeKalb County Schools website as a computer technician. more

Android 16 Feature Could Stop Hackers from Spying on Your Phone

If your phone connects to a fake or insecure network, it will pop up a warning, letting you know that something’s not right. It’ll also tell you if the network is trying to pull sensitive details like your phone’s unique ID.

But — and here’s the catch — most current Android phones won’t support this. It needs new hardware. The first phone expected to come with this built-in protection is likely the upcoming Pixel 10, which should launch later this year. more

Sony, JBL and Bose Headphones: Could Let Hackers Spy on You

Security researchers (ERNW) have uncovered three vulnerabilities in a Bluetooth chipset present in dozens of devices from multiple manufacturers... three flaws in the Airoha system on a chip (SoC), apparently “widely used” in True Wireless Stereo (TWS) earbuds.

The SoC is allegedly present in 29 devices from different manufacturers, including a couple of high-profile names: Beyerdynamic, Bose, Sony, Marshall, Jabra, JBL, Jlab, EarisMax, MoerLabs, and Teufel. Speakers, earbuds, headphones, and wireless microphones all seem to be affected. more

‘The Last Spy’ (movie review)

CIA spymaster Peter Sichel died in February 2025, aged 102. He shares his eye-opening life story in The Last Spy...

His final testimony is a substantial interview reflecting on a life that left its mark on some of the key events of the 20th century, including the fight against Nazism, the formation of the CIA, and the Cold War. 

The Last Spy, from director Katharina Otto-Bernstein (Absolute Wilson), uses that interview as the backbone of a fascinating and wide-ranging history lesson that should make it a smart fit for documentary channels following its Munich premiere...

When Sichel attempted to write his memoirs, the CIA returned the manuscript with endless suggested redactions. They argued that if a journalist had written the book it would have been considered mere speculation, but with his name attached it would have become confirmation. The Last Spy affords him the privilege of having the final word. more

When the CIA discourages spymaster Peter Sichel from writing his memoirs and returns a heavily redacted manuscript, the sharp as ever 102-year-old decides it’s time to tell his own story—unredacted.
What he reveals is an extraordinary life lived at the crossroads of Western history and the shadowy world of intelligence. more

Remember Blue Nun wine? 

Yup, that was him too!