Documentary: The Thing (No, not the 1951 & 1982 monster movies. The Russian Spy Thing.)

'The Thing' a captivating short film that uncovers one of history's most astonishing espionage incidents of the 20th Century. The documentary uncovers the amazing story behind the Great American Seal bug. 

John Little of TSCM Consulting tells this complex story of spying, counter spying, genius, betrayal, political wrangling and espionage. 

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You can live in a spy movie if...

...you’ve got some cash sitting around: 

British underwater jetpack maker CudaJet has done what you’d expect an underwater jetpack maker to do: they made an underwater jetpack.

 The 31-pound hands-free, backpack-like device, which is made to order and starts at ~$31k, will help rich people live out their dolphin dreams — diving 130+ feet down and propelling them forward 7 mph at a time. 

CudaJet says it comes with a controller and that it all takes five minutes to get comfortable with it. more

Weird Spy News: A Son Bugging Dad? (technically speaking)

India - PMK founder leader S Ramadoss on Saturday alleged his son Anbumani spied on him.

Asked whether it would be appropriate to allege that it was Anbumani who had planted a listening device as the police probe was still on, Ramadoss shot back, asking, “Who else could have planted it?"

He alleged it was his son Anbumani who had planted the bugging device at his residence. Ramadoss said complaints had been filed by him with Kiliyanur police (Villupuram district) and the cybercrime wing as well. The bugging device and its parts had been handed over to the police. more

Spies Demise Times Two

...Swedish diplomat found dead.

A veteran Swedish diplomat recently arrested on suspicion of espionage has died days after being released from police custody, his lawyer has revealed. 

Sweden's Sapo security service detained the man, who has not been named, on Sunday and kept him for questioning until Wednesday. He was released the same day, subject to investigation the country's prosecution service has said.

Police told Swedish outlet Svenska Dagbladet they had now opened an investigation into his death, but “there is no suspicion a crime has been committed”. more

Top Somali spy investigating assassination attempt on president killed...
A senior officer with Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), who was leading a sensitive investigation into a recent assassination attempt on President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, has been mysteriously killed in Mogadishu, Caasimada Online news website reported on Saturday. more

Quote of the Week: "Nobody with Sensitive Information is Immune to Espionage"

Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation director-general Mike Burgess said that in the “prevailing threat environment, national security truly is national security – everybody’s business”.

He said foreign intelligence agencies were “aggressively targeting” three key areas: science and technology, particularly advanced technology; public and private sector projects to gain a commercial advantage; and Antarctic research, green technology, critical minerals, and rare earths extraction and processing.
What information are spies taking?

Mr Burgess warned this meant “nobody with sensitive information is immune” and gave examples of recent operations investigated by ASIO. more

The Farmhouse Spy

A simple farmhouse and a mysterious dish set the stage for a real-world spy thriller. When French counterintelligence spotted that setup, they realised someone was tapping into high-value space communications.

The homeowner, Dong H., was no ordinary resident. A former employee of Beijing’s Academy of Science and Technology and president of Stahd Europe—a subsidiary of Emposat, the Chinese communications specialist—she had all the credentials for espionage. Emposat’s failed bid to install a ground station in the Czech Republic underscored how wary governments are of hidden antennas.

French investigators couldn’t prove data theft outright, but they confirmed the dish was finely tuned to CNES frequencies. Instead of a raid, authorities filed legal charges for illegal antenna installation, quietly dismantling the operation. Dong’s rural hideout shows how easy it can be to set up covert surveillance right under everyone’s nose. more

Spycam News: From That Wonderful Country That Brought You the Noodle Splash Guard

A spycam chindogu for you. Still a concept project... 

Noodle Splash Guard