Australia urges U.S. to Drop Espionage Case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange

Australia - A cross-party group of Australian politicians has called on the United States to drop an espionage case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and allow the Australian citizen to return home.

In an open letter to U.S. Attorney-General Merrick Garland, 48 members of Parliament and the Senate, including 13 from the ruling Labor Party, said the case against Mr. Assange would “set a dangerous precedent for all global citizens, journalists, publishers, media organizations and the freedom of the press.” more 

Spy Headlines this Week

• TikTok CEO on ByteDance: "I Don't Think That Spying is the Right Way to Describe It." more

• Facing spying claims, Mexico recorded phone call of prominent activist more

• The Spy Law That Big Tech Wants to Limit more

• Your refrigerator could be spying on you! Senate committee clamps down on smart devices more

• Greek intelligence allegedly uses Predator spyware to wiretap Facebook Security Manager more

• Senate Bill Would Be Big Step to Combatting Harmful Workplace Surveillance Practices more

• Archbishop admits spying on other Vatican officials more

• Everett school superintendent sues city for racial discrimination; charges mayor bugged her office more

• CIA's CTO and deputy director explain the future of high-tech spying more

• Spying, cocaine, money-laundering, historic losses: The sordid tale of the fall of Credit Suisse more

• Cell phone spying growing strong: How to know if you’ve been a victim of ‘stalkerware’ more

• Fox News producer was forced to spy on Maria Bartiromo, who execs called 'crazy,' more

• ESPIONAGE BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS FROM A FORMER CIA SPY more

UK: No More Mr. Nice Guy, Spy

The day's headlines

• UK intelligence ramps up efforts to counter Russian spies

• MI5 to establish new security agency to counter Chinese hacking, espionage

According to the report, a new department of national security will be established within MI-5. Its goal will be to advise companies, research organizations, and universities that may be victims of industrial espionage. In addition, private and public entities will be able to contact the new body for advice on how to interact with partners from China and or how to safely use Chinese-made equipment...

London is also preparing to announce a $24 million increase in BBC funding to counter Chinese and Russian disinformation in vulnerable countries. In addition, funding for a Chinese language training program for UK diplomats will be doubled. more

How to Spot a Chinese Spy on Social Media

National security experts say foreign adversaries are using popular job sites like LinkedIn and Indeed to recruit spies and extract trade secrets from U.S. workers...

There are a few things to look out for if you think you’re being targeted on social media. 

• Urgency: Be cautious of anyone who connects on social media and makes it seem like they need information quickly.
• Do your research: Be skeptical of anyone who claims to be part of a company or think tank where there is little or no information available on the organization.
• Probing questions: Be wary of social media accounts that connect and follow up with a lot of questions pertaining to industry specifics.

“They’ll offer that person an opportunity that is difficult to turn down,” said MacIntyre. “For example — an all-expense paid trip, a high paying new job — all of these can be appealing to people and then once they get that person over into their country to agree to do that, those people are often put in compromising situations or are pressured to provide information that they shouldn’t provide.”

Both experts said it’s best to follow the old adage: if the offer sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. more

Russian Spy Ring in Australia Busted (and more)

A Russian spy ring in Australia operated in the country for more than 18 months before it was broken in a counter espionage operation by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO).

The Australian domestic intelligence service spent months tracking the spies and ensured they did not suspect they were being watched, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Sources with knowledge of the ASIO operation say some of the Russian agents posed as diplomatic and consular staff while others used deep cover identities. more

A Russian citizen, who has been living and conducting business activities in Poland for many years, has been charged with spying for Russia between 2015 and April 2022, Polish authorities said on Thursday. more

North Sea countries on alert after Russian ‘spy ship’ scouts wind farms... A Russian vessel attempting to map out energy infrastructure for possible sabotage was escorted away from a North Sea wind farm by Dutch authorities, according to media reports. more

China, Russia targeting Canada's artificial intelligence know-how, CSIS warns. more

Whose Fingering Who in Spying This Week

• Netherlands Gives Russian Diplomats the Boot After Accusations of Spying more

• AI Can Be Used in Spying, Cost US Jobs, Experts Warn more

• Forget balloons. Are the Chinese spying on everyone through regular surveillance cameras? more

• Pakistan releases Bhil tribal imprisoned for 'spying' on nuclear facility for India more

• Russia launches criminal case against American, alleges ‘biological’ spying more

• Blinken says US has ‘no doubt’ China was conducting surveillance with balloon more

• ‘No apology’ from China over spy balloon: Blinken more

• Ex-KGB spy gives lesson in Soviet-style seduction more

• Gen. Keane: China spy craft shows how serious Beijing is in achieving ‘regional and global domination” more

How IBM Trolled East German Spies

In the late 1960's IBM knew its technology was being smuggled into Communist block countries. One designer decided to sent a message etched into one of the circuit boards of the IBM 360 computer. Written in Russian, the message loosely translates to, "When do you want to stop to swipe. Own design is better."

more

Thanks to one of our readers... Hi Kevin,
Your latest post incorrectly states the name of the U.S. company whose semiconductor engineers put a hidden message in their computers for GDR's Stasi semiconductor spies to see. I said "DEC" in my email because that was the name of Digital Equipment Corporation--not IBM.

Also, the message wasn't "etched into one of the circuit boards of the IBM 360 computer", as you stated--it was microscopically etched onto the silicon die of a DEC memory chip that was used in DEC (not IBM) computers, and could only be seen after someone used acid to dissolve the chip packaging to expose the die for reverse-engineering. I thought all that would be clear to you from the video, so I didn't belabor it.

You might want to correct that info on your website.

Cheers,

Israel Sending Spy Cows in Palestine

The official daily news publication of the Palestinian Authority, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida claims that a Palestinian villager came upon Israeli cattle and made up a story about how Israel has been covertly teaching the cattle to spy on Palestinians.

According to Palestinian villager Rushd Morrar, who spoke to the daily, “These are hired and trained cattle. They hang a medallion with an eavesdropping and recording device, occasionally with cameras, on the neck of each cow to keep an eye on every little thing that happens in Khirbet Yanun.

Additionally, he allegedly asserted that “the settlers release herds of wild boars” to obliterate all Palestinian crops. more

Twit Gets 3 1/2-Year Term on Spying for Saudis

A former Twitter Inc manager convicted of spying for Saudi Arabia by sharing user data several years ago and potentially exposing users to persecution was sentenced to 3-1/2 years in prison on Wednesday, U.S. prosecutors said. more

Ties Cut with Berlin Football Club after Spy Scandal

Lars Windhorst has announced that he will terminate his involvement with Hertha BSC Berlin football club, following revelations that the German financier allegedly hired corporate spies to try to force out the club’s president. 

Windhorst, whose investment company Tennor Holding owns a majority stake in the club, has been battling a storm of criticism after the Financial Times reported last week that he allegedly enlisted an Israeli private intelligence company to orchestrate a clandestine campaign against Werner Gegenbauer, who stepped down in May after 14 years in charge. more

Here's the Thing - Wednesday - Nov. 23rd

Wednesday Addams catches Thing spying on her...

Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) is not a fan of being spied on ... particularly when her parents are the ones doing the spying. 

During Netflix's TUDUM fan event on Saturday, the streamer released a new clip from the upcoming Addams family series, Wednesday, which follows a teenage Wednesday as she attends Nevermore Academy — the school where her parents once met — and discovers a supernatural mystery might be afoot. more

Demise of a Corporate Spy

Shares of Pegasystems have dropped 65% since the start of the year and are unlikely to recover.

(Spoiler Alert... Appian Awarded $2.036 Billion in Damages Against Pegasystems Inc.) 

Appian, for investors who are unfamiliar, is a fellow SaaS vendor that competes in the business process management (BPM) space and also emphasizes low-code software. Appian sued and won a corporate espionage case against Pegasystems. 

In a nutshell, Pegasystems was found guilty of trade secret appropriation: it hired an employee of a government contractor to provide it with access to Appian software. This contractor then passed information (including video recordings of the Appian development environment) to Pegasystems employees. Pegasystems' CEO, Alan Trefler, was also found to have participated in meetings with this contractor present... Appian won a $2.036 billion judgment in its favor. more

Does your company have a Surreptitious Recording in the Workplace policy? If not, read Surreptitious Workplace Recording — and what to do about it.

Journalist Vitaliy Portnikov Finds a Bed Bug

At home in Lvov, journalist Vitaliy Portnikov, presenter of a program about Espresso and Radio Liberty, found a listening device – a voice recorder with the ability to record for a long time.

About this in facebook Deputy Mykola Kniazhitsky said, reports Ukrinform.

“Journalist Vitaliy Portnikov, presenter of a program on Espresso and Radio Liberty, found a listening device at home in Lviv. This is a voice recorder with the ability to record for a long time. The police were called. They were quickly on the spot. do not know who and what purpose this device has installed: our services, foreign or criminals,” said the politician.

Vitaly Portnikov commented on the incident for “Espresso“: “Today, while cleaning the apartment in which I was located at the end of February, when the war started, I found a recording device under the bed. There was an inventory number on the device. I notified the police of my find so they could investigate the incident.”

Vitaliy Portnikov is a well-known Ukrainian journalist, publicist and political commentator. Works with Radio Liberty and Espresso. more

Top Spy News of the Week

A huge data leak of 1 billion records exposes China’s vast surveillance state
One billion resident records were allegedly siphoned from a police database... A massive store of data containing information on about one billion Chinese residents could be one of the biggest breaches of personal information in history. more

How the FBI Wiretapped the World
We finally understand the code behind the Anom phones... For years criminal organizations around the world were buying a special phone called Anom. The pitch was that it was completely anonymous and secure, a way for criminals to do business without authorities watching over their shoulder. It turned out that the whole thing was an elaborate honeypot and that the FBI and law enforcement agencies around the world were listening in. They’d help develop the phones themselves. more

France Spied on Nearly 23,000 People in 2021 Using Technical Tools
France’s National Commission for the Control of Intelligence Techniques has claimed that nearly 23,000 people were spied on by French authorities last year using ‘technical tools’ like geolocation and recording conversations. more

50 Spy Movies That’ll Keep You On The Edge Of Your Seat

As kids, all of us loved play-pretend games, and though there's a myriad of variations, one theme that was by far the most thrilling of them all - playing spies on a secret mission. 

Such secrecy and importance sure seemed thrilling, and emulating the super cool tricks we saw on the cinema screens felt like the best thing in the world. Naturally, most of us grew out of these play-pretend frolics, but the infatuation with everything spies hasn't gone anywhere. And what's a better way to relive these thrilling fantasies than by watching some of the best spy movies ever made? 

So, here we are with our list that'll cater to even the pickiest spy movie connoisseur and give you some pretty decent choices for your next adventurous viewing... more

I Would be Shocked if I am Not Being Spied On: Elon Musk

On the micro-blogging site Twitter, Musk posted a picture, which reads "Does anyone else feel like they are being watched?".

While replying to that, a user wrote "you are 24/7 on all your devices and online services, including your own Starlink. In your case it is not just mass surveillance. You are a priority target".

"I would be shocked if I am not being spied on haha. My only ask is that anyone spying on me please not affect call quality too much or I cannot hear what is being said!" Musk said in a reply to the user. more

Five Individuals Charged - Spying on U.S. Residents on Behalf of the PRC Secret Police

 ...As part of their efforts, the defendants electronically spied on the pro-democracy activists.  For example, posing as an art dealer interested in purchasing the artwork of the dissident artist, Ziburis secretly installed surveillance cameras and GPS devices at the dissident’s workplace and in his car.  While in the PRC, Sun watched the live video feed and location data from these devices.  The defendants made similar plans to install surveillance equipment at the residences and on the vehicles of two other dissidents.  Liu and Ziburis planned to gain access to one such residence by posing as a member of an international sports committee... more 

If you think you might be a target of any spy operation contact a professional Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM) security consultant for assistance.

Tough Week for Spies

• Bulgaria expels 10 Russian diplomats on allegations of spying. more
  
  
• U.S. accuses five of spying and harassing China’s critics, effort to smear congressional candidate. more
  
  
• Norwegian photographer arrested in Greece on spying charges. more
  
  
• Reported Detention of Russian Spy Boss Shows Tension Over Stalled Ukraine Invasion more
  
  
• Submarine Spy Couple Tried to Sell Nuclear Secrets to Brazil more
  
  
• Russian spy captain killed on 'top secret' operation in Ukraine. more
  
  
• Spy agencies' leaks of Russian plans point to the future of information warfare. more
  
  
• Slovakia expels 3 Russian diplomats after spy services info. more
  
  
• The long-haul fight over police spying allegations is on. more
  
  
• Muslims Continue Battling FBI For Spying on OC Mosques After Supreme Court Ruling more
  
  
• Russian spy chiefs ‘under house arrest’ as Putin turns on his security chiefs over invasion setback. more
  
  
• New FBI documents link Saudi spy in California to 9/11 attacks. more
  
  
• Cyberspace making Canadian secrets more vulnerable, spy service official warns. more
  
  
• Why 78% Of Employers Are Sacrificing Employee Trust By Spying On Them more
  
  
• Neighbour fed up with spying child: 'I'm entitled to privacy in my own garden'. more
  

Industrial Espionage Movie: A 30 Minute Wake-Up Call

The FBI's Office of Private Sector, Counterintelligence Division and Training Division present this 30-minute film entitled Made in Beijing: The Plan for Global Market Domination. In the world of global adversaries, the People’s Republic of China stands at the forefront with its sustained and brazen campaign of industrial espionage, posing the single greatest threat to our freedom, national security, and economic vitality.  Made in Beijing: The Plan for Global Market Domination sounds the alarm, helping private sector partners recognize the urgent need to protect their crown jewels against industrial espionage. more

The Unnerving Rise of Video Games that Spy on You

Tech conglomerate Tencent caused a stir last year with the announcement that it would comply with China’s directive to incorporate facial recognition technology into its games in the country.  

The move was in line with China’s strict gaming regulation policies, which impose limits on how much time minors can spend playing video games—an effort to curb addictive behavior, since gaming is labeled by the state as “spiritual opium."

...video games are a natural medium for tracking, and researchers have long argued that large data sets about players’ in-game activities are a rich resource in understanding player psychology and cognition. more