"Whatever happened to OPSEC?"

Last week's news sparked much discussion about privacy. Here is one semi-sarcastic exchange between two well-respected, over-50 security professionals...
 

Q. "Whatever happened to OPSEC?"
 
A. "Indeed. Whatever happened to OPSEC?

I think you and I are seeing the "generation gap" from the other side, now. Yesterday, I was talking to a sixteen year-old about the past week's news (PRISM and the Supreme Court decision on DNA).
 
The attitude was, "So?"
 
Geeez, the under-30 crowd has no expectation of privacy. It is a foreign concept to them. They grew up going to school with cameras aimed at them all day, and Ra-parents checking their email, and cocooning them in play dates and bike helmets. Sprinkle with general self: indulgence, centered-ness, and entitlement, and this is what evolves—a new world where real privacy is a quaint concept.
 
Their new world is "look at me, look at me", tweet, tweet, tweet. The new privacy hinges on SnapChat zaps, and the ability to 'friend' and 'unfriend'.

The first Eloi of this new wave are starting to take their places in business and government. They are being egged on, and in turn enabling, a few dystopian power-elders. Together they constructed PRISM. The flip side of the coin, however, is that they don't get to do it in private.
 
So, to answer the question, OPSEC and Privacy have joined hands... and are skipping on their merry f-ing way to oblivion.

Moto X - The Creepy Boyfriend You Never Knew You Wanted

Imagine a spy with access to a second-by-second record of your location and all of your electronic communications—and which is also the world’s most sophisticated superbrain, capable of mining all that information, big data-style, for unexpected connections... 

...the Moto X... essentially, it’s the world’s most sophisticated cluster of sensors you can wear on your person, and it’s going to know every single thing you do, whether it’s driving, sleeping or taking a walk around the block. Google is betting that you will love your pocket Stasi so much you’ll never want to be without it—and Google is right...

For example, the phone knows how fast you’re traveling, so it might not let you text while driving. And it has enough contextual information to know not only whether or not you just took it out of your pocket, but also why you just took it out of your pocket, so it can immediately fire up the camera app when you want to take a picture...

It’s the fact that Google’s forthcoming phone will start to know that “why”—the causal connections that stitch together our actions and desires—that is nothing short of astonishing...
Normal smartphones are limited in their ability to spy on you because their makers never anticipated that this is a thing you’d want to do. (more)

Law Proposed to Let Parents Wiretap Kids

An Ohio lawmaker plans to introduce a bill that would allow parents to wiretap their child’s cell phone conversations to be used in court.


Under the bill, only parents or guardians would be allowed to track online or cell phone communications of a minor under the age of 18. (more)

Authorities... "No probing all the way. Promise."

The U.K. plans to install an unspecified number of spy devices along the country’s telecommunications network to monitor Britons’ use of overseas services such as Facebook and Twitter, according to a report published Tuesday by Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee.

The devices — referred to as “probes” in the report — are meant to underpin a nationwide surveillance regime aimed at logging nearly everything Britons do online, from Skype calls with family members to visits to pornographic websites. The government argues that swift access to communications data is critical to the fight against terrorism and other high-level crime.

Authorities have been at pains to stress that they’re not seeking unfettered access to the content of emails or recordings of phone calls, but rather what many have described as “outside of the envelope” information: Who sends a message, where and how it is sent, and who receives it. (more) ...for now.

NCTC Scope "Breathtaking" - "Pre-Cogs" - fiction to fact in 10 years

via The Wall Street Journal...
Counterterrorism officials wanted to create a government dragnet, sweeping up millions of records about U.S. citizens—even people suspected of no crime...

 

The rules now allow the little-known National Counterterrorism Center to examine the government files of U.S. citizens for possible criminal behavior, even if there is no reason to suspect them. That is a departure from past practice, which barred the agency from storing information about ordinary Americans unless a person was a terror suspect or related to an investigation.

Now, NCTC can copy entire government databases—flight records, casino-employee lists, the names of Americans hosting foreign-exchange students and many others. The agency has new authority to keep data about innocent U.S. citizens for up to five years, and to analyze it for suspicious patterns of behavior. Previously, both were prohibited. Data about Americans "reasonably believed to constitute terrorism information" may be permanently retained...

The changes also allow databases of U.S. civilian information to be given to foreign governments for analysis of their own. In effect, U.S. and foreign governments would be using the information to look for clues that people might commit future crimes.

"It's breathtaking" in its scope, said a former senior administration official familiar with the White House debate. (more)

Lo-Jack Your Car, Kids, Pets... Anything!

from the manufacturer... 

"Simply give the PocketFinder GPS tracker to a person or attach it to your pet or vehicle and locate the devices from our website or on your smartphone with our iOS® and Android® apps.

PocketFinder features work even while you’re not thinking about them. Best of all, they’re simple to use! Geo-fence zones, speed limits, alerts, history and power features will maximize how much value you get from using the devices." (more)

Ra-Parents Forcing Kids to Live Undercover

Kids are desperate to flee from their parents’ spying, reports the Wall Street Journal. In a piece about “Tweens’ Secret Lives Online,” the Journal tracks the online lengths kids are going to in order to get away from their stalkerish parents.

Digital anthropologist danah boyd told me last year that teens then were fleeing from Facebook to Twitter to escape the prying eyes of adults. WSJ journo Katherine Rosman says that Instagram is now one of the tools kids use to exchange messages in a semi-public way (where the public doesn’t include nosy adults)... 

My own parents certainly didn’t have that luxury. I would disappear with my bike (Me too. With no freakin' helmet, of course.) on a Saturday and be completely out of touch, my whereabouts unknown for hours at a time.

Let’s hope that digitally enabled overparenting doesn’t completely crush kids’ freedom of exploration. Let tweens actually have a little bit of a secret life. (more)

Would you use spy gadgets in order to get custody of your kids?

On Thursday, "ABC World News with Diane Sawyer" explored the increasing use of surveillance equipment among exes in divorce and custody cases, from hiding a camera in a child's teddy bear to installing tape recorders in the home of an ex. (more)

Security Director Tips: Tell Employees about these Safety Apps

via Techlicious...

If you’re concerned that someone you care about could be in danger, or if you worry about safety yourself, here are a handful of apps that can help... 

bSafe
This free app lets users select personal Guardians, the people who will be notified when help is needed. All users’ guardians are alerted with an emergency SOS message that includes the sender’s location, while a direct call is placed to one specified contact.

StreetSafe
Unlike other safety apps that alert friends or family who may not be able to help in the event of an emergency, this iPhone app features a silent alarm that, when triggered, dispatches emergency help to your exact location. If you are feeling uneasy and want someone to stay on the phone with you until you arrive safely at your destination, you can also activate StreetSafe’s Walk With Me feature, which connects you with a trained Safety Advisor

MyForce
Before using this one you need to complete an online profile that includes your photo and any medical issues you may have. Then when MyForce receives an alert from you, it dispatches the nearest emergency responders and transmits to them your profile information. MyForce also records audio coming from your phone and reports any updates or movement to the authorities.

SecuraFone
This free iPhone and Android app provides free GPS tracking and monitoring that can be helpful when dealing with children, aging parents or employees. Once the app is downloaded to a phone, the SecuraFone account creator can log in to locate any phone registered to the account. (more)

And, of course, one featured here recently, Help!

Cell Phone Spyware's New Market - from cheating spouse to the kids!

The latest smart phone technology allows worried parents to keep tabs on their children and, unlike previous apps, it remains completely hidden. 

The technology, which has been criticized as an invasion of privacy, is just the latest weapon for "helicopter" parents keeping a short leash on their children, to ensure they are not sexting or hanging out with the wrong crowd.

As one program's website warns: "Are your kids involved with texting dangers? What are they secretly texting about? Are they visiting porn sites on the phone? You have the right to know."

The latest programs to hit the market, Spyera Software and Mobile Spy, offer stealth GPS tracking and the abilities to read text messages, read emails and view photos.

Spyera even promises to turn the phone into a "remote bugging device" so parents can listen to conversations wherever the phone is left. (more)

FutureWatch - New "Baby Monitor" Being Launched

Being tested now...

"The Evoz beta program lets parents use their iPhone and the Evoz baby monitoring service to monitor their babies from anywhere in the world with the touch of a button. 

Evoz has unlimited range and can send smart alerts (call, text, or email) if your baby is crying. Parents can download Evoz from the iTunes Appstore for FREE.

Our beta grants mobile parents early access to the free monitoring service and also offers an extended period of time with advanced capabilities. It is important to note that this is a beta, so we haven’t worked out all the kinks yet. We are counting on our beta users to give us feedback, identify problems, and share ideas with our team as we prepare a full public launch." (more) (more)

FutureWatch - For a lot of people, the cost of this gadget, plus $1.99 per day is a small price to pay for unlimited eavesdropping. Just one more thing your sweep team will need to be aware of.

AAA Rolls Out Free Program to Spy on Teen Drivers

Erica Solum, a senior at Garces Memorial High School, didn't know she was being tracked. When she drove, her every movement was recorded, from her speed to location.

It wasn't until the 17-year-old was driving home from school Thursday that she noticed a small device, about the size of the palm of her hand, plugged into the Cadillac DeVille she drives.

When her father, Eric Solum, sat her down in front of the computer Thursday night, Erica connected the dots.

"He showed me the website page that said AAA Onboard," Erica Solum said. "(I said) 'Dad, is this a tracking device for teenagers?'" (more)

Wow, a 17-year old with a Cadillac De Ville?!?! All I ever got was my mom's dorky Rambler station wagon with a leaky head gasket (and was happy to get to borrow it). Hope she doesn't complain about the monitoring. I would have agreed to a 24/7 alien anal probe to monitor my "every movement" in a Cadillac De Ville! 

/rant ~ Kevin

Cell Phone SpyWare Goes Legit

Realizing that the huge demand for parental monitoring programs for computers could also apply to phones, Dublin-based mobile web service company Associate Mobile has developed MobileMinder - a smartphone application running on a secure and encrypted network that allows parents to monitor their child's location, contacts, call history, photos, and web use. (more)

This Week in Spy News

Zimbabwe’s dreaded and notorious spy agency the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) was thrown into turmoil Thursday evening after a London based independent radio station published details of some 480 plus state security agents, many behind acts of torture, murder and abductions. (more)

MELBOURNE'S inner-city surveillance camera network is to expand amid revelations it captures one potential crime every 90 minutes. (more)

Suspected US spy Sarah Shourd, who was released by Iran on humanitarian grounds, has changed her tune about the treatment she received while in the Islamic Republic. (more)

A Russian colonel was convicted of treason for betraying a group of spies in the United States, including Anna Chapman, a court spokeswoman told CNN Monday. (more)

How did scientists build a better spy plane? A little bird told them. Engineers have developed a micro air vehicle (MAV) that mimics the flight abilities of the swift, a passerine bird renowned for its aerial acrobatics. Camera-mounted MAVs are frequently used in reconnaissance and rescue missions to scope out a dangerous situation before humans go in. (more) (video)

If you're the parent of a teen or young driver, listen up. NBC's PC Mike Wendland has found some apps that will let you spy on your kids driving, almost as if you're right there in the passenger seat. Warning: Your kids aren't going to like this. (more) (alternate video link)

Changing Times: Video Vigilantes see through Mob Anonymity

...Nathan Kotylak... When his beloved Vancouver Canucks lost the Stanley Cup ice hockey championship on June 15, Nathan...joined a gang of rioters in downtown Vancouver, who did what rioters everywhere always do: break shop windows, burn cars, and fight the power. Police managed to arrest a few of the worst (or slowest) offenders on the spot, but rioters have always been able to take advantage of the anonymity afforded by the mob.

Until now.

The upstanding citizenry of Vancouver, shocked and embarrassed that their city had become synonymous with hooliganism (which is not a Canadian virtue), called for something to be done about this outbreak of anarchy.

Within a few hours, one of those citizens had set up a blog, the Vancouver 2011 Riot Criminal List, where they solicited all of the imagery captured during the riots - photographs from newspaper reporters, video footage from television helicopters, even images snapped on mobiles, uploaded to the web.

Vancouverites set to work, digging up an enormous wealth of material...

We're coming into the 'Era of Omniscience'. Anything that depends on limited knowledge - or, as the strategists term it, 'informational asymmetry' - has begun to fall apart. Whether you're a rioter or a vigilante, a cop or a criminal, a resident or an alien... (more) (sing-a-long)

PA School Laptop SpyCam Lawsuits Keep Coming

(Recap - How it began... Michael and Holly Robbins of Penn Valley, Pa., said they first found out about the alleged spying last November (11/09) after their son Blake was accused by a Harriton High School official of "improper behavior in his home" and shown a photograph taken by his laptop.)

PA - A former student at a suburban Philadelphia high school has sued his school district for allegedly spying on him and his family using a school-issued Mac laptop, according to court documents.

The Lower Merion School District of Ardmore, Pa. was first sued in February 2010 by another student using similar charges. That case, dubbed "Spygate" in some media reports, was settled last October when Lower Merion agreed to pay Blake Robbins $175,000 and cover $425,000 in court costs.

On Monday, Joshua Levin, a 2009 graduate of Herriton High, charged the district with violating his civil rights and privacy by remotely activating the notebook's built-in camera to take photographs and screenshots.

Today, Lower Merion spokesman Doug Young called Levin's lawsuit "solely motivated by monetary interests and a complete waste of the taxpayer's dollars."

Last year, Lower Merion acknowledged it had activated cameras on the school-provided MacBook system to track lost or stolen laptops, but denied it was using them to spy on students.

Levin begged to differ.

According to his lawsuit, Lower Merion used his laptop to take more than 8,000 photographs and screenshots between September 2008 and March 2009. A report commissioned by the district uncovered more than 30,000 photographs and another 27,000 screenshots taken when the tracking and security software was activated by district IT personnel. (more)

"Is that an EB200 with directional antenna, or are you just glad I'm not cheating on you?"

Priming the U.S. market for TSCM practitioners coming out of the darkness of their covert inspections for bugging devices, Chinese police show that techno-proctoring school exams is a viable service.

 China's Education Ministry says police have detained 62 people for selling wireless headphones, two-way radios and other electronic devices to cheat on this week's nationwide college entrance exam. (more)

Cell Phone Spyware for Kids, or... The Santa Clause

South Africa - A new startup has entered the mobile stage to help parents keep track of their children’s mobile usage. Mobilflock a Cape Town-based startup, that says it makes “cell phones safe for kids by giving parents visibility over how they use their phones, and tools to protect their children from harm.”

The startup is the brain child of Patrick Lawson, founder of Clickatell who according to co-founder Vanessa Clark, “realised the need to protect children on their mobile phones in the same way you would them on a computer”.

The web is crawling with apps and websites that help parents track and protect their children from the dangers on line. Mobiflock joins the likes of Nokia’s Kno-Where an application that allows parents track their children’s whereabouts and activity on less savoury websites like Cell Phone Tracking, and provides parents or quardians with a way of ‘spying’ on any mobile phone...

Here is how it works, parents visit the website (or the soon to be launched Ovi Store and other apps) to download a client onto their child’s mobile. This client then gives parents access to a “secure” online dashboard to monitor phone traffic (calls, messages, web browsing, location), and parents can then set up security barriers and alerts for their child. (more)

It’s Tracking Your Every Move

As a German Green party politician, Malte Spitz, recently learned, we are already continually being tracked whether we volunteer to be or not. Cellphone companies do not typically divulge how much information they collect, so Mr. Spitz went to court to find out exactly what his cellphone company, Deutsche Telekom, knew about his whereabouts.

The results were astounding. In a six-month period — from Aug 31, 2009, to Feb. 28, 2010, Deutsche Telekom had recorded and saved his longitude and latitude coordinates more than 35,000 times. It traced him from a train on the way to Erlangen at the start through to that last night, when he was home in Berlin.

Mr. Spitz has provided a rare glimpse — an unprecedented one, privacy experts say — of what is being collected as we walk around with our phones. Unlike many online services and Web sites that must send “cookies” to a user’s computer to try to link its traffic to a specific person, cellphone companies simply have to sit back and hit “record.” (more)

FutureWatch - Let insurer spy on driving, get a discount

“Romper, bomper, stomper, boo.
Tell me, tell me, tell me do.
Magic Mirror, tell me today.
Did all my friends have fun today?”

More auto insurers are rolling out programs offering discounts to drivers who let the company electronically spy on their driving habits.

Progressive, one of the nation's largest auto insurers, today launches a nationwide ad campaign for its "Snapshot" program, in which drivers can elect to install a small data recorder in their cars that tracks how hard they brake, how far they drive and whether it's day or night driving. Based on the results, drivers can save up to 30 percent on their insurance. Average savings: $150 a year.

Progressive is one of a growing list of insurers with discounts for monitoring:
• Allstate. The Drive Wise program begun last year in Illinois will expand to other states.
• GMAC. Only total mileage is tracked - up to 54 percent off - drive fewer than 2,500 miles a year.
• State Farm. Mileage also is tallied via OnStar mileage for its "Drive Safe & Save" plan in California and Ohio. Texas will be added next month, Illinois later this year.

Although the programs are voluntary, they've raised the eyebrows of privacy advocates. One worry is that the insurers eventually will make the monitoring mandatory. (more)