Two FREE Security Book Offers for Potential Clients

Free books are a great way to get to know who you are dealing with, before you decide to deal with them!

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While international travel has come to a screeching halt due to COVID-19, the threat of economic and industrial espionage continues to proliferate. 

In fact, due to the global pandemic, intellectual property (IP) and business intelligence (BI) is more valuable than ever to foreign governments and business competitors, looking to gain an economic advantage in the marketplace. 

Among Enemies: Counter-Espionage for the Business Traveler, by Luke Bencie, is a valuable textbook. It should be read by, "corporate executives, defense contractors, lawyers, academics, military personnel, diplomats and virtually anyone else who travels with important information, how to protect their themselves and their interests."

It has a 4.4 out of 5 star rating on Amazon, and 25 excellent reviews. You may purchase a copy there. Visit Luke's website (smiconsultancy.com/) first. If his services can help your organization, request a complimentary copy.

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This informative bundle should also be on every security director's desk...

Is My Cell Phone Bugged?: Everything You Need to Know to Keep Your Mobile Conversations Private (Coincidentally, This book also has a 4.4 out of 5 star rating on Amazon, and 25 excellent reviews.)

The Security Director's Guide to Discussing TSCM with Management

Both are available to Murray Associates potential clients. Complimentary. No obligation. No follow-up sales call unless you request it.

Visit counterespionage.com to learn how to detect and deter electronic surveillance and corporate espionage. Click here to request you complimentary bundle.

Accurate knowledge is the first step in protecting your privacy and valuable information. Contact us through our websites, today.  (offer expires 10/31/2020)

NSA Tells Mobile Users Beware of Find-My-Phone

Beware of find-my-phone, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, NSA tells mobile users

And don't forget to limit ad tracking. Advisory contains a host of recommendations.

The National Security Agency is recommending that some government workers and people generally concerned about privacy turn off find-my-phone, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth whenever those services are not needed, as well as limit location data usage by apps.

“Location data can be extremely valuable and must be protected,” an advisory published on Tuesday stated. “It can reveal details about the number of users in a location, user and supply movements, daily routines (user and organizational), and can expose otherwise unknown associations between users and locations.” more

Quote of the Week — Espionage Truths

"If your company, or federal agency, was recently subjected to a suspected espionage approach, that’s not the end of the affair. Espionage thwarted is never the end. It could, though, be the tip of an iceberg long present but unseen issue... a key way to detecting espionage is to follow your instincts and protocols."
~ John Davis / From his article: My Friend, the Spy: Why Espionage Is Still an Inside Job

Proposed Bill: Anti-Espionage Theft in Airports

U.S. Rep. Ross Spano (R-FL) signed on to co-sponsor a bill designed to protect the transportation infrastructure from espionage and intellectual property theft. 

The bill, HR 6917, the Airport Infrastructure Resources (AIR) Security Act, would prohibit federal airport improvement funds from being used in the purchase of passenger boarding bridges made by companies that have violated the intellectual property rights of the United States.

Introduced by Reps. Ron Wright (R-TX) and Marc Veasey (R-TX), the bill is intended to keep the Chinese Communist Party from spying on American airline passengers, and to prevent China from any further power grab, Wright said. more

NJCCIC Publishes: Tips for Teleworkers, Remote Access Security

For many organizations, telework programs have been in practice for years – whether as part of the organization’s everyday work program or as a component of their business continuity plans.

For those organizations, policies, educational programs, technologies, and support services for the remote workforce are well established. For organizations engaging in telework for the first time, defining expectations is a good starting point.

First, create a telework policy that addresses the following:

• The scope of the telework program, roles and responsibilities, eligibility to telework (not all jobs can be performed remotely), 
• work hours and paid time-off, 
• the suitability of the alternate workplace and its related safety requirements, 
• responsibility for equipment and supplies, 
• operating costs and expenses, 
• and requirements for physical and information security. more

Spycam Detection Course | Now With Korean Closed Captions

The highly rated Spycam Detection video training course now has Korean closed captions, as well as English. Spanish is coming soon.

The demand for a Korean translation was fueled by their epidemic spy camera problem. They even have a special word for it, Molka. The problem is so bad the government created special inspection squads and a safety handbook for the public.

In other countries the problem is also epidemic.

This one-hour, self-paced course was originally created for businesses and other organizations to train their security and facilities employees. Having these people conduct periodic inspections reduces risk and legal exposure. A Certificate-of-Completion is awarded at the end.

The training is also beneficial for police, private investigators and executive protection professionals.

Personal protection is the most effective prevention. Knowing what to look for is important. The course is open to everyone. Any individual with a little knowledge can conduct their own inspections of:

• hotel rooms,
• public restroom,
• store changing rooms,
• locker rooms,
• vacation rentals,
• and their own domiciles.

Please forward this post to anyone it can help.
As more people become knowledgeable, fewer people will become victims.

Interesting Article in Food Safety Magazine

In addition to nation-state industrial espionage, companies face a wide range of threats. 

“Hacktivists” launch attacks for ideological, political, or religious reasons, or simply for the challenge.

Criminal organizations attack for profit, trying to extract payment from the victim.

In addition, companies sometimes become victims even if they are not the intended target, such as the notpetya attack, which targeted a software company but had much broader impact, including the food and agriculture industry.

It is important to know that nation states and criminal organizations both do target corporations, and this article will provide solutions on how companies can better protect themselves. more

Spy-Hunter Killed in Lebanon

A prominent Hezbollah commander, Muhammad Ali Yunis, was killed by unknown gunmen on Sunday morning in southern Lebanon, Iranian and Lebanese media reported.

The Iranian semi-official Fars news agency reported that the slain commander was “responsible for tracking spies and collaborators.” more

Rare World War II Footage Released - British Spy Center

A silent film shows MI6 staff members at a site linked to the code-breaking facility Bletchley Park during World War II.

Like a home movie reel, the silent footage shows young people at candid moments: playing soccer and cricket, sunbathing, smiling and making faces at the camera...

But they were not ordinary office colleagues: They were off-duty secret British communications staffers, linked to code-breakers who decrypted German ciphers and helped the Allies win World War II.

The newly revealed footage features staff members of the MI6 Section VIII — the British spy agency’s communications staff — filmed at a site associated with the famous code-breaking facility Bletchley Park. more

Think Your Smart Speaker is Spying On You... get Paranoid

(Note: As of this date the manufacturer is only accepting pre-orders. Gauging demand before going into production is not uncommon. The following is just an interesting bit of news; not a product endorsement. Also, it might be an April Fool's prank.) 

Their headline reads, "Blocks smart speakers from listening, while keep them voice-activated. Just say "Paranoid" before your usual commands." more

"How?" ...you may ask.

A. In one of three ways.

1. The BUTTON model begins with the mute button pressed.  When it hears you say, "Paranoid" it presses again, thus letting your next command to pass through. After your command is finished it re-mutes with another press.
2. The HOME model (it appears) uses ultrasound to block the speakers microphones. Click here to learn how ultrasound blocking works. The volume needed for this application is very low so it shouldn't be a health risk.
3. The MAX model requires you sending them your smart speaker so they can physically install their solution. People who use this option are not true paranoids. True privacy paranoids would be afraid the unit might come back, bugged!

8 Steps to Control Cybersecurity Risk in a Work From Home Environment

During the COVID-19 pandemic and response, workers are heading home in record numbers. In this short 23-min. webinar, CI Security CTO Mike Simon covers the the critical work-from-home cybersecurity risks that employees need help with now.


The material is geared toward InfoSec and IT professionals, technical users, and team managers.

Top 8 Work From Home (WFH) Cybersecurity Priorities...
Step 1: Control the WFH Environment
Step 2: Control the WFH Computer
Step 3: Up Your Phishing Game
Step 4: Worry About Sensitive Documents and Regulated Data
Step 5: Watch for Cyber-Threats
Step 6: Expanding VPN
Step 7: Say No to Split-Tunnels
Step 8: Keep Great Records

Ultrasonic Bracelet Claims to Jam Eavesdropping Microphones

Spying isn’t the same as it was in the old days. Today, an inconspicuous smart speaker could be recording every word you say in your own home. That threat of invaded privacy will only continue to grow as more microphone-enabled devices are released in the years to come.

That’s why a team of researchers from the University of Chicago has invented a device
to combat it. They created a bracelet that uses ultrasonic signals to jam nearby microphones. Though it isn’t something that most people would need to use on a daily basis it could represent a picture of what jewelry will need to be in the future—both stylish and functional.

The experimental version is quite clunky, looking more like a piece of audio equipment than jewelry. However, that design has a purpose. The bracelet’s array of 24 speakers emit imperceptible ultrasonic signals. To nearby microphones, these signals come across as loud static that effectively drowns out any speech in the vicinity. more

This eavesdropping countermeasure has been around forever. We experimented with it back in the 80's. It's effectiveness can be very iffy, its downsides serious. Read more about it here.

The Crazy Story of How Soviet Russia Bugged an American Embassy’s Typewriters

...All of the electronics at the embassy—some 10 tons of equipment—was securely shipped back to the United States. Every piece was disassembled and X-rayed.

After tens of thousands of fruitless X-rays, a technician noticed a small coil of wire inside the on/off switch of an IBM Selectric typewriter. Gandy believed that this coil was acting as a step-down transformer to supply lower-voltage power to something within the typewriter. Eventually he uncovered a series of modifications that had been concealed so expertly that they had previously defied detection.

A solid aluminum bar, part of the structural support of the typewriter, had been replaced with one that looked identical but was hollow. Inside the cavity was a circuit board and six magnetometers. The magnetometers sensed movements of tiny magnets that had been embedded in the transposers that moved the typing “golf ball” into position for striking a given letter. more

More People Searching for Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM)

Analysis: More organizations are hardening their defenses against electronic surveillance and information theft.  With TSCM information security surveys becoming mainstream attacks will shift toward the defenseless...

Defenseless equals lunch in the Infowar Jungle.

Why Do CIA Spies Stop at Every Yellow Light?

After spending years in the CIA fighting to prevent nuclear terrorism and other catastrophes, some old habits just will not go away for the ex-spy Amaryllis Fox...

...a former CIA clandestine-service officer and author of the new book "Life Undercover: Coming of Age in the CIA"...

...CIA spies learn to master skills regular people do not, and they stick with you...

...But there is one old habit, she said, that drives her husband a little bit crazy — stopping at every yellow light when she drives. more

GPS Cyberstalking of Girlfriend Brings Indictment for Alleged Mobster

20 supposed wiseguys charged because one was possessive...

Joseph Amato's attempt to surveil his girlfriend by attaching a hidden GPS device to her car led authorities to surveil the alleged mobster, and ultimately to his indictment by a grand jury...

"In November 2016, a GPS tracking device was found on an MTA bus in Staten Island during a routine maintenance inspection: it had been hidden in an oil pan," the government's detention memo states. "In fact, Joseph Amato had purchased the device to place a girlfriend, identified herein as Jane Doe, under close surveillance and used the tracking device in an attempt to maintain control over her."...

...after Jane Doe discovered the GPS tracker on her car and removed it. The detention memo suggests she placed it on an MTA bus to thwart Amato's surveillance. more

Dissinformation as a Service (DaaS)

While disinformation campaigns are often associated with governments, new research indicates there is a robust, easy-to-navigate market for anyone looking to buy their own propaganda arms.

It is “alarmingly simple and inexpensive” to launch a sophisticated disinformation campaign, analysts from threat-intelligence company Recorded Future concluded after studying the issue. “Disinformation services are highly customizable in scope, costing anywhere from several hundreds of dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars, or more depending on the client’s needs.”...

“If the ease of this experience is any indication, we predict that disinformation-as-a-service will soon spread from a nation-state tool to one increasingly used by individuals and organizations,” the Recorded Future analysts said. more

As Technical Information Security Consultants, this caught our attention. 

The best disinformation always adds in some correct information. The sum is verisimilitude, the ring of truth. 

So, where will the best correct information come from? Inside, of course.

Another very good reason to conduct regularly scheduled Technical Information Security surveys at your organization.

U.S. Tour Guide Accused as Spy for China's Security Service

Watch Surveillance Video of Alleged Spy’s ‘Dead Drop’ at Hotel 

The U.S. arrested a California man accused of spying for China’s security service while working as a tour guide in the San Francisco area. U.S. agents secretly monitored drop-offs of packages at a hotel in Newark, California, that were traced to Peng, according to the complaint.

China’s Ministry of State Security schemed “to use an American citizen to remove classified security information to the PRC,” U.S. Attorney David Anderson said at a press conference.

Peng’s activities for the company where he worked, U.S. Tour and Travel, “went far beyond innocent sight-seeing,” Anderson said. more

Protecting Your Engineering Business from Industrial Espionage

Industrial espionage is a much more common occurrence than many people realize. 

As a business grows and begins to compete at a higher level, the stakes grow and their corporate secrets become more valuable. It isn’t just other businesses that might want this information, hackers who think they can sell the information will also be sniffing about.

Even if you can’t eliminate the risk entirely, there are certain things you can do to reduce the risk of a security breach in your business. more

A Very Short List...

• Shred Documents

• Don’t Print Sensitive Information if You Don’t Have to

• Keep Your Schematics (designs, strategies, etc.) Under Wraps

• Keep it Need to Know

and my favorite... 

• Be Proactive - Look for Leaks

Because...
If you don't look,
you may never know.

Fighting Corporate Espionage — by a Counterintelligence Agent

Corporate executives must bear the responsibility... No longer is “Security” to the facility and personnel all that is required. Many foreign countries and interests take short cuts to becoming competitive through the theft of trade secrets, products and overt and covert espionage of all sorts...

Many of the tactics utilized in private sector counterintelligence have much in common with the secrets and information the government does its best to safeguard from theft... 

 There are open and legal methods of collection open that are harmful and a good counterintelligence program should target this as well as illegal activities such as electronic eavesdropping, hacking, etc.

Passive counterintelligence tries to curtail what a collector may do through countermeasures, and awareness training. Active counterintelligence will prove beneficial to identify and detect a threat, and will conduct operations including eliminating threats or ongoing targeting... The leaders in the private sector need to be proactive and realize that it is no longer only local threats they face. The threats can be global and may not only be an economic threat but also a threat to national security. more