Security Scrapbook Reader's Question - Spy School

Q. "I really enjoy your articles. Let me ask you: Would a spy school go over here in the U.S.?"

A. It probably would. There are plenty of people - from kiddies to Mitty's - who think spying is cool, albeit illegal. Training is probably not illegal, just implementing the skills. 

I educate my clients on spying techniques, just so they know what to look out for. Being aware helps them protect themselves against spying. 

Come to think of it, we are one of the very few countries whose government spy agencies do not support the private sector with the business intel they collect. Perhaps there is a spy school niche market, to help us level the international economic playing field. Hummm... Just don't have your Bonds reporting to HR or Facilities, like the security departments I see in some corporations.

Examples of spy schools, games and books...
http://www.jamesbondlifestyle.com/news/bond-experience-launches-november-7th
http://thebondexperience.com
http://www.spymuseum.org/education-programs/
http://www.stilettospyschool.com/newyork.php
http://www.mi6academy.com/newyork.php
http://www.spyschool.com/
http://www.beyondweird.com/survival/sschools.html
http://www.fxnetworks.com/archer/spyschool (game for kids)
Spy School (book for kids) 
Another Spy School (book for kids)
So You Want to Be A Spy (book for kids)
So you want to be an industrial spy? (rare, out of print)
The Complete Idiot's Guide to the CIA (book)
Spy's Secret Handbook (Project X Top Secret) (book for kids) 
It's True! This Book is Bugged (book for kids) 
How to be a Spy: The World War II SOE Training Manual
The Spycraft Manual: The Insider's Guide to Espionage Techniques
The Official CIA Manual of Trickery and Deception
The Spy's Handbook: Learn How To Spy On Anyone At Anytime Without Getting Caught By Using Spy Gadgets And Other... 
 

Send Employees for Counterespionage Training? Brilliant!

Russia - Reviving the Soviet cult of vigilance in the digital age, the administration of Russia’s second biggest city launched a tender to teach its officials the basics of combating technological espionage.

A hand-picked cadre of 25 civilian bureaucrats in St. Petersburg will train in ways of “countering foreign technical intelligence services and technical data protection,” according to the tender’s description... The course would last for 108 hours and end in a test. The tender has a price tag of 727,000 rubles ($24,000)...
 
In December, the administration of St. Petersburg – headed by Governor Gennady Poltavchenko, also a former KGB officer – also contracted anti-espionage companies to look for covert listening devices in its offices, Fontanka.ru city news website reported. (more)

The ROI on this should be tremendous. 
Every organization should be so smart. 
~Kevin

Spy College... for your 21st Century careers

At the University of Tulsa school, students learn to write computer viruses, hack digital networks and mine data from broken cellphones. Many graduates head to the CIA or NSA.

Stalking is part of the curriculum in the Cyber Corps, an unusual two-year program at the University of Tulsa that teaches students how to spy in cyberspace, the latest frontier in espionage.

Students learn not only how to rifle through trash, sneak a tracking device on cars and plant false information on Facebook. They also are taught to write computer viruses, hack digital networks, crack passwords, plant listening devices and mine data from broken cellphones and flash drives.

It may sound like a Jason Bourne movie, but the little-known program has funneled most of its graduates to the CIA and the Pentagon's National Security Agency, which conducts America's digital spying. Other graduates have taken positions with the FBI, NASA and the Department of Homeland Security. (more)

How to Surf the Web in Secret

via Brad Chacos...

They say no one can hear you scream in space, but if you so much as whisper on the Web, you can be tracked by a dozen different organizations and recorded for posterity. 

Simply visiting a website can allow its operators to figure out your general physical location, identify details about your device information, and install advertising cookies that can track your movements around the web. (Don't believe me? Check this out.)

Not everyone likes the idea of having his or her entire digital lives scraped, analyzed and (in countries with restrictive regimes) controlled outright by third parties. 

So please consider the following tools and tips, which will hide your IP address and have you surfing the web in blissful anonymity in no time. (more)

Checklist...
• Use a second web browser.
• Set it to anonymous / private mode.
• Have it wipe all cookies when closed.
• Use a web-based proxy. (Proxify, Anonymouse, Hide My Ass, or one from Proxy.org)
• Better... Use a virtual private network (VPN) like The Onion Router (aka TOR).
• Send your email anonymously via Anonymouse or Hide My Ass.

Canada Recruits Spies - via YouTube

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service has released a series of recruitment videos onto YouTube, videos that feature testimonials from real-life spies. 

The clips were posted last week, but released without any publicity...

In the clips, each of which lasts a minute or two, CSIS intelligence officers are shown striding purposefully to urgent (but fictional) assignments, as orchestral music plays and time-lapse video speeds up street scenes. (more) (videos)

Espionage Research Institute International Conference - September 7th-9th

This is a counterespionage conference you don't want to miss...

The Espionage Research Institute International's (ERII) annual conference will be held 7-9 September 2012 in Herndon, VA. The ERII conference provides a forum for ERII members to meet and discuss news and information related to the threats and recent discoveries in the fields of espionage and information security.

...and they make it easy to attend by holding it from Friday-Sunday (9/7-9).

A sneak peak...

David G. Major, President of the CI Centre, will be featured as a keynote speaker. Mr. Major's presentation on the topic of "2011/2012 Espionage Debrief: A Worldwide Year in Review" will be on the first day of the conference from 0900-1200 hrs.

Paul Turner of PDTG Inc., will be running a one (1) day Kestrel TSCM Professional Software familiarization and basic operation day at the Espionage Research Institute International (ERII) annual conference on Sunday September 09, 2012. His custom TSCM software is getting rave reviews.

Other presentations...

  • Understanding the TSCM (RF) Spectrum Environment
  • Surveillance Device Intelligence Briefing
  • Nation State Espionage Briefing
  • Cyber Espionage Briefing

The conference is always a worthwhile event. Join ERII and attend. The conference fee is $150.00 and hotel rooms are still available at $99.00 - until 8/30/12. Mention ERII when making reservations.

Where & When
Embassy Suites Dulles Airport
13341 Woodland Park Road
Herndon, VA 20171
Ph: 1-703-464-0200
September 7th through 9th, 2012
8:30AM-5:00PM

Join ERII and REGISTER for the Conference

The membership of ERII consists of TSCM, Counterespionage & Counterintelligence professionals and associates. TSCM is the abbreviation for "Technical Surveillance Counter Measures", it is the industry term for work that includes de-bugging sweeps, wiretap detection, and related counter-surveillance work. The purpose of TSCM is to help businesses,corporations and individuals protect themselves from unauthorized and illegal spying activities. One of the main functions of ERII is to help maintain high ethical standards in the TSCM, Counterespionage / Counterintelligence field.

Business Espionage on CNBC - Thu, 23rd 9p & 12a ET

I participated in the making of CNBC series, Crime, Inc. ("Secrets for Sale") and thought you might like to see it. Some of our advanced electronic surveillance detection instrumentation is shown, and business espionage issues are discussed. ~ Kevin

on CNBC. “CRIME INC #9 - SECRETS FOR SALE”
Premieres Thursday, August 23rd 9p | 12a ET
Re-broadcast: Sunday, August 26th 11p

 
Spying is an ever-present threat in the workplace.

Kevin D. Murray discusses business espionage prevention with Carl Quintanilla.

From the coworker in the next cubicle to foreign governments, the faces of corporate espionage are all around us. Boeing, Intel and Coca-Cola have all been targets. The losses - estimated by the FBI to be more than 13 billion dollars a year in the United States - can go undetected for years despite sophisticated security. Crime Inc. follows cases where livelihoods are threatened, reputations ruined and trade secrets are bought and sold. (more)

Security Directors: FREE Security White Paper - "Surreptitious Workplace Recording ...and what you can do about it."   

Business Counterintelligence Conference at Kwa Maritane Bush Lodge, South Africa - September 17-19

CBIA will be hosting South Africa’s first conference on business counterintelligence  September 17-19, 2012, at the Kwa Maritane Bush Lodge in the Pilanesberg, North West Province...

Click to enlarge.

One of the key aims of the conference is to involve and to provide decision makers, managers and business unit leaders with the insight to understand business counterintelligence and how it differs from other streams of information management and security practices.

Corporate information gathering is a fact of life, even more so during hard and tough economic times...

The conference will take participants on an eye-opening journey regarding information protection issues. Attendees will gain a practical understanding of the value added role counterintelligence plays in competitive strategy and the protection of business information. 

Click to enlarge.

Conference Topics
• What is the scope of the business espionage and information theft threat to businesses;
• Non-cyber methods of information gathering and economic espionage;
• Social engineering, tradecraft and other psychological tricks used to penetrate a target company;
• The “insider” threat and motivational factors;
• Importance of information security awareness training;
• How to protect sensitive data and high value employees;
• Countering electronic espionage in business;
• Technical surveillance countermeasures (TSCM) risk management;
• The evolving cyber threat. The cyberspace is now providing relative small scale operators the opportunity to become involved in business espionage and information theft;
• Background screening and vetting, pre-employment and existing employee screening;
• The dark side of social media and what it means for business;
• The threat of consumerisation and BYOD;
• Policies, procedures and guidelines on how to build an effective business counterintelligence capability;
• A corporate case study;
• Active dialogue session (Ask the Expert) – An interactive brainstorming session to solve common challenges and to share innovative solutions;
• Technical security product demonstrations.

(brochure) (conference program)

Talk Like A Spy with Throw-Away Phone Numbers

Spybusters Tip # 723: The new Burner app for iPhone generates throw-away phone numbers, which can be used for undercover operations or by those who simply prefer a deep layer of privacy.

With Burner, users can create multiple new phone numbers for a day, a week, a month, or longer, and manage all inbound calls, SMS messages, and voicemails for each number. Once you are finished with the number, you can "burn" it by taking it out of service and wiping it from your phone, as if it never existed.

Each number is a separate line within the iPhone, which can be redirected to your main mobile number, or go straight to voicemail, according to the Burner app blog...

Android users may not yet have access to Burner, but they can shield themselves from unwanted calls with the White Pages' new Current Caller ID app, which provides a directory of information about the incoming call.

When your phone rings, it will display details about the caller's recent social updates and check the weather where they are. The feature is also available for SMS texts. Even if you're not interested in the bells and whistles, the app also provides stripped-down caller ID information.

The White Pages app is available for free download in the Google Play store. (more)

8th Raleigh Spy Conference August 22-24

Dramatic Revelations: Castro, J. Edgar Hoover, Deep Throat, CIA Secrets From the Deep and the New Profile of Today’s Terrorist Fidel Castro had foreknowledge of the JFK assassination.

Who was the real J Edgar Hoover? Deep Throat's motives were not what the public thought. How did the CIA scoop a satellite 12,000 below the sea? What is the new profile of today's terrorist? These are the topics for the 8th Raleigh Spy Conference August 22-24 at the NC Museum of History, presented by top experts drawing on the latest in declassified information. And the public is invited to learn and ask question and get to know each speaker personally... 

The Raleigh Spy Conference was founded in 2003 by magazine editor and publisher Bernie Reeves to address the increasing flow of declassified information available since the end of the Cold War. The Raleigh Spy Conference is recognized as the top intelligence conference specifically for the lay public by the Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO). Three of the six conferences have been filmed and aired on C-SPAN. (more) (video)

Learn to be a Private Eye

People frequently ask me, "I am really interested in investigations, how can I get into the field?"

It is not an easy answer. There are many faucets to the field of investigations. One universal prerequisite is inquisitiveness. After that, it is simply training.

The folks over at PInow.com have just made my life easier by publishing The Top Private Investigation Training Programs across the US. This article focuses on private programs (as opposed to universities) and features classroom programs as well as online training options.

Want to learn? This is the first place to go.

Career Tip - Become a Business Espionage Security Specialist

Leading cyber experts warned of a shortage of talented computer security experts in the United States, making it difficult to protect corporate and government networks at a time when attacks are on the rise.

Symantec Corp Chief Executive Enrique Salem told the Reuters Media and Technology Summit in New York that his company was working with the U.S. military, other government agencies and universities to help develop new programs to train security professionals.

"We don't have enough security professionals and that's a big issue. What I would tell you is it's going to be a bigger issue from a national security perspective than people realize," he said on Tuesday.

Jeff Moss, a prominent hacking expert who sits on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Advisory Council, said that it was difficult to persuade talented people with technical skills to enter the field because it can be a thankless task. (more)

...and this is at the end of the info-train. 
Before information ever enters a computer cattle car, it is vulnerable to theft in many other forms and places. This aspect of business espionage security is handled by analysts who concurrently conduct audits to detect electronic surveillance devices. There is a shortage of talented professionals in this field as well. ~Kevin

Some Fun Summer Reading about Private Investigators...

Who knows? You might be inspired to become a private detective novelist.

Fire up your Kindle and start with, How Do Private Eyes Do That? by Colleen Collins

Then read, How to Write a Dick: A Guide for Writing Fictional Sleuths from a Couple of Real-Life Sleuths. by Shaun Kaufman and Colleen Collins, and start writing your own private detective novel.

The authors bill themselves as, "a couple of PIs who also happen to write." Visit them at their blog, Guns, Gams, and Gumshoes. It is full of great information about modern PIs and how they operate. They also provide tips for writers, like The Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make at a Crime Scene.

"Spy, the Secret World of Espionage" Now open in NYC

The mysterious cloak and dagger world of international espionage and its real-life heros and villains are exposed in a new exhibition, the first to be sanctioned by U.S. intelligence agencies. 

"Spy, the Secret World of Espionage," which opens at the Discovery Times Square on Friday, includes hundreds of artifacts, some from the vaults of the CIA and FBI and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).

They range from a World War Two-era collapsible motorbike that could be dropped by parachute and deployed in 10 seconds and a German ENIGMA machine to create secret messages to a camel saddle used by one of the first CIA agents in Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks to bugging devices, microdots and surveillance equipment.

"This is the first and only time these items will ever travel. It is kind of an unparalleled cooperation and collaboration with the CIA and FBI," said H. Keith Melton, author, intelligence historian and expert on spy technology who contributed items from his own collection. (more)

Spook Summer School Saturday

Spy School — a Tampa Bay History Center program specially designed for teens — will instruct youngsters about surveillance, information gathering and disguise

Agents and experts will teach children ages 12 to 18, offering tips on how to enter the espionage career field.

The program costs $60 per student but history center members get a $5 discount. Spy School begins Saturday and offers a guided tour with curator Rodney Kite-Powell.

The Tampa Bay area might not seem like an obvious spy hub. But many retired FBI, CIA and military members live in the area, and one of the nation's more high-profile spy court cases unfolded in 2001 in a U.S. District Court in Tampa. Also, United States Special Operations Command is based in Tampa.

For information on Spy School, call (813) 675-8960 or email Jennifer Tyson, the center's assistant curator of education, at jtyson @tampabayhistorycenter .org. (more)

P.S. This is part of the International Spy Museum's traveling road show, "Spies, Traitors, Saboteurs: Fear and Freedom in America." One of the show's features are historical artifacts on loan from Murray Associates / Spybusters, LLC; an APL Badge and ID Card (1917) carried by operatives of the American Protective League (APL) who spied on their fellow Americans on behalf of the U.S. Justice Department during World War I. (see them here)

Free Security e-Book of the Week

FREE book: Fundamentals of Media Security (110 pages)

The most interesting chapters...

• Steganography

• Digital Watermarking

• Digital Scrambling

• Digital Surveillance  

Enter your email address in #1. (The other three questions are benign.) The ebook will download as a pdf.

So You Want to be a Private Investigator - Top 25 Schools

Deciding on a professional private investigation training program can be tricky. Unlike many professions, a degree in investigations is not a requirement to enter into this field. Competing against individuals with extensive backgrounds in law enforcement, security and investigations can be a daunting task, but many industry veterans certainly believe hitting the classroom can help jump-start a career in investigations. Here is a list of the Top 25 educational institutions which can help you achieve your goal... (more)

TSCM Training & Counterespionage Education Around the World

AUSTRALIA
Dever Clark + Associates
Eavesdropping Detection and Prevention Workshop (2 days) 

Eavesdropping detection and prevention, also known as ‘debugging’, ‘audio countermeasures’, ‘technical surveillance countermeasures’ (TSCM), or even ‘sweeps’, is the term used to describe the recognition, evaluation and minimisation of the threat from covert (and often illegal) electronic surveillance. This two-day non-technical workshop consists of no nonsense, practical advice on information security and eavesdropping prevention and is presented in terms, which can be understood by people without training in electronics. ... The workshop includes practical demonstrations and illustrations of common vulnerabilities. (more) (course brochure) Contact: Michael Dever, BSc (Security) CPP PSP

SOUTH AFRICA

Eavesdropping Detections Solutions®
Basic Course in Electronic Eavesdropping Countermeasures
We are presenting a basic course in electronic eavesdropping countermeasures. The course is scheduled to take place from 02 – 13 July 2012 – Protea Waterfront Hotel, Centurion, Gauteng. Final date for registration is 25 June 2012. The course in electronic eavesdropping countermeasures, presented since 1998, is suitable for the individual who has no or little previous experience in technical surveillance countermeasures. The 80-hour course is presented over ten (10) working days. (more) Contact: Steve Whitehead

Eavesdropping Detections Solutions®

CBIA is hosting a three day international conference on business counterintelligence from 17 – 19 September 2012 at the Kwa Maritane Bush Lodge, Pilansberg (What a venue!). The brochure and registration form attached. One of the key aims of the conference is to involve and to provide business executives, decision-makers, managers and business unit leaders with the insight to understand business counterintelligence and how it differs from other streams of information management practices. This is a vital conference for those responsible for the protection of information in their organisations. The conference sessions are highly informative, powerful and offers a wealth of opportunities for learning.  (more) (brochure) Contact: Steve Whitehead

CANADA

Technical Security Branch (TSB) of Professional Development TSCM Group Inc.
Canadian Technical Security Conference (CTSC) - April 23-25, 2012
The annual Canadian Technical Security Conference (CTSC) event (Cornwall, Ontario) is a three (3) day professional development and networking opportunity with a local, regional, national and international following of professional technical operators, TSCM specific and test & measurement based equipment manufacturers and service providers. Our annual CTSC conference event is an absolute must attend event for local, regional and international technical security professionals from the private sector, corporate security industry, financial sector, oil, gas and mining sector, government, law enforcement and military organizations and agencies. (more) Contact: Paul D Turner, TSS TSI

USA
Research Electronics International (REI) (Algood, TN)
TSCM courses are designed to teach the basic procedural concepts of conducting a countersurveillance investigation. Courses currently offered provide training on REI equipment as well as general sweep procedures. Classes are held in our unique training rooms that simulate suspect environments. Students use these project rooms to exercise their knowledge of the use of detection equipment. REI has 5 full-time, highly qualified instructors with many years of cumulative experience in the surveillance field. (more) (brochure) Contact: Mark S. Uker, Director of Training
 
Jarvis Intelligence Solutions (Tulsa, OK)
Technical Security Countermeasures
This 40 hour course of instruction is designed to provide the student with the basic skills and knowledge to conduct technical security countermeasures sweeps and surveys. Students will learn various types of equipment that can be utilized to implement electronic espionage operations and how to effectively identify, locate and neutralize these attacks. (more) Contact: Ray Jarvis, Director

There are are several more schools and providers. These are just the ones I know personally, and which have some good programs coming up soon. ~Kevin

Too young to vote?

Try one of these!

The International Spy Museum in Washington, DC is always running interesting spy-related activities for kids. Check out their Spy School Summer Camp.

Can't get there? 

Try this, on-line...

Are You Ready to Become A Super Spy?

Send your Kids to Camp this Summer... Spy Camp

 This isn’t your ordinary day camp—this is Spy Camp!

Somewhere deep inside the International Spy Museum in Washington DC is an elite group of 10-13 year old recruits, lurking in the shadows, preparing to take on top secret missions. No one really knows who they are, or for that matter, what they’re really up to. Now it’s your turn to join their ranks. 

Each day at Spy Camp is filled with top secret briefings and activities that will put spy skills and street smarts to the test. Aspiring KidSpy recruits will hone their tradecraft, learn from real spies, and hit the streets to run training missions. Develop a disguise for cover, make and break codes, discover escape and evasion techniques, create and use spy gadgets, uncover the science behind spying—all of this and more awaits young recruits! (Secret Briefing)

Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) Course Growing

India - "We started ethical hacking courses in 2009 with five students which has increased to approx 200 students today," said Jyoti Chandolia, assistant manager, corporate education sales at Udyog Vihar-located Mercury Solutions Ltd, the first ethical hacking training centre to come up in the city authorised by the International Council of E-Commerce consultants (EC-Council).

"Hacking is not legal in India and this particular course can distinguish black hat hackers (bad guys) and white hat hackers (good guys) after being certified as a Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH). The main objective behind this is to make people aware that CEH course is not all about how to hack but also to scan and protect IT systems and networks of an organisation," she added.

The EC-Council is a member-based organisation that certifies individuals in various e-business and information security skills. It is the owner and creator of the world-famous CEH, Computer Hacking Forensics Investigator (CHFI) as well as many others programmes, that are offered in over 60 countries through a training network of more than 450 training partners globally. (more)