OK - Dumpster diving thieves may have their hands on your private information. Personal documents, with visible bank account information, were found in an overflowing dumpster behind a strip mall near 91st and Yale on Sunday. Some of the documents, which were not shredded, had fallen onto the ground and were blowing around in the wind, police said.
Tulsa Police contacted some of those identified on the documents; their reaction was not a pleasant one. (more)
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
If you can't beat party line eavesdroppers...
...give them a special phone!
from Modern Mechanix (February, 1932)
Telephone companies are much concerned by eavesdropping on rural party lines because it interferes with transmission over the line. To take down the receiver increases the electrical resistance of the circuit.
It is proposed to stop fighting the apparently incurable tendency of rural subscribers to listen to other people’s business and to recognize it by installing special telephone instruments to which eavesdroppers can listen without increasing the electrical resistance of the circuit or interfering with its legitimate use. (more)
from Modern Mechanix (February, 1932)
Telephone companies are much concerned by eavesdropping on rural party lines because it interferes with transmission over the line. To take down the receiver increases the electrical resistance of the circuit.
It is proposed to stop fighting the apparently incurable tendency of rural subscribers to listen to other people’s business and to recognize it by installing special telephone instruments to which eavesdroppers can listen without increasing the electrical resistance of the circuit or interfering with its legitimate use. (more)
Info-security is more than just eavesdropping detection...
...from Bank Technology News...
Trust Your Instincts. If you think something's going on, it probably is; reacting quickly can prevent extensive damage.
One Size Doesn't Fit All. There is a wide range of information-security events, from pure technology incidents to phishing to lost laptops. Each bucket of incidents should have its own response plan and team that includes members with expertise in that particular event, as well as the business owners.
Tell Your Boss Now. Keeping senior management in the dark is never good. (more)
Trust Your Instincts. If you think something's going on, it probably is; reacting quickly can prevent extensive damage.
One Size Doesn't Fit All. There is a wide range of information-security events, from pure technology incidents to phishing to lost laptops. Each bucket of incidents should have its own response plan and team that includes members with expertise in that particular event, as well as the business owners.
Tell Your Boss Now. Keeping senior management in the dark is never good. (more)
Extortionography finds a home...
"WikiLeaks is developing an uncensorable version of WikiPedia for untraceable mass document leaking and analysis." (more)
Every coin has it light side and dark side.
The flip side of this coin is extortionography.
What is Extortionography?
Using audio / video / photographic or other evidence for personal or monetary gain, or to force a desired result or outcome. "Do [insert your demand here] or I will send [insert your eavesdrop, wiretap or leak here] to WikiLeaks!"
Every coin has it light side and dark side.
The flip side of this coin is extortionography.
What is Extortionography?
Using audio / video / photographic or other evidence for personal or monetary gain, or to force a desired result or outcome. "Do [insert your demand here] or I will send [insert your eavesdrop, wiretap or leak here] to WikiLeaks!"
The Ultimate Eavesdrop
Astronomers have proposed an improved method of searching for intelligent extraterrestrial life using instruments like one now under construction in Australia. The Low Frequency Demonstrator (LFD) of the Mileura Wide-Field Array (MWA), a facility for radio astronomy, theoretically could detect Earth-like civilizations around any of the 1,000 nearest stars.
The Mileura Wide-Field Array will be able to "eavesdrop" for unintentional signals from any such worlds within 30 light-years of Earth.
"Soon, we may be eavesdropping on signals from Galactic civilizations," says theorist Avi Loeb of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA). "This is the first time in history that humans will be capable of finding a civilization like ours among the stars."
Loeb will present his findings on Wednesday, January 10, in a press conference at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Seattle, Wash. (more)
The paper describing these findings has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics and is available online.
The Mileura Wide-Field Array will be able to "eavesdrop" for unintentional signals from any such worlds within 30 light-years of Earth.
"Soon, we may be eavesdropping on signals from Galactic civilizations," says theorist Avi Loeb of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA). "This is the first time in history that humans will be capable of finding a civilization like ours among the stars."
Loeb will present his findings on Wednesday, January 10, in a press conference at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Seattle, Wash. (more)
The paper describing these findings has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics and is available online.
Sunday, January 7, 2007
The Oprah Extortionography Plot
Man accused of seeking money for tapes about her...
Oprah Winfrey was the victim of an extortion attempt after an Atlanta man threatened he had potentially damaging audio tapes he'd publicize if he wasn't paid off, according to federal charges.
Keifer Bonvillain of Atlanta is charged in Chicago federal court with illegally taping telephone calls he had with a Winfrey employee he befriended at a party.
Over a series of weeks, Bonvillain allegedly asked the employee many questions about Winfrey and her business. He later told a second person, described as Winfrey's "business associate," that he recorded 12 hours of those conversations and ultimately asked for $1.5 million to destroy the tapes and his notes, according to charges.
At various times, Bonvillain threatened to sell the information to tabloids, to use the tapes to write a book or to simply sell them to Winfrey's representatives, according to federal charges.
Bonvillain's name came up in a separate legal case in New Jersey recently. According to court records, he was hired as a consultant by one of the parties to that case and involved in tape recording conversations while probing claims tied to an insurance dispute. (more) (update)
Oprah Winfrey was the victim of an extortion attempt after an Atlanta man threatened he had potentially damaging audio tapes he'd publicize if he wasn't paid off, according to federal charges.
Keifer Bonvillain of Atlanta is charged in Chicago federal court with illegally taping telephone calls he had with a Winfrey employee he befriended at a party.
Over a series of weeks, Bonvillain allegedly asked the employee many questions about Winfrey and her business. He later told a second person, described as Winfrey's "business associate," that he recorded 12 hours of those conversations and ultimately asked for $1.5 million to destroy the tapes and his notes, according to charges.
At various times, Bonvillain threatened to sell the information to tabloids, to use the tapes to write a book or to simply sell them to Winfrey's representatives, according to federal charges.
Bonvillain's name came up in a separate legal case in New Jersey recently. According to court records, he was hired as a consultant by one of the parties to that case and involved in tape recording conversations while probing claims tied to an insurance dispute. (more) (update)
Polish archbishop resigns in spying row
Poland - The newly-appointed archbishop of Warsaw resigned on Sunday after admitting he spied for Poland's former communist regime, in a major embarrassment for the Vatican and the powerful Polish Catholic Church.
Archbishop Stanislaw Wielgus read out his resignation, which came at the request of Pope Benedict who appointed him just a month ago, at a special mass in Warsaw Cathedral replacing a formal ceremony that was to have sworn him in. (more)
Archbishop Stanislaw Wielgus read out his resignation, which came at the request of Pope Benedict who appointed him just a month ago, at a special mass in Warsaw Cathedral replacing a formal ceremony that was to have sworn him in. (more)
Taxman to get bugging and phone-tap powers
UK - Tax inspectors are to be given new powers allowing them to tap taxpayers’ telephones and plant bugs inside their homes and offices. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) says its inspectors need such covert surveillance to tackle the growing threat from organised and white-collar crime.
However, lawyers and accountants argue that the move could breach human rights and have condemned ministers for “creeping authoritarianism” (more)
However, lawyers and accountants argue that the move could breach human rights and have condemned ministers for “creeping authoritarianism” (more)
Saturday, January 6, 2007
Hollywood private investigator wiretap trial (update)
Tossing a legal hand grenade into an already-contentious case, celebrity sleuth Anthony Pellicano on Friday demanded and won the right to act as his own lawyer in his upcoming trial on wiretapping and racketeering charges.
U.S. District Judge Dale S. Fischer tried to talk Pellicano out of his plan, but he would not relent. "I urge you to let me appoint counsel for you," Fischer implored in federal court in downtown Los Angeles. "You're very kind, your honor, but no, thank you," Pellicano said. (more)
U.S. District Judge Dale S. Fischer tried to talk Pellicano out of his plan, but he would not relent. "I urge you to let me appoint counsel for you," Fischer implored in federal court in downtown Los Angeles. "You're very kind, your honor, but no, thank you," Pellicano said. (more)
How (simple) Wiretapping Works
from howstuffworks.com
"If people did want to eavesdrop, they could tap into almost any phone line quite easily.
When you open up a phone, you can see that the technology inside is very simple. The simplicity of design makes the phone system vulnerable to surreptitious eavesdropping. In this article, we'll explore the practice of wiretapping to see just how simple it is. We'll also look at a few different types of wiretaps, find out who taps phone lines and examine the laws that regulate this practice. To learn how wiretapping works, you first have to..." (more)
---
How a private individual can detect wiretapping... (more)
How a business or government can detect wiretapping... (more)
"If people did want to eavesdrop, they could tap into almost any phone line quite easily.
When you open up a phone, you can see that the technology inside is very simple. The simplicity of design makes the phone system vulnerable to surreptitious eavesdropping. In this article, we'll explore the practice of wiretapping to see just how simple it is. We'll also look at a few different types of wiretaps, find out who taps phone lines and examine the laws that regulate this practice. To learn how wiretapping works, you first have to..." (more)
---
How a private individual can detect wiretapping... (more)
How a business or government can detect wiretapping... (more)
Calling Major Bowes (update)
WV - The Hinton City Council is still waiting to find out if federal investigators will look into potential wiretapping at Hinton City Hall.
Several letters were sent to federal, state and county prosecutors asking to investigate the claim. A tape was found inside the Hinton Police Department and turned over to the West Virginia State Police.
One letter sent to the FBI office in Beckley says the integrity of the tape may have been compromised. The council unanimously approved an investigation into alleged wiretapping on December 28th, 2006. (more)
Several letters were sent to federal, state and county prosecutors asking to investigate the claim. A tape was found inside the Hinton Police Department and turned over to the West Virginia State Police.
One letter sent to the FBI office in Beckley says the integrity of the tape may have been compromised. The council unanimously approved an investigation into alleged wiretapping on December 28th, 2006. (more)
Hollywood private investigator seeks to represent self at trial
CA - Hollywood private eye Anthony Pellicano is expected to ask a Los Angeles federal judge tomorrow for permission to represent himself in his upcoming wiretapping trial.
Pellicano has pleaded not guilty to racketeering and wiretapping charges.
Prosecutors contend that Pellicano illegally wiretapped the phones of Hollywood stars such as Sylvester Stallone and bribed police officers to run the names of more than 60 people through government databases. (more)
Pellicano has pleaded not guilty to racketeering and wiretapping charges.
Prosecutors contend that Pellicano illegally wiretapped the phones of Hollywood stars such as Sylvester Stallone and bribed police officers to run the names of more than 60 people through government databases. (more)
3 great tricks for geeks
#3 Create a spycam
Curious to see who’s using your computer when you’re away from your desk? Set up a spycam! All you need is a Web cam; Econ Technologies’ $30 ImageCaster for broadcasting footage to a Web site; and Humongous Elephants and Tigers’ free Dockless, which helps keep your snooping on the down low. (more)
Curious to see who’s using your computer when you’re away from your desk? Set up a spycam! All you need is a Web cam; Econ Technologies’ $30 ImageCaster for broadcasting footage to a Web site; and Humongous Elephants and Tigers’ free Dockless, which helps keep your snooping on the down low. (more)
Spying on Teen in McDonald's Bathroom
MI - ...a 41-year-old Dearborn man has been charged with spying on a teenager in a McDonald's bathroom. Police had been searching for Gary Wayne Carr since Dec. 5 when a 17-year-old girl from W. Bloomfield reported a man used a mirror to look over the top of a bathroom stall at a McDonald's restaurant. Waterford Police say Carr has quite a criminal history. He's been convicted of trespassing and eavesdropping in Bloomfield Twp. and Canton. Oakland County prosecutors have charged him with felony eavesdropping and surveillance in the McDonald's case. (more)
Friday, January 5, 2007
InfoSecurity tops list of executive worries
The compromise of corporate information systems is the number-one worry of business executives, according to a survey of 197 senior executives at corporations with $1 billion or more in annual revenue.
The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive, revealed that 61 percent of the executives cited data breaches as their biggest worry. (more)
The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive, revealed that 61 percent of the executives cited data breaches as their biggest worry. (more)
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