Iran - The Islamic Republic’s Telecommunications Ministry has been empowered by the ayatollahs to eavesdrop on any and all mobile phone calls in the state’s relentless quest to drive out dissipated utterances, debauched SMS and dissolute video messages. ...
Meanwhile, as an adjunct to the crackdown on SMS and MMS traffic, barbers across Iran have been ordered to stop offering men “Western or other unconventional haircuts” on pain of closure of their business and possible imprisonment. (more)
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Wal-Mart Faces More Eavesdropping Allegations
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has used a myriad of tactics, including some that are illegal, to hinder the ability of its workers to form labor unions, a human rights group said in a report to be released on Tuesday.
According to Human Rights Watch, the world's largest retailer has restricted the dissemination and discussion of pro-union views, threatened to withhold benefits from workers who organize, interrogated workers about their union sympathies and sent managers to eavesdrop on employee conversations. ...
Wal-Mart spokesman David Tovar said the Human Rights Watch report is based on "unsubstantiated allegations"... (more)
From the report...
"Wal-Mart has also used several illegal techniques to gather information about union activity while simultaneously pressuring workers to stop organizing. The company has coercively interrogated workers about their and their co-workers’ union sympathies through direct and often hostile questioning and sent managers to eavesdrop on discussions among employees in a proposed bargaining unit. According to former workers and managers fromWal-Mart’s Kingman, Arizona, store, Wal-Mart has also monitored union security cameras on areas where union organizing is most active.15 These chilling effect on workers’ willingness to organize.
Terry Daly, a former loss prevention worker charged with preventing shoplifting at the Kingman, Mart, who was ambivalent about union formation, explained to Human Rights Watch that drive at his store:
"In loss prevention, we were to monitor any activity that we thought might be organized in certain areas. I was told with the cameras that we had to make shots more available, monitor a better area so we could see any activity going on that might be unusual."
He added that, in particular, they were supposed to focus on union leader Brad Jones. “[We were to] monitor cameras and report back what we saw. We needed to find a reason to fire Brad.” 16
15 See below, “VII. Freedom of Association at Wal-Mart: Anti-Union Tactics Deemed Illegal Under US Law,” subsection “Union Activity Surveillance.” The NLRB never addressed the allegations of camera-based surveillance at the Kingman store, however.
16 Human Rights Watch interview with Terry Daly, former Wal-Mart loss prevention worker, Kingman, Arizona, March 17, 2005.
According to Human Rights Watch, the world's largest retailer has restricted the dissemination and discussion of pro-union views, threatened to withhold benefits from workers who organize, interrogated workers about their union sympathies and sent managers to eavesdrop on employee conversations. ...
Wal-Mart spokesman David Tovar said the Human Rights Watch report is based on "unsubstantiated allegations"... (more)
From the report...
"Wal-Mart has also used several illegal techniques to gather information about union activity while simultaneously pressuring workers to stop organizing. The company has coercively interrogated workers about their and their co-workers’ union sympathies through direct and often hostile questioning and sent managers to eavesdrop on discussions among employees in a proposed bargaining unit. According to former workers and managers fromWal-Mart’s Kingman, Arizona, store, Wal-Mart has also monitored union security cameras on areas where union organizing is most active.15 These chilling effect on workers’ willingness to organize.
Terry Daly, a former loss prevention worker charged with preventing shoplifting at the Kingman, Mart, who was ambivalent about union formation, explained to Human Rights Watch that drive at his store:
"In loss prevention, we were to monitor any activity that we thought might be organized in certain areas. I was told with the cameras that we had to make shots more available, monitor a better area so we could see any activity going on that might be unusual."
He added that, in particular, they were supposed to focus on union leader Brad Jones. “[We were to] monitor cameras and report back what we saw. We needed to find a reason to fire Brad.” 16
15 See below, “VII. Freedom of Association at Wal-Mart: Anti-Union Tactics Deemed Illegal Under US Law,” subsection “Union Activity Surveillance.” The NLRB never addressed the allegations of camera-based surveillance at the Kingman store, however.
16 Human Rights Watch interview with Terry Daly, former Wal-Mart loss prevention worker, Kingman, Arizona, March 17, 2005.
World's Best Crabcakes (still)
Food Spy Diary May 2001 - While at the NSA this week I picked up the following bit of intelligence... "Go to a non-descript strip mall in Linthicum, MD. Look for the 'G&M' sign."
I arrived at 10:54 AM. The door was locked. Other people were milling around waiting... waiting for their fix. At precisely 11:00 AM the door was unlocked. Everyone filed in and took seats.
According to the Washington Post and the Baltimore Sun, I had just entered the home of "the best crab cake platter." ... After barely finishing my baseball-sized crabcakes (you get two), I had to agree. These are The Best! ... P.S. You can order them over the Internet. Delivered FRESH (not frozen) by FedEx.
September 2002 - 'G&M' has baseball-sized crabcakes (you get two). Still 'the best'.
May 2007 - Nothing has changed. The place is still non-descript. The parking lot appears to be full of the same cars. The interior still makes me itch. Cryptonerds still populate the tables, and... 'G&M' is still pumping out "The World's Best Crabcakes". (more)
Repo Men Have Spy Problems Too
"I have a friend who owns a small company in a larger city here in the South. Not long ago, he discovered that someone was going thru his trash bin when he rolled it out the night before pick up. He happens to have his office and lot next to another business that has security cameras, one of which also covers the front of his building and trash bin in it's scope. When he asked to see the video from a certain night, he learned it was a longtime employee of a medium sized company that we both worked for at one time.
Apparently this guy was dumpster diving to get at any records that would show who his clients are, fee schedules, etc. When we worked together for this larger company, it was not uncommon for us to be told to go by competitor's lots and write down tag numbers on the repo's to get the lien holder info. ...
The last thing we should have to worry about is our fellow repossessor, yet unfortunately, we all need to realize that they are our biggest threat of all." ~ David J. Branch
Apparently this guy was dumpster diving to get at any records that would show who his clients are, fee schedules, etc. When we worked together for this larger company, it was not uncommon for us to be told to go by competitor's lots and write down tag numbers on the repo's to get the lien holder info. ...
The last thing we should have to worry about is our fellow repossessor, yet unfortunately, we all need to realize that they are our biggest threat of all." ~ David J. Branch
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Errant listening aid sparks fears of executive session eavesdropping
RI - Town Councilman Kevin M. Blais may have compromised the confidentiality of a March 28 executive session of the Town Council when he left an assisted-listening device he uses to help him hear better at council meetings unattended in his car that night. ...
The incident has apparently warranted enough concern that the council Wednesday voted 6-1 to notify the attorney general’s office of "a possible/potential compromise" of the executive session in question...
Said Town Manager Michael C. Wood:
"The listening device has a fairly long range and if someone had the device in their possession they could have listened to the meeting outside of the meeting room and within a reasonable distance of Town Hall."...
"Anyone who had the device in their possession could have been listening to the regular meeting and/or executive session outside of the meeting room. It’s very possible that the integrity of future executive sessions is compromised going forward." ...
"As I had indicated during the April 4 meeting, the wireless device used could compromise the integrity of executive session by virtue of its design and operating frequency," said Blais, adding (finally the most important comment) that anyone with a scanner could potentially pickup the frequency. (more)
...in other words, all their meeting are bugged!
Funny he should that and allow the broadcast system to remain installed.
The incident has apparently warranted enough concern that the council Wednesday voted 6-1 to notify the attorney general’s office of "a possible/potential compromise" of the executive session in question...
Said Town Manager Michael C. Wood:
"The listening device has a fairly long range and if someone had the device in their possession they could have listened to the meeting outside of the meeting room and within a reasonable distance of Town Hall."...
"Anyone who had the device in their possession could have been listening to the regular meeting and/or executive session outside of the meeting room. It’s very possible that the integrity of future executive sessions is compromised going forward." ...
"As I had indicated during the April 4 meeting, the wireless device used could compromise the integrity of executive session by virtue of its design and operating frequency," said Blais, adding (finally the most important comment) that anyone with a scanner could potentially pickup the frequency. (more)
...in other words, all their meeting are bugged!
Funny he should that and allow the broadcast system to remain installed.
...whereupon the laughing cop's earphones fell off.
PA - Three people are accused of participating in a forgery scheme that netted $15,000 in furniture, electronics and frozen food.
Quick jump to the Idiot Award part...
Quick jump to the Idiot Award part...
Thomas Richards is charged with 20 counts of forgery and 19 counts each of theft by deception and theft... He also is charged with one count of disclosure of intercepted communications involving a police wiretap for allegedly bragging about "how the state police had wired him up to get his brother in trouble." (more)
'Evil twin' Wi-Fi access points proliferate
There is little consumers can do to protect themselves from hackers eavesdropping on wireless communications...
The next time you splurge on a double latte and sip it while browsing the Internet via the cafe's Wi-Fi, beware of the "evil twin."
That's the term for a Wi-Fi access point that appears to be a legitimate one offered on the premises, but actually has been set up by a hacker to eavesdrop on wireless communications among Internet surfers. Unfortunately, experts say there is little consumers can do to protect themselves, but enterprises may be in better shape. (more)
Enterprises are in better shape because they hire counterespionage specialists. As part of the overall eavesdropping / wiretapping detection effort - usually conducted quarterly - they also test for 'evil twins'.
The next time you splurge on a double latte and sip it while browsing the Internet via the cafe's Wi-Fi, beware of the "evil twin."
That's the term for a Wi-Fi access point that appears to be a legitimate one offered on the premises, but actually has been set up by a hacker to eavesdrop on wireless communications among Internet surfers. Unfortunately, experts say there is little consumers can do to protect themselves, but enterprises may be in better shape. (more)
Enterprises are in better shape because they hire counterespionage specialists. As part of the overall eavesdropping / wiretapping detection effort - usually conducted quarterly - they also test for 'evil twins'.
Like Spying? Wal-Mart's Hiring!
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has been recruiting former military and government intelligence officers for a branch of its global security office aimed at identifying threats to the world's largest retailer, including from "suspect individuals and groups".
Wal-Mart's interest in intelligence operatives comes at a time when the retailer is defending itself against allegations by a fired security employee that it ran surveillance operations against targets including critics, dissident shareholders, employees and suppliers. Wal-Mart has denied any wrongdoing.
Wal-Mart posted ads in March on its own web site and sites for security professionals, including the bulletin of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers, for "global threat analysts" with a background in government or military intelligence work.
The jobs were listed with the Analytical Research Center, part of Wal-Mart's Global Security division, which is headed by former senior CIA and FBI senior officer Kenneth Senser. The analytical unit was created over the past year and half, according to published comments by its head, Army Special Operations veteran David Harrison. (more)
Wal-Mart's interest in intelligence operatives comes at a time when the retailer is defending itself against allegations by a fired security employee that it ran surveillance operations against targets including critics, dissident shareholders, employees and suppliers. Wal-Mart has denied any wrongdoing.
Wal-Mart posted ads in March on its own web site and sites for security professionals, including the bulletin of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers, for "global threat analysts" with a background in government or military intelligence work.
The jobs were listed with the Analytical Research Center, part of Wal-Mart's Global Security division, which is headed by former senior CIA and FBI senior officer Kenneth Senser. The analytical unit was created over the past year and half, according to published comments by its head, Army Special Operations veteran David Harrison. (more)
Sheriff's Deputy Convicted of Computer Spying
NY - A Monroe County Sheriff's deputy was convicted Tuesday of felony eavesdropping and misdemeanor official misconduct.
Acting state Supreme Court Justice Stephen Sirkin found Investigator Michael Hildreth guilty of planting spyware on a neighbor's computer. The prosecution alleged that Hildreth conducted an unsanctioned investigation of his neighbor, whom he believed posed a threat to young girls in their Rochester-area neighborhood. (more)
Acting state Supreme Court Justice Stephen Sirkin found Investigator Michael Hildreth guilty of planting spyware on a neighbor's computer. The prosecution alleged that Hildreth conducted an unsanctioned investigation of his neighbor, whom he believed posed a threat to young girls in their Rochester-area neighborhood. (more)
School finds illicit photos on cell phone
KS - Prairie Village police are investigating reports that a 12-year-old boy used a cell phone to take pictures under girls’ skirts without their knowledge at Mission Valley Middle School.
The alleged incidents were discovered April 16 by school officials acting on a tip. Police said investigators found three pictures of two female students. Police are investigating the matter as eavesdropping, a misdemeanor offense. No charges have been filed. (more)
The alleged incidents were discovered April 16 by school officials acting on a tip. Police said investigators found three pictures of two female students. Police are investigating the matter as eavesdropping, a misdemeanor offense. No charges have been filed. (more)
Attorney Says Prosecutor Bugged Her
KS - A fired Johnson County domestic violence chief said she will fight for her job, which she feels she lost because she complained about the treatment of women in the prosecutor's office.
Jacqie Spradling alleged that District Attorney Phill Kline or one of his assistants planted a recording device in her office to tape her conversations before the firing. She said the alleged bugging came after she sent a memo to Kline saying she thought women in the office were being mistreated.
Kline denies the gender-bias allegations and the claims of electronic eavesdropping. "The comments about listening devices are bizarre, irresponsible and false," Kline said. (more)
Her termination is the latest in a string of dismissals that have come under Kline. Eighteen employees have either been fired or resigned since Kline took office in January. (more)
Jacqie Spradling alleged that District Attorney Phill Kline or one of his assistants planted a recording device in her office to tape her conversations before the firing. She said the alleged bugging came after she sent a memo to Kline saying she thought women in the office were being mistreated.
Kline denies the gender-bias allegations and the claims of electronic eavesdropping. "The comments about listening devices are bizarre, irresponsible and false," Kline said. (more)
Her termination is the latest in a string of dismissals that have come under Kline. Eighteen employees have either been fired or resigned since Kline took office in January. (more)
Detective agency 'paid to spy'
UK - A private detective firm earned tens of thousands of pounds by hacking into people's computers and bugging telephones, a court has heard. Active Investigation Services (AIS) had a number of "lucrative sidelines" under the title "Hackers Are Us", Southwark Crown Court was told.
These included using "Trojan" viruses to enter computers and hi-tech devices to bug phones, the prosecution claimed. ... Documents found by police during their investigation showed how the firm charged up to £7,000 a month for phone bugging or hacking into a computer, and £2,000 to obtain details about a bank account.
Hi-tech devices used to bug phones were installed by interception specialist Michael Hall, the court was told. Prosecutors said a number of them were fitted to BT's telegraph poles and inside junction boxes, but BT eventually hid a camera in one of the boxes and caught him at work.
Five men associated with the agency deny a total of 15 charges.
One of those accused is American banking heir Matthew Mellon, 43, who the prosecution claim paid AIS to hack into the e-mails of his estranged wife prior to their divorce.
The court was told that Mr. Mellon, a multi-millionaire from Belgravia, central London, asked Hackers Are Us to snoop on spouse Tamara, head of the Jimmy Choo shoe empire. (more)
These included using "Trojan" viruses to enter computers and hi-tech devices to bug phones, the prosecution claimed. ... Documents found by police during their investigation showed how the firm charged up to £7,000 a month for phone bugging or hacking into a computer, and £2,000 to obtain details about a bank account.
Hi-tech devices used to bug phones were installed by interception specialist Michael Hall, the court was told. Prosecutors said a number of them were fitted to BT's telegraph poles and inside junction boxes, but BT eventually hid a camera in one of the boxes and caught him at work.
Five men associated with the agency deny a total of 15 charges.
One of those accused is American banking heir Matthew Mellon, 43, who the prosecution claim paid AIS to hack into the e-mails of his estranged wife prior to their divorce.
The court was told that Mr. Mellon, a multi-millionaire from Belgravia, central London, asked Hackers Are Us to snoop on spouse Tamara, head of the Jimmy Choo shoe empire. (more)
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
1900 Prediction of 2000 Police X-Ray Vision
How many lives would be saved if firefighters could see right into buildings?Until recently, few but the U.S. military and certain SWAT teams had radar equipment that could locate people through walls. Now an Israeli startup called Camero is marketing a version of the technology to police, fire, and rescue teams.
The saver... Camero's device, the Xaver (pronounced "saver") 800, emits an ultra-wideband signal that travels through plaster, brick, and even reinforced concrete. It then calculates the distance and orientation of everything on the other side--people, furniture, weapons--in real time.
"A rescue worker can locate trapped people in a matter of seconds," says Camero CEO Aharon Aharon. Dense walls reduce Xaver's maximum viewing distance of 26 feet, but Aharon predicts that within five years, new technology will enable the device to see as far as 300 feet into a building.
Camero isn't the only company trying to commercialize X-ray vision. Alabama-based Time Domain sells a $33,000 gadget called RadarVision2 that displays moving objects as radarlike blips. But the Xaver pieces together a full three-dimensional image of each person it locates. (more)
This, and other postcards, predicting the future in the year 2000, were produced by Hildebrands, a leading German chocolate company of the time as a give-a-way item. (more)
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