In March, 15-year-old Joshua Brumfield got a shiny new BlackBerry Pearl, and his parents got a new way to watch out for their son.
The Brumfields signed up to be early users of Radar, software designed to let parents monitor incoming calls on their child's mobile phone. Anytime Joshua gets a call from someone not on a call list approved by his parents, they will receive a real-time text alert on their cell phone or online.
Radar could mark a shift toward greater monitoring by parents through cell phones, much the way it happened on the Web years ago. As more kids live their lives on mobile devices--text messaging, sending photos, scheduling school assignments, surfing the Web and calling their social circle--some parents are using tracking software to protect them from predators or bullies, or to simply stay connected. (more)(more parents monitoring children articles)
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Spies in Sports
Allegations that a senior McLaren engineer received stolen documents from Ferrari are just the latest in a long and ignoble tradition of Formula One skullduggery...
- At the end of 1977 former drivers turned team managers Jackie Oliver and Alan Rees, together with designer Tony Southgate, had grown dissatisfied with the management style of Shadow team-owner Don Nichols, and defected - Southgate's Arrows FA1 bore a striking basic resemblance to Shadow's DN9, which he had also penned prior to leaving Nichols.
- (1978) When the gifted Lotus designer Colin Chapman and his staff harnessed undercar ground-effect aerodynamics to enhance the grip that the car could generate, thus creating a very significant performance increase, other designers scratched their heads... At the Swedish Grand Prix at Anderstorp that year Lotus personnel got a surprise when they returned to the track one night to retrieve something they had forgotten, and discovered Tyrrell's designer, the late Maurice Philippe, lying beneath the 79 taking in all of its secrets.
- Chapman himself was not averse to such underhand practice and at the Austrian Grand Prix in 1979 dispatched his team manager Peter Collins to acquire critical measurements from the successful Williams FW07. Collins duly got the information that Chapman had demanded but was caught red-handed in doing so, causing a minor scandal that soon died down.
- The late Dr. Harvey Postlethwaite, who was Ferrari's technical director, admitted that he had been the mastermind behind a clandestine break-in at the Williams garage during the German Grand Prix in 1980. A group of Ferrari personnel spent the entire night in the garage, wielding their tape measures and taking photographs of the car that would win Australian Alan Jones that year's championship.
- Frank Williams was livid when he heard about Collins and his tape measure that time in Austria, until one of his own team pointed out that every team, including Williams, was doing something similar.
- McLaren mechanics once discovered a senior BAR-Honda aerodynamicist in the back of one of their trucks, trying to measure up their car. They locked him in.
...and in other sports...
Rugby Union
- In the week leading up to the 2003 World Cup final in Sydney, the England coach Clive Woodward ordered their hotel rooms and training grounds to be swept for spying devices. It was feared the Australians were eavesdropping on secret team talks.
- Prior to a Test against England at Twickenham in 2005, New Zealand officials caught two men in camouflage gear in bushes filming the All Black training. They claimed to be from a news agency before running away. Both England and the agency denied any knowledge of them.
Football
- In April 2003 England accused Turkey of filming training prior to a Euro 2004 qualifier in Sunderland. Sven Goran Eriksson had planned to use a diamond formation but his changes were witnessed by a Turkish official posing as a charity worker.
- In November 2005 a newspaper alleged that the Manchester United dressing room had been bugged before a 1-0 home victory over Chelsea. The paper said they were offered the tapes by a "middle man".
- After a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace in February this year, the Leeds manager, Dennis Wise, claimed one of his players had leaked team information to the opposition before kick-off. The player's identity was never revealed.
Cricket
- During England's 2006-07 Ashes tour detailed bowling plans for individual batsman were leaked to an Australian radio station. The plans had been pinned up in England's dressing room.
Netball
- In July 2006 the Australia netball coach Norma Plummer accused New Zealand spies of passing on team secrets prior to the two rivals' meeting. She accused former employees who were now working for the Kiwis.
Sailing
- A diver was found near the Nippon JPN-26 boat as it left San Diego harbour to sail in the first race of the 1992 Louis Vuitton Cup semi-final. The diver turned out to be a friend of Le Défi Français skipper Marc Pajot, and he was said to have been sent to the other boat for a bet.
(more)
- At the end of 1977 former drivers turned team managers Jackie Oliver and Alan Rees, together with designer Tony Southgate, had grown dissatisfied with the management style of Shadow team-owner Don Nichols, and defected - Southgate's Arrows FA1 bore a striking basic resemblance to Shadow's DN9, which he had also penned prior to leaving Nichols.
- (1978) When the gifted Lotus designer Colin Chapman and his staff harnessed undercar ground-effect aerodynamics to enhance the grip that the car could generate, thus creating a very significant performance increase, other designers scratched their heads... At the Swedish Grand Prix at Anderstorp that year Lotus personnel got a surprise when they returned to the track one night to retrieve something they had forgotten, and discovered Tyrrell's designer, the late Maurice Philippe, lying beneath the 79 taking in all of its secrets.
- Chapman himself was not averse to such underhand practice and at the Austrian Grand Prix in 1979 dispatched his team manager Peter Collins to acquire critical measurements from the successful Williams FW07. Collins duly got the information that Chapman had demanded but was caught red-handed in doing so, causing a minor scandal that soon died down.
- The late Dr. Harvey Postlethwaite, who was Ferrari's technical director, admitted that he had been the mastermind behind a clandestine break-in at the Williams garage during the German Grand Prix in 1980. A group of Ferrari personnel spent the entire night in the garage, wielding their tape measures and taking photographs of the car that would win Australian Alan Jones that year's championship.
- Frank Williams was livid when he heard about Collins and his tape measure that time in Austria, until one of his own team pointed out that every team, including Williams, was doing something similar.
- McLaren mechanics once discovered a senior BAR-Honda aerodynamicist in the back of one of their trucks, trying to measure up their car. They locked him in.
...and in other sports...
Rugby Union
- In the week leading up to the 2003 World Cup final in Sydney, the England coach Clive Woodward ordered their hotel rooms and training grounds to be swept for spying devices. It was feared the Australians were eavesdropping on secret team talks.
- Prior to a Test against England at Twickenham in 2005, New Zealand officials caught two men in camouflage gear in bushes filming the All Black training. They claimed to be from a news agency before running away. Both England and the agency denied any knowledge of them.
Football
- In April 2003 England accused Turkey of filming training prior to a Euro 2004 qualifier in Sunderland. Sven Goran Eriksson had planned to use a diamond formation but his changes were witnessed by a Turkish official posing as a charity worker.
- In November 2005 a newspaper alleged that the Manchester United dressing room had been bugged before a 1-0 home victory over Chelsea. The paper said they were offered the tapes by a "middle man".
- After a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace in February this year, the Leeds manager, Dennis Wise, claimed one of his players had leaked team information to the opposition before kick-off. The player's identity was never revealed.
Cricket
- During England's 2006-07 Ashes tour detailed bowling plans for individual batsman were leaked to an Australian radio station. The plans had been pinned up in England's dressing room.
Netball
- In July 2006 the Australia netball coach Norma Plummer accused New Zealand spies of passing on team secrets prior to the two rivals' meeting. She accused former employees who were now working for the Kiwis.
Sailing
- A diver was found near the Nippon JPN-26 boat as it left San Diego harbour to sail in the first race of the 1992 Louis Vuitton Cup semi-final. The diver turned out to be a friend of Le Défi Français skipper Marc Pajot, and he was said to have been sent to the other boat for a bet.
(more)
MyVoIPia
"Eavesdropping is one example of an overhyped threat," said Lawrence Orans, a researcher with Gartner, in a previous interview. "Sure, it’s technically possible to execute a man-in-the-middle attack and capture packets. The reason that we hear so much about eavesdropping is that it really does illicit this visceral reaction. The main thing is to focus on the greater threats, for example attacking an IP PBX server itself." (more)
Every element of VoIP security is synergistically important.
My advice; think holistic. ~Kevin
Every element of VoIP security is synergistically important.
My advice; think holistic. ~Kevin
SpyCam Story #365
UK - A Hampshire councillor who set up a spy camera to secretly film a woman and two teenage girls using his bathroom has been jailed for four months.
Neil Redrup, a Ministry of Defence database manager at the time, put the camera in an airing cupboard with the lens spying through a hole at his home.
Redrup, 45, regularly invited teenagers to parties at his home, a court heard.
He pleaded guilty to four charges of voyeurism and one for gross indecency between January and December 2005. (more)
Neil Redrup, a Ministry of Defence database manager at the time, put the camera in an airing cupboard with the lens spying through a hole at his home.
Redrup, 45, regularly invited teenagers to parties at his home, a court heard.
He pleaded guilty to four charges of voyeurism and one for gross indecency between January and December 2005. (more)
Idea! Free Car Wash with Every Bug
Mace Security International, Inc., a manufacturer of electronic surveillance, security and personal defense products, and an owner and operator of car and truck wash facilities, today announced results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2007.
Financial Results
The net loss for the first quarter of 2007 was $658,000, or $(0.04) per share, compared to a loss of $966,000 or $(0.06) per share for the first quarter of 2006.
Total revenues for the quarter ended March 31, 2007 were $11.6 million compared to $13.3 million for the same period in 2006. The decrease in revenues was primarily due to a decrease in revenues from the Security Segment of approximately $1.1 million, or 16.7%, in the first quarter of 2007 compared to the first quarter of 2006. The change in revenues within the Security Segment was principally due to a decrease in sales of our consumer direct electronic surveillance and machine vision camera and video conferencing equipment in Texas and our professional electronic surveillance operation in Florida. The decrease in sales in our professional electronic surveillance operation was partially a result of sales of discontinued and refurbished products at lower prices, the inability of some of Mace’s vendors to supply high volume products in a timely manner, and the impact on operations and management of the Florida embezzlement investigation. This decrease in sales was partially offset by growth in revenues in our personal defense and law enforcement aerosol operations. Car wash and detailing revenues decreased... (more)
Financial Results
The net loss for the first quarter of 2007 was $658,000, or $(0.04) per share, compared to a loss of $966,000 or $(0.06) per share for the first quarter of 2006.
Total revenues for the quarter ended March 31, 2007 were $11.6 million compared to $13.3 million for the same period in 2006. The decrease in revenues was primarily due to a decrease in revenues from the Security Segment of approximately $1.1 million, or 16.7%, in the first quarter of 2007 compared to the first quarter of 2006. The change in revenues within the Security Segment was principally due to a decrease in sales of our consumer direct electronic surveillance and machine vision camera and video conferencing equipment in Texas and our professional electronic surveillance operation in Florida. The decrease in sales in our professional electronic surveillance operation was partially a result of sales of discontinued and refurbished products at lower prices, the inability of some of Mace’s vendors to supply high volume products in a timely manner, and the impact on operations and management of the Florida embezzlement investigation. This decrease in sales was partially offset by growth in revenues in our personal defense and law enforcement aerosol operations. Car wash and detailing revenues decreased... (more)
Extra! Extra! Spies Gone Wild. Read All About It
CIA Secret Documents Released
The newly released documents known within the Central Intelligence Agency as the "Family Jewels" give a history of the agency's misdeeds covering several decades. (more)
Me too! Me too!
Russia’s FSB security service, successor to the KGB, has opened its archives on the mass persecution of political 'enemies' during the rule of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, but only relatives of victims will be allowed to see any information. (more)
The newly released documents known within the Central Intelligence Agency as the "Family Jewels" give a history of the agency's misdeeds covering several decades. (more)
Me too! Me too!
Russia’s FSB security service, successor to the KGB, has opened its archives on the mass persecution of political 'enemies' during the rule of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, but only relatives of victims will be allowed to see any information. (more)
Rocky & His Friends
Iran - According to IRNA, the official Islamic Republic news agency, the national Police chief has implicitly verified the news about the confiscation of a number of squirrels, equipped with eavesdropping devices, on the Iranian borders.He has declined to give any more details, but, reportedly, when asked about the confiscation of 14 spy squirrels, he stated, “I have heard about it, but I do not have precise information”. IRNA adds, “These squirrels were equipped by foreign intelligence services, but were captured two weeks ago by the Police”.
---
"I tried searching the IRNA site (in English) and wasn’t able to find any articles on “spy squirrels.”
Kamangir: IRNA, and other news sources, do not translate all their news in English. I assure you that I have given a proper translation of the Persian source. Unfortunately, Google does not provide English-Persian translation, yet. (more) (video)
---
& His Friends
Iran has arrested 20 people - including some foreigners - near the border with Iraq and accused them of belonging to a spy network, the state-run news agency reported Monday.
The IRNA news agency did not provide the nationalities of the foreigners. Iran last month claimed to have uncovered spy rings organized by the United States and its Western allies.
IRNA, quoting the head of the intelligence department in the Kerman Shah province, said the 20 were trained by intelligence services "of the enemy" for economic, military, political, cultural and social purposes. (more)
Monday, July 9, 2007
Alleged Ferrari 'spy' flees Italy
Former Ferrari engineer Nigel Stepney says he has left Italy fearing for his safety after being accused of passing confidential information to McLaren's chief designer.
"There have been high-speed car chases. We've been followed by more than one car, with Italian plates, and when we cornered one of them last Thursday evening the men in it refused to speak," the Observer newspaper quoted him as saying on Monday.
"I don't believe they were journalists," the 47-year-old Briton added.
"There was tracking gear on my car. Someone was going to get hurt. I had no option to get out of Italy."
Stepney was dismissed by Ferrari at the start of the week after Formula One's Italian glamour team took legal action against him for the "theft of technical information". (more)
"There have been high-speed car chases. We've been followed by more than one car, with Italian plates, and when we cornered one of them last Thursday evening the men in it refused to speak," the Observer newspaper quoted him as saying on Monday.
"I don't believe they were journalists," the 47-year-old Briton added.
"There was tracking gear on my car. Someone was going to get hurt. I had no option to get out of Italy."
Stepney was dismissed by Ferrari at the start of the week after Formula One's Italian glamour team took legal action against him for the "theft of technical information". (more)
Eye Loves New York
By the end of this year, police officials say, more than 100 cameras will have begun monitoring cars moving through Lower Manhattan, the beginning phase of a London-style surveillance system that would be the first in the United States.
The Lower Manhattan Security Initiative, as the plan is called, will resemble London’s so-called Ring of Steel, an extensive web of cameras and roadblocks designed to detect, track and deter terrorists. British officials said images captured by the cameras helped track suspects after the London subway bombings in 2005 and the car bomb plots last month.
If the program is fully financed, it will include not only license plate readers but also 3,000 public and private security cameras below Canal Street, as well as a center staffed by the police and private security officers, and movable roadblocks. (more)
The Lower Manhattan Security Initiative, as the plan is called, will resemble London’s so-called Ring of Steel, an extensive web of cameras and roadblocks designed to detect, track and deter terrorists. British officials said images captured by the cameras helped track suspects after the London subway bombings in 2005 and the car bomb plots last month.
If the program is fully financed, it will include not only license plate readers but also 3,000 public and private security cameras below Canal Street, as well as a center staffed by the police and private security officers, and movable roadblocks. (more)
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Bug the Judge Blowout - One Week Later
ISLAMABAD: Following the directions of the Supreme Court of Pakistan to purge the Supreme Court, residences and offices of the judges of all bugging devices within a week, intelligence agencies remained busy to comply with the unprecedented orders of the apex court.
Sources seeking anonymity told The Frontier Post that the officials at the intelligence agencies spent a busy week ensuring that no bugging device is left at any of the places mentioned above.
Sources said that most of the devices used for bugging are planted in the vicinity of telephone exchanges or at meeting places but private places are exempted.
They informed that a special team was sent to clear those lodges which have been assigned to judges or judicial officers in Islamabad.
Supreme Court has also ordered the Director General Intelligence Bureau (IB) to file a personal affidavit declaring that all the buildings associated with the judges of the superior court are safe and without any bugging device. The affidavit is likely to be submitted on Monday. (more)
Sources seeking anonymity told The Frontier Post that the officials at the intelligence agencies spent a busy week ensuring that no bugging device is left at any of the places mentioned above.
Sources said that most of the devices used for bugging are planted in the vicinity of telephone exchanges or at meeting places but private places are exempted.
They informed that a special team was sent to clear those lodges which have been assigned to judges or judicial officers in Islamabad.
Supreme Court has also ordered the Director General Intelligence Bureau (IB) to file a personal affidavit declaring that all the buildings associated with the judges of the superior court are safe and without any bugging device. The affidavit is likely to be submitted on Monday. (more)
Toys "R" Us - Telephone Bug Kit
Telephone Bug Kitby: Elenco Electronics
"Listen in on telephone conversations in your home with this build it your self telephone bug. Its compact size (about the size of a dime) allows it to fit into most telephone handsets. Easy to install and fun to build. No battery are required. Complete with training course. Soldering is required."
Age: 10 years and up (!?!?)
Note: Gift wrap is not available for this item.
(more)(commentary)(Kid Spy Xmas List)
Next project...
Let's make booster-bags and go to Toys-R-Us!
UPDATE - 7/14/07 - This item has disappeared from the Toys-R-Us web site. (cached here)
Saturday, July 7, 2007
When we last left the Best Buy 'Geek Squad'...
...they were being sued for, "dispatching a technician who allegedly videotaped the client's daughter taking a shower." (more)
The latest claim of 'Geek Sneak Peak' comes from consumerist.com...
"To investigate claims by current and former Geek Squad techies (see "The 10 Page Geek Squad Confession - "Stealing Customers' Nudie Pics Was An Easter Egg Hunt"), we loaded a computer with porn and rigged it to make a video of itself. We captured every cursor movement, every program opened, every file accessed. Everything that the user saw and did, we recorded.
We took it to less than a dozen Best Buy Geek Squads and asked them to perform simple tasks, like installing iTunes. Most places were fine, sometimes doing the job right on the counter, sometimes even for free.
Then we caught one well-seasoned Geek Squad Agent copying personal and pornographic images and video from our computer to his company-issued thumb drive (see video, or the logfiles)."
Moral: USB memory sticks (aka thumb drives) can be dangerous to the health of your computer privacy. Info-theft and compuvoyeurism can occur anytime someone has access to your computer. If you have private file, encrypt them now. ~Kevin
The latest claim of 'Geek Sneak Peak' comes from consumerist.com...
"To investigate claims by current and former Geek Squad techies (see "The 10 Page Geek Squad Confession - "Stealing Customers' Nudie Pics Was An Easter Egg Hunt"), we loaded a computer with porn and rigged it to make a video of itself. We captured every cursor movement, every program opened, every file accessed. Everything that the user saw and did, we recorded.
We took it to less than a dozen Best Buy Geek Squads and asked them to perform simple tasks, like installing iTunes. Most places were fine, sometimes doing the job right on the counter, sometimes even for free.
Then we caught one well-seasoned Geek Squad Agent copying personal and pornographic images and video from our computer to his company-issued thumb drive (see video, or the logfiles)."
Moral: USB memory sticks (aka thumb drives) can be dangerous to the health of your computer privacy. Info-theft and compuvoyeurism can occur anytime someone has access to your computer. If you have private file, encrypt them now. ~Kevin
Friday, July 6, 2007
Lax USB stick security causing havoc
According to a straw poll carried out at Infosecurity Europe last month, 90 per cent of the 12,000 attendees routinely carried portable storage devices. The survey also showed that 80 per cent of visitors believed their company had lost valuable confidential data through the use of these devices.
SmartLine, a developer of network management and end-point security offerings, conducted a short survey on its stand.
"Although these gadgets are designed to be perfectly harmless, it does not take much for them to become a major security headache. It is all too easy to use them to siphon off valuable data.
"Even legitimate users can simply lose the device, or have it stolen. Organisations need to ensure that they have the right security measures in place to protect themselves from this type of data leakage."(more)
Some companies stamp their logos onto USB sticks and use them as give-a-ways. Keep in mind that this may be the perfect Trojan Horse gift - if pre-loaded with spyware, the infection begins the second you plug it in. Don't let visitors stick you either. ~ Kevin
SmartLine, a developer of network management and end-point security offerings, conducted a short survey on its stand.
"Although these gadgets are designed to be perfectly harmless, it does not take much for them to become a major security headache. It is all too easy to use them to siphon off valuable data.
"Even legitimate users can simply lose the device, or have it stolen. Organisations need to ensure that they have the right security measures in place to protect themselves from this type of data leakage."(more)
Some companies stamp their logos onto USB sticks and use them as give-a-ways. Keep in mind that this may be the perfect Trojan Horse gift - if pre-loaded with spyware, the infection begins the second you plug it in. Don't let visitors stick you either. ~ Kevin
Take steps to safeguard sensitive data
Whether it’s the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which addresses healthcare information, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), which addresses financial information, or even the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which addresses education information, chances are good that one of these affects your organization in some way.
Compliance is nothing to fool around with. ... Unauthorized disclosure of such sensitive information could adversely impact your organization with both civil and criminal liabilities. To protect yourself and your company, it’s vital that you implement some extra precautions. (more)(we can assist)
Compliance is nothing to fool around with. ... Unauthorized disclosure of such sensitive information could adversely impact your organization with both civil and criminal liabilities. To protect yourself and your company, it’s vital that you implement some extra precautions. (more)(we can assist)
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