Recently disclosed information suggests that it is a relatively simple matter to remotely eavesdrop on a broad range of SIP-enabled devices. For readers who aren't aware of what SIP-enabled devices are, SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) is a protocol that is used by a lot of VoIP software and associated telephone handsets to establish, modify, and control a VoIP connection between two parties.
The research that was published indicates that, for at least one vendor, it is possible to automatically call a SIP device from that vendor and have it silently accept the call, even if it is still on the hook - instantly turning it into a classic bugged phone. Whereas historic telephony bugs needed physical targeting of the line running to a property or place of business, the presence of VoIP in the equation allows bugging from anywhere in the world with equal ability.
Now anyone can do from their armchair what only spies and law enforcement used to be able to do from inside the telephone switch / pit / distribution board, though it's still illegal to do so. (more)
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Pew! What's that smell? A progressive spying technique?
The head of one of the leading insurers in non-standard, high-risk personal auto insurance apologized on Thursday for some substandard behavior - spying in church on people who had the sued the company.
Progressive Corp Chief Executive Glenn Renwick apologized for the use of private detectives, who went undercover to join an Atlanta church group in order to discredit a couple suing the insurer. (more)
Progressive Corp Chief Executive Glenn Renwick apologized for the use of private detectives, who went undercover to join an Atlanta church group in order to discredit a couple suing the insurer. (more)
Monday, August 27, 2007
Which one is the bug?
Photo #1 is one of these.
Photo #2 is one of these.
Plug Bugs Are Heard Around the World
• GSM SIM card inside enables dial in from anywhere in the world
• Listen to conversations from a distance
• Looks like a standard 3-way adaptor plug
"Using the GSM network we can convert any normal 3-way plug into a sophisticated listening device. The plug can be used in your own home or office to gather audio intelligence from across the globe.
Cleverly constructed inside is a GSM SIM card combined with a powerful Knowles microphone which will silently open the connection when you dial in from anywhere in the world, thus allowing you to listen to the surrounding sounds and conversations.
The plug is NOT a working model and can be used to monitor a particular area for periods of audio surveillance.
Note: This unit can be used legally within the EU."
Don't let the foreign look of this bug fool you. It can be built into any type of electrical connector, power strip, radio, TV, lamp, clock, computer, coffee pot or anything which has a source of power.
Video spying tells tale:
Pets let loose when owners are out!
Ever wonder what your pets do when they are home alone?
Jamie Skeate did more than just wonder. The 27-year-old from St. Cloud, Minn., and her husband videotaped her dogs, Bosco, a Great Dane, and Lily, a greyhound.
"Sometimes we would come home and their toys would be all over the house, and my husband and I would joke that it looked like they had had a party," she says. (more)
Ever wonder what your pets do when they are home alone?
Jamie Skeate did more than just wonder. The 27-year-old from St. Cloud, Minn., and her husband videotaped her dogs, Bosco, a Great Dane, and Lily, a greyhound.
"Sometimes we would come home and their toys would be all over the house, and my husband and I would joke that it looked like they had had a party," she says. (more)
Life Imitates Art... Linkletter
...from an Arizonia college newspaper...
"If you like Overheard on Campus, do your part to keep this space filled by submitting the products of your eavesdropping today!
The Arizona Daily Wildcat is proud to feature "Overheard on Campus," where private conversations become public hilarity.
Got a good one? E-mail it to campus@wildcat.arizona.edu. Be sure to include your name, year and major with your submission." (more)
"If you like Overheard on Campus, do your part to keep this space filled by submitting the products of your eavesdropping today!
The Arizona Daily Wildcat is proud to feature "Overheard on Campus," where private conversations become public hilarity.
Got a good one? E-mail it to campus@wildcat.arizona.edu. Be sure to include your name, year and major with your submission." (more)
*** Security Alert *** Video Phone Eavesdropping and Denial of Service Vulnerability
A vulnerability has been reported in the Grandstream GXV3000 IP Video Phone, which can be exploited by malicious people to cause a DoS (Denial of Service) and eavesdrop with vulnerable devices.The vulnerability is caused due to an unspecified error in the SIP stack and can be exploited to set the phone to an inconsistent state by sending an "INVITE" and a "183 Session Progress" message sequence. This allows an attacker to eavesdrop with the device and also disables it to hang up.
The vulnerability is reported in firmware version 1.0.1.7. Other versions may also be affected.
Solution: Reportedly fixed in version 1.0.1.12. Contact the vendor for more information.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
NYC Sightseeing (in reverse)
Surveillance Camera Outdoor Walking Tour: The Lower East Side New York City - A fascinating look at how often you are being taped during your daily jaunt through the city. Taking this guided stroll throug the Lower East Side you'll marvel at the electronic observation of your path. (more) (more)
Chinese spying on German government computers
Numerous computers of the German government are infected by Chinese espionage programs, the weekly Der Spiegel news magazine said in a report to hit the newsstands on Sunday.
Chinese cyber spies snooped reportedly on computers in the chancellery, the foreign and economic ministry as well as the research ministry. According to the Verfassungschutz, the Chinese hackers are believed to be linked to China's People's Army.
Reacting to the report, the Chinese embassy in Berlin dismissed it as "irresponsible speculation without any basis of proof".
Chancellor Angela Merkel was due to embark on Sunday on a one-week visit to China and Japan.
The German media has repeatedly reported on extensive Chinese economic espionage inside Germany. (more)
Chinese cyber spies snooped reportedly on computers in the chancellery, the foreign and economic ministry as well as the research ministry. According to the Verfassungschutz, the Chinese hackers are believed to be linked to China's People's Army.
Reacting to the report, the Chinese embassy in Berlin dismissed it as "irresponsible speculation without any basis of proof".
Chancellor Angela Merkel was due to embark on Sunday on a one-week visit to China and Japan.
The German media has repeatedly reported on extensive Chinese economic espionage inside Germany. (more)
SpyCam Story #373 - Video Gossip
UK - A Tesco boss was caught on CCTV in a steamy clinch with a 16-year-old shelf stacker... in his supermarket cash office. Store manager Harish Bhatoya, 25, faces the sack and the teenage girl has already quit over the scandal.
One Tesco worker recorded four minutes of the 6pm incident from the CCTV monitors on a mobile phone. The footage circulated among staff and eventually bosses at the supermarket giant's head office found out. ... Two senior members of staff came down to the store on the Monday and took the CCTV tapes. (more)
One Tesco worker recorded four minutes of the 6pm incident from the CCTV monitors on a mobile phone. The footage circulated among staff and eventually bosses at the supermarket giant's head office found out. ... Two senior members of staff came down to the store on the Monday and took the CCTV tapes. (more)
"...and we also send the feed to Santa."
UK - Motorists using mobile phones are being caught by a police spotter plane.
The £300,000 "eye in the sky" flies at around 10,000 ft - and uses a powerful camera which can zoom in on a driver with amazing precision.
If someone is spotted using a phone, the police alert colleagues on the ground to stop them.
The aircraft is being used by Cheshire Police on its way to and from other jobs. A police spokesman said: "The camera is of a military spec and can magnify to almost any degree required." (more)
Obviously, there is no need to spend about $600,000.00 (not to mention the fuel bill), or fly at an altitude of 10,000 feet to catch people driving while using mobile phones. Heck, the fine alone would have to be in the thousands to make this cost-effective. However, the "other jobs" might make this worthwhile, and releasing a nutty story like this to a sensational-hungry press and gullible public; free frosting on the enforcement cake!
The £300,000 "eye in the sky" flies at around 10,000 ft - and uses a powerful camera which can zoom in on a driver with amazing precision.
If someone is spotted using a phone, the police alert colleagues on the ground to stop them.
The aircraft is being used by Cheshire Police on its way to and from other jobs. A police spokesman said: "The camera is of a military spec and can magnify to almost any degree required." (more)
Obviously, there is no need to spend about $600,000.00 (not to mention the fuel bill), or fly at an altitude of 10,000 feet to catch people driving while using mobile phones. Heck, the fine alone would have to be in the thousands to make this cost-effective. However, the "other jobs" might make this worthwhile, and releasing a nutty story like this to a sensational-hungry press and gullible public; free frosting on the enforcement cake!
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Want to ...be a Private Investigator?
...read the magazine they read, just for fun?
...ask a PI a question on-line?
...play with real PI gear?
...find a PI to help you?
Then, you need to bookmark this web site.
...ask a PI a question on-line?
...play with real PI gear?
...find a PI to help you?
Then, you need to bookmark this web site.
Pin the Tail on the Dopey... or, PI Spies Bug Sports Guys
Australia - There is a new gig in town for private eyes: spying on athletes caught up in doping allegations.
Tender documents show the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority is hiring a panel of private investigators to monitor athletes, coaches and officials who are already under suspicion.
An authority spokesman, Simon Tidy, said private investigators using video and audio surveillance equipment was new for the authority.
"We have our own investigators … but in terms of video and audio, we don't do that at the moment," he said.
The tender, which closed last week, called for companies with the resources to conduct "covert and overt" investigations in Australia and overseas.
Investigators who won contracts, expected to be for three years, would have to hold a current investigator's licence, and have undergone an Australian Federal Police character assessment in the past two years.
They will report day-to-day accounts of surveillance operations, and provide comprehensive video and audio records, including a "compilation tape" with many hours of footage. (more)
Tender documents show the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority is hiring a panel of private investigators to monitor athletes, coaches and officials who are already under suspicion.
An authority spokesman, Simon Tidy, said private investigators using video and audio surveillance equipment was new for the authority.
"We have our own investigators … but in terms of video and audio, we don't do that at the moment," he said.
The tender, which closed last week, called for companies with the resources to conduct "covert and overt" investigations in Australia and overseas.
Investigators who won contracts, expected to be for three years, would have to hold a current investigator's licence, and have undergone an Australian Federal Police character assessment in the past two years.
They will report day-to-day accounts of surveillance operations, and provide comprehensive video and audio records, including a "compilation tape" with many hours of footage. (more)
SpyCam Story #372 - Surfer's Paradise
Australia - A Gold Coast man has been charged with stalking after allegedly installing security cameras in his share house to spy on his three female flatmates.
Police said the 36-year-old man from Surfers Paradise lived with three females aged 24, 34 and 37.
He has been charged with wilful damage, observations or recordings in breach of privacy, and possession of tainted property and will appear in Southport Magistrates Court today. (more)
Police said the 36-year-old man from Surfers Paradise lived with three females aged 24, 34 and 37.
He has been charged with wilful damage, observations or recordings in breach of privacy, and possession of tainted property and will appear in Southport Magistrates Court today. (more)
Teacher Charged With Wiretapping
WV - A vocational teacher is accused of illegally recording a fellow instructor in an apparent attempt to catch her 'ranting and raving' at students.
Hancock County sheriff's officials say 52-year-old Joyce Wells of New Cumberland admitted she recorded Marcie Stewart by placing a tape recorder outside her classroom on May 2.
It is illegal in West Virginia for anyone to audiotape a conversation to which he or she is not a party. (more)
Hancock County sheriff's officials say 52-year-old Joyce Wells of New Cumberland admitted she recorded Marcie Stewart by placing a tape recorder outside her classroom on May 2.
It is illegal in West Virginia for anyone to audiotape a conversation to which he or she is not a party. (more)
Judge upholds charge in videotaping case
IL - Rejecting claims of prosecutorial misconduct, a McHenry County judge Friday upheld the indictment of a Cary teen accused with two friends of videotaping a sexual encounter one of them had with an unknowing female classmate.
The decision moves 17-year-old Stefen Mueller a step closer to trial on the felony eavesdropping charge stemming from the Jan. 6 incident. ...
The eavesdropping charges against Mueller and his co-defendants allege they set up a hidden video camera in one of the teen's bedrooms to capture a later encounter between one of them and a 17-year-old girl. (more)
The decision moves 17-year-old Stefen Mueller a step closer to trial on the felony eavesdropping charge stemming from the Jan. 6 incident. ...
The eavesdropping charges against Mueller and his co-defendants allege they set up a hidden video camera in one of the teen's bedrooms to capture a later encounter between one of them and a 17-year-old girl. (more)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)