Australia - A peeping tom accountant who installed a spy camera in a female toilet at his work and saved more than 1000 images of women and children has been sentenced to 14 months' jail.
Ross Andrew Sargent, 46, was ordered to serve at least eight months' prison before being eligible for parole.
Magistrate Sarah Dawes today described Sargent's offending over 20 months as "voyeuristic and disturbing''. (more)
====================
Canada - An arrest warrant was issued this morning for an alleged pervert who admitted to police he had secreted a video camera in the ceiling of a women’s bathroom at NAIT, but claimed it was just “a joke.”
Brad Lenz, 27, was supposed to have been in provincial court for a decision by a judge as to whether or not he was guilty on charges of voyeurism, mischief, possession of counterfeit money and making counterfeit money.
Judge Elizabeth Johnson ordered the arrest warrant after Lenz’s lawyer admitted his client was not present.
“Mr. Lenz is not here,” said defense lawyer Kelly Dawson. “I have no explanation for his absence." (more)
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Kids can no longer call... Mickey Mouse, Rat Fink
The Walt Disney Company's Disney Mobile phone service is being exterminated.The service's Family Center allowed parents to:
- "Locate your kid’s phone using GPS technology. Get a location of your kid's phone and a map of the location without calling. All adults on the account can use Family Locator from their Disney Mobile handset or the Disney Mobile website."
- Limit spending.
- And, limit how and when kids could use their phones. (more)(more)
Design-It-Yourself Mobile Phone Spyware
From the manufacturer's (English is my second language) website..."Team Neo-Call enters a new era of GSM application with an exciting range of security softwares, sure to captivate the amateur and professional GSM, spying and security scene. Featuring dozens new softwares never been made before, mixing them together and offering them "on demand" to the world through our affiliable web site. We entered the next dimension of "Spyphone"... (more)
Monday, October 1, 2007
SpyCam Story #387 - An ill wind?
A new project outlined as "one of the most advanced city-wide intelligent security systems ever conceived" is underway in the windy city, Chicago, IL. The Operation is known as "Virtual Shield" which will be one of the world's largest video security deployments upon completion. Think you know Big Brother? Just wait.
Chicago, the third largest city in the United States, employs a unified fiber network throughout much of the downtown area. This network links thousands of surveillance cameras, both new and old, to a system that not only stores images, but monitors the video as well.
Although, Chicago's current implementation of "Virtual Shield" is only the first phase, which was aided by IBM, city experts, and network engineers. The goal was to create a surveillance system that would capture, monitor, and index all video fed into the system. The network is expanding.
In Phase 2, Chicago plans to give operation Virtual Shield the technology to automatically recognize license plates and perform intelligent search capabilities.
Chicago has already laid plans to use the system for tracking traffic congestion, but one has to question whether operation Virtual Shield's intelligent trending projections could be used to route any one of the over 3 million people who commute Chicago, daily.
Imagine a world where a surveillance system will be able to spot any vehicle, at any location, and determine the driver, his address, and his location, at any time.
...questions are raised as Chicago works with California-based, Firetide, who is known for its wireless, covert video cameras.
Firetide will also be aiding Chicago in adding hundreds of additional cameras throughout the city, all of which implement wireless technology. This raises many concerns about the security of these cameras. Who will have access to view these wireless devices? How secure is the encryption on these cameras?
In addition, Chicago will be using IBM's own Omnicast software, touted as "the most advanced IP-based video surveillance recording software in the industry."
This software has the ability to adapt to virtually any camera, whether it be fixed, mobile, IP-based, analog, a camera from a sister agency, or a camera from a private enterprise, all while recording, analyzing every video stream, processing any and every licence plate, charting, learning, and mapping, anywhere at any time, all the time. (more)
Time for a Windy City sing-a-long...
Who's peekin' out from under a stairway
Calling a name that's lighter than air
Who's bending down to give me a rainbow
Everyone knows it's Windy
Who's tripping down the streets of the city
Smilin' at everybody she sees
Who's reachin' out to capture a moment
Everyone knows it's Windy
And Windy has stor-my eyes
That flash at the sound of lies
And Windy has wings to fly
Above the clouds (above the clouds)
Above the clouds (above the clouds)
(Windy, by Ruthann Friedman)
Chicago, the third largest city in the United States, employs a unified fiber network throughout much of the downtown area. This network links thousands of surveillance cameras, both new and old, to a system that not only stores images, but monitors the video as well.
Although, Chicago's current implementation of "Virtual Shield" is only the first phase, which was aided by IBM, city experts, and network engineers. The goal was to create a surveillance system that would capture, monitor, and index all video fed into the system. The network is expanding.
In Phase 2, Chicago plans to give operation Virtual Shield the technology to automatically recognize license plates and perform intelligent search capabilities.
Chicago has already laid plans to use the system for tracking traffic congestion, but one has to question whether operation Virtual Shield's intelligent trending projections could be used to route any one of the over 3 million people who commute Chicago, daily.
Imagine a world where a surveillance system will be able to spot any vehicle, at any location, and determine the driver, his address, and his location, at any time.
...questions are raised as Chicago works with California-based, Firetide, who is known for its wireless, covert video cameras.
Firetide will also be aiding Chicago in adding hundreds of additional cameras throughout the city, all of which implement wireless technology. This raises many concerns about the security of these cameras. Who will have access to view these wireless devices? How secure is the encryption on these cameras?
In addition, Chicago will be using IBM's own Omnicast software, touted as "the most advanced IP-based video surveillance recording software in the industry."
This software has the ability to adapt to virtually any camera, whether it be fixed, mobile, IP-based, analog, a camera from a sister agency, or a camera from a private enterprise, all while recording, analyzing every video stream, processing any and every licence plate, charting, learning, and mapping, anywhere at any time, all the time. (more)
Time for a Windy City sing-a-long...
Who's peekin' out from under a stairway
Calling a name that's lighter than air
Who's bending down to give me a rainbow
Everyone knows it's Windy
Who's tripping down the streets of the city
Smilin' at everybody she sees
Who's reachin' out to capture a moment
Everyone knows it's Windy
And Windy has stor-my eyes
That flash at the sound of lies
And Windy has wings to fly
Above the clouds (above the clouds)
Above the clouds (above the clouds)
(Windy, by Ruthann Friedman)
Sunday, September 30, 2007
SpyCam Story #386 - Gunsmoke
CA - Sheriff Pat Hedges may have had good intentions, but his decision to secretly videotape his subordinates was woefully misguided at best and illegal at worst.
By his own admission, Hedges eavesdropped on sheriff’s employees on two occasions: once as part of a criminal investigation that he declined to elaborate on, and again in connection with a personnel matter last year. (more)
By his own admission, Hedges eavesdropped on sheriff’s employees on two occasions: once as part of a criminal investigation that he declined to elaborate on, and again in connection with a personnel matter last year. (more)
SpyCam Story #385 - The Accountable Accountant
Australia - Tax accountant Ross Sargent waited until the office was deserted before walking down the corridor with a tiny pinhole spy camera clutched in his hand. Sargent made his way to the women's toilets and carefully installed the camera in the roof of one of the cubicles. He set it to record when it sensed motion.
The camera stayed hidden there for the next 20 months before a maintenance worker found it in October last year.
Sargent, 46, is expected to be jailed this week after recording and storing 1308 video images on his laptop taken from the spy camera. (more)
Update...
Outrage as toilet spy's term cut to two months
A PEEPING Tom accountant who installed a spy camera in a female lavatory and stored more than 1300 images of women and children has had his jail sentence slashed from a maximum of 14 months' jail to just two months. (more)
The camera stayed hidden there for the next 20 months before a maintenance worker found it in October last year.
Sargent, 46, is expected to be jailed this week after recording and storing 1308 video images on his laptop taken from the spy camera. (more)
Update...
Outrage as toilet spy's term cut to two months
A PEEPING Tom accountant who installed a spy camera in a female lavatory and stored more than 1300 images of women and children has had his jail sentence slashed from a maximum of 14 months' jail to just two months. (more)
Bill Bellichick (aka Bill O. Check to some)
NJ - A disgusted Jets season ticket-holder went on the offensive against the New England Patriots over the infamous Videogate scandal.
Princeton lawyer Carl Mayer filed a class-action suit in Newark Federal Court against the New England Patriots and coach Bill Belichick because a video assistant filmed Jets coaches giving defensive signals last month. (more)
Princeton lawyer Carl Mayer filed a class-action suit in Newark Federal Court against the New England Patriots and coach Bill Belichick because a video assistant filmed Jets coaches giving defensive signals last month. (more)
SpyCam Story #384 - Lawrence County (update)
AL - Casting new light on a rural spy mystery, Lawrence County commissioners placed two employees on leave amid allegations they were responsible for a hidden camera that was found inside a courthouse meeting room.
Commissioner Alma Whitlow said county administrators Linda Harville and Karen Harrison didn't deny placing a hidden monitoring system in the commission office without members' knowledge.
The motive behind the bugging was unclear. No charges have been filed.
FBI agents interviewed Harville, Harrison, and four commissioners earlier this month. Aside from the hidden camera, agents seized items including video cassettes, cables and a receiver. (more)
Commissioner Alma Whitlow said county administrators Linda Harville and Karen Harrison didn't deny placing a hidden monitoring system in the commission office without members' knowledge.
The motive behind the bugging was unclear. No charges have been filed.
FBI agents interviewed Harville, Harrison, and four commissioners earlier this month. Aside from the hidden camera, agents seized items including video cassettes, cables and a receiver. (more)
SpyCam Story #383 - HAL Makes House Calls
The ConnectR “Virtual Visiting Robot” is simultaneously an interesting and creepy device. Designed to enable real-time “virtual visits” over the Internet, the robot combines a nanny cam, an internet phone and an RC car. Users set up the robot in their home, and via the internet, control the audio/video camera-equipped robot, moving it around the home, using the video camera to look around, and the speakers to talk to people or pets within the home. (more)(more)
Bugby! or, Tapped By That Tough Guy
UK - A security consultant has come forward to admit he performed surveillance at Newcastle United.
The News of the World says Brian Tough was ordered to TAP PHONES of unhappy managers and players and even take SECRET FILM of England legend Alan Shearer that could be used against him if he tried to leave the club.
Tough revealed how he bugged:
- Kevin Keegan's calls to his wife to see if he was planning to quit as manager
- Sunderland's chairman Bob Murray - to find out secret plans for their new stadium
- The Editor of a local newspaper because he'd run knocking stories on the club, and even
- The butler of 74-year-old Newcastle president Sir John Hall.
In a shattering confession, Tough says: "At times I felt really bad about it, especially when I spied on our own players and senior staff. The players and fans would have gone mad if they had found out what I was up to." ...
Former Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd said: "Tough did make me aware of what he had done but I did not condone it. I couldn't control what he did. He didn't work for me. I had nothing to do with bugging anybody." (more)
The News of the World says Brian Tough was ordered to TAP PHONES of unhappy managers and players and even take SECRET FILM of England legend Alan Shearer that could be used against him if he tried to leave the club.
Tough revealed how he bugged:
- Kevin Keegan's calls to his wife to see if he was planning to quit as manager
- Sunderland's chairman Bob Murray - to find out secret plans for their new stadium
- The Editor of a local newspaper because he'd run knocking stories on the club, and even
- The butler of 74-year-old Newcastle president Sir John Hall.
In a shattering confession, Tough says: "At times I felt really bad about it, especially when I spied on our own players and senior staff. The players and fans would have gone mad if they had found out what I was up to." ...
Former Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd said: "Tough did make me aware of what he had done but I did not condone it. I couldn't control what he did. He didn't work for me. I had nothing to do with bugging anybody." (more)
USB BUG
Another good reason not to allow laptops into proprietary meetings and conferences..."This is the smallest, high-sensitivity, high gain USB microphone available, and is our most popular choice for court reporters, students, business people, voice recognition purposes, Skype communication, VOIP and Podcasting - anyone that needs to get high quality audio into a computer!
This mic our 'stealthiest' USB microphone!" Windows & MAC
(more)(sample audio)
Thursday, September 27, 2007
McLaren/Ferrari - Zero to Fiasco in Seconds
"With seemingly no end to the espionage saga, it now emerges that F1's governing body earlier this week contributed to the widespread distribution of dozens more McLaren and Ferrari secrets.
A day before releasing the nearly 200 pages of World Motor Sport Council transcripts to the public on Wednesday, the FIA had sent the documents to both teams so that confidential technical and financial information could be redacted.
But when the PDF documents were initially made available on the Internet, it soon became clear that the blackened sections could easily be revealed if copy-pasted into another text editor.
The offending copies were quickly removed from the FIA website and replaced."
(via Ben Moore - Risks Digest 24.83)
A day before releasing the nearly 200 pages of World Motor Sport Council transcripts to the public on Wednesday, the FIA had sent the documents to both teams so that confidential technical and financial information could be redacted.
But when the PDF documents were initially made available on the Internet, it soon became clear that the blackened sections could easily be revealed if copy-pasted into another text editor.
The offending copies were quickly removed from the FIA website and replaced."
(via Ben Moore - Risks Digest 24.83)
Eavesdropping on Co-workers at Airport
NY - A man has been charged with felony eavesdropping and possession of an eavesdropping device after secretly recording his co-workers conversations at Albany International Airport, Albany County sheriff's deputies said.
Karl A. Schroeder, 38, of Old Route 66, works for AvPorts, a private company contracted to run the airport. Deputies said he covertly placed a digital recorder in a staff lounge at the airport and recorded conversations between other employees and management on several occasions this month.
He also recorded conversations in person with a concealed recorder, according to deputies, who said the content of the recordings did not pose a security threat and that Schroeder said he recorded the conversations for personal reasons. (more)
Karl A. Schroeder, 38, of Old Route 66, works for AvPorts, a private company contracted to run the airport. Deputies said he covertly placed a digital recorder in a staff lounge at the airport and recorded conversations between other employees and management on several occasions this month.
He also recorded conversations in person with a concealed recorder, according to deputies, who said the content of the recordings did not pose a security threat and that Schroeder said he recorded the conversations for personal reasons. (more)
Don't puck with "Mr. Hockey" (update)
Gordie Howe has reached a compromise in his lawsuit against a spying neighbour who has been conducting surveillance on the hockey legend's home.
After three hours of closed-door negotiating, Howe told Oakland County Circuit Judge Edward Sosnick he would drop his lawsuit if Lionel and Karen Dorfman stop snooping on him. (more)
After three hours of closed-door negotiating, Howe told Oakland County Circuit Judge Edward Sosnick he would drop his lawsuit if Lionel and Karen Dorfman stop snooping on him. (more)
Cupid Pleads Guilty to Eavesdropping!
Most Cupids stick to stealing hearts, but New York City resident Malik Cupid stole his ex-girlfriend's identity, money and e-mail, the Westchester County District Attorney's Office says.
Cupid, 31, pleaded guilty yesterday in Westchester County Court to one felony count of eavesdropping and one misdemeanor count of attempted eavesdropping.
From May 22 to Oct. 17, 2006, Cupid assumed his ex-girlfriend's identity while she was on active duty with the U.S. Army in Iraq. (more)
Cupid, 31, pleaded guilty yesterday in Westchester County Court to one felony count of eavesdropping and one misdemeanor count of attempted eavesdropping.
From May 22 to Oct. 17, 2006, Cupid assumed his ex-girlfriend's identity while she was on active duty with the U.S. Army in Iraq. (more)
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