Security researchers have cracked the rudimentary encryption used in a range of popular wireless keyboards. Bluetooth is increasingly becoming the de-facto standard for wireless communication in peripheral devices and is reckoned to be secure. But some manufacturers such as Logitech and Microsoft rely on 27 MHz radio technology which, it transpires, is anything but secure.
Using nothing more than a simple radio receiver, a soundcard and suitable software, Swiss security firm Dreamlab Technologies managed to capture and decode the radio communications between a keyboard and a PC.
The attack opens the way up to all sorts of mischief including keystroke logging to capture login credentials to online banking sites or email accounts. (more)
An amusement park with a spy theme is planned as part of a major entertainment complex in Spain...
The park, named Spyland, will be part of a massive leisure complex called Gran Scala that is being planned for the Zaragoza province of Spain. The entertainment district is expected to include 32 casinos, four theme parks, mega-hotels, shopping and other attractions. Construction on Spyland is scheduled to start in late 2008, with a projected opening date of 2010...
Spyland will be a family attraction with rides and interactive activities based on the history of secret agents around the world. Visitors will be able to play the role of spy, undertake missions, collect clues and infiltrate fictitious borders as they move through six zones in the park, including a small water park called Aquantica. Guests will also be able to test technologies used in spying. Stunt shows will be based on the escapades of real spies.
Developers originally tried but failed to get permission to build Spyland in Dubai or France... (more)
• Pull conversations out of walls or floors.
• Amplify them 50,000 times.
• Broadcast them up to 1/2 mile away.
This odd-ball little eavesdropping bug is creative mix of technologies. No need to enter someone's office or home. Just attach this thing to the floor above, ceiling below or the outside wall. Then, head to comfortable spot within a 1/2 mile range. No nearby comfortable spot? Put the receiver and a recorder in a car, and park it nearby. Return daily to pick-up your recordings. (more)
Grab a map. Draw a 1/2 mile circle around your own home or office. How many good listening posts do you see? Maybe hundreds in a suburban environment. Definitely hundreds-of-thousands in a city.
When was the last time you had a professional debugging inspection?
Need a quick example... Go to Google Maps; search for Dearing, KS. The distance between 2200 Road and 2000 Road is exactly one mile. The listening post could be anywhere in this town!
Could we find this bug?
Of course.
Mike Lane on Wiretapping. (cartoon)
Leading British firms and government agencies have been warned Chinese state organisations may be spying on them.UK intelligence network MI5 has contacted 300 chief executives and security experts at banks and financial institutions to raise the concerns. (more)
Consumer Reports magazine had 40 children check out the "fun factor” in 24 toys, priced less than $10 to $200, to determine the hot holiday sellers this year. The top four toys overall ranged from a racing timer to a magnifying handheld "bionic eye” to a remote-controlled vehicle equipped with a "spycam.” The children in the test ranged in ages from 6 through 12. (more)
FutureWatch: The next generation of spies is in the pipeline!
Every Rock & Roll hit from the
50's, 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's+
"Hey, do I take care of my friends or what?" • Just in time for your holiday parties!
• FREE!!!
• Play 'Name That Tune' (really fast).
Side One • Side Two
Spyware has become the biggest security threat to organizations, a survey from the Computer Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) has discovered. That's a big change from a few years ago, when spyware was barely even considered a threat. (more)
India - The International Film Festival found its gravitas with the The Voyeur (which) delved into the current ogre of spycams and surveillance that leaves no room for individual privacy...
Prasanjeet, a computer mechanic ... finds succour from his nondescript life by fantasising about Madhubala, the perfect woman. Soon his fantasy finds a real form as a pretty neighbor moves in next door and seeks his help in settling down.
The electronics geek uses a spycam to fuel his desire and shares the spoils of voyeurism with his friend who happens to be a Muslim. No prizes for guessing where the story heads.
The brutal State steps in and the Muslim is labeled as terrorist while the Voyeur is arrested for something the state excels in: surveillance. (more)
Princeton University - "The Morality of Spying: How Dirty Are We Willing to Get Our Hands?" is the title of a lecture by former CIA official James Olson set for 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, in Dodds Auditorium, Robertson Hall.Olson served for more than 25 years in the CIA, mostly in clandestine operations overseas. He also was chief of counterintelligence at the agency's headquarters in Langley, Va. (more)
Britain's spy masters have come out of the shadows and onto the airwaves as they hunt for new members, sending real-life 007s out on a recruiting drive. ... Voices were disguised on the BBC's Radio 1, one of the most listened to stations in Britain. (more) (audio)
New Zealand - A roving spycam you can access and drive from your cellphone has emerged from a Palmerston North student's honors project.
Massey University engineering student Tom Yu Guan completed his university studies with the Smart Eyes robot - a remote controlled car with a video phone that can be accessed by a second phone anywhere in the world.
Mr Guan said there was nothing on the market with this range or flexibility. The car could be driven and video accessed as long as there was cellphone coverage.
Wellington private investigator Tony Lowe had been involved in surveillance for more than 20 years and said it was a brilliant idea. (more) (more)
from Forbes Magazine...
...the most pervasive form of electronic surveillance nowadays comes from people you know--your boss, your business competitor, someone on a journalist’s beat, and even your spouse. ... (more) (In Pictures: How They're Watching You) (more)
Someone eavesdropping on your Cisco VoIP phone using the previous attack?
Look for these warning signs...
• Speakerphone light is on.
• Display shows off-hook icon.
• Phone makes static noises.
Best practices for securely setting up your Cisco Unified IP Phones may be found here. ~Kevin
Security researchers have cracked the rudimentary encryption used in a range of popular wireless keyboards. 
