She’s called the Top Spy around her NYC office. Kurt (KTLA's "Cyberguy") gets a lesson on cyber eavesdropping and how this pop culture craze could have people you don’t even know telling secrets about you online. (video) (a New York-based cyber eavesdropping web site) Moral: Watch what you say in public.
Monday, January 21, 2008
SpyCam Story #424 - Pac-Man Fever
Australia - Police have searched the home of a man found covertly photographing women in the city, seizing video tapes and discs.
When officers searched the man's backpack they discovered it had been modified to hide a video camera with only the lens showing. Police executed a search warrant on the man's home in central Victoria and seized 17 video tapes, 13 minidiscs and two compact discs. (more)
When officers searched the man's backpack they discovered it had been modified to hide a video camera with only the lens showing. Police executed a search warrant on the man's home in central Victoria and seized 17 video tapes, 13 minidiscs and two compact discs. (more)
Great Eavesdropping Quotations
The great British statesman Winston Churchill had one standard procedure, whenever he was housed in magnificent Russian palaces during his state visits.The first thing the British Prime Minister used to do was to go through all the rooms of his suite shouting “You b@#*%#ds, I know this room is bugged and will not be fooled by you.” (more)
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Hack Attack Jacks. Black.
Cyber-security experts have long warned of the vulnerability of critical infrastructure like power, transportation and water systems to malicious hackers. Friday, those warnings quietly became a reality: Tom Donahue, a CIA official, revealed at the SANS security trade conference in New Orleans that hackers have penetrated power systems in several regions outside the U.S., and "in at least one case, caused a power outage affecting multiple cities." (more)
"I said 'non-profit', not 'open a shop and don't let anyone in'."
Canada's official spy souvenir shop is the perfect complement to the country's official spy museum. They're both top-secret facilities that are strictly off limits to ordinary Canadians and tourists. But in a nod to the modern world, the agency has since posted a virtual tour on its website, highlighting items such as a toy truck that conceals a microdot reader and codebook.
Word of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service's museum, featuring espionage cameras, micro-transmitters and other paraphernalia from the Cold War, leaked to the media years ago.
But a newly released document indicates CSIS also runs a non-profit "souvenir shop," available only to those with proper security clearance. (more)
The NSA has a great spy museum and souvenir shop which is open to the public. Free admission!
Word of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service's museum, featuring espionage cameras, micro-transmitters and other paraphernalia from the Cold War, leaked to the media years ago.
But a newly released document indicates CSIS also runs a non-profit "souvenir shop," available only to those with proper security clearance. (more)
The NSA has a great spy museum and souvenir shop which is open to the public. Free admission!
Wanted by the FBI: spy busters
Curious about how the FBI operates?
If you can pass a background and are 21 or over, a six-week course awaits you. (more)
If you can pass a background and are 21 or over, a six-week course awaits you. (more)
"From your lips to..."
German bishopvows a fight against
bugging confessionals.
Hamburg, Gemany - A German bishop has assailed the suggestion, raised by officials in the country's interior ministry, that police should be allowed to eavesdrop on confessionals. (more)
Man Challenges 15-Year Term for High-Tech Peeping
The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to consider whether it will hear (Eddie) Gilmer's challenge to Mississippi's surveillance law. Gilmer and his attorneys argue that the law, as interpreted by the state's supreme court, violates his First Amendment and due process rights.
Though the tapes zoomed in on the woman's chest and crotch, court records say she was fully clothed and sitting in front of a partially-open balcony door, where she could be seen from the parking lot where Gilmer was sitting.
After he was caught filming her several times, Gilmer was sentenced to 15 years in prison under the state's video voyeurism law, in what appears to be one of the country's toughest punishments for high-tech peeping.
"They've put people who have killed people in jail for less time than that," said Gilmer's attorney, Julie Epps, who has appealed his case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The voyeurism law makes it illegal to secretly tape someone, with a lewd purpose, in a place where they would intend to be undressed and expect privacy. In Gilmer's case, the victim admitted that she was fully clothed and that she would not take her clothes off in front of an open window or door, according to court records. (more)
Though the tapes zoomed in on the woman's chest and crotch, court records say she was fully clothed and sitting in front of a partially-open balcony door, where she could be seen from the parking lot where Gilmer was sitting.
After he was caught filming her several times, Gilmer was sentenced to 15 years in prison under the state's video voyeurism law, in what appears to be one of the country's toughest punishments for high-tech peeping.
"They've put people who have killed people in jail for less time than that," said Gilmer's attorney, Julie Epps, who has appealed his case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The voyeurism law makes it illegal to secretly tape someone, with a lewd purpose, in a place where they would intend to be undressed and expect privacy. In Gilmer's case, the victim admitted that she was fully clothed and that she would not take her clothes off in front of an open window or door, according to court records. (more)
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Wal-Mart Spying: Good, Bad, Or Just The Wave Of The Future?
Wal-Mart is used to finding its name on the front page of The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, but in March of 2007 it found itself making news under very different circumstances.
Wal-Mart officially apologized to the Times and retail reporter Michael Barbaro after a member of its internal security organization was found to have secretly taped conversations between Wal-Mart employees and the Times reporter. Not only did Wal-Mart apologize to the reporter, chief executive H. Lee Scott phoned the chief executive of The New York Times to personally offer an explanation and convey the information that the technician involved, who had 19-years with the company, as well as a supervisor, had been fired.
But the matter did not end there. Weeks later, the fired technician, Bruce Gabbard, went public, telling The Wall Street Journal he was part of a larger, sophisticated surveillance operation at Wal-Mart. Gabbard said the retailer employs a variety of means, including...
To be fair, Wal-Mart is not the only company involved in a spying controversy. Other high-profile corporate spying incidents have drawn public attention to the fact that companies are using an increasing array of methods to snoop on, or monitor as is the preferred term, the everyday activities of employees, suppliers and customers on their networks. (more)
Wal-Mart officially apologized to the Times and retail reporter Michael Barbaro after a member of its internal security organization was found to have secretly taped conversations between Wal-Mart employees and the Times reporter. Not only did Wal-Mart apologize to the reporter, chief executive H. Lee Scott phoned the chief executive of The New York Times to personally offer an explanation and convey the information that the technician involved, who had 19-years with the company, as well as a supervisor, had been fired.
But the matter did not end there. Weeks later, the fired technician, Bruce Gabbard, went public, telling The Wall Street Journal he was part of a larger, sophisticated surveillance operation at Wal-Mart. Gabbard said the retailer employs a variety of means, including...
To be fair, Wal-Mart is not the only company involved in a spying controversy. Other high-profile corporate spying incidents have drawn public attention to the fact that companies are using an increasing array of methods to snoop on, or monitor as is the preferred term, the everyday activities of employees, suppliers and customers on their networks. (more)
Japan Plans To Criminalize Industrial Spying
Japan wants to amend its Criminal Code to make industrial spying a crime. Under present laws, a theft case may only be filed if there are goods or money involved. Stealing of vital corporate technology or data is not included.
Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Akira Amari confirmed on Tuesday a bill is underway to facilitate the filing of criminal cases against corporate spies. The decision to criminalize industrial espionage arose from the recent arrest of a Chinese staff working for Denso Corp.
Yang Luchuan, an engineer who was previously employed by a military firm in China, was caught bringing out a laptop with 130,000 product designs illegally copied from the company's database. The data involved 1,700 types of products ranging from sensors to industrial robots. Included in the stolen information are 208 company secrets.
However, the case against Yang was dropped since the police could not locate where the Chinese engineer sent the stolen information. (more)
Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Akira Amari confirmed on Tuesday a bill is underway to facilitate the filing of criminal cases against corporate spies. The decision to criminalize industrial espionage arose from the recent arrest of a Chinese staff working for Denso Corp.
Yang Luchuan, an engineer who was previously employed by a military firm in China, was caught bringing out a laptop with 130,000 product designs illegally copied from the company's database. The data involved 1,700 types of products ranging from sensors to industrial robots. Included in the stolen information are 208 company secrets.
However, the case against Yang was dropped since the police could not locate where the Chinese engineer sent the stolen information. (more)
SpyCam Story #423 - Love Italian Style
Italy's supreme court ruled Tuesday that it is legal to record sex videos without telling one's partner. The court ruled in favor of a 49-year-old man who had secretly recorded his bedroom activities with his former girlfriend. (more)
...and a spy agency somewhere smiles.
Greece - A judge formally ended an investigation into a wiretapping scandal that targeted Greece's prime minister and other top officials during the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, judicial officials said Thursday.
Investigating magistrate Panagiotis Petropoulos found no evidence of who was behind the wiretaps that hacked into Greece's Vodafone network. (more)
Hollywood - Make this into a movie. It has all the elements of a great thriller; side stories about impossible "suicides", cover-ups and technical elegance which would bring tears to any hacker's eyes.
Investigating magistrate Panagiotis Petropoulos found no evidence of who was behind the wiretaps that hacked into Greece's Vodafone network. (more)
Hollywood - Make this into a movie. It has all the elements of a great thriller; side stories about impossible "suicides", cover-ups and technical elegance which would bring tears to any hacker's eyes.
Hard Times for Sports Spies
No money for spying in Ghana, says Mulee...
Kenya - While coaches will be spying on rival teams at the African Nations Cup ahead of the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, Harambee Stars coach, Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee, will remain at home with his local league champions Tusker FC.
When reached for comment, KFF secretary general, Sammy Obingo, admitted the federation could not afford Mulee’s trip to Ghana due to lack of funds... (more)
Kenya - While coaches will be spying on rival teams at the African Nations Cup ahead of the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, Harambee Stars coach, Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee, will remain at home with his local league champions Tusker FC.
When reached for comment, KFF secretary general, Sammy Obingo, admitted the federation could not afford Mulee’s trip to Ghana due to lack of funds... (more)
2008 - Year of the Mute
China will field about 800 athletes for the upcoming Olympics, and right now they are hard to find. Trying to keep distractions to a minimum - and fearful that opponents might be spying - China is shuttering away its top medal contenders. ..."We are now entering a period of silence," said Li Yongbo, coach of the national badminton team. (more)
Bugging Device Found at TV Auditions
UK - Police were called to the audition venue for Britain's Got Talent today after a bugging device was discovered under the judges' table.
The surveillance equipment had been left overnight in the judges' room, where Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan embarked on a second day of filming.
Cowell said afterwards: "This shows the extent to which people will go to to get inside knowledge on what is going on."
A man was allegedly caught using a listening device in his car outside auditions in Manchester.
He was seen lurking backstage on Wednesday and the Palace Theatre room was swept yesterday after crew reports of sound interference.
TV bosses believe there is a possibility that a freelance journalist could have planted the device to find out what was being said in the judges' room. (more) (more)
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