Have you heard the latest surveillance concern floating around the tech world? Your iPhone may be storing an electronic log of your virtual footsteps, and it could one day be used against you.
iPhone hacker/data forensics expert Jonathan Zdziarski explained the issue in a webcasted demo. (more)
NY - In 1951, Morton Sobell was tried and convicted with Julius and Ethel Rosenberg on espionage charges. Through it all, he maintained his innocence.
But on Thursday, Sobell, 91, dramatically reversed himself, shedding new light on a case that still fans smoldering political passions. In an interview, he admitted for the first time that he had been a Soviet spy.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, call it that, I never thought of it as that in those terms," said Sobell. (more)
TX - The BexarMet Board of Directors voted Thursday evening to terminate the contract of its embattled general manager, Gil Olivares.Olivares was suspended in August days after a Bexar County jury indicted him on charges of official oppression and illegal wiretapping, among other charges. (more)
NY - A federal judge on Friday denied a motion by a group of ex-securities brokers and former A.B. Watley Inc. executives to dismiss a criminal case against them in an alleged scheme to misuse brokerage firm "squawk" boxes.Prosecutors have alleged that three ex-brokers placed open telephone lines next to the internal speaker systems at their companies so that Watley day traders could secretly eavesdrop on block orders by institutional clients. (more)
1/13/09 - UPDATE - The U.S. dropped its sole charge against a former A.B. Watley Group Inc. executive who was set to be retried next month in a case where day traders were accused of eavesdropping on institutional trades using “squawk boxes.”
Michael Picone, Watley’s former chief operating officer, agreed to cooperate with prosecutors, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Green said today. In return, the U.S. dropped the count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, a crime punishable by as long as 25 years in prison.
“In exchange for the defendant’s cooperation, the government agrees to dismiss the charge against him,” Green told U.S. District Judge Jack B. Weinstein. (more)
TN - A state lawmaker said Thursday night he attached a digital recorder under an aide’s desk as “just a prank,” but no one’s laughing now with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation looking into the matter as a potentially serious case of bugging.Rep. Jim Cobb, R-Spring City, said there was “no invasion of privacy done or intended” in the incident which involved his administrative aide, Paul Overhoiser.The lawmaker, who represents Rhea County and part of Hamilton County, said he used Velcro to lash the recorder to the underside of the desk.“It was where you could see it from the chair,” Rep. Cobb said in an interview. “I put it there and was going to come in and when Paul found it, he was going to jump up, run in and we were going to laugh about it. It was not hidden. It was not meant to do anything except be a joke.”
...Rep. Cobb, who recalled setting the device up on Tuesday, said he forgot about putting the recorder there until Thursday. (more)
Lawmaker? know better? aghhhh... (sing-a-long)
How your cell phone evolved into a personal panopticon...
A recent article in the London Review of Books revealed that a number of private companies now sell off-the-shelf data-mining solutions to government spies interested in analyzing mobile-phone calling records and real-time location information. These companies include ThorpeGlen, VASTech, Kommlabs, and Aqsacom--all of which sell "passive probing" data-mining services to governments around the world.
...while it may be impossible for the NSA to legally obtain large-scale, real-time customer location information from Verizon, the spooks at Fort Meade can simply go to the company that owns and operates the wireless towers that Verizon uses for its network and get accurate information on anyone using those towers--or go to other entities connecting the wireless network to the landline network. The wiretapping laws, at least in this situation, simply don't apply. (more) (webinar pdf)
CA - The county has agreed to pay $660,000 to settle a federal civil lawsuit against Sheriff Pat Hedges in regards to an investigation of a secret recording of an October 2006 meeting.The suit, filed by former Chief Deputy Gary Hoving in regards to the meeting between himself and Sgt. Jay Donovan, alleged Hedges and Undersheriff Steve Bolts had violated Hoving’s civil rights and liberties while illegally using taxpayers’ money to record the meeting. (more)Why this is important to you in the corporate world...Post facto discovery of electronic eavesdropping is expensive!
Costs include:
• the investigation,
• the lawyers fees,
• lost employee time,
• and this subsequent civil settlement
Proactive inspections for bugs, wiretaps, wi-fi system loopholes and other info-leak pressure points – cheap insurance.
Fury as sheriff spares toilet spycam lawyer from jail
Scotland - A pervert lawyer who filmed female colleagues on the loo was spared jail yesterday after a controversial sheriff branded his actions "clumsy". Peter Fitzpatrick used a video camera hidden in a pile of cardboard boxes to spy on the ladies toilet. But Stirling sheriff Margaret Gimblett told Fitzpatrick his offence sounded like "a cry for help".
The dad-of-two grinned as he was sentenced. His punishment provoked fury from Mid-Scotland & Fife Tory MSP Liz Smith.
Ms. Smith said: "This man has committed a reprehensible offence and the public will be astonished by the suggestion that his victims were somehow at fault for not being more aware of the circumstances around them.
"How is that an excuse for his actions?" (more)
from the seller's web site...
"Calculator spy camera, video and audio recorder.
When you want to record interviews, meetings, and office discussions without intimidating anyone, then the CVSD-627 wireless calculator video camera is the perfect answer. This working calculator has a subtle camera on the side for quietly viewing and recording all your important conversations.
The color video is recorded with audio in digital format by the included receiver so that you can view on the portable recorders LCD screen or connect to your computer for easier viewing and management of all your recordings. The wireless recorder is small enough to fit into a pocket if needed for use on the road." (more)
Why do we mention it?
So you know what you are up against.
Only $193.75, from Chinavasion.
China. Invasion. Chinavasion.
Get it? (ugh)
Numbers stations are shortwave radio stations of uncertain origin. They generally broadcast artificially generated voices reading streams of numbers, words, letters (sometimes using a spelling alphabet), tunes or Morse code. They are in a wide variety of languages and the voices are usually women's, though sometimes men's or children's voices are used.
Evidence supports popular assumptions that the broadcasts are used to send messages to spies. This usage has not been publicly acknowledged by any government that may operate a numbers station, but in one case, Cuban numbers station espionage has been publicly prosecuted in a United States federal court.
from Simon Mason..."Here you can access the book "Secret Signals, The Euronumbers Mystery" which was written in 1991 and is now out of print. Thanks to the publisher "Tiare Publications " of Lake Geneva U.S.A. and Gerry Dexter its owner, I am able to reproduce the book..." (more) (audio clip 1) (audio clip 2) (extra credit)
President Álvaro Colom of Guatemala fired his security chief on Thursday after the discovery of seven unauthorized listening devices and video cameras in the presidential office and residence.
He said he did not know who was responsible for the breach of security, but added, "One of the possibilities is organized crime." He said "a lot of people" had access to the palace and his office.The president said that the discovery of the microphones and cameras explain, to him, some strange experiences he's had recently. (more)another version...
The head of presidential security in Guatemala resigned on Thursday after President Alvaro Colom said he found cameras and voice recorders hidden in his offices and home.Colom said the devices could have been used for espionage but did not specify who he thought had planted them or why.Colom, a social democrat who took office in January, said he suspected a plot when information from his private conversations appeared in newspapers. (more)
Brazil‘s security chief told a congressional panel Tuesday that the country‘s intelligence agency was not behind the alleged wiretapping of several top officials, but that rogue elements within the organization may be to blame. (more)
WA - Bechtel National has taken disciplinary action against four managers at the Hanford vitrification plant for reportedly eavesdropping on a meeting between safety representatives and the Department of Energy.An investigation was begun by Bechtel 12 days ago after an anonymous call was made to an employee concerns program...
During the meeting, one of the safety representatives' managers called a worker's cell phone to find out where he was. The worker's cell phone was inadvertently left on after the call was answered, said Bechtel spokesman Drew Slaton.
That manager and three others then listened to at least a portion of the conversation without the knowledge of the safety representatives or Olinger, according to Bechtel.
Bechtel declined to say what disciplinary action was taken because it was a personnel issue. Disciplinary actions varied for the different managers involved and none was fired... Bechtel also did not release the names or positions of the managers involved. (more)
Was not reporting the crime another protection afforded the managers?
Wash. Rev. Code § 9.73.030: All parties generally must consent to the interception or recording of any private communication, whether conducted by telephone, telegraph, radio or face-to-face, to comply with state law. Any violation of the statute is a misdemeanor. Wash. Rev. Code § 9.73.080. Civil liability is expressly authorized for actual damages, including mental pain and suffering, or $100 per day of violation — but no more than $1,000 total based on this daily calculation. Attorney fees and litigation costs also can be recovered. Wash. Rev. Code § 9.73.060.
Just asking.
Have you heard the latest surveillance concern floating around the tech world? Your iPhone may be storing an electronic log of your virtual footsteps, and it could one day be used against you.
...while it may be impossible for the NSA to legally obtain large-scale, real-time customer location information from Verizon, the spooks at Fort Meade can simply go to the company that owns and operates the wireless towers that Verizon uses for its network and get accurate information on anyone using those towers--or go to other entities connecting the wireless network to the landline network. The wiretapping laws, at least in this situation, simply don't apply. (more) (webinar pdf)
OH - A man who was caught placing a concealed video camera in his neighbor's home pleaded no contest on Tuesday. Police said Barry Stacks put a camera in his neighbor's bedroom on Pennsylvania Avenue. The woman discovered the camera in July and also found video cables and other holes in the bathroom where a camera was placed. (more)
from the seller's web site... 
is month. 
Numbers stations are shortwave radio stations of uncertain origin. They generally broadcast artificially generated voices reading streams of numbers, words, letters (sometimes using a spelling alphabet), tunes or Morse code. They are in a wide variety of languages and the voices are usually women's, though sometimes men's or children's voices are used.
Brazil‘s security chief told a congressional panel Tuesday that the country‘s intelligence agency was not behind the alleged wiretapping of several top officials, but that rogue elements within the organization may be to blame. (more)