Computer keyboards are often used to transmit sensitive information such as username/password (e.g. to log into computers, to do e-banking money transfer, etc.). A vulnerability on these devices will definitely kill the security of any computer or ATM.Wired keyboards emit electromagnetic waves, because they contain electronic components. These electromagnetic radiation could reveal sensitive information such as keystrokes...
We conclude that wired computer keyboards sold in the stores generate compromising emanations (mainly because of the cost pressures in the design). Hence they are not safe to transmit sensitive information. No doubt that our attacks can be significantly improved, since we used relatively inexpensive equipment.
More information on these attacks will be published soon, the paper is currently in a peer review process for a conference. (more with two videos)
Not having an Electronic Surveillance Detection Audit program can cripple your company.
Just ask...
• Société Générale, who last January, revealed that unauthorised dealing by Jérôme Kerviel, a futures trader in Paris, resulted in losses of €4.9 billion ($6.6 billion) for the French bank. This is the biggest rogue trading scandal in history. (more)
Tool of choice: A tiny cell phone, using text messaging!
Preventable? Yes.
How? We would have pointed out this vulnerability during a regular Electronic Surveillance Detection Audit (TSCM sweep). The solution... a special 24/7 radio-monitoring system. The system would have nailed the very first unauthorized text message from the trading floor. Via computerized triangulation mapping, a big red dot would have popped up, right over Mr. Kerviel's desk – indicating he was the culprit!
Total Solution Cost? Less than .000016 % of this loss (or about $100,000.00).
Status: Until a solution is put into place, this type of loss can happen again! Smart money protects... before the problem occurs. They use Electronic Surveillance Detection Audits to uncover hidden vulnerabilities.
Other cases, this year, where Electronic Surveillance Detection Audits could have prevented the loss...
• Jim Damman thought somebody was looking over his shoulder for months. Little did he know that his office was routinely broken into and more than 150-million dollars worth of trade secrets were stolen without a visible trace according to a federal lawsuit. The President of Exel Transportation Services says his suspicion grew so strong that he took the unusual step of sweeping the company's Addison offices for electronic bugs. (Had the "step" not been "unusual" the problem would not have turned into a 150-million dollar loss.)
Preventable? Yes.
• 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. (The cost: of attorney's fees, lost productivity and employee moral easily makes periodic inspections a no-brainer.)
Preventable? Yes.
• A federal judge 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. (The costs here include: stockholder suits, public relations, company attorney fees, lost productivity and employee.)
Preventable? Yes.
• A state lawmaker said Thursday night he attached a digital recorder under an aide’s desk as “just a prank,”... (he) recalled setting the device up on Tuesday, said he forgot about putting the recorder there until Thursday. (Just having an Electronic Surveillance Detection Audit program would have been a deterrent in this case.)
Preventable? Yes.
• 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.Preventable? Yes.
• 15 new GSM bugs - eavesdropping devices which can be listened to from anywhere in the world by simply dialing their cell phone number - are featured here, and on ebay here.
(Letting you know about new problems like this is the job of your Electronic Surveillance Detection Audit consultant. This person should also have solutions, too.)
Preventable? Yes.
The list goes on, but the point remains the same.Electronic Surveillance Detection Audits are cheap insurance, only better!
Insurance can't prevent the disaster.
courtesy of Serrano & Serrano, LLC...Synopsis: As homeowner’s insurance policy excluded covering injuries caused by criminal acts, the insurance company was not required to cover the damages the homeowner caused his neighbor by spying on her. The homeowner, who was charged with trespass, disorderly conduct, voyeurism and stalking, pled guilty to disorderly conduct and admitted during a deposition that his actions were crimes. (case)
July 2007 - ...the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported this week, that police had, ahem, "arrested" 14 squirrels on charges of espionage.
The rodents were found near the Iranian border, allegedly equipped with eavesdropping devices, according to IRNA. (more) (background)
TODAY - Security forces in Natanz have arrested two suspected "spy pigeons" near Iran's controversial uranium enrichment facility, the reformist Etemad Melli newspaper reported on Monday. One of the pigeons was caught near a rose water production plant in the city of Kashan in Isfahan province, the report cited an unnamed informed source as saying, adding that some metal rings and invisible strings were attached to the bird.
"Early this month, a black pigeon was caught bearing a blue-coated metal ring, with invisible strings," the source was quoted as saying of the second pigeon. (more) (background) (clue) (history)
FutureWatch - Spying spiders and dragonflys. (video) (video)
from the manufacturer's website (corrected)...
"The world's first ID card type micro-recorder / camera / recorder. Only 5.3 mm thickness; the size of a credit card.
• Users can create their own permits and licenses with different styles.• ID cards have built-in high sensitivity sensor chips. User can used it on device like attendance, access control, car parks, and other equipment.• The appearance can be customized – different colors according to the customer needs.• CMOS built-in 1.3 million high-definition digital camera.
• Audio and video can be synchronous. It can work about three hours. The time watermark is embed into video files automatically.
• Can be used as a digital tape recorder alone, recording about four hours.• Can be used alone as digital camera – more than 100 photos.• Built-in high-performance rechargeable lithium and standby time is up to 10 hours or more.
• Video resolution: 352x288, video frames: 15fps/s, AVI format, WAV audio format, photo resolution: 1280x1024, played via a computer.
• Built-in memory: 4GB."
(more)
Homer not included. Card comes blank.
France - Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie told the Journal du Dimanche newspaper on Sunday she wanted to clean up the private surveillance sector after the case, which saw 10 people taken into custody last week. "I want private commercial intelligence companies to be subject to a system of authorisation and approvals comparable to those which already exist for private research firms," she said. The government was aware of about 100 such companies operating in France, she added. (more) (background)
from the seller's website..."The worlds smallest spy camera and digital video recorder (DVR). This all in one package is the world’s first DVR and camera complete in the shape of a ball. Inside 
this Ping Pong size ball is a motion activated camera and DVR. It captures images at 30 FPS at 320x240 resolution. Comes with 128mb internal memory and supports up to a 2gig micro sd card. It can be used in various applications such as vehicle security, sports, personal security or whatever the user can dream up. This camera is an excellent tool for the private investigator. Now you can literally carry a portable video recorder where ever your subject goes, now you will be able to obtain video in places where your camcorder or you body worn video are useless. Just hold it in your hand; it's that small!"
(more)
If that doesn't keep you safe,
try wearing a Nazar Boncuk;the original "Evil Eye."
via The New York Times...
On June 1 (1968) audiences accustomed to the corny vaudeville of “The Jackie Gleason Show” on CBS (a US television network) stumbled upon an utterly baffling summer replacement: "The Prisoner" recently released on DVD in a 10-disc (40th) anniversary set.The premise seemed simple enough. An unnamed man (Patrick McGoohan
) resigns from some sort of top-secret intelligence job, whereupon he is kidnapped to a sprawling, secretive complex known only as the Village. There he is surrounded by other captured spy types, and his ever-present captors try to trick, drug and otherwise manipulate him into revealing why he quit. The man, rechristened No. 6 by his captors, spends 17 episodes resisting their efforts and plotting his getaway.This conventional cat-and-mouse game, of course, was merely the starting point from which “The Prisoner” plumbed issues of freedom, conformity, privacy and control. The Village (in real life, the Hotel Portmeirion resort in North Wales) was a microcosm of civilization, and within its confines — which, if the captives decided to cooperate, could be comfortable enough — the eternal drama of an individual’s relationship to society was played out. (more)
Portmeirion is a visually beautiful place. It will automatically join your vacation wish-list after you watch The Prisoner. Tip: Stay at the hotel – Room 2 is a good one. Dine one evening at Castell Deudraeth.
You won't be lucky enough to see the filming of "The Prisoner - Series 2" (due to be released in 2009) while you are there. It is being filmed in Swakopmund. On the other hand, Portmeirion and the rest of Northern Wales are areas very few people are ever lucky enough to see. ~Kevin
Guyana's parliament has passed two controversial bills that would authorize wiretapping and force cell-phone providers to register clients to fight crime. (more) (background) (GSM Bugs)Why is this important?The wiretap part is commonplace. The know your customer part, however, is new and innovative.
This legislation was created to eliminate anonymity. It closes a crater-sized government surveillance loophole created by promotional SIM-card giveaways and pre-paid cell phones.
This is also the very same loophole which allows GSM bugs and trackers to operate with impunity. Even if discovered, you don't know to whom they belong.FutureWatch...• Guyana's new law will kick-start legislation rewrites worldwide.
• GSM bugs and real-time trackers will become riskier to use.
• Criminals will use fake ID's or alternate communications.
• Expect a run on current pre-paid phones and SIM cards.
Same Day.
Different country...
UK - Everyone who buys a mobile telephone will be forced to register their identity on a national database under government plans to extend massively the powers of state surveillance.
Phone buyers would have to present a passport or other official form of identification at the point of purchase. Privacy campaigners fear it marks the latest government move to create a surveillance society.
A compulsory national register for the owners of all 72m mobile phones in Britain would be part of a much bigger database to combat terrorism and crime. Whitehall officials have raised the idea of a register containing the names and addresses of everyone who buys a phone in recent talks with Vodafone and other telephone companies, insiders say.
The move is targeted at monitoring the owners of Britain’s estimated 40m prepaid mobile phones. They can be purchased with cash by customers who do not wish to give their names, addresses or credit card details. (more)
Device can detect distress signals from plants that are harmed, under attack It turns out the best way to hear a plant scream is to smell it.
Scientists are using an electronic nose tailored to eavesdrop on plants that have been damaged or are under attack. The nose successfully discriminated among the various distress signals different plants emit, depending on the pests plaguing them — discerning, for example, a tobacco hornworm attack from assault by powdery mildew. (more)
Not so strange.
Our noses have always been talking.
"I smell a rat." (lying)
"The smell of fear." (fear)
"The smell of death." (sickness)
"The scent of a woman." (attraction)
...and dog's noses talk even louder.
All visitors to internet cafés in Beijing are to be required to have their photographs taken in a stringent new control on the public use of cyberspace.According to the latest rules, by mid-December all internet cafés in the main 14 city districts must install cameras to record the identities of their web surfers, who must by law be 18 or over. All photographs and scanned identity cards will be entered into a city-wide database run by the Cultural Law Enforcement Taskforce. The details will be available in any internet café. (more)
Agent M DSC DigitalSpyCam
DSC is the name of the new mini MINOX model: Digital SpyCam. This outstanding masterpiece in minimalist design and photo technology packs remarkable features into dimensions of just 86 x 29 x 20 mm. With a resolution of five million pixels it can compete with traditional digital cameras with ease. The bright viewfinder allows spontaneous, fast shots, even in critical light conditions. In twilight the integrated flash switches on automatically. In total these features make the new DSC a very sound optical notebook.229,00 EUR / $308.47Agent M Digital Sunglasses Camera
This pair of sunglasses has more than just one surprise in store: a micro camera is integrated in one of the earpieces and can be controlled via a remote control without attracting attention. The other earpiece houses a MP3 player. The lenses are replaceable, making this ingenious eyewear adjustable to the diopter strength required by the person wearing them.169,00 EUR / $227.65Agent M Spy Sunglasses 180°
These unusual sunglasses have lenses that are mirror-coated on the inside, at their outer edges. They reflect everything going on behind the back of the person wearing them to allow perfect observation without having to turn around. The new MINOX spy sunglasses are also exactly what they look like, a perfectly normal pair of sunglasses with excellent UV protection.99,00 EUR / $133.35 Agent M Digital Belt Camera
Camouflaged as an inconspicuous belt buckle the MINOX Belt Camera enables videos to be taken without being noticed. The micro-optics are perfectly concealed on the front of this ingenious camera, allowing undercover surveillance to be recorded inconspicuously in 3GP format. The controls are arranged on the underside of the buckle and are within easy reach.229,00 EUR / $308.47Agent M Digital Pen Camera
This normal-looking pen would appear to be just another ball-point. But hidden behind its clip there’s a micro video camera that records video films in AVI realtime format. The high-power microphone is additionally integrated in the chrome-plated clip. A USB port for downloading the videos is built into the front part of the pen. 189,00 EUR /
$254.69Special... The secret spy brochure.Bonus... MINOX DSC has its own internet forum on www.license-to-shoot.com. Original and exciting “Agent M Shots“ can be placed on this site and contacts made to other “agents” all over the world.
by Patrick Thorel, Alcatel-LucentOver the last few years adoption of VoIP has grown rapidly. ...migration to an IP network also brings a host of new security challenges that are driving a trend toward voice encryption.Voice communication ... needs be assured 24/7 and always go to all the right people and none of the wrong ones. In recent times eavesdropping has led to a number of information leaks in legal cases. Certain industries are particularly susceptible to this type of security risk and are thus driving the trend toward voice encryption.
In finance, for example, worldwide agreements which dictate data security in the banking and finance industry make data and voice protection a legal requirement. Healthcare professionals are also aware of patient confidentiality, although no government or company is excluded from the threat of industrial espionage...
To limit the risk of such security breaches encryption of voice traffic is essential... In order to maintain total security everything within the network must be encrypted... One solution is to install hardware in front of the communication server in the gateways and use encryption-optimized firmware in the phones. (more)
Prediction...
Eventually, end-to-end telephone/data encryption will be standard – with CALEA access. Until then, the best choice is to call us (from a safe phone) to inspect for bugs and taps. We can also advise you on current encryption solutions.
Former MI6 spy Harry Ferguson
has revealed the skills necessary to be a real-life James Bond.
Resourcefulness: "It might surprise people, but unfortunately in real life out gadgets often don't work when we need them and so you have to adapt."Observation: "You have to understand what you see, like if someone has you under surveillance or if you spot a face you saw in a briefing a few months earlier."Empathy: "People must have trust in you, and you must protect them."Weapon skills: "In the past agents did not really have to use arms, but with the work now in Iraq and Afghanistan that has changed."Coolness: "The ability to stay unshaken involves keeping your level of eye contact normal and retaining a relaxed body posture."Social skills: "You have to move in playboy circles, and go to Monte Carlo and drive a flash car and be able to carry it off like a natural.Languages: "The more easily you can slip intro a foreign country without drawing attention, the better.""If we're going to use gadgets, a lot of the stuff you can get in shops will do. If you plant a commercially made bug and it's found, it's not tied to a government organisation. The last resort would be a gadget made by the technical sections at MI6." (more)You might also want to review...What does a spy look like?Quiz - Would you make a good spy?Why do I mention this?So you will know who you are up against.
Using Vista?
Using a Logitech Webcam?Bingo!
Instant spycam.from Logitech..."Keep a watchful eye—even when you're not around. This Gadget acts like a motion detection sonar, triggering a recording whenever it senses movement within the field of view of your QuickCam. Recording stops when the motion stops, and an .AVI file is saved in a location you specify. The videos are even time & date stamped to help you keep track of what happened, when." (more)
The important stuff – "...an .AVI file is saved in a location you specify."
Make sure no one loads this on your computer without your knowledge. They could be collecting movies and storing them elsewhere on your network, or the Internet. Very bad for computers located in offices and bedrooms. ~Kevin
Computer keyboards are often used to transmit sensitive information such as username/password (e.g. to log into computers, to do e-banking money transfer, etc.). A vulnerability on these devices will definitely kill the security of any computer or ATM.
