The head of the Senate Intelligence Committee said Thursday that the panel would investigate reports that the National Security Agency improperly tapped into the domestic communications of American citizens.
The Justice Department confirmed Wednesday that it had reined in the NSA's wiretapping activities in the United States after learning that the agency had improperly accessed American phone calls and e-mails while eavesdropping on foreign communications.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said the committee will hold a hearing within a month to look at the NSA's surveillance activities. "We will make sure we get the facts," she said.
The Justice Department discovered the problems during a routine review of NSA wiretapping. The government's action was first divulged Wednesday by The New York Times. (more)
Monday, April 20, 2009
You Need More Than a Password to Protect You
Canada - ...a young woman was apparently killed by her laptop last month.Heather Storey, 25, of Delta died after the small car she was driving was hit by a tow truck turning left.
When investigators looked into the incident, however, they concluded she would have survived if not for her laptop computer.
Storey was on her way out of town for work at the time of the accident and usually kept her laptop in a backpack in the backseat, according to her brother Michael Pratt.
"What we believe happened [was] that she was struck in the back of her head and neck with this laptop computer," RCMP Sgt. Roger Morrow said Wednesday morning at the Surrey detachment, east of Vancouver.
"She simply didn't have it secured within the confines of her car, and ultimately it has been the instrument of her death," he said. (more)
We have too many electronic gadgets these days. We worry more about the information on them than we do about the safety risks they pose. Use common sense. Think ahead. Don't use cell phones while driving. Don't place electronic gadgets on the dashboard or rear deck. Don't wear earphones while driving, and don't wear Bluetooth earpieces while driving or making love. They give the same wrong impression either way.
"Is this a game of chance?" (update)
..."Not the way I play it, no." ~W.C. Fields
New York - A jury began deliberations on Monday in Brooklyn federal court for the retrial of six men accused in a criminal case of an alleged plan to misuse information announced over brokerage-firm "squawk" boxes.
The case concerns announcements at many Wall Street firms that disclose when customers are about to buy or sell big blocks of stock. Federal prosecutors from the U.S. attorney's office for the Eastern District of New York claim that brokers at Merrill Lynch & Co. (now a part of Bank of America Corp.), Citigroup Inc.'s Smith Barney unit and the old Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. were paid to leave open telephone lines next to the internal speaker systems at their firms so that traders at the now-defunct A.B. Watley Inc. could secretly eavesdrop on block orders by institutional clients between 2002 and 2004.
Prosecutors say the Watley traders made nearly $1 million by trading ahead of, or front-running, the orders that were broadcast. (more) (background)
New York - A jury began deliberations on Monday in Brooklyn federal court for the retrial of six men accused in a criminal case of an alleged plan to misuse information announced over brokerage-firm "squawk" boxes.
The case concerns announcements at many Wall Street firms that disclose when customers are about to buy or sell big blocks of stock. Federal prosecutors from the U.S. attorney's office for the Eastern District of New York claim that brokers at Merrill Lynch & Co. (now a part of Bank of America Corp.), Citigroup Inc.'s Smith Barney unit and the old Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. were paid to leave open telephone lines next to the internal speaker systems at their firms so that traders at the now-defunct A.B. Watley Inc. could secretly eavesdrop on block orders by institutional clients between 2002 and 2004.
Prosecutors say the Watley traders made nearly $1 million by trading ahead of, or front-running, the orders that were broadcast. (more) (background)
Business Espionage - Patent Theft Costs
Australia - The Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organisation (CSIRO) has had some more wins in an ongoing legal battle over the use of patented Wi-Fi technology...
Three weeks after Hewlett-Packard reached an agreement with the CSIRO, a spokesman has confirmed that Intel, Dell, Fujitsu, Microsoft and Asus have followed suit. Discussions are continuing with a range of other companies, including Nintendo and Netgear.
...law experts say the settlements could be a windfall for the CSIRO, because of the scale of the unauthorised use of the wireless technology. (more)
UPDATE - 4/23/09 - The Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) will use the money won from a Wi-Fi technology patent battle to fund further research.
Legal action in the United States between the CSIRO and a number of global computing giants came to an end today, with the last of 14 companies opting for confidential settlements with the scientific agency. (more)
Three weeks after Hewlett-Packard reached an agreement with the CSIRO, a spokesman has confirmed that Intel, Dell, Fujitsu, Microsoft and Asus have followed suit. Discussions are continuing with a range of other companies, including Nintendo and Netgear.
...law experts say the settlements could be a windfall for the CSIRO, because of the scale of the unauthorised use of the wireless technology. (more)
UPDATE - 4/23/09 - The Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) will use the money won from a Wi-Fi technology patent battle to fund further research.
Legal action in the United States between the CSIRO and a number of global computing giants came to an end today, with the last of 14 companies opting for confidential settlements with the scientific agency. (more)
Sunday, April 19, 2009
The Cell Phone Jammer Conundrum
Commentary by Richard Roth, Chicago Technology Examiner... Why would anyone want to “jam” or block a cellular phone? In truth its already done by the federal government in certain areas to prevent the detonation of bombs by simply dialing a lethal number.
However, many businesses would also like to use them as well. Movie theaters and restaurants for one, prisons and financial institutions as well, but in the city of Chicago along with most other municipalities doing so is illegal. In fact, each country has unique laws. The UK and Japan allow you possess but not use jamming technology.The equipment exists to block cellular networks and also GPS tracking, and can readily be purchased over the internet regardless of the fact it is technically illegal. It is sold by two groups of people. The first are legitimate distributors who and supply the government with cellular and more sophisticated radio frequency signal blocking equipment, and the second group, which is everybody else who imports them for resale, largely from China.
The question is “should civilians or at least business’s be allowed to use this equipment?" If the federal government can, why can’t its citizens? When federal officials make public appearances such as the president’s recent inauguration he was protected from bomb detonated cell phones. Shouldn’t everyone have the right to such protection? (more)
Monthly Poll Results - "Assuming You Wouldn't...
Assuming you wouldn't get caught,
what is the least payment
you would want
to plant an eavesdropping device at work,
just once?
(click chart to enlarge)
what is the least payment
you would want
to plant an eavesdropping device at work,
just once?
(click chart to enlarge)
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Cellcrypt Secure VoIP Heading to BlackBerry
Cellcrypt, a British vendor of software for encrypting cell phone calls, is getting a product ready for North America's beloved BlackBerry.
The company sells software to enterprises, government agencies and individuals who want to make sure their mobile phone calls are private. Its Cellcrypt Mobile product is a downloadable, phone-based application that encrypts VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol) calls all the way from one handset to the other. Unlike other cell encryption systems, it allows users to make calls pretty much as they would normally, and even to use international roaming, according to Ian Meakin, Cellcrypt's vice president of marketing...
The software doesn't come cheap: A license for one user costs about £2,500 (US$3,732) per year. (more)
The company sells software to enterprises, government agencies and individuals who want to make sure their mobile phone calls are private. Its Cellcrypt Mobile product is a downloadable, phone-based application that encrypts VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol) calls all the way from one handset to the other. Unlike other cell encryption systems, it allows users to make calls pretty much as they would normally, and even to use international roaming, according to Ian Meakin, Cellcrypt's vice president of marketing...
The software doesn't come cheap: A license for one user costs about £2,500 (US$3,732) per year. (more)
Ex-Corrections Cop Cops Bugging Plea
MI - A Gladstone man, accused of illegally accessing the county jail's computer system and possessing child porn on his home computer, pleaded no contest to a lesser charge in court this week.
William James Johnson, 34, of 127 Michigan Ave., Gladstone, was charged in August with three counts of unauthorized access to a computer while working as a corrections officer at the Delta County Jail from 2004-07. He was also charged with possession of child sexually abusive material on his home computer...
The four charges were dropped after he pleaded 'no contest' Thursday to one count of attempted eavesdropping-installing/using device. The lesser charge is a one-year misdemeanor and carries a maximum $1,000 fine.
William James Johnson, 34, of 127 Michigan Ave., Gladstone, was charged in August with three counts of unauthorized access to a computer while working as a corrections officer at the Delta County Jail from 2004-07. He was also charged with possession of child sexually abusive material on his home computer...
The four charges were dropped after he pleaded 'no contest' Thursday to one count of attempted eavesdropping-installing/using device. The lesser charge is a one-year misdemeanor and carries a maximum $1,000 fine.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Security Director Alert - GSM Pen
Your CEO is holding sensitive negotiations, thinking the playing field is level. It isn't.
The opponent has an invisible team of advisers helping out... in real time. Your side is stymied at every move, thwarted at every turn, every advantage you thought you had, evaporated.
What happened? How did they do it?
How can YOU stop it from happening again?
Here is what you might be up against (from the seller's web site)...
"All you have to do is to connect the pen to your cell phone (via Bluetooth); make or receive calls like you do regularly. The GSM pen connects to the phone as a regular Bluetooth headset. The spy earpiece receives the signal from the phone through the GSM pen (via wireless induction).
Arrange with your partner - outside the area - who will be giving you all the necessary information, using any phone (cell, home or public phone).
Put the spy earpiece into you ear and just before you enter the room make a call to your partner.
The microphone located on the GSM pen is very sensitive. It lets your partner hear everything you say, even a whisper.
Their answer can be clearly heard by you, but nobody else. After you are done you can easily take the earpiece out from your ear with the help of the ejection cord."
This Alert also applies to:
• Educators. Final Exam time is near.
• Proctors at professional certification exams.
• Police surveilling suspects who may be secretly communicating.
How YOU can stop this from happening again...
Call me.
The opponent has an invisible team of advisers helping out... in real time. Your side is stymied at every move, thwarted at every turn, every advantage you thought you had, evaporated.
What happened? How did they do it?
How can YOU stop it from happening again?
Here is what you might be up against (from the seller's web site)...
"All you have to do is to connect the pen to your cell phone (via Bluetooth); make or receive calls like you do regularly. The GSM pen connects to the phone as a regular Bluetooth headset. The spy earpiece receives the signal from the phone through the GSM pen (via wireless induction).
Arrange with your partner - outside the area - who will be giving you all the necessary information, using any phone (cell, home or public phone). 
Put the spy earpiece into you ear and just before you enter the room make a call to your partner.The microphone located on the GSM pen is very sensitive. It lets your partner hear everything you say, even a whisper.
Their answer can be clearly heard by you, but nobody else. After you are done you can easily take the earpiece out from your ear with the help of the ejection cord."This Alert also applies to:
• Educators. Final Exam time is near.
• Proctors at professional certification exams.
• Police surveilling suspects who may be secretly communicating.
How YOU can stop this from happening again...
Call me.
Business Espionage - Starwood Stung
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. sued Hilton Hotels Corp. late Thursday, accusing its rival of using stolen confidential Starwood documents to develop a new luxury hotel chain.
The lawsuit, filed in federal district court in White Plains, N.Y., alleges that Ross Klein and Amar Lalvani, two former Starwood executives who joined Hilton last summer, stole more than 100,000 electronic and paper documents containing "Starwood's most competitively sensitive information."
"This is the clearest imaginable case of corporate espionage, theft of trade secrets, unfair competition and computer fraud," the complaint alleges.
In addition to monetary damages, Starwood is seeking a court order that could, in effect, force Hilton to cancel the rollout of the Denizen Hotels chain, which it unveiled last month. (more)
The lawsuit, filed in federal district court in White Plains, N.Y., alleges that Ross Klein and Amar Lalvani, two former Starwood executives who joined Hilton last summer, stole more than 100,000 electronic and paper documents containing "Starwood's most competitively sensitive information."
"This is the clearest imaginable case of corporate espionage, theft of trade secrets, unfair competition and computer fraud," the complaint alleges.
In addition to monetary damages, Starwood is seeking a court order that could, in effect, force Hilton to cancel the rollout of the Denizen Hotels chain, which it unveiled last month. (more)
Cell Phone Spying
Cell phone questions we receive... "Can someone...
...listen in on my calls?
...listen to my voice mail messages?
...remotely steal my contacts list?
...send fake texts from my phone?
...activate my microphone 24/7?
...make my phone dial someone else?
...get a text stating the length of my call?
...get a text when I use my phone?
...send me texts using a fake number?
...get my new phone number when I switch SIM cards?
...get a text message with the numbers I call and receive?
...track where I am on a computer map using the phone's GPS?
...track where I am on a computer map even if my phone lacks GPS?
...can they do all this from anywhere in the world?
...record my calls using my phone's own internal memory?
...trick me into installing spyware by making it look like a game?
Isn't this illegal to do in the United States?"
Yes.
See...
(investigative video news report)
(more stories about cell phone spying)
Cell Phone Eavesdropping in India
India - Is your mobile under 'unofficial' surveillance? The Intelligence Bureau (IB) has recently sent a report to the Centre about mobile phone companies sharing unauthorised information about clients with influential police officers.
The report says that sensitive and personal information about mobile phone users in Gujarat is being passed on illegally to police officials, without following legal procedures.
The report also hints that duplicate numbers are being made available to cops, allowing them to eavesdrop on conversations real time. (more)
The report says that sensitive and personal information about mobile phone users in Gujarat is being passed on illegally to police officials, without following legal procedures.
The report also hints that duplicate numbers are being made available to cops, allowing them to eavesdrop on conversations real time. (more)
Town Clerk Recall - Illegal Eavesdropping Cited
MI - A former Hamburg Township official has started the process to recall current township Clerk Matt Skiba, a person he says is the most objectionable politician he's ever seen.Mike Bitondo, a former township trustee, filed recall petition language with the Livingston County Clerk's office on April 9...
Bitondo claims Skiba treats the public and township employees and officials with "disrespectful, accusatory and condescending behavior," that he's demanded employees sign pledges of loyalty to him, that he secretly records conversations he has with employees and the public and that he's used a remote listening device to eavesdrop on other people's conversations. (more)
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