Computer spies have broken into the Pentagon's $300 billion Joint Strike Fighter project -- the Defense Department's costliest weapons program ever -- according to current and former government officials familiar with the attacks.
Similar incidents have also breached the Air Force's air-traffic-control system in recent months, these people say. In the case of the fighter-jet program, the intruders were able to copy and siphon off several terabytes of data related to design and electronics systems, officials say, potentially making it easier to defend against the craft.
The latest intrusions provide new evidence that a battle is heating up between the U.S. and potential adversaries over the data networks that tie the world together. (more)
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
"Calling all White Hats. Calling all White Hats..."
"...Computer hacked at Pentagon. Electric Grid hacked..."
The Department of Homeland Security is looking to recruit white-hat hackers to help defend the US's critical internet infrastructure.
An ad by General Dynamics Information Technology on behalf of of the DHS seeks applicants who can "think like the bad guy", understand hacking tools and tactics, analyse net traffic and identify vulnerabilities in federal systems. In a budget request, Defense Secretary Robert Gates requested funds to increase the number of experts it trained each year from 80 to 250 by 2011. (more)
Might also want to put a call out to the Blue Blaze Irregulars. Just sayin'.
The Department of Homeland Security is looking to recruit white-hat hackers to help defend the US's critical internet infrastructure.
An ad by General Dynamics Information Technology on behalf of of the DHS seeks applicants who can "think like the bad guy", understand hacking tools and tactics, analyse net traffic and identify vulnerabilities in federal systems. In a budget request, Defense Secretary Robert Gates requested funds to increase the number of experts it trained each year from 80 to 250 by 2011. (more)
Might also want to put a call out to the Blue Blaze Irregulars. Just sayin'.
When Respected Business Magazines Start Running SpyCam Ads...
...you know
the business climate is brutal!
from the ad...What happens while you're away?
Let's face it. Our vision is limited to what we can see in the moment. The Agent Camera gives you an extra pair of eyes for a new perspective on what is going on around you. Slip into your shirt pocket, and you'll have access to a whole new world of information you didn't see before.
This tiny spy cam provides you with a high quality audio and video in a package no larger than a USB stick or a pack of gum.
Easily concealable in your pocket, on a shelf, behind a picture, or wherever you need to focus your security, with the Agent Camera you'll know for certain that you won't miss a thing. The Agent Camera is an absolute cinch to use. Simply pop in a Micro SD Card (128MB to 2 GB, aim the camera, and press record. It's that simple. The camera will record continuously in real time for up to 3 hours! After you're done recording simply back up your evidence on your computer with the provided USB cable. (more)
Of course, there is no mention of how that "high quality audio" could easily put you on the wrong end of a criminal and/or civil U.S. lawsuit. As a public service, allow me fill you in... click here. ~Kevin
"Bug the bugs, then kill them!"
The Island of Guam became a living laboratory for scientists as they attached acoustic equipment to coconut trees in order to listen for rhinoceros beetles... the Guam Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Eradication Project."This method of acoustic detection allowed Guam 'rhino hunters' to quickly and efficiently locate feeding grubs in an area thought to be rhino-beetle free," says Aubrey Moore, "and as the beetle broadens its range the acoustic approach to detection may save money and the lives of many coconut trees." (more)
Oryctes rhinoceros (L.) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae) causes economically important damage to ornamental and commercial coconut palm trees in the western Pacific region that could be mitigated significantly by early detection and treatment. Adults are difficult to detect visually because they attack the crowns of the trees and feed internally before mating and dispersing to new hosts. Visual inspection is nevertheless the most widely used detection method, augmented with pheromone traps. This species is an ideal candidate for acoustic detection because the adults are large, active borers that produce stridulations during courtship and mating. (more)
Fun to play with."For some weird reason, Japanese people love Rhinoceros Beetles. It is very common for a boy to have a beetle as a pet. They usually put them in little boxes and carry them around in their pockets. Used almost like a Pokemon, boys will whip out their beetles and make them fight each other. This vending machine sells Rhinoceros Beetles - Males for 300 yen, and females for 100 yen." (more)
...and, Not Your Grandfather's Beetle! Uneavesdroppable. Won't be your pet. Would probably make a great fig
hter, however. (video)
Monday, April 20, 2009
"Protect us, but..."
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)
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)
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.
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