Investigative Journalist Finds Electronic Listening Device in Apartment

Ukraine - Lviv investigative journalist Taras Zozulinsky said he discovered an electronic listening device in his apartment on Jan. 6. He thinks it was planted because of his investigation into whether high-ranking police officers in Lviv Oblast are involved in the illicit drug trade.

"I didn't snitch on you. You snitched me!"

Police say they have launched criminal proceedings regarding intentional obstruction of journalistic activities, but complain that the newspaper is obstructing their work.

Zozulinsky said he did not trust the police, so the newspaper decided to give the device to a reliable and independent expert in Europe.

Zozulinsky said he found the device sewn to the label of a towel on a shelf and made a complaint to police the same day. Police interviewed him and searched the apartment at his request, but did not find any other bugs. (more)

My take... Until further evidence is brought forth, I'm saying he stole that towel from a hotel or a local gym, brought it home, and later discovered it had something extra in it. You can learn all about that something extra here. ~Kevin

Book Review - A Cybercop's Guide to Internet Child Safety

I am reading Glen Klinkhart's book, "A Cybercop's Guide to Internet Child Safety." After reading only two chapters, it is clear that this is a must-have book for every parent. 

The book begins with an Author's introduction. It sets the tone, i.e. Glen Klinkhart has not written this book to make a buck, he is on a much larger mission, and has the experience-clout to accomplish it. You see, when he was 15, his older sister was kidnapped, sexually assaulted and murdered. Since then, he made cyber-security his life. Having worked with his team, I know first-hand they are very good at it.

Patriculary impressive is the layout and organization of his advice and guidence. The headlines and sub-heads are clear and concise, as are the explanations which follow. It is an instant, easy-to-understand education for every parent, no matter what their previous level of Internet savvy.

Most parents will find this book is THE answer to, "What can I do?" A few may feel policing their child's cyber-activities is an Sisyphean task, and bury their heads in the silicon. But hey, who ever said parenting was easy, or that everyone was up to the task. At least, "A Cybercop's Guide to Internet Child Safety" now makes this part of parenting do-able. All of us no longer can use ignorance as an excuse. Isn't protecting your child worth $25.00?

From those wonderful folks who brought you Godzilla...

Two moments of security Zen, from Japan... SECOM's rentable private security drones.

"Flyzilla"



and... "Flee, puny humans. FLEE!"

   
(more)

Larry Ellison's Sailing Team Gets Caught Spying - Pay $15,000 Fine

Larry Ellison's Oracle Team has been found guilty of spying on the Italian team by an international jury of sailing experts, reports Julia Prodis Sulek at the Mercury News.

The penalty shouldn't hurt too much: they have to give up five days of practice and pay a $15,000 fine. That couch change for billionaire Ellison, one of the world's richest men with a net worth of about $41 billion, according to Bloomberg Billionaires Index.  (more)

Spies & SpyCams at the Supermarket

Germany - A former store detective who worked at the German supermarket Aldi has revealed to news outlet Der Spiegel that in addition to looking out for shoplifters, Aldi wanted him to spy on store employees and install hidden cameras.

"I had to say if an employee was working too slowly, engaged in an affair and reveal other private details such as their financial situation," the anonymous source told Der Spiegel, according to Business Insider.

But the alleged demands for staff surveillance didn't stop there. According to the German news site The Local, which reported on the Der Spiegel exposé, the unnamed source said he was asked to install tiny cameras in staff locker rooms and was threatened with losing his job when he refused. (more)

Computer Anti-Virus King Becomes a Spy?!?! ...you decide.

Remember John McAfee? ...the man who, just weeks ago, went on the run from Belize after his neighbor was found murdered, claiming that the police wanted to kill him and frame him for the murder. 

He fled to Guatamala,...arrived in the US shortly after, and now he’s pecking out his tell-all tale via his blog, where he describes himself as the head of his own private spy operation.

According to the post he... purchased 75 laptops, loaded them with “invisible keystroke logging software,” packaged them back up so none would be the wiser, and gave them away to those in positions of power: law enforcement, government employees, etc. The software then sent McAfee text files of what was typed, and he soon had access to a variety of social media and email accounts.

Soon after, he amassed 23 women and six men whom he calls his operatives; eight of the women, he said, were so accomplished at their missions that they ended up living with him...

Of course, it’s important to remember some things: McAfee is known to be involved in drugs, even having had his place in Belize raided at one point on suspicion of meth manufacturing. (more)

Trakdot - Smart Baggage Surveillance

Paranoid about your luggage? 
Did it make the plane? 
Did it make the wrong plane? 
Where is it now? 

In March, you may be able to pinpoint where your luggage is even before the airline!

"Trakdot™ Luggage is constantly monitoring the cellular network to determine it's city location. When you fly, Trakdot™ Luggage knows and goes to sleep. Upon arriving at your destination, Trakdot™ Luggage wakes up and reports it's new location. Depending on your preferences, a text-message or email is sent to you confirming that your luggage has arrived with you." (more)

Apps for Investigators - Takes the legwork out of finding the most useful investigative tools

There are hundreds of thousands of apps out there, but only a select few are truly useful to the private investigator, private detective and law enforcement professional. 

You will find those apps at a new web site called Apps for Investigators.

David Ziegler has done the legwork of testing and evaluating apps for iphones, Androids, Blackberrys and ipad and other tablets. 

The web site lists apps that save investigators time and money, and assists them in the field. A small sampling may be may be seen immediately, and getting to the gold mine requires a simple log-in.

Need to know about new investigator-vetted apps more quickly? Follow Dave on Twitter.

Released: SpyWarn - Android Smartphone Anti-Spyware App

SpyWarn™ the simple-to-use forensic evaluation tool, used to check Android cell phones for spyware. Its unique forensic methodology makes it impossible to miss active spyware. 

SpyWarn™ begins with a FREE diagnostic survey – like a private consultation with a forensic expert. 

Based on your answers, a vulnerability Threat Level for your phone is computed.

If your Threat Level is low, there is little need to worry. Keep the app handy for future tests. If the Threat Level is medium to high, conduct further testing with SpyWarn PRO (an in-app upgrade). 

Additional features found in SpyWarn PRO:
• Automated analysis of key internal phone functions affected by spyware.
• An eBook version of, "Is My Cell Phone Bugged? Everything you need to know to keep your mobile communications private." (152 pages, $17.95 in hardcover.)
• An automatic Eavesdropping Alert function.
• Data and power statistics.
• A data & power graph.
• A history of every analysis you conduct.

Other "spyware detection" apps only scan for known spyware files. New or well hidden spyware is missed. SpyWarn's unique forensic methodology makes it impossible to miss active spyware. Available at Google Play. (more)

Security Director Alert - VoIP Phone Eavesdropping

Murray Associates warns clients that VoIP phones are inherently less secure than the older style phones. It is one reason they advise disconnecting phones in meeting rooms until they are needed. 

Ang Cui, through his extensive research, has moved this threat from theoretical to very real. 

For in-depth information we recommend viewing his presentation. (video)

High-tech telephones common on many workplace desks in the U.S. can be hacked and turned into eavesdropping devices, researchers at Columbia University have discovered.

The hack, demonstrated for NBC News, allows the researchers to turn on a telephone's microphone and listen in on conversations from anywhere around the globe. The only requirement, they say, is an Internet connection.

Doctoral candidate Ang Cui and Columbia Professor Sal Stolfo, who discovered the flaw while working on a grant from the U.S. Defense Department, say they can remotely order a hacked telephone to do anything they want and use software to hide their tracks. For example, they said they could turn on a webcam on a phone equipped with one or instruct the phone's LED light to stay dark when the phone's microphone has been turned on, so an eavesdropping subject wouldn’t be alerted that their phone has been hacked. (more)

Once upon a time... privacy was the norm.

via cnet.com...

Obama extends government wireless (should be warrantless) wiretapping for another five years -- and the public reacts with a big yawn... 

"Never say die."

...sound of silence greet(ed) the five-year extension of extraordinary spying powers handed to the National Security Agency. Even in an age when attention deficit disorder seems to be the default mode, this was something else. In the closing days of 2012, President Obama signed into law a bill that lets the government avoid judicial review, leaving the NSA free through the end of his term to intercept international e-mails and phone calls without needing a court order. (The new law is awkwardly named the FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012, and it reauthorizes 2008's FISA Amendments Act, which modified the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.) (more)

Private Spy Drone Prompts Criminal Indictments

TX - An anonymous individual or group’s private spy drone’s images have resulted in a criminal indictments for a US meat packing company. The images were taken nearly a year ago and received so much attention that authorities took notice and acted.

The images were taken above an Oak Cliff, Texas-based meat packing company and revealed a large-scale release of pigs blood into a creek flowing into the Trinity river. The business, Columbia Packing Company, and its owner, Joe Ondrusek, are facing 12 indictments for water pollution. 

The consequences for the owner, his relative, and the company could be severe. The company could be forced to pay between $6,000 and $1.5 million in fines, while Ondrusek could receive up to five years in prison and faces a $100,000 fine for each charge. The owner and his relative are facing up to 10 years in prison for the alleged tampering with evidence and could pay a $10,000 fine for each additional count. (more)

2013 at the International Spy Museum

What's up at the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC next month... 

New Special Exhibit
Exquisitely Evil: 50 Years of Bond Villains

Meet Bond’s villains, uncover their evil schemes, and explore their exotic lairs and weapons in this special exhibit. Now open through 2014.

Exquisitely Evil Family Night
Friday, January 11
You are invited for a secret after-hours infiltration of the Museum’s newest exhibition, Exquisitely Evil: 50 Years of Bond Villains. Families are welcome to this exclusive viewing of the special exhibit complete with Code Cracker competitions, Bond Spy Trivia contests, SPY snacks, hot cocoa, and a chance to explore all forms of spy tradecraft. Eye patches optional.

Spying in America
Espionage from the Revolutionary War to the Dawn of the Cold War - Tuesday, January 15 (FREE)
Join Michael Sulick, former director of the CIA's National Clandestine Service, as he discusses his new book, Spying in America, which presents a history of more than 30 espionage cases inside the United States including Benedict Arnold and Julius Rosenberg.

On the Front Line
Protecting Presidents and Prime Ministers - Thursday, January 17
As Inauguration Day nears, consider what it’s like to guard the President. Meet two experts who know first-hand the work in keeping the head of the state safe: Mark J. Basil served with distinction in the United States Secret Service for ten years; and Daniel J. Mulvenna retired from the Security Service of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police after 21 years.

Spy Hunters
The Women Who Caught Aldrich Ames - Wednesday, January 23
Meet Sandy Grimes, a former CIA Operative in the Agency’s Clandestine Service, and hear how she and her fellow operative Jeanne Vertefeuille used their determination, hard work, and cunning to enable the capture and conviction of their former colleague and infamous CIA officer-turned traitor: Aldrich Ames.

Power and policy in syria
Intelligence Services, Foreign Relations and Democracy in the Modern Middle East - Wednesday, January 30
Join Radwan Ziadeh, Director of the Syrian Center for Political and Strategic Studies, as he presents a fresh and penetrating analysis of Syria's political structure and the Syrian intelligence service.

Spy Seminar Series
Exfiltrations, Captures, or Kills: Famous High Stakes Intelligence Operations
 - Wednesday, February 6 - February 27
Intelligence operations that hold human life in the balance are some of the most difficult missions any intelligence service will ever undertake. Exfiltrations are supremely delicate. This is the process of extracting a person or people from a targeted site with absolute urgency due to a sudden change which makes the site hostile. This could happen when a spy’s cover is blown or a change in leadership puts people in danger. Captures are just that - snaring an enemy. And lastly, kills. Wet jobs. Assassinations. When the enemy is bad enough that termination is the only answer. In this series, a distinguished group of experts and former intelligence personnel will introduce you to some of the greatest of these intense operations. — In collaboration with the Smithsonian Resident Associate Program.

While there, stop by the Spy Museum Store and pick up a copy of "Is My Cell Phone Bugged? Everything you need to know to keep your mobile communications private."

Predicting Personal Aerial Surveillance – Drone On

Mark Pesce takes a look at drones and tries to predict the future...

At the end of March, a new service announced itself to San Franciscans. 'One-click taco delivery' sounded quite reasonable. The perfect lunch food, ordered via smartphone, and couriered to your door while still steaming hot.

All perfectly normal - until you got a peek at the delivery vehicle: a 'quadcopter'.

A quadcopter looks a bit like a helicopter, but rather than the customary single rotor, they have four rotors mounted on an X frame, one rotor at the end of each arm. They're often quite small - less than a meter in width - and computer-controlled...

Tacocopter was revealed as an elaborate April Fool's prank...

As the cost of a drone drops below a hundred dollars, we'll see them used everywhere. Their mounted cameras will give us eyes in places we can't reach easily ourselves, and will find countless industrial uses...

Suddenly we can see everything, everywhere. We are stumbling into the Age of Omniscience almost accidentally, and before we know it there will be no place, high or low, where we can not be seen.

This will vex celebrities first... Within the next year, a jealous husband will be able to hire a private detective to track his wife by drone, and be able to witness her comings and goings for himself.

Creepy men will stalk their ex-girlfriends by drone, leading to an expansive application of restraining orders to cover 'personal airspace'. The right not to be seen will be debated in the courts, the public sphere, and on the floor of Parliament... (more)

Reality Check: In a majority of countries, air space is government controlled. Personal spy drones, as a legitimate delivery business or surveillance service, will not get off the ground without strict restrictions. But, like other electronic surveillance technologies — whose usage is already covered by legislation — illegal usage will proliferate. 

Maybe there is a new TSCM menu item in this, Drone Spotting... 

To paraphrase a line from an old blues song... "Spying been down so long, it look like up to me."  
I am sad about 2013. Too many developing surveillance technologies. Dropping prices and ethics. All this, creating more people and businesses whose privacy and intellectual property will be targeted. I am also optimistic. TSCM specialists – people like me who detect illegal surveillance as a business – around the world are keeping one step ahead of these developments, and are ready to help you.

Keeping an eye on the bugs in the sky... ~Kevin
(Excuse me, while I go on-line to shop for a portable radar station and ballistic air nets.)

Are They Tracking You? - Government Cell Phone Surveillance

From an article in "For the Defense" Winter 2012 • Volume XVI, Issue 4, New Mexico Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, by Bill Elliott, Criminal Defense Investigative Specialist — Contact the author for a pdf copy of the full article.

With the recent ruling in USA v. Jones mandating that law enforcement will now need probable cause and a warrant prior to attaching a GPS (Global Positioning System) tracking device to someone’s vehicle, most people are feeling pretty secure that the government will not be tracking their every movement without good reason and authorization from a judge. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

In fact, this narrow decision by the U.S. Supreme Court (http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/11pdf/10-1259.pdf) only addressed the issue of physically attaching a GPS tracker to someone’s vehicle and not the more common place practice of tracking someone using their cell phone...

What is a cell phone ‘ping’ and why all the government interest in cell site location data?
 
Simply stated, a cell ping is when a cell tower communicates with a cell phone in its area of coverage to see if there is a need to connect. Cell phones are continuously communicating with cell site towers every couple of seconds saying here I am, are you receiving my signal.
 
This is happening even if no call is being placed at the time. At times a cell phone may be communicating with as many as six cell towers at once as it nears a handoff point. Each cell tower is recording this contact and this information can be utilized to track the location and movements of the cell phone across town or across the country. A cell phone’s location can be identified to within a quarter-mile radius of the cell tower location. The location can be narrowed even further by utilizing information as to which side of the tower the cell phone was on and, using other cell phone towers to triangulate the cell phone’s signal, the actual location can be pinpointed with signal strength meters.

In a nutshell... If you voluntarily carry a GPS receiver with you (a feature of your cell phone), it is not a surveillance enhancement. Thus, it can be used against you.