"Spy this!" or A Public Taste of One's Own Medicine

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono allowed journalists to listen in to a conversation with Australia's leader Tony Abbott, the BBC reported.

Australia's ABC quoted top-level Indonesian sources as saying the eavesdropping was a "mistake."

Reporters were apparently in the same room as Mr Yudhoyono during the call and one of them recorded the exchange.

The two leaders are due to meet this week, with tension still high over claims of Australian spying. (more)

Claims Of N.S.A. Bugging ‘Will Not Affect Tourism’ (Wait? What?!?!)

The Bahamas - A top hotel executive doesn’t believe the Bahamas’ tourism industry will be affected by revelations that the US’ National Security Agency (NSA) may be recording all cell phone calls in the country.

Baha Mar’s Senior Vice President Robert Sands said yesterday that the allegations of cell phone spying probably happens to many other countries around the world.

We all live in different communities from different parts of the world where the government makes the best decision that’s in the best interest of the sovereignty of its nation,” Mr Sands said, when asked to comment on the allegations and the repercussions they may have on the millions of visitors who visit the country each year. 

“It will have no impact on our tourism industry.” (more)

Don't you just love the optimism and élan of Bahamians. No stress. No worries. "It's better in The Bahamas!" (sing-a-long)

The Strange Case of the Chinese Academics

Japanese police were Thursday probing the death of a man believed to be a Chinese academic who told his wife he was in danger shortly before he disappeared. 

Chi Rui, a lecturer at China's Northeast Normal University, has been missing since May 16, a few days after arriving in Japan.

The 37-year-old telephoned his wife to say he believed someone was eavesdropping on him and following him, and that he was in danger, an official with Kansai International Airport police told AFP.

The academic asked his wife to contact the Chinese embassy in Japan, the official said.

On Wednesday the body of a man was found by a construction worker in the sea near a pier at the airport in western Japan...

"We are investigating to determine whether this death is the result of an accident or a crime," the official added.

In March, a Japan-based Chinese academic went missing on a visit to China. That came after the release by Chinese authorities of another academic who disappeared while visiting his home country in July last year amid espionage claims. (more)

SpyCam Prank (humor)

Popular Wiretapping Tool Used By Law Enforcement Includes Backdoor With Hardcoded Password

Software used by law enforcement organizations to intercept the communications of suspected criminals contains a litany of critical weaknesses, including an undocumented backdoor secured with a hardcoded password, security researchers said today.

In a scathing advisory published Wednesday, the researchers recommended people stop using the Nice Recording eXpress voice-recording package. It is one of several software offerings provided by Ra’anana, Israel-based Nice Systems, a company that markets itself as providing "mission-critical lawful interception solutions to support the fight against organized crime, drug trafficking and terrorist activities." The advisory warned that critical weaknesses in the software expose users to attacks that compromise investigations and the security of the agency networks.

"Attackers are able to completely compromise the voice recording/surveillance solution as they can gain access to the system and database level and listen to recorded calls without prior authentication," the researchers from security consultancy SEC Consult wrote. "Furthermore, attackers would be able to use the voice recording server as a jumphost for further attacks of the internal voice VLAN [virtual local area network], depending on the network setup." (more)

iPhone Security Alert: The 1 Security Measure Owners Need To Take

Early Tuesday, a number of Australian iPhone and iPad owners awoke to find their devices locked, with an alert asking for $50 to $100 to give access back. The lesson: It's easier than you think for someone to get into your Apple products -- even if a thief doesn't have the actual iPhone in his or her hands.

One way to make yourself that much safer? Start using two-step verification for your Apple ID.

When you enable two-step verification, Apple will make you prove you're actually you whenever you buy anything on iTunes, the App Store or the iBooks Store. It works like this: Apple will text you a code anytime you try to sign into your Apple account to make a purchase. You will then have to input that number to verify your identity. That way, nobody else can access your account unless they have both your password and your device, making it far more difficult to steal your identity and credit card information.

Here's how you do it... (more)

WikiLeaks Threatens To Reveal Bugging Information Glenn Greenwald Says Could Lead To People Getting Killed

On Monday The Intercept reported, based on documents leaked by Edward Snowden, that the NSA is able “to vacuum up and store the actual content of every conversation” in the Bahamas and an unnamed country.

Editor Glenn Greenwald said The Intercept didn’t reveal the country because they were “very convinced” that doing so would lead to “deaths.”

After a heated discussion between WikiLeaks, Greenwald, Intercept Editor-In-Chief John Cook, and American WikiLeaks hacker-turned-Der Spiegal contributor Jacob Appelbaum, WikiLeaks tweeted that it will reveal the name of the second country being spied on by the NSA. (more)

Firstcall Chair - The New Cone of Silence

‘Firstcall’ chair is designed to keep your personal conversation from escaping out while its doughnut like backrest is inclined in such a way so as to hide your face.


Developed by Dutch designer Ruud van Wier in collaboration with manufacturer Easy NoiseControl, the ‘Firstcall’ chair is made in a recognizable shape of a classic old phone. It has sound-absorbing upholstery to block surrounding noise ensuring you can concentrate despite being surrounded by people.


The design of the First Call phone chair is directed to short calls. It is therefore not chosen an easy chair where you can doze or not to stand out. Suitable locations include offices, waiting rooms, showrooms, shops, and public places such as airports or scholarships.


The chair is available in 32 colors across the Firstcall retails at Easy NoiseControl for €2,900 (or around $3,970). (more) (more)

China is not the Only Country Picking Our Economic Pockets

Former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Wednesday that China is far from the only country that uses its intelligence services to steal trade secrets and technologies from U.S. businesses.

“What we have accused the Chinese of doing, stealing American companies’ secrets and technology is not new, nor is it done only by the Chinese. There are probably a dozen or 15 countries that steal our technology” in this manner, Gates said during a moderated conversation with Fareed Zakaria on Wednesday hosted by the Council of Foreign Relations in New York City. 

In fact, according to Gates—who has also served as the director of the CIA—the U.S. is nearly “alone in the world in not using our intelligence services for competitive advantage of our businesses.” (more)

We've been wrestling with this moral dilemma for too long. Even Henry L. Stimson got off his high horse eventually.

Blackphone gets $30 Million in Funding

The smartphone encryption startup Silent Circle announced 
a boost in funding Wednesday, grabbing $30 million in investment capital ahead of the June shipping of its signature Blackphone, which the company says can deflect cybersnooping.

The announcement came a day before the House of Representatives on Thursday approved a bill that would end mass spying by the National Security Agency (NSA)...

Silent Circle’s founder, however, warned that Blackphone still wouldn’t deter the most determined efforts of the National Security Agency to monitor mobile phones. (more)

P.S.

Town Hall Eavesdropping Probe Continues

NH - An investigation into whether town officials illegally wiretapped conversations at the Nelson Town Hall is now with the Cheshire County Attorney’s Office, police said...

...State Police executed a search warrant at the town hall on Nelson Common Road, and, afterward, interviewed residents and town officials about allegations that conversations in and/or around the building were being recorded, said State Police Sgt. Shawn M. Skahan in an interview Thursday.
“There was an investigation into members of the town of Nelson,” he said. “The original complaint was about the possibility of someone recording or eavesdropping on conversations in the town office using an electronic device.”

The alleged eavesdropping could have begun as far back as early 2013, according to police. (more)

Facebook Grows Ears

A new feature in Facebook's mobile app is a timely reminder of the eavesdropping potential of smartphones.

The feature uses the built-in microphones in mobile devices to determine what music a user is listening to or what television show or movie they are watching. The company unveiled the feature Wednesday and said it would be available for Android and iOS users in the United States in coming weeks.

The feature doesn't operate automatically, and the user must turn it on for it to work, said Facebook product manager Aryeh Selekman. But if a user leaves the feature turned on, it will listen as they use the Facebook app to write status updates, upload photos or respond to messages from friends.

However, "no sound is stored and you’ll always get to choose whether you post to your friends," Selekman said in a blog post. (more)

Friends, maybe. But what about hackers, law enforcement and determined enemies? 
I can't imagine how this feature could work without the sound being stored for some amount of time. FutureWatch: You'll be hearing more about this.

What Your Competitors are Being Told to Use... to Spy on You

Knowledge is power and in the internet age, knowledge is easily accessible. There are many tools available to scope out the competition in order to make your business or service the most successful it can be. Below are the top ten websites you can use “spy” on the competition and see what they’re up to.

The quick list...
1. Google Alerts
2. Similar Web
3. SpyFu
4. Moat
5. Compete
6. Flippa
7. Social Searcher
8. SeoBook
9. InfiniGraph
10. iSpionage
 (more)

Judge Dismisses Angelina Jolie Stunt Double's Wiretapping Lawsuit

Eunice Huthart, who worked as a stunt double for Angelina Jolie and claims to have had her voicemails intercepted, won't be able to pursue a wiretapping lawsuit against News Corp. in America.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Michael Fitzgerald ruled that England would provide an adequate alternative forum to adjudicate her claims. (more)

Fun Fact: Taiwan Out-taps USA

Taiwanese courts permitted 504,788 cases of eavesdropping from late 2007 to late 2013, while the United States has had only about 1,000 to 2,000 cases per year in the last decade, according to the investigation report. (more)

Taiwan is just a little larger than Maryland.