The Puzzling Case of Corporate Espionage

Chris Wirth started Liberty Puzzles just over a decade ago as a sort of homage to his childhood and to the original wooden puzzles of the 1930s...

...Liberty’s sales back up the idea that puzzles are popular again. Liberty has grown considerably every year since it opened up shop. Lately, though, its puzzles have been so popular it’s “overwhelming,” says Wirth. But when we asked him how many puzzles the company sells each year, he declined to reveal anything. “We’ve been the victim of corporate espionage,” he says. Like people scouting out its Boulder, Colorado factory operations and stealing precious information. Who knew puzzle intelligence operatives were a thing? more

Brussels Suicide Bombers Planted Hidden Camera...

...At Home Of Top Belgium Nuclear Official

...Belgium’s federal prosecutor confirmed that on November 30, police seized footage that appeared to show a high-ranking Belgian nuclear official in an anti-terror raid. The surveillance video was discovered in a bust that resulted in the arrest of Mohamed Bakkali, who was charged with terrorist activity and murder in connection with the Paris attacks. His home in Auvelais may have been used as a hideout...

On Thursday, we get still more chilling evidence to suggest that this is all the work of the very same Belgium-based terror cell. According to Dernier Heure, it was the Bakraoui brothers that planted a hidden camera in the bushes and captured the 10-minute surveillance video of the senior Belgian nuclear official coming and going from his home. more

A European security official told the AP the terror squads are being trained in battleground strategies, explosives, surveillance techniques and countersurveillance — “next-level” methods Stewart said will help them avoid capture and kill scores of innocents.

“They’re doing pre-operational surveillance, attack planning and clandestine communications,” Stewart said. “That kind of 
advanced tradecraft gives them capabilities that are beyond what we’ve seen.” more

Apple Concerned About Spy Tech Being Added to Servers

Apple's huge success with services like iTunes, the App Store, and iCloud has a dark side.

Apple hasn't been able to build the all the data centers it needs to run these enormous photo storage and internet services on its own. And it worries that some of the equipment and cloud services it buys has been compromised by vendors who have agreed to put "back door" technology for government spying... more

The Future of Eavesdropping – Mind Reading

Imagine a world where all of your thoughts are visible – including to government agencies. This scenario might sound like it’s been plucked straight from the pages of a sci-fi novel, but it’s not as far-fetched as you might think.

Devices that measure and interpret electrical signals from our brains can already detect things like whether we are drowsy while driving.



In this video for the World Economic Forum, Nita A. Farahany, Professor of Law and Philosophy at Duke University, discusses the potential but also the legal and ethical risks of these emerging technologies.

“We are not yet at the point where a little thought bubble above your head is something we can see, but we’re getting there,” she says. more

Weird Craig's List Employment Ad - "Receptionist / File Clerk / Spy"

Can you be loyal to the boss? 
Can you spy on the other employees?

Well, not literally spy, but you need to active keep a record of all employee work activity and report to the boss and be loyal to the boss only.

If you are capable of keeping track of the other workers and reporting the details of their tardiness, or punctuality etc. then do apply.

Anyone applying needs to have a very professional, well groomed appearance, since they will be the face of the office. Pics are not required to apply but they do help show if the candidate has the organizational skills to be well put together.

You would be the upfront receptionist, however, you would also be able to perform the following... more

Leaks at Water Department Prompt TSCM Sweep - They came up dry.

Charleston police have conducted a search for wiretaps at the West Virginia Water Development Authority building amid allegations of ethics violations.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports that police did not find any hidden listening devices during last week's wiretap sweep.

Water Development Authority Executive Director Chris Jarrett says he asked detectives to search the offices for wiretaps to check for unauthorized electronics.

The sweep comes after a dispute between the agency's geographic information system manager Michael Duminiak and two agency employees including Jarrett and Water Development Authority Executive Assistant Carol Cummings...

According to emails obtained by the newspaper, Duminiak says Cummings accused him of hacking employees' computers and tampering with the security system. Duminiak also accuses Cummings of secretly recording conversations on her smartphone. more

How a Tapped Phone Sparked a Mass Protest

In the latest of a series of explosive revelations that could bring down the Brazilian government, a secretly recorded phone call between former president Luiz Inácio ‘Lula’ da Silva and his successor, Dilma Rousseff, suggests his appointment to a ministerial position on Wednesday was motivated by a desire to avoid prosecution in Brazil’s worst-ever corruption scandal.

Judge Sergio Moro, the lead prosecutor in Operation Lava-jato, a two-year investigation into corruption at the state-run oil company, Petrobras, released nearly 50 audio recordings to the media on Wednesday evening, prompting chaotic scenes in congress as opposition deputies demanded Rousseff’s resignation.

On Wednesday night tens of thousands of Brazilians began gathering in São Paulo, Brasília, Belo Horizonte and other major cities to demand the president’s resignation. In the capital Brasilia, riot police fired tear gas and stun grenades at more than 5,000 demonstrators outside the presidential palace and Congress building. Many waved banners calling for Lula’s arrest. Thousands more demonstrators packed the main Avenue Paulista in São Paulo. more

When was the last time you had your phones checked for taps? Call me. ~Kevin

Art Imitates Life at AB Surveillance Solutions, LLC... well, maybe not your life.

"This House Has People In It" showcases the CCTV products of AB Surveillance Solutions, LLC in a very bizarre way...


Some things can't wait until the month ends. ~Kevin

Can Pro-Level Spy Gadgets Get Any Cheaper?!?!

 I was just alerted to this by one of our Blue Blaze Irregulars. ~Kevin

from the website ad...
Conduct your own espionage or just take some spontaneous home videos with this Spy Watch. Disguised as a chronograph style watch, the 8GB Spy Camcorder can take AVI video and photos. The watch features push button control video and camera settings, and a USB connector disguised with a screw-down crown. When you’ve gathered your evidence, upload to your computer with the included USB cable. No one will ever guess that your watch was really a Spy Camcorder!



Records Audio and Images - Built-in microphone - Camera lens at 6 o’clock position - Records AVI video and takes still JPEG pictures - 720x480 or 640x480 video resolution

Functioning Timepiece - Analog display - Decorative sub-dials - Secure buckle clasp - Band dimensions: 20mm x 7.5” - Case dimensions: 40mm x 15mm

Good to Know - USB port for easy uploading to a PC or Mac - 8GB of storage - Rechargeable lithium ion battery - Full product dimensions: 40mm x 7.5”
Memory: 8GB Internal
Diameter: 40mm
Limit of 5 per person more

Is Your Wireless Keyboard & Mouse Vulnerable to Eavesdropping? Better check...

Some of the computer dongles that come with wireless keyboards and mouses may offer hackers a fairly simple way to remotely access and take over your computer, according to a new report from Internet-of-things security startup Bastille.

Click to enlarge.

Atlanta-based Bastille says it has determined that a number of non-Bluetooth wireless keyboards and mouses from seven companies—including Logitech, Dell, and Lenovo—have a design flaw that makes it easy for hackers from as far as about 90 meters away to pair with the dongle that these devices use to let you interact with your computer. A hacker could do things like control your computer or add malware to the machine.

In tests, the company found around a dozen devices that were susceptible to the flaw, which it’s listing online. more

PS - In addition to stealing keystrokes, this technique can also be used to inject keystrokes into the victims keyboard.  ~Kevin

Goverment Level TEMPEST Hack Keeps Dropping in Price

Researchers from Tel Aviv University and Technion have...found a way to steal data from air-gapped machines while their equipment is in another room.

“By measuring the target's electromagnetic emanations, the attack extracts the secret decryption key within seconds, from a target located in an adjacent room across a wall,” Daniel Genkin, Lev Pachmanov, Itamar Pipman, and Eran Tromer write in a recently published paper...

“The attack in its current form uses lab equipment that costs about $3000...
“The attacks are completely non-intrusive, we did not modify the targets or open their chassis"

The equipment used included an antenna, amplifiers, a software-defined radio, and a laptop. This process was being carried out through a 15cm thick wall, reinforced with metal studs, according to the paper. more

Police Training Eagles to Intercept Drones

UK - The Metropolitan Police has confirmed it is considering using eagles to capture unauthorised remote controlled drones following a successful trial by Dutch police... 

A 2014 inquiry led by Sir David Omand, the former head of intelligence agency GCHQ, highlighted the serious risks posed by the devices. "Crowds at sporting events or rallies could be vulnerable if a future terrorist group were to look for means of dispersing chemical or biological agents," the report said.

Dutch police teamed up with Guard From Above, a raptor-training security firm, to teach the birds how to hunt and intercept drones. "It's a low-tech solution to a high-tech problem," Dennis Janus, a spokesman for the Netherlands' national police, said. more

Erin Andrews Awarded $55 Million in Spycam Lawsuit

The jury has awarded Erin Andrews $55 million in her civil lawsuit over the secret recording and release of a video showing her naked during a hotel stay.

The sportscaster's original suit asked for $75 million from the owner and operator of the Nashville, Tennessee, hotel where she was staying, and Michael David Barrett, the stalker who used a hacksaw to tamper with her room's peephole and record the video in 2008.

The jurors took photos with Andrews after the amount was announced, and she signed autographs, according to reports from inside the courtroom. more

This puts ALL organizations with "expectation of privacy areas" on notice. 

Due diligence inspections for spy cameras, and having a Recording in the Workplace Policy, are your defense. 

Train your security and facilities people how to conduct and document spycam detection inspections today.  http://spycamdetection.training
 or contact me directly.  Kevin

Security Director Alert: Upgrade Your Alarm System Cellular Backup Units

via Talkaphone...
That’s it, the end of 2G. It has been a fun ride but as of December 31, 2016 Verizon and GSM 2G cellular data will be switched off, making all product usage of the cellular signal obsolete.

For those who have yet to upgrade their emergency and security equipment, it’s time to make the switch.

The upgraded data options consist of 3G and 4G cellular data usage, as well as a Wi-Fi option is available for the impending cross over. Keep in mind that the higher the speed of your network can directly affect the reliability of your previously installed security products.

Spy Rumor Mill: Next iPhone iOS may let you know your boss is watching you.

...the next Apple update you get - iOS 9.3 – could see you getting a message on your device, which will tell you if your iPhone is being supervised.

According to the whispers in tech-world, you’ll get a prominent message on your phone, and on your lock screen, if someone is snooping around your business.

A message on the lock screen will say ‘this iPhone is managed by your organization’ and it’ll have something on the About screen which will give you more detail, including text that says your iPhone’s supervisor can monitor your internet traffic and locate your device...

This is most likely to affect people who work for companies that give a number of phones and devices out to their staff, as a company phone... It’ll be utilized on supervised devices set up through Apple’s Device Enrollment Program, and will offer a feature called MDM (or Mobile Device Management). more