Digital Spying And Divorce In The Smartphone Age

Typical magnetic mount GPS tracker.

...from a lengthy, well written, NPR report...

It was the summer of 2016, and M was worried her ex-husband was stalking her. She would get out of town and stay with friends. But, as she noted in court documents, her ex seemed to know exactly where she was and whom she visited — down to the time of day and street...

Welcome to divorce in the 21st century — when what it means to be safe and how much privacy you're entitled to are open questions.

M's case is not unique. NPR talked with dozens of marital experts. They say digital spying is changing divorce as we know it. The tools are abundant. Clients use it in an effort to stay in control after a separation or to gather evidence of extra-marital affairs or drug abuse. But the laws are murky, and law enforcement is lagging far behind. more

Multiple Bathroom Spy Cameras = 30 Days in Jail

Typical air freshener spy camera.

A man charged after “multiple covert and hidden” cameras were found inside bathrooms of a Maine vacation home he rented with family and friends has been sentenced to 30 days in jail.

Joseph J. McGrath, 32, of East Longmeadow, Mass., was charged in September with 10 counts of violation of privacy after police in York were called to the home, where hidden cameras – some disguised as air fresheners – were found in four bathrooms, according to the York Police Department...

The cameras allegedly placed by McGrath targeted both children and adults staying at the home while on vacation with him, police said. more

The White House West Wing Bans Personal Mobile Phones

The White House is banning its employees from using personal mobile phones while at work in the West Wing... White House chief of staff John Kelly imposed the ban, citing security concerns...

There are too many devices connected to the White House wireless network, and personal phones aren’t as secure as those issued by the federal government, said an official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an internal White House matter.

Aides who opposed the ban said they cannot use their work phones for personal use, and that work phones can’t accommodate texting. They believe the ban will be a hardship because texting is often the easiest way for their families to reach them in the middle of a busy day of meetings. more

"How are they going to enforce that!" I hear you say. 
 Most likely with AirPatrolTM for Security. 

TV Producer Accused of Using Unauthorized Camera

NY - A Pleasantville CNBC-TV producer accused of spying on his teenage nanny with a secret camera he placed in the bathroom of his home is due to appear in village court Tuesday evening.

From a Walmart on-line ad.

Dan Switzen, 44, who was arrested by Pleasantville Police in November, allegedly hid a camera inside a tissue box on the counter of the bathroom, according to authorities.

The camera was discovered when his 18-year-old live-in nanny and two friends discovered the camera and took it to police. more

PA State Police Investigating Possible Wiretapping... of them.

PA - Newswatch 16 has learned state police in Susquehanna County have been investigating a possible case of eavesdropping on their own barracks.

The man they've been investigating was one of the lead network techs at the phone company until recently.

At the Gibson state police barracks in Susquehanna County, all kinds of calls come in and out, and many of the phone conversations relate to active criminal investigations.

Back in September, troopers were investigating an alleged assault at Nathan Grover's home near New Milford. That's when someone told them Grover, 28, a self-proclaimed hacker, was eavesdropping on state police...

There are questions over two suspicious "trouble tickets" found during NEP Telephone's internal investigation. One was a request that didn't come from troopers that could essentially route a phone call made to state police anywhere.

Another was trouble on a phone line registered to a man near Nicholson that somehow was connected to the Gibson barracks account. more

Counterespionage Tip # 022: The Encryption & Password Mistake

An excerpt from the Forever 21 press release last week...

...After receiving a report from a third party in mid-October 2017 suggesting there may have been unauthorized access to data from payment cards that were used at certain Forever 21 stores, we immediately began an investigation. We hired leading payment technology and security firms to assist. The investigation determined that the encryption technology on some point-of-sale (POS) devices at some stores was not always on... more

The setting to enable encryption may never have been set to on. If it was, the setting may not have been password protected, thus allowing the encryption to be turned on and off.  Costly mistakes.

This happens frequently on devices which are introduced after the initial set-up of similar devices. It's similar to the not changing the default password syndrome.

Counterespionage Tip # 022: When installing new devices:

1. Change the default password.
2. Review all the settings. Turn off all the eavesdropper and espionage friendly settings.
3. Pay particular attention to security-related settings.
4. Enable encryption.
5. Change the administrator's password if the device has one.
6. Deter physical access to internal memory and components using security tape. Check often for tampering.

Removing an unencrypted printer drive for covert duplication.
Murray Associates case history photo.

You may be surprised how many devices offer password protection and encryption these days...

• Point-of-sale (POS) devices.
• Wi-Fi Access Points.
• Audio and video teleconferencing equipment.
• Networked print centers.
• Stand-alone printers with Wi-Fi capabilities.
• VoIP telephone systems.
• Interactive white boards.
• Fax machines with memory vaults.
• Computers, tablets, mobile phones.
• Manufacturing equipment.
• Medical devices.
• CCTV cameras and recording systems.

Your list of vulnerable devices may have additional items. All are hacker/espionage/criminal catnip. 

Security settings on items in your environment should be checked periodically. A knowledgeable Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM) team can do this for you. It should be part of their inspection for electronic surveillance devices and information security loopholes. 

If you don't have a TSCM team already, or are not sure of their capabilities, give me a call. ~Kevin

Carl Størmer - 1890's Spy Cam Man

These days, when it's so easy to sneak a hidden photo with your phone, we can forget just how unusual candid photography was during the 19th century. 

With technological limitation, our first photographs are mainly seated posed images that somehow give the impression that everyone in the 1800s was elegant and composed. But, thanks to one clever Norwegian student, we have a hidden glimpse of life in the 1890s.

Carl Størmer (1874-1957) was a young student of mathematics when he purchased his first hidden camera. It was so small that the lens fit through the buttonhole in his vest with a cord that led down to his pocket, allowing him to secretly snap away.

In his biography for the Fellows of the Royal Society, he revealed it was actually a secret crush that led him toward photography. “When he was a young man at Oslo University he fell in love with a lady whom he did not know and with whom he was too bashful to become acquainted,” writes his biographer. “Wishing at least to have a picture of her, he decided that this was possible only by taking a photograph of her himself, without her knowing.” more

Stop Your Apps from Spying on Your TV Viewing

That innocent-looking mobile game you just downloaded might just have an ulterior motive. Behind the scenes, hundreds of different apps could be using your smartphone's microphone to figure out what you watch on TV, a new report from The New York Times reveals...

Basically, a bunch of apps with innocuous names like "Pocket Bowling 3D" include extra software that's designed to listen for recognizable audio from your TV, including specific shows and commercials...

All of these apps need to get your permission before they can record in the background. So the easiest way is just to deny that permission. However, it's possible that you might approved the request without realising it, or your kid might do it while playing with your phone. In that case, switching it off is pretty easy...

Just head into Settings on your device and check the permissions for the app in question. If the app has microphone access when it doesn't need to (why would a bowling game need to use your microphone?), just toggle that permission off. more

Ex-DA Disbarred for Illegal Tapping

The former Brooklyn district attorney convicted of setting up an illegal wiretap on a romantic target and forging judges' signatures to get secure cellphone warrants has been disbarred by a New York appeals panel.

The Dec. 29 order against Tara Frances Lenich comes about nine months after she admitted in New York federal court to using her position as a DA and investigator to illicitly create judicial orders authorizing cellphone intercepts.

One of her targets was reportedly a New York City Police Department detective... more

Proof 2018 will be a Great Year for TSCM Teams

The cost of eavesdropping, espionage, spying, and general snooping has gone the way of "long-distance" phone bills. For the cost of a visit to Starbucks, a few bucks can make everyone an eavesdropper, and apparently it's happening. Just look at the ad below for an FM wireless bug. China can't produce them fast enough. They are sold out! (more)

Click to enlarge.

But, fear not dear buggers, you can still obtain GSM USB charger plug bugs. Unlike the FM bug, you don't have to be somewhere nearby to listen-in. Just call it from your cell phone, anywhere in the world. (more)

Click to enlarge.

Happy New Year. Be safe... Support your favorite Technical Surveillance Countermeasures team.

Norway & Germany Call Time Out on Kiddy Smartwatches

Recently, Germany's Federal Network Agency (FNA) called foul on smartwatches that worked as listening devices — specifically those worn by children between the ages of 5 and 12, and used by parents, in particular, to eavesdrop on their kids while at school.

"Piss off."

The German regulating body said that parents would listen in on classes and teachers without consent...

These special watches, work like a baby monitor — allowing someone to tap into the device and listen in to anything happening around it. And people are being asked now to not only keep an eye out for these particular smartwatches — but destroy them, and then send proof back to the FNA....

Germany's not alone in worrying about children's smartwatches. The Norwegian Consumer Council (NCC) had the same type of reaction a full month before the FNA, issuing a report about security concerns around the devices.

The NCC noted that smartwatches — besides acting as listening devices — can also transmit the location of a child — presumably to parents — but have security flaws which could open that information up easily to others. more 

Glad they didn't have these forearm ankle bracelets when I was a kid. ~Kevin

Revenge Spycam Shooting Gets Shooter Shot

GA - Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney David Cooke said Thursday a man was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to burglary and spying on his ex-girlfriend.

Cooke said Blake Herman, 35, of Macon broke into his ex-girlfriend's home on Jones Road and planted a camera in her bedroom as revenge for her breaking up with him.

When Herman returned to his ex-girlfriend's home to remove the camera, her brother caught him and shot him thinking Herman was about to pull a gun.

The camera fell out of Herman's pocket during the ordeal, according to Cooke. more

IT Spy Guy Hacks Computer Cameras

MI - A Charlevoix County man from the United Kingdom is in jail and facing more than 40 charges for disturbing, computer-related crimes.

Police say Wayne Tambling got access to several victims’ computers and photographed them naked using the computer’s camera, without them knowing.

“They just noticed some strange things, some coincidences that led them to believe that someone might be spying on them,” Trooper Jeff Mercer, said.

State police say three victims came forward with that eerie feeling...

Tambling works in IT at Wojan Window and Door, the company says they are fully cooperating with police. more

Double Oh Concession

The UK government is going to speed up the way it vets and hires new recruits at its spy agency Government Communications Headquarters, which is responsible for electronic surveillance, after it fell short of hiring targets at the end of the last fiscal year (pdf).

GCHQ v TECH

The spy agency has said that it’s losing potential top recruits to huge tech companies because of bumper salaries. GCHQ’s lengthy vetting process, which is backlogged, also doesn’t help...

GCHQ, one of Britain’s three intelligence and security agencies alongside MI5 and MI6, aims to increase headcount by 14% over the next four years to 6,639 people.

This is after it had a shortfall in recruitment of 22% in the fiscal year. The report added that in order to get more recruits through the door, it will have to assign more people to the vetting process. more

Seoul Trained Trackers, or Party Police Bugged

South Korea - One maintenance office of a Seoul apartment complex is in hot water after it took its investigation into noise complaints one step too far.

According to residents and security personnel, during a recent five-day period, the maintenance office dispatched security guards to investigate the source of excessive noise among suites on floors 9 through 15 in one building. The guards, deployed from midnight to three in the morning on the apartment corridors, were armed with sound amplifying equipment.

“Throughout the course of the investigation, I ended up listening to the conversations of the residents in each suite, even though I didn’t want to,” one security guard said. “Problems of excessive noise should be resolved through legal and appropriate means, but I think that using a sound amplifier that can result in an invasion of privacy is taking things too far.” more