Local legend has it that the Italians took a terrible revenge on Lombe, sending a woman to assassinate him.
Whatever the truth of that, he died suddenly at the age of 29, just a few years after his Piedmont adventure. more
Wednesday, July 10, 2019
Killed for Spying: The Story of the First Factory
Piedmont, in north-west Italy, is celebrated for its fine wine. But when a young Englishman, John Lombe, traveled there in the early 18th Century, he was not going to savoir a glass of Barolo. His purpose was industrial espionage.
Lombe wished to figure out how the Piedmontese spun strong yarn from silkworm silk. Divulging such secrets was illegal, so Lombe snuck into a workshop after dark, sketching the spinning machines by candlelight. In 1717, he took those sketches to Derby in the heart of England.
Local legend has it that the Italians took a terrible revenge on Lombe, sending a woman to assassinate him.
Whatever the truth of that, he died suddenly at the age of 29, just a few years after his Piedmont adventure. more
Local legend has it that the Italians took a terrible revenge on Lombe, sending a woman to assassinate him.
Whatever the truth of that, he died suddenly at the age of 29, just a few years after his Piedmont adventure. more
Tuesday, July 9, 2019
Kieffer Ramirez Shares His Favorite Niche Investigations Resources (most are free)
SpyDialer
Cost: Free
Search people via their phone number, name, address, and/or e-mail address by using SpyDialer which contains billions of phone numbers obtained using social media and user-contributed address books.
Concerned about your information showing up on SpyDialer?!?! Check and see. If you appear there, you have the option of deleting your information... anonymously.
The 17 other resources appear here.
More Than 1,000 Android Apps Spy... even when you deny permission!
Permissions on Android apps are intended to be gatekeepers for how much data your device gives up. If you don't want a flashlight app to be able to read through your call logs, you should be able to deny that access.But... even when you say no, many apps find a way around: Researchers discovered more than 1,000 apps that skirted restrictions, allowing them to gather precise geolocation data and phone identifiers behind your back...
Google said it would be addressing the issues in Android Q, which is expected to release this year. more
Monday, July 8, 2019
Porcelain — An Industrial Espionage Story
1712 A.D. ...a French Jesuit priest named François Xavier d’Entrecolles
pioneered industrial espionage by recording the secrets of porcelain
making while on a trip to China and sending them back to Europe...
Another remarkable use for porcelain is the lithophane,
a sheet of porcelain so thin as to be translucent, with artwork etched
into it. The lithophane is thin enough that the art can only be seen
when backlit, but just thick enough that the image can have depth.
Lithophanes began to appear in several parts of Europe in the 1820s, but
they’re believed to have originated in China a millennia earlier during
the Tang Dynasty. Later Ming Dynasty scholars wrote of Tang bowls “as
thin as paper” that included secret images.
Another remarkable use for porcelain is the lithophane,
a sheet of porcelain so thin as to be translucent, with artwork etched
into it. The lithophane is thin enough that the art can only be seen
when backlit, but just thick enough that the image can have depth.
Lithophanes began to appear in several parts of Europe in the 1820s, but
they’re believed to have originated in China a millennia earlier during
the Tang Dynasty. Later Ming Dynasty scholars wrote of Tang bowls “as
thin as paper” that included secret images.
High Profile Executives — A Company’s Most Vulnerable Target
High-profile people—executives, the board of directors, and other leaders—are privy to sensitive information that cybercriminals lust after which makes them primary targets...
FBI statistics show that defrauding CEOs is a “$12 billion scam.” When private information about these high-net-worth individuals gets exposed, it carries a high degree of risk for that individual and their business alike. It might even include threats against the executive’s own physical security or that of their family...
When information is readily available about a wealthy person, bad actors have more leverage to compromise them. Consider that Facebook’s board of directors recently granted Mark Zuckerberg a $10 million yearly allowance to security. That money goes to personnel, equipment, and services needed to keep him and his family safe by maintaining vigilance across both physical and digital realms. more
FBI statistics show that defrauding CEOs is a “$12 billion scam.” When private information about these high-net-worth individuals gets exposed, it carries a high degree of risk for that individual and their business alike. It might even include threats against the executive’s own physical security or that of their family...When information is readily available about a wealthy person, bad actors have more leverage to compromise them. Consider that Facebook’s board of directors recently granted Mark Zuckerberg a $10 million yearly allowance to security. That money goes to personnel, equipment, and services needed to keep him and his family safe by maintaining vigilance across both physical and digital realms. more
Breach at 10 of the World’s Biggest Telecoms, or Follow the Leader
A multi-year attack carried out by Chinese hackers was exposed recently, and the scope of it is beyond anything previously seen in nation-state cyber espionage.
Hacking group APT10, a notorious team that is widely believed to have Chinese government support, is believed to have compromised at least 10 major global carriers and used their networks to track and spy on high-profile business leaders and members of foreign governments.
What makes this cyber espionage incident unique is that the Chinese hackers appear to have been following their targets as they move from country to country, hopping from one breached network to another as needed. While this ability is not new, this kind of mass scale has not been seen before. more
Hacking group APT10, a notorious team that is widely believed to have Chinese government support, is believed to have compromised at least 10 major global carriers and used their networks to track and spy on high-profile business leaders and members of foreign governments.
Ag Tech Being Targeted by International Espionage
In a special report, HAT (Hoosier Ag Today) focuses on how ag biotech has become a top
priority for foreign spies. It sounds like the plot of a James Bond
thriller: foreign governments trying to steal top secret military
technology to take over the world. But, in reality, it has become
agricultural technology that foreign governments want to steal from the
U.S. “If you have a competitive advantage in the field of agriculture,
there is a high chance that a foreign government would target that
technology,” says Craig Moringiello, special agent with the FBI...
However, companies and universities are not the only ones at risk. The FBI is urging farmers to be vigilant as well. “Farmers should be vigilant in protecting their operations and security measures,” said Moringiello. He warned farmers to be aware when having foreign visitors on their farms. more
However, companies and universities are not the only ones at risk. The FBI is urging farmers to be vigilant as well. “Farmers should be vigilant in protecting their operations and security measures,” said Moringiello. He warned farmers to be aware when having foreign visitors on their farms. more
How to Tell If Someone Is Bugging or Tracking You
via Popular Mechanics...
Are you being bugged?
To find out, the first step is to consider carefully whether you are sufficiently interesting to warrant surveillance. If you’re a crook, a cheater, or a keeper of political or corporate secrets, the answer may be yes...
Consider also whether that gift from a business acquaintance could be a Trojan paperweight or Dumbo-eared desk clock. Maybe pass those along to Goodwill and, if you have any lingering doubts, call in a pro to execute a “bug sweep.” more
Are you being bugged?
To find out, the first step is to consider carefully whether you are sufficiently interesting to warrant surveillance. If you’re a crook, a cheater, or a keeper of political or corporate secrets, the answer may be yes...
Wednesday, June 26, 2019
Tuesday, June 25, 2019
Spycam Found in James Bond Loo (No, really!)
A man was arrested Friday after a hidden camera was found in the women's toilets at Pinewood Studios, in Buckinghamshire, England, where the next James Bond film is being filmed.
The 49-year-old man was subsequently charged with voyeurism, a spokesperson for Thames Valley Police told CNN. He will appear in court Saturday.
Filming is currently underway at Pinewood Studios for "Bond 25," the upcoming James Bond movie that's likely to be Daniel Craig's last in the title role. more
The 49-year-old man was subsequently charged with voyeurism, a spokesperson for Thames Valley Police told CNN. He will appear in court Saturday.
Filming is currently underway at Pinewood Studios for "Bond 25," the upcoming James Bond movie that's likely to be Daniel Craig's last in the title role. more
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
Washington, DC and The Running of the Spies
Washington, DC - Waves of civil servants, military and law enforcement officers, business people, students, diplomats and tourists saturate the city.
That is the scene on a typical weekday in the world’s most powerful city — whose business revolves around secret meetings, information and documents. Woven into that orderly bedlam are sophisticated networks of foreign nationals whose sole purpose is to steal secrets.
They are spies.
According to the International Spy Museum in D.C., an educational and historical center of U.S. intelligence documentation and artifacts, there are “more than 10,000 spies in Washington.”
While there may be some quibbling about the actual numbers, the FBI agrees with the premise.
“It’s unprecedented — the threat from our foreign adversaries, specifically China on the economic espionage and the espionage front,” said Brian Dugan, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for Counterintelligence with the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
As this unparalleled wave of international espionage, aided by technology, explodes in D.C., the variety of spies has diversified, as well.
“A spy is nondescript. A spy is going to be someone that’s going to be a student in school, a visiting professor, your neighbor. It could be a colleague or someone that shares the soccer field with you,” Dugan said. more
That is the scene on a typical weekday in the world’s most powerful city — whose business revolves around secret meetings, information and documents. Woven into that orderly bedlam are sophisticated networks of foreign nationals whose sole purpose is to steal secrets.
They are spies.
According to the International Spy Museum in D.C., an educational and historical center of U.S. intelligence documentation and artifacts, there are “more than 10,000 spies in Washington.”
“It’s unprecedented — the threat from our foreign adversaries, specifically China on the economic espionage and the espionage front,” said Brian Dugan, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for Counterintelligence with the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
As this unparalleled wave of international espionage, aided by technology, explodes in D.C., the variety of spies has diversified, as well.
“A spy is nondescript. A spy is going to be someone that’s going to be a student in school, a visiting professor, your neighbor. It could be a colleague or someone that shares the soccer field with you,” Dugan said. more
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
Security Message Screen Savers for Business Computers and Laptops (FREE)
Three stock Security Message Screen Savers to choose from. Five rotating screens with the top five information security best practices employees can implement themselves.
FREE to use as-is with "Logo goes here" removed, or can be customized with your business logo.
Need to customize? Contact us for details and cost.
- Reminders work.
- Put your idle computer screens to work as your security helpers.
- Three backgrounds to choose from, or commission custom screens.
 |
| Click link to see these information security screensavers in action. |
Need to customize? Contact us for details and cost.
Monday, June 17, 2019
Business Espionage - Thought of the Day - Loose Lips
Written by Chris Erickson is a combat veteran and former Green Beret, with
extensive experience deployed to various locations across the world.
One of the most shocking things for me entering the corporate world after serving on several Special Forces teams was how lax many organizations in highly competitive industries were with information about their operations.
It doesn’t take industrial espionage to sabotage a company, just poor operation security. In World War II, the posters warned us that “Loose Lips Sink Ships” and that’s just as true today as it was then.
Operational Security, or OPSEC as we called it in the military, should be a part of your organizational culture, from the bottom to the top. Simple things such as reminding people not to discuss projects or clients in the elevator or at lunch reduce the amount of exposure and risk of compromise for both yourself and your stakeholders.
It’s far less likely that nefarious agents or bad actors are going to give up sensitive information than the possibility you’ll be compromised by the careless and/or reckless behavior of your employees. more
One of the most shocking things for me entering the corporate world after serving on several Special Forces teams was how lax many organizations in highly competitive industries were with information about their operations.
It doesn’t take industrial espionage to sabotage a company, just poor operation security. In World War II, the posters warned us that “Loose Lips Sink Ships” and that’s just as true today as it was then.
Operational Security, or OPSEC as we called it in the military, should be a part of your organizational culture, from the bottom to the top. Simple things such as reminding people not to discuss projects or clients in the elevator or at lunch reduce the amount of exposure and risk of compromise for both yourself and your stakeholders.
It’s far less likely that nefarious agents or bad actors are going to give up sensitive information than the possibility you’ll be compromised by the careless and/or reckless behavior of your employees. more
Spying on Your Pet Has Just Become Easier
Comcast has released a new Artificial Intelligence-powered pet filter feature to its Xfinity Camera that allows customers to check in on their pets throughout the day.
The filter is an addition to their security camera and uses AI to quickly sort through hours of footage to identify only clips featuring owners pets. Customers are able to see their pets at home through an app on their phones.
The product came in response to Americans’ increasing obsession with watching their pets on security cameras while away from home, officials said.
Comcast published a survey that determined just how much pet owners enjoy spying on their furry friends...
Results also found that 93% of participants said checking in on their pet is one of the best parts of their day. Almost half of the participants (42%) said they checked in on their pets four or more times a day. more
The filter is an addition to their security camera and uses AI to quickly sort through hours of footage to identify only clips featuring owners pets. Customers are able to see their pets at home through an app on their phones.The product came in response to Americans’ increasing obsession with watching their pets on security cameras while away from home, officials said.
Comcast published a survey that determined just how much pet owners enjoy spying on their furry friends...
Results also found that 93% of participants said checking in on their pet is one of the best parts of their day. Almost half of the participants (42%) said they checked in on their pets four or more times a day. more
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