Landlord Used Hidden Cameras to Spy on at Least 13 Tenants

UT - Criminal charges were filed Thursday against a Salt Lake landlord accused of putting hidden cameras in his tenants’ rooms and recording them.

Larry S. Phillips, 69, of Salt Lake City — is already a registered sex offender from a previous conviction...

Police believe Phillips has secretly recorded at least 13 people over the past several years at his house and at other properties...

The investigation began when two men renting rooms in Phillips’ home...each found hidden cameras in their bedrooms that were designed to look like iPhone charger blocks... A SWAT team served a search warrant on Phillips’ house and seized multiple electronic devices.

“A search of the devices located 320 videos of the bathrooms, bedrooms and private bedrooms being rented by the victims...

Investigators say some of the videos also recorded Phillips setting up the hidden cameras (Darwin Award) and adjusting the camera angles. more

US Capitol Needs A TSCM Deep Clean

Multiple electronic items were stolen from senators' offices yesterday, U.S. officials confirmed.

“This is probably going to take several days to flesh out exactly what happened, what was stolen, what wasn't,” he said. The stolen electronics and documents “could have potential national security equities,” he said. 

The exact number of devices is still unknown. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) confirmed yesterday a laptop had been taken from his office. His office did not respond to a request for comment.

House administrators remotely locked laptops and shut down wired network access, Eric Geller reported. IT hasn't identified any breaches so far, a memo sent to members said. more

While the Zombies were sucking up sensitive government electronics, they also opened the congressional doors to foreign entities. Spies couldn't ask for more: ample time to prepare, excellent cover, or easier access. 

A TSCM Deep Clean will be required to detect the electronic surveillance devices and cyber viruses that may have been embedded during the brief apocalypse. ~Kevin

Gouverneur Vetos Protective Video Surveillance for Nursing Home Residents

MI - Gov. Gretchen Whitmer opted not to sign a bill allowing nursing home residents to install surveillance cameras in their own rooms...

In a statement opposing Whitmer’s pocket veto,  Sen. Jim Runestad, the bill's sponsor, mentioned the story of 75-year-old Norman Bledsoe, who was severely beaten in May by a 20-year-old patient receiving COVID-19 treatment. Bledsoe suffered four broken fingers, broken ribs, and a broken jaw after the attack.

“Without the benefit of video, no one would have known the truth of how Mr. Bledsoe was injured,” Runestad said in a statement. “The governor had a chance to sign this bill and help stop the type of abuse we’ve seen in nursing homes for years. Instead she chose to turn a blind eye, and now seniors pay the price.” more

Spy Chip Detector to Thwart Spy Chip Semiconductors

Toshiba and Japan's Waseda University have teamed up to develop a system that can detect so-called spy chips, tiny intruders in servers that are barely visible to the naked eye or are even incorporated in circuitry.

Spy chips made headlines about two years ago when China allegedly planted the devices into servers, which reportedly reached 30 American companies. The tool, called HTfinder, determines if a semiconductor contains spy chips based on the makeup of the circuits...

Spy chips can be hidden in semiconductors and circuit boards by resembling part of the circuit. The chips can receive signals so that third parties can take control or cause a device to malfunction at any given time. more

Court Order Doesn't Stop Man from Eavesdropping & GPS Tracking

NY - An area man has been arrested for allegedly installing a GPS device in order to eavesdrop and spy on a person who has an order of protection against him.

Dutchess County resident Brett M. Marinaccio, 33, of Hopewell Junction, was arrested on Monday, Jan. 4, by New York State Police, said Trooper AJ Hicks.

According to Hicks, an investigation determined Marinaccio utilized hidden GPS tracking devices with audio capabilities to eavesdrop (similar to this) on the victim while an order of protection was in place issued by the Dutchess County Family Court to protect the victim. more

Leaked Phone Call Cautionary Tale: Trump’s Phone Call With Georgia Election Officials

The president pressured Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to overturn the results of the election in an hour-long phone conversation. Here is a transcript of the audio recording.

Chilling.

Covert recording of your phone calls is easy. There are smartphone apps, push-button recording features on business desk phones, and cheap add-on gadgets (1) (2) (3) which do the job very well. Everyone with an inclination to record your call, can. Instantly. And post it to social media, news media, or twist your arm with it, just as quickly. Also chilling.

You can mitigate the possibility of your call being leaked (by the party to whom you are speaking). Just think before you speak. 

Thwarting someone spying on your call requires some technical assistance. Contact a Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM) consultant. Their specialty is inspecting workplaces, residences, vehicles, and off-site meeting locations for wiretap, bugs, and covert video surveillance devices.

UPDATE
The fact that the Jan. 2 call was recorded and leaked to the news media also spurred a claim that Raffensperger "faces espionage charges."

The claim was made in a widely shared Facebook post that was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed.

Legal experts told us it would not be illegal for anyone on either end of the call to record it, or to disseminate the recording. Furthermore, the conversation did not bear on sensitive national security matters covered by the federal Espionage Act. more

How Spying Works in Real Life

We took a deep dive into the sub surface world of intelligence as we discussed SIGINT, HUMINT and IMINT with James Olson. James knows what he’s talking about. He is currently a Professor of Practice at the Bush School of Government of Texas A&M. 

He’s also the FORMER CHIEF OF COUNTERINTELLIGENCE AT THE CIA and has 31 YEARS of experience doing espionage and covert action work undercover work for the CIA.

What he had to say is well worth the listen, especially when he shares a real time threat made to his family while on a mission in another country. more

BOOK: To Catch a Spy: The Art of Counterintelligence

Ticketmaster Fined $10 million in Corporate Espionage Scheme

The Department of Justice announced Wednesday Ticketmaster would pay a $10 million fine as part of a differed prosecution agreement for using an employee’s login credentials to his former employer’s computer systems to garner information on the competitor.

Zeeshan Zaidi, the former head of artist services at Ticketmaster, pled guilty to conspiring to commit computer intrusions and wire fraud in October 2019...

In the computer intrusion scheme detailed in the agreement, Ticketmaster tried to steal both a client and design ideas from a competitor by logging into the competitor’s back-end system. The former employee also stole the competitor’s fee calculation system in the form of an Excel spreadsheet. more

Convicted Spy Granted Citizenship

A former Navy intelligence analyst who spent 30 years behind bars for selling U.S. military secrets to Israel, arrived in Israel on Wednesday where he and his wife were granted citizenship by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Jonathan Pollard, 66, triumphantly kissed the ground as he disembarked from the aircraft after it landed in Ben Gurion International airport near Tel Aviv. more

ET's Phone Home Frequency Might Be 982.02 MHz

Nobody believes it was ET phoning, but radio astronomers admit they don’t have an explanation yet for a beam of radio waves that apparently came from the direction of the star Proxima Centauri...

“It’s some sort of technological signal. The question is whether it’s Earth technology or technology from somewhere out yonder,” said Sofia Sheikh, a graduate student at Pennsylvania State University leading a team studying the signal and trying to decipher its origin... 

The radio signal itself, detected in spring 2019, is in many ways the stuff of dreams for alien hunters. It was a narrow-band signal with a frequency of 982.02 MHz as recorded at the Parkes Observatory in Australia...

The Parkes telescope — which once relayed communications to the Apollo astronauts — is notorious for false alarms, Dr. Werthimer says. In one recent example, he said, astronomers thought they had discovered a new astrophysical phenomenon.

“It was very exciting until somebody noticed the signals only appeared at the lunch hour,” he said. They were coming from a microwave oven. more

Security Director Alert: DHS Warns US Businesses of China’s Data-Collection Practices

A 15-page “business advisory” released Tuesday by DHS cautions that Chinese intelligence services could collect and exploit data held by U.S. firms doing business in China, highlighting longstanding concerns from U.S. officials. Beijing has denied allegations of economic espionage...

Chinese law requires Chinese businesses and citizens, including in academia, to “take actions related to the collection, transmission and storage of data that runs counter to principles of U.S. and international law and policy,” DHS said in a press release. 

The department urged U.S. firms to “minimize the amount of at-risk data being stored and used” in China, or in places accessible to Chinese authorities. more

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There is a New Kind of Bug Comin' to the UK, Mate

In collaboration with UAVTEK, we have developed a nano “Bug” drone and delivered the first 30 units to the British Army, which has put it through its paces as part of a trial. 

The Bug is a nano-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) weighing 196g – similar to the weight of a smartphone – with 40 minute battery life and a 2km range. 

It boasts a stealthy low visual profile and the ability to fly even in strong winds of more than 50mph...

The teams are now working on the next developments on the nano-UAV, exploring sensing equipment and capabilities which could be added, as well as how the Bug could be integrated with other military equipment. more

Check Your Holiday Rental for Hidden Surveillance Cameras

Australia - There's something unsettling about the idea of being watched while you and your loved ones kick back on holidays. If you've searched online to find whether holiday rental landlords spy on their guests, there's plenty to feed your paranoia...

Still, if something feels off or you want to sweep the house, there are some steps you can take. Although without professionals and high-tech gear involved, it can't be 100 per cent accurate...

Julian Claxton, a counter-espionage specialist, recommended a hidden camera detector — small devices that project a light that will reflect off the lens of a covert camera... "The reality is, that's how a lot of these cameras can be found — through anomalies. Things that just don't look right within an environment," he explained.

Tips:

1. Inspect what's on the Wi-Fi network... Many cameras sold in consumer electronic stores need an internet connection so they can be viewed remotely from a computer or app. This could provide a clue.
   
   
2. Try to spot the camera lens... Julian Claxton, a counter-espionage specialist, recommended a hidden camera detector — small devices that project a light that will reflect off the lens of a covert camera.
   
   
3. Check the power points... Hidden cameras need ongoing power, so Mr Claxton suggested looking at what's connected to power points.
    
4. Look for oddly placed objects... Hidden cameras can be built into just about anything, but for the lay person, Mr Claxton suggested using "a bit of common sense". more

Also, consider taking a one-hour, on-line, video Spycam Detection Training course.

Industrial Espionage and IP Theft in the Manufacturing Threat Landscape

 via Rob Acker...
Today, the manufacturing industry promotes innovation, productivity and trade to capitalize on opportunities created by changing demand and technological advancements. However, the move towards connected manufacturing has introduced sophisticated threats to data, intellectual property (IP) and operations.

Industrial Espionage and IP Theft
Manufacturing organizations invest heavily in IP development. It’s often an organization’s most valuable asset and its theft is among the most damaging of manufacturing cyber-threats. Recently, manufacturing executives cited IP protection as their primary concern...

 Although manufacturing organizations are reasonably advanced in their awareness of the cyber and information security risks they face, preparedness varies. A certified ISO 27001 Information Security Management System (ISMS), paired with independent testing, detection and response services, provides a transparent solution. more

Chinese Spies: from Chairman Mao to Xi Jinping (book)

As China expands its reach around the globe, it is important to understand not only its foreign, economic and security policies but also its massive covert operations. 

Roger Faligot, an investigative journalist who specializes in studying intelligence agencies, first published Chinese spies in French. It proved so successful that he recently had a significantly expanded version translated into English - Chinese spies: from Chairman Mao to Xi Jinping.

Faligot’s ambitious book spans a century of Chinese espionage, from the beginnings of the Chinese Communist Party to the Xi Jinping era...

Faligot’s ground-breaking book is essential reading for both intelligence professionals and generalists seeking to understand the reach of China’s hidden hand. Given rapid technological developments, one can only hope that Faligot is working on a follow-up volume. more