Coca-Cola Chemist Guilty of Stealing Trade Secrets, Espionage

While Coca-Cola’s namesake syrup for its flagship soft drink is one of the most well-known trade secrets in food manufacturing, the beverage giant’s other secrets apparently are a little more vulnerable.

On April 22, the U.S. Department of Justice said that a federal jury in Tennessee convicted a Michigan woman of conspiracy to steal trade secrets, economic espionage and wire fraud regarding Coke’s formulas for its BPA-free coatings inside its beverage cans. She was originally indicted in February 2019, with a superseding indictment charged in August of last year.

According to court documents and evidence presented during her 12-day trial, 59-year-old Dr. Xiaorong You, who goes by Shannon You, stole the valuable formulation material while working for the company in Atlanta and at Eastman Chemical Company in Kingsport, Tennessee. The stolen BPA trade secrets belonged to major chemical and coating makers that include Akzo-Nobel, BASF, Dow Chemical, PPG and others, and cost nearly 120 million dollars to develop. more

MI6 is Hiring "Q" Anonymously

Can you turn a wristwatch into an explosive, or perhaps you are able to design some X-ray glasses to see who is carrying a concealed weapon?

If so, perhaps you should apply to be the next "Q" at Britain's MI6 foreign spy service.

The head of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service said on Thursday (April 29) that the spy agency was hunting for a new tech chief, "Director General Q", known to all James Bond movie fans simply as "Q".

"We're looking for a new 'Q'. If you want to serve your country by helping MI6 to develop the operational technology of the future, please take a look," Mr Richard Moore wrote on Twitter...

The ad warned that the successful candidate would "not be publicly avowed", while there was no mention of any ability to design watches with lasers or bagpipes that turn into flamethrowers. more

Too Smart for Their Own Good, Smart TVs

A recent revelation regarding privacy violations by Skyworth TV has rattled smart TV users in China...the app that does the job is called Gozen Data, which is pre-installed on the TV’s Android system and which would scan the devices, sending back data from hostname, Mac, ip addresses, network delay times, and even nearby WiFi SSID names to a database called gz-data.com.

The website traces back to Dozen, a big data company. At time of this article’s publication, the official website of Gozen has gone into repair, but other open resources show that this company has long established partnerships with not only Skyworth, but also a series of smart TV manufacturers as well, including Sanyo, TCL, Toshiba and Philips. The firm collects data by implanting system development kits in the system layer, and is able to draw a massive amount of information... more

Guess Who Had Lower Pandemic Numbers

via John Jay College...

The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the reasons that national security investigations of possible terrorists and those working for foreign agents fell sharply last year, says a new government report. 

Far fewer targets underwent secret surveillance, according to NPR. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act empowers the FBI to monitor the communications inside the United States of people suspected of being agents of a foreign power. more

Drone Spying Claims 'Tiger King' star Jeff Lowe

'Tiger King' star Jeff Lowe claims Carol Baskin, husband Howard were spying on his property with drones. Howard Baskin denied snooping on the 'Tiger King' star in a statement to Fox News.

The owner of the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Oklahoma alleged to TMZ on Tuesday that he called local police to report some activity at his plot in Thackerville after his son supposedly spotted a drone flying high above the property.

The "Tiger King" star further claims that when he went to confront a film crew that appeared to be filming, Baskin and Howard bolted and Lowe ended up in a scuffle with one of his neighbors, who was allegedly with the film crew.

Lowe’s neighbors – a couple – ran away when confronted but the neighbors' son allegedly got in a tussle with Lowe, the gossip site reported Lowe told them of the incident on Tuesday. more

 

Animal Surveillance Tech - Bird Buddy

You want a Bird Buddy? It’s a smart bird feeder that notifies you via an app when a feathered friend has approached the vicinity.

The in-built camera turns on, records and takes pictures of the wee thing as it pecks away at the bird seed. And you can get your kicks as you watch it and take pictures on your phone.

The team behind the Bird Buddy says it captures their photos and organizes them in a “beautiful collection that is easy to view and share." more

Note: This is a crowd-funded project.
$7,132,542 USD by 30,767 backers
$5,092,995 USD by 22,921 backers on Jan 14, 2021 with another platform

China Steps up Monitoring of Foreigners in Anti-Spying Push

Chinese social groups, enterprises and public entities will have increased responsibility to combat foreign espionage under new regulations issued by the country’s ministry of state security.

The regulations, which were released and took effect on Monday, come amid deepening hostilities between China and some western governments, including over the detention of foreigners accused of national security crimes.

According to state media, state security will work with other government departments to “adjust” the list of groups susceptible to foreign espionage and to develop measures to safeguard against it, including Chinese Communist Party and state organs, social groups, enterprises and public institutions. more

This Blast from the Past Kickstarter Funded Fast: "The Prisoner" Action Figures

 In 1967 the cult classic TV series, THE PRISONER, came bursting onto the screen. The series, about an unnamed British intelligence agent who awakes to find himself trapped in an idyllic seaside village, was not only an instant hit with viewers at the time, it went on to be watched and re-watched obsessively by fans, quickly gaining cult status. 

While there have been several collectables released over the decades, THE PRISONER has never received a line of OFFICIALLY LICENSED ACTION FIGURES… and Wandering Planet Toys is working with our licensing partners at ITV Studios to bring to life 4-inch RETRO STYLE ACTION FIGURES that celebrate Patrick McGoohan’s brilliant series. 

But we need the crowdfunding support of PRISONER and ACTION FIGURE fans to make these figures a reality! 

Want to get information about these figures? Good, because by hook or by crook you will! 

Feeling like a prisoner?
Need a vacation?
I can personally recommend this... Portmeirion Village | Holiday Resort North Wales  Portmeirion is an enchanting Italianate style village on the coast of North Wales, ideal for a day out or weekend break for families, couples and more.

PI Alert: Samsung is Crippling Your Latest Surveillance Trick

Samsung has announced that customers will soon be able to scan for unknown Galaxy SmartTags trackers using Samsung’s SmartThings Find service. The feature, called Unknown Tag Search, will be coming to the SmartThings app starting next week. 

Users will be able to scan the nearby area for any SmartTags that don’t belong to them but that are moving along with them. This feature could be a big win for safety, providing an easy way to make sure that nobody’s tracking you with a tiny SmartTag that they slipped in your backpack, purse, coat pocket, etc. It’s a nice feature if you’re concerned about the privacy or security implications of Tile-like tracking devices. more

TSCM History - 17 Years Ago Today - Sergio (Sarge) Borquez

via Rick Hoffmann...

   I am sorry to report the passing of Sergio (Sarge) Borquez at
approximately 4:30 a.m. on April 20, 2004.  Sarge died of heart failure.

   For those who did not have the pleasure of knowing him, Sarge was one of
the early TSCM professionals.  He joined the Drug Enforcement Agency
shortly after separating from the U.S. Army where he served with the 101st
Airborne (if I recall correctly) during the Korean Conflict.  While with
the DEA he studied technical surveillance and became a specialist.  At one
time Sarge was in charge of providing technical surveillance in the 7
western states.  He was also responsible for installing the DEA's very
first wiretap.  There is a photo of Sarge climbing a telephone pole to
reach the ready access boot to install the tap.  It is a terrific picture.

   Sarge was a humble man who did not discuss his exploits with many
people.  I am privileged to have known him, and to have benefited by his
instruction.  He will be missed  by all who knew him. 

Killer Eavesdropped on Couple for a Year Before Crossbow Killing

UK - Senior Coroner Prof Paul Marks previously heard how Mr Gilmer had told a 999 call handler, after he had been shot, that Lawrence had been listening to the couple's conversations for a year. Mr Gibbs said Lawrence was "a loner with no immediate friends". more 

A loner installed a listening device to eavesdrop on neighbours and altered crossbow darts to make them more lethal before launching a “carefully planned, premeditated” attack, which killed a council worker and seriously injured his pregnant girlfriend...Before shooting Ms Sugden in the head, he told her he’d been listening to them for a year - which was later apparently confirmed by the police's discovery of a listening device with a microphone fixed to his living room wall. more

They found a listening device with a microphone next to his book case which he had used to eavesdrop on the couple's conversations through the wall, Hull Coroner's Court heard...Coroner will call for ban on crossbow sales... more

Chinese Hackers Selling Footage From Home Security Cams for $3

Chinese hackers have stolen videos from tens of thousands of security cameras in private properties across the country and are selling the video clips online as “home video packages,” the Chinese outlet Henan Television reported.

The video footage showcases clips from cameras installed by homeowners for security reasons or others secretly installed by ill-intentioned people in hotels, fitting rooms and beauty salons.

The videos are priced based on how exciting they are and are sold via social media, according to an undercover investigative report aired by the television station on Monday. more  more

You don't have to be a victim. Learn how to spot spycams.

Spycam News: So far in April...

ID - Deputies have arrested a Jefferson County man for allegedly using a home security camera to secretly record a woman and a teenage girl in the shower. Daniel J Hendrickson, 38...told a Jefferson County Sheriff’s detective his “stupidity” and “curiosity” led him to place a wireless camera in a bathroom to record the woman and the teenage girl. more

Singapore - While at a church camp, he heard a woman showering in the toilet and took a video of her. The 20-year-old, who was 16 at the time, kept and watched the video repeatedly afterwards. He also took voyeuristic videos of three others - at an MRT station, a school toilet and a school canteen. more

UK - A consultant radiologist who was twice convicted of voyeurism after hiding his mobile phone to film women in toilets has been struck off the UK medical register...he admitted to covertly filming people using the restroom at his places of work as well as at his family home. more

Canada - Shawn Nickerson, a former basketball coach, has been sentenced to nine years in prison after pleading guilty to 32 charges – including voyeurism...Through the years Nickerson used a handful of “spy cameras” hidden in washrooms and changerooms to record unsuspecting boys – often when naked. There are 21 known victims. Nickerson took the images he captured to the dark web where...the images where “traded like cards.” more

FL - A South Florida restaurant employee is behind bars accused of taking video of a customer who was using the bathroom. more

UK - Business owner Scott Ennis secretly filmed her in the bedroom, recorded her work conversations with a hidden microphone and deployed a member of his staff to spy on her. Louisa Ennis had no idea what was going on until she spotted a mystery device showing up on her wi-fi router and discovered it was her husband’s spy camera. more

Canada - Al Young, a long-time real estate agent and property manager from New Minas, N.S., was charged with voyeurism after a modified mirror was discovered in a building bathroom at the Blomidon Terrace in Wolfville, N.S.... Police say it was an elaborate set-up. more

Japan - Nagano Prefectural Police have arrested a civic employee for Nagano City over the alleged trespassing into a female acquaintance’s residence... According to police, his purpose for entering was to retrieve a hidden camera that he had planted inside two days before. more

WA - A Trilogy employee reported to the Walla Walla Police Department that Rosales had an iPad Pro tablet recording in an office restroom when he asked her to go into the restroom and try on two shirts while not wearing a bra. The employee later said in a statement to investigators that the request from her boss was ostensibly to give an opinion if the T-shirts being sold as part of a fundraiser were too “see-through” to be appropriate. more

Japan - Police have arrested a 28-year-old female high school teacher and her 29-year-old ex-boyfriend on suspicion of violating the child prostitution and pornography law after they took voyeuristic images of girls in the changing room at a hot springs facility in 2016. more

UK - Female nudists demand new security measures on Brighton naturist beach after men were caught secretly taking photos. more

MI - A Michigan man has been arrested after police say he was caught on a hidden camera poisoning his co-worker's water bottle with anti-freeze. more

FL - A former Tampa teacher has pleaded guilty to more than 300 counts of video voyeurism after being accused of secretly recording 124 students and an adult teacher undressing over a two year period. Mark William Ackett, 52, taught fashion design and coached girls track at Bloomingdale High School. more

OH - The suspect facing voyeurism charges has turned himself in. Armani Martin, 21, is the suspect in an investigation into someone recording people inside business bathrooms, according to Fairfield Township police. Martin is being charged with voyeurism, police say. more

SC - A 78-year-old Summerton man was arrested on March 8 for allegedly placing a fake smoke detector containing a camera inside a neighbor's home. more

UT - Jarom Brown, an adjunct instructor in the theater department, stepped down after police arrested him on charges of voyeurism and harassment. Brown released a video of the two engaged in a “romantic encounter” in hopes of exoneration but was instead arrested on several counts of voyeurism and harassment. Sue claims that in both the photo and the video she was entirely unaware she was being recorded. more

WA - A Whatcom County man is suspected of using a camera disguised to look like a cellphone charger to capture video and images of four children between the ages of 12 and 17 undressing, using the bathroom and showering. All four victims were known to the man. more

You don't have to be a victim. Learn how to spot spycams.

Recording Calls Without Consent Still Illegal, California Supreme Court Rules

California’s prohibition on secretly recording phone calls applies to both parties on the call and not just third-party eavesdroppers, the California Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

The court’s unanimous decision reverses the Fourth Appellate District’s opposite interpretation from 2019 that the law applies only to nonparties and does not forbid those on the call from recording each other without consent.
California’s penal code Section 632.7 makes it a crime to record or intercept a phone call “without the consent of all parties.”

This was the basis for a 2016 lawsuit by Jeremiah Smith, who claimed the loan provider LoanMe Inc. recorded him without his consent during an 18-second call in violation of Section 632.7. more

Spy History: The CIA Heart Attack Gun

You can say that the gun looks like a toy at best, especially with that ridiculous scope, but from the descriptions of the American senator Franck Church, the weapon is scary, to say the least, even to today’s standards.

The CIA needed a weapon to take care of the targets on their blacklist without living any sort of trace that would bring up suspicions in the media. One of the hot targets was Fidel Castro, the Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976. Killing people from a distance was the go-to choice, but every bullet can be traced back. Getting too close to the target would risk the agent being compromised.

This is why the CIA gave the task of creating a new secret weapon to Mary Embree. Embree started working at the CIA as a secretary in the audio surveillance department. With time she got promoted to the technical services department where she was asked specifically to research a new poison that would induce a heart attack on its victim but undetectable in a post-mortem verification.

The technical team came up with a gun that would shoot poisoned projectiles that would dissolve inside the target and induce a heart attack which would be undetectable upon post-mortem. Embree wasn’t able to confirm if the gun was used to assassinate someone, but she did confirm that animals, as well as prisoners, were used to test the weapon.

To explain the strange scope on top of the weapon, besides being a pistol, the gun had had the ability to shot the poisoned projectile from 100 meters with good accuracy, hence the scope. more