Grandmother’s Abusers Caught by Hidden Camera

Two sisters caught four care workers abusing their 89-year-old grandmother after hiding a camera in her bedroom... they put a photo frame with a hidden camera in her room at a care home... 

It caught the workers shouting in dementia sufferer Mrs Wall's face, making fun of her, holding her legs in the air and hitting her in the face with a pillow... "Without the footage we wouldn't have known it was going on let alone prove it happened," she said. more

China Says It Has Detained Spy Working for the U.K.

China has taken into custody an alleged British spy, the country’s national security agency said, as Beijing steps up warnings over national security and the infiltration of foreign spies in the country.

In a social-media post on Monday, China’s Ministry of State Security alleged that MI6, the U.K. foreign-intelligence service, in 2015 recruited a foreign national surnamed Huang and provided both training and “specialized spy equipment for intelligence liaisons.”

According to the MSS, the British instructed Huang to enter China as a representative of a consulting agency and send back intelligence. The Chinese agency didn’t specify Huang’s nationality or name the consulting firm. more

This is not the first time a business consultant has been detained there on charges of spying.

Recent Spy News

• A Russian man working for a state firm was arrested for allegedly planning to pass sensitive information to Poland in exchange for help in fleeing the country, the security services said Friday. Russian security services have detained a slew of foreigners and its own nationals for working with foreign intelligence since it launched the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022. more

• Algeria caught up in spying drama on the eve of Africa Cup of Nations as police quiz man who flew a DRONE over their training session more

• The sentencing of a US Navy sailor is a window into Chinese espionage. more

• In a decision reflecting rising espionage concerns and a penchant for time-tested technologies, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has chosen to keep alive the chancellery’s vintage pneumatic tube system. 

This unconventional yet highly functional method of document distribution, planned for phase-out by 2025, has been given a new lease of life. more  However: Researchers have found almost a dozen vulnerabilities in a popular brand of pneumatic tube delivery system more  Fun video clip.

• Belarusian Spy-Nude Model Detained in Poland - Polish state security services arrested a Belarusian OnlyFans model for allegedly engaging in espionage – something that she had admitted to friends while drunk. more

• 20 Best Spy Comedies – From 'Austin Powers' to 'Spies Like Us,' Moviefone counts down the 20 best spy comedies of all time. more

AI is Helping US Spies Catch Chinese Hacking Ops

Artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies are helping the National Security Agency and other U.S. government agencies detect malicious Chinese cyber activity, a top U.S. intelligence official said in remarks on Tuesday that indicate how U.S. security agencies are using the technology to improve computer defenses. 

Speaking Tuesday at the International Conference on Cyber Security at Fordham University, Rob Joyce, the director of the NSA Cybersecurity Directorate, said that AI is helping his agency detect Chinese operations targeting U.S. critical infrastructure that might evade traditional defensive measures. more

Spy History: When Furbys Caused National Security Fears

In the late 90s, the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) banned Furbys on its premises over fears they could record and repeat top-secret information.

When it first hit toy stores in 1998, Furby was an immediate sensation. The animatronic furball would eventually be recognized by Time Magazine as one of “History’s Best Toys.” And just as it spiked in popularity among children looking for a new robotic friend, security officials were reportedly concerned over the robot’s potential to record top-secret information.

All such stories stemmed from reporting by The Washington Post. On Jan. 13, 1999, The Post published an article titled “A Toy Story of Hairy Espionage” more

Ivanti Attacks Part of Deliberate Espionage Operation

Researchers warn the previously unknown actor has developed custom malware designed to maintain persistent access on targeted networks and evade detection.

The threat actor behind the monthlong exploitation of Ivanti Connect Secure VPN is conducting an espionage campaign using custom malware with the goal of maintaining continued access to the appliances, according to research released Thursday by Google Cloud’s Mandiant unit. 

Multiple suspected APT actors have used similar methods with appliance-specific malware in order to engage in post-exploitation threat activity and evade detection. However, Mandiant researchers said, at the moment, this exact activity is not linked to a known actor and they don’t have enough information yet to pinpoint the origin. more

Spybuster Tip #629: Delete Apps that are 'Spying' Using 'One Day Rule'

Security experts have explained how your phone apps track and collect your data even if they remain unused, but there's a handy hack to avoid data harvesting and potential spying...

The rule involves simply deleting one unused app a day which the expert says can massively improve your phone efficiency and free up your storage space. Doing this will help you manage how your data is used and stop it from being harvested...

To delete an app on the iPhone, find the app on your home screen, touch and hold down the icon and tap "Remove app." If you are an Android user, go to the Google Play store, tap the profile icon in the top right, and go to Manage Apps and Devices > Manage. Tap the name of the app you want to delete and choose to uninstall. more

Download a Free 2024 Chinese Espionage Calendar

Looking for that perfect addition for your office? 

A year long reminder of the threat? 

Download and print a 2024 Chinese Espionage Calendar for that special counterintelligence or insider threat specialist. 

Complementary. (No info requested.)

Provided by Shinobi Enterprises, LLC.

Eavesdrops on Retail Workers Through Walkie-Talkie

TikTok user Michael (@mister_twister_55) is known for listening in on various stores’ walkie-talkie systems and sharing those conversations with his 67,000 Followers...

Previously, he filmed himself using a walkie-talkie to eavesdrop on Kohl’s employees talking about their co-workers. Before that, he tapped into Target’s walkie-talkie system, capturing employees uncovering a potential thief.

Now, in another viral video with over 176,000 views, the infamous TikToker has camped in the parking lot of a strip of retail stores, including the Express Factory Outlet and an Old Navy, capturing employees talking about customers.

The video begins with the TikToker sharing, “Retail worker complains about annoying customer on walkie.” ... As the conversation unfolds, it is apparent that the first employee has contacted the second employee to check on backstock, additional inventory that is not on the store floor, on behalf of the customer, but they are both hesitant because of the customer’s behavior.

“I want to say we do have them in the back but…” says the second employee before trailing off. The first employee, chimes in, “If you do find the jacket back there, or whatever they are looking for, I wouldn’t even bring it out .. because they pissed me off.” more

5 Steps for Preventing & Mitigating Corporate Espionage

via Evan Gibbs, Will Taylor, Partners, Troutman Pepper
There has been a steady increase in the volume of incidents involving corporate espionage, especially matters in which an insider is the bad actor. In an era when such risks are escalating, protection of sensitive corporate information has become paramount.

Here are five key strategies companies should implement to prevent and mitigate corporate espionage. (summary...)

1. Insist on Nondisclosure Agreements
2. Know and Control Your Trade Secrets
3. Perform Due Diligence
4. Train Your Employees and Independent Contractors
5. Promptly Investigate Suspected Activity

Preventing and mitigating corporate espionage requires a multifaceted approach. By implementing rigorous legal safeguards, conducting thorough due diligence, using secure communication practices, providing comprehensive employee training, and responding promptly and effectively to suspected activity, companies can significantly enhance their protection against corporate espionage and safeguard their assets. more

UnitedHealth Group Sues Ex-Executives Over Alleged Corporate Espionage

In a twist of corporate intrigue, health care entrepreneurs from Minnesota, Ken Ehlert and Mark Pollman, find themselves locked in a legal duel with their former employer, UnitedHealth Group... 

The lawsuit alleges that Pollman managed to secure a hard drive crammed with sensitive files during an informal lunch rendezvous with a former subordinate... 

The lawsuit states that the former executives amassed 500,000 emails and files, brimming with confidential information and trade secrets, and leveraged them to conceive a suite of corporate entities. more

Spybuster Tip # 823: Store Your Car Key Fobs in a Metal Can

Thieves have perfected the art of stealing the code from that key fob sitting on a kitchen counter or hung on a hook by the door. And tools that make theft fast and easy can be purchased on the internet. Worse, the latest theft devices allow criminals to amplify a vehicle's radio signal so that thieves can better access and copy the key fob signal to steal a vehicle...

The Relay Attack, a two-person attack, is when a thief walks up to the victim’s home with a piece of equipment that captures the signal from the key fob and then transmits the signal from a car key fob. "An accomplice waits nearby at the car door, usually with another device, to open the car when the signal is received," the AARP website said. The copied signal can fool the car into starting the ignition.

Spybuster Tip #823: Store your car key fobs in a metal container when not in use.

Your other fobs are at risk too. Learn more here.

Disney’s AI CCTV

Disney wants to know what you’re up to in the “Happiest Place on Earth.”

The company wants to patent a system for “predicting need for guest assistance,” which would track guests’ behavior at Disney properties using machine learning analysis of video data. Disney’s filing lays out an AI-based system which determines whether or not a guest’s behavior is normal, and uses that to predict if they need something. 

Disney’s system would work in tandem with CCTV systems collecting a constant stream of video data. That data is fed to a deep learning model to determine if a guest’s actions differ from a predetermined set of “normal guest behaviors.”

If a guest’s behavior is deemed abnormal, the system will alert the operator that they may need some kind of assistance.

Your Smartphone: More Attentive Than Your Spouse?

via Joshua Brustein - Bloomberg Tech Daily

Eavesdropping ads: People have been telling me for years that their phones are listening to their conversations and sending them ads based on what they say. I've dutifully told them there’s no evidence this is a thing, which often turns into a long argument.

So I appreciated 404 Media’s scoop that Cox Media Group tells clients it actually can tap into the microphones of mobile devices to target ads. 

This sounds like the worst idea ever. But I’m at least looking forward to helping confirm my friends’ worst fears rather than trying to dissuade them.

A Corporate New Year's Resolution - Detect Espionage Easily

Intelligence collection is a leisurely process. Enemies quietly collect long before they use. 

Until they use what they have gathered, no harm is done. Knowing this gives you the edge.

• Electronic Surveillance is not the goal. It is a means to an end.
• Electronic Surveillance is a key component of intelligence gathering.
• Electronic Surveillance is the one spy trick which is easily detectable, if you look for it.

Protection Requires Detection
Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM) audits exploit weaknesses inherent in electronic surveillance. Knowing you are being targeted provides you with time to counter - before your information is used against you; before harm is done.

All businesses need TSCM as their canary in the mine shaft. 

Click here to learn more... counterespionage.com