Spying on Chinese Skype

Among China’s community of dissidents and activists, there’s a commonly held belief that, while e-mail and regular phone conversations may be subject to surveillance, Skype is safe from such interference.

Not so, according to a new report, which has uncovered a far-reaching web of surveillance of text messages sent through Tom-Skype, a Chinese joint venture between Ebay, which owns Skype, and Tom Online, the Chinese Internet subsidiary of Tom Group, a Hong Kong-based company controlled by billionaire Li Ka-Shing...

The full report is available here. Key findings are summarized...

–Full text chat messages of Tom-Skype users are regularly scanned for sensitive keywords. If the keywords are found, the messages are uploaded and stored on Tom-Skype’s servers in China.

–The text messages and other records containing personal information are stored on publicly accessible Web servers along with the encryption key that allows the data to be decrypted.

–Keyword scanning looks for terms relating to sensitive topics such as Taiwanese independence, banned religious sect Falun Gong, and opposition to the Communist Party.

–The surveillance may not be solely keyword-driven, as a number of stored messages contained only common words. The report suggests that “that there may be criteria, such as specific usernames, that determine whether messages are captured by the system.”

–The report focuses on text messages, but it says that information on voice calls is also being stored. Logs dating from August 2007 contain records of the IP addresses and usernames of all participants in voice calls (including the username and/or phone number of the recipient). (more)

15 Great, Free Privacy Downloads

One of the worst privacy invaders the world has ever seen is the Internet. When you surf, Web sites can find out where you've been and can gather other information about you. Trojan horses and spyware can snoop on you. Key loggers can capture your keystrokes as you type. Eavesdroppers can steal your passwords.

It doesn't have to be that way. These free products can save you from malicious software and eavesdroppers. Don't leave your PC exposed and vulnerable. (more)

jbond ( 007 ) Power Seller

UK - Police are investigating the sale of a digital camera said to contain MI6 images of terror suspects, the Foreign Office has said. The camera was bought for £17 on auction website eBay by a 28-year-old from Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. The pictures were also said to include rocket launchers and missiles. ...refused to comment on the report that the camera was sold by an MI6 agent. (more)

MacSpy - Video Surveillance Goes Franchise

The 1970's dream of Dictograph Surveillance Centers has finally come true. Franchise video monitoring is now real.

Dictograph pioneered franchise security and even had a "Video Surveillance Center" before it was technologically feasible.

The center consisted of a wall of wooden outlines of TV monitor screens with photographs of client locations pasted in the screen spaces. To add realism, the photos had horizontal TV scan lines superimposed over the picture.

A poster-sized photograph of this wall – complete with an official surveillance person eyeing the wall carefully – was placed at client locations to let employees know that they were being watched. Hollywood, but it worked.

In fact, usually only one of the client location cameras was hooked to a local monitor. The rest of the cameras were empty shells with a big red blinking tally light on the front.

The future is here, and so are new video surveillance franchises, like MonitorClosely.com

and SightMind

FutureWatch – "Neighborhood Watch Alarms" A sales technique to convince entire neighborhoods to sign on with one provider. The hook... When trouble is spotted on one system, all the neighbors will be instantly alerted.

How do I know about the fake video wall?
I was one of those official surveillance persons.
And, I kept the secret, until now.

SpyCam Story #476 - Follow Me Roaming

Singapore - A brain might well be added to those all-seeing eyes along streets, train stations and shopping centres.

The Home Affairs Ministry wants those surveillance cameras put to more pro-active use, with new technology that can detect a face in a crowd, for example.

Last month, it made public two 'request for information' (RFI) documents asking about two similar types of technology: one that can recognise suspects by their facial features and another that can pick out objects of interest - from video footage. (more) (spoof video)

FutureWatch - Although facial recognition and tracking didn't catch on the first go-around (the Tampa, Florida experiment), it is ripe for a come-back. 5 years from now, this will be commonplace – along with automatic license plate readers and motion-intention evaluators.

Flashback - August 23, 2003
It is with sadness we note the demise of our favorite city motto... Tampa - "You're only a stranger here once."

August 2003 - Tampa police have scrapped their controversial security camera system that scanned city streets for criminals, citing its failure over two years to recognize anyone wanted by authorities.

History...
July 2001 - The Tampa City Council took a fully-informed look at Ybor City's controversial high-tech face-scanning software. When the dust settled, the council split down the middle with a 3-3 vote on whether or not to do away with the face-scanning software.
http://www.spybusters.com/SS018.html (search word: Ybor)

A Nobel Change of Heart

Sweden's ruling four-party coalition added a series of amendments on Thursday to a law for monitoring cross-border internet and telephone traffic, bowing to pressure from privacy advocates and worried legislators.

Under the revised bill, the military National Defence Radio Establishment will be allowed to monitor Swedes' internet usage as well as content from e-mails, phone calls and mobile text messages, but only after getting court approval. (more)

Spys Under Fire

Grenada's former spy chief, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Anthony De Gale has finally been questioned in connection with reports of missing files from the department. De Gale was questioned on Tuesday by members of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at their location on Hillsborough Street, St. George's. The Spy Master was sent on his 120 days accumulated leave by newly installed Police Commissioner, James Clarkson after it was discovered that at the files at Special Branch were destroyed immediately after the July 8 General Elections which brought the then opposition National Democratic Congress of Tillman Thomas to power. (more)

Former India coach Greg Chappell on Saturday laughed off speculation that he was passing on secret information about the Indian team to Australia. Chappell, who quit as India coach last year after the team's first-round exit at the World Cup, is now touring with the Australian team as their assistant coach. (more)

And... they fire back!
A former MI5 chief, Dame Stella Rimington, has criticised the government's plans to extend the period under which suspects can be held without charge.

In comments cited by the Guardian newspaper, the ex-intelligence supremo said the 42-day detention plans were excessive.

Dame Rimington was speaking at the Crime Scene festival where she was launching her espionage thriller, Dead Line. (more)

Bonus points:
Guess who is who.
--------------------------------
Update - The winner is my very knowledgeable conterespionage colleague from Australia, who writes...
"Dame Stella Rimington was the former head of the domestic counter intelligence agency 'The Security Service' (aka MI5) whereas Dame Judy Dench plays the role of M (head of the Foreign Intelligence Service 'The Secret Service' aka MI6) in the James Bond Series.
So they don't represent the same agency... small point I know :)"

And I thought the casting department was being clever. Never underestimate the vast knowledge of the Security Scrapbook readership!

Have a spy question? Send it in. If I don't know the answer, I am sure one of our readers knows.

Tracking a Corporate Spy

May 1988: On behalf of the U.S. Surgical Corp., Mary McFate begins monitoring an animal rights group protesting the company's use of dogs in surgical training at its Connecticut headquarters. As an undercover agent, McFate meets activist Fran Trutt at a rally and records her making threats to kill company president Leon C. Hirsch. McFate reports the threat to Hirsch and begins extensively monitoring Trutt.
From here the story gets weirder... (more)

August 2008: After reports of connections to the NRA, gun safety advocates try contacting McFate. Unable to do so, they expel her.

Put us on our team before you corporation has to deal with espionage issues like these.

Eavesdrop on Astronauts

Conversations between astronauts aboard the International Space Station and flight controllers on the ground now are available for the public to hear live, 24 hours a day, seven days a week on NASA's Web site.

The streaming audio of space-to-ground communications includes NASA commentary during specific station mission events and regularly scheduled space station commentary on NASA Television Monday through Friday at 10 a.m. Central time. NASA already provides this space-to-ground communication with commentary during space shuttle missions.

The streaming station and shuttle mission audio is available on the following NASA sites:
- Under the NASA TV (Live) tab at: http://www.nasa.gov
- Under the left navigation at: http://www.nasa.gov/station and http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
- In the list of channels at: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

Spouse Spying Causes More Problems

New Zealand - Suspicious spouses who use spy software to track phone calls and text messages on their cheating partner's cellphone may be breaking the law.

One website to offer the spyware service, Flexispy, allows people to download the software to a suspected adulterer's internet-capable phone for a fee. The virtually undetectable software tracks every text and phone call made from the phone and a summary can be viewed online. But New Zealand Institute of Professional Investigators president Trevor Morley says use of the software would amount to phone-tapping, which is illegal in this country.

"Even if it was not an offence under the... Crimes Act provisions to use that software, we suggest that its use would definitely be a breach of various provisions of the Privacy Act.

Assistant privacy commissioner Katrine Evans said there were cases where spying or surveillance by a parent of a child or within a couple did not breach privacy laws. (more)

The same is generally true in the United States of America.

Low-Tek, Bones

OH - A Strongsville chiropractor was convicted Friday of spying on female patients as they undressed in his offices.

James Starek, 38, pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of voyeurism and obstruction of justice. Berea Municipal Judge Mark Comstock found him guilty. A sentencing date was not immediately set.

Mary Ann Suchan said she quit working for Starek after her daughter Stephanie raised concerns about unusual behavior by the doctor and a suspicious mirror in a room where she undressed.

Stephanie Suchan said she suspected the mirror was actually two-sided. Her mother later removed the roughly 8-by-10 mirror while Starek was away and found a large hole in the wall, she said. The women took photos of the hole and shared them with Strongsville police and reporters. (more)

SpyCam Story #475 - Vermont Made

A former University of Vermont student is admitting he used cameras to spy on people.

Jordan Yarosh, 18, pleaded guilty in court Tuesday to three counts of voyeurism. Yarosh placed hidden cameras, disguised as clock radios, in various bathrooms. (more)

Spycam Story #474 - Sign of the Times

35+ Surveillance cameras spy on the product in a window display.

Overkill for shoplifters?
Hardly.

"Everyone notices you when you carry the right bag, even all the surveillance cameras. It's a sign of the times."

Louis Vuitton: luxury leather luggage, French fashion designer, society's pulse taker. Seen in Century City, CA by Secret Agent AT.

Bin there... dunned that.

Pakistan recovers 'US spy drone'
A military spokesman told the BBC that the drone was recovered on Tuesday in the South Waziristan tribal area and the wreckage was being examined. (more)

"Me, too"
Georgia today said it had shot down a Russian drone over territory close to the breakaway province of South Ossetia, which is due to be patrolled by EU observers. (more)

Estonia Catches Its First Spy!

Estonian police have arrested high-ranking member of the Defense Ministry Herman Simm on accusations of espionage. His wife Heete Simm, a police lawyer, faces similarly charges. Estonian authorities have not named the country the couple were providing information to, but Estonian media and local experts claim it was Russia. (more)