France - Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie told the Journal du Dimanche newspaper on Sunday she wanted to clean up the private surveillance sector after the case, which saw 10 people taken into custody last week.
"I want private commercial intelligence companies to be subject to a system of authorisation and approvals comparable to those which already exist for private research firms," she said.
The government was aware of about 100 such companies operating in France, she added. (more) (background)
Sunday, October 19, 2008
SpyCam Story #483 - Eyeball Cam with Brain
from the seller's website..."The worlds smallest spy camera and digital video recorder (DVR). This all in one package is the world’s first DVR and camera complete in the shape of a ball. Inside
this Ping Pong size ball is a motion activated camera and DVR. It captures images at 30 FPS at 320x240 resolution. Comes with 128mb internal memory and supports up to a 2gig micro sd card. It can be used in various applications such as vehicle security, sports, personal security or whatever the user can dream up. This camera is an excellent tool for the private investigator. Now you can literally carry a portable video recorder where ever your subject goes, now you will be able to obtain video in places where your camcorder or you body worn video are useless. Just hold it in your hand; it's that small!" (more)
If that doesn't keep you safe,
try wearing a Nazar Boncuk;
the original "Evil Eye."
“I am not a number, I am a free man”
via The New York Times...On June 1 (1968) audiences accustomed to the corny vaudeville of “The Jackie Gleason Show” on CBS (a US television network) stumbled upon an utterly baffling summer replacement: "The Prisoner" recently released on DVD in a 10-disc (40th) anniversary set.
The premise seemed simple enough. An unnamed man (Patrick McGoohan
) resigns from some sort of top-secret intelligence job, whereupon he is kidnapped to a sprawling, secretive complex known only as the Village. There he is surrounded by other captured spy types, and his ever-present captors try to trick, drug and otherwise manipulate him into revealing why he quit. The man, rechristened No. 6 by his captors, spends 17 episodes resisting their efforts and plotting his getaway.This conventional cat-and-mouse game, of course, was merely the starting point from which “The Prisoner” plumbed issues of freedom, conformity, privacy and control. The Village (in real life, the Hotel Portmeirion resort in North Wales) was a microcosm of civilization, and within its confines — which, if the captives decided to cooperate, could be comfortable enough — the eternal drama of an individual’s relationship to society was played out. (more)
Portmeirion is a visually beautiful place. It will automatically join your vacation wish-list after you watch The Prisoner. Tip: Stay at the hotel – Room 2 is a good one. Dine one evening at Castell Deudraeth.You won't be lucky enough to see the filming of "The Prisoner - Series 2" (due to be released in 2009) while you are there. It is being filmed in Swakopmund. On the other hand, Portmeirion and the rest of Northern Wales are areas very few people are ever lucky enough to see. ~Kevin
Guyana's Cell-Phone-Surveillance Loophole Buster
Guyana's parliament has passed two controversial bills that would authorize wiretapping and force cell-phone providers to register clients to fight crime. (more) (background) (GSM Bugs)
Why is this important?
The wiretap part is commonplace. The know your customer part, however, is new and innovative.
This legislation was created to eliminate anonymity. It closes a crater-sized government surveillance loophole created by promotional SIM-card giveaways and pre-paid cell phones.
This is also the very same loophole which allows GSM bugs and trackers to operate with impunity. Even if discovered, you don't know to whom they belong.
FutureWatch...
• Guyana's new law will kick-start legislation rewrites worldwide.
• GSM bugs and real-time trackers will become riskier to use.
• Criminals will use fake ID's or alternate communications.
• Expect a run on current pre-paid phones and SIM cards.
Same Day.
Different country...
UK - Everyone who buys a mobile telephone will be forced to register their identity on a national database under government plans to extend massively the powers of state surveillance.
Phone buyers would have to present a passport or other official form of identification at the point of purchase. Privacy campaigners fear it marks the latest government move to create a surveillance society.
A compulsory national register for the owners of all 72m mobile phones in Britain would be part of a much bigger database to combat terrorism and crime. Whitehall officials have raised the idea of a register containing the names and addresses of everyone who buys a phone in recent talks with Vodafone and other telephone companies, insiders say.
The move is targeted at monitoring the owners of Britain’s estimated 40m prepaid mobile phones. They can be purchased with cash by customers who do not wish to give their names, addresses or credit card details. (more)
Why is this important?
The wiretap part is commonplace. The know your customer part, however, is new and innovative.
This legislation was created to eliminate anonymity. It closes a crater-sized government surveillance loophole created by promotional SIM-card giveaways and pre-paid cell phones.
This is also the very same loophole which allows GSM bugs and trackers to operate with impunity. Even if discovered, you don't know to whom they belong.
FutureWatch...
• Guyana's new law will kick-start legislation rewrites worldwide.
• GSM bugs and real-time trackers will become riskier to use.
• Criminals will use fake ID's or alternate communications.
• Expect a run on current pre-paid phones and SIM cards.
Same Day.
Different country...
UK - Everyone who buys a mobile telephone will be forced to register their identity on a national database under government plans to extend massively the powers of state surveillance.
Phone buyers would have to present a passport or other official form of identification at the point of purchase. Privacy campaigners fear it marks the latest government move to create a surveillance society.
A compulsory national register for the owners of all 72m mobile phones in Britain would be part of a much bigger database to combat terrorism and crime. Whitehall officials have raised the idea of a register containing the names and addresses of everyone who buys a phone in recent talks with Vodafone and other telephone companies, insiders say.
The move is targeted at monitoring the owners of Britain’s estimated 40m prepaid mobile phones. They can be purchased with cash by customers who do not wish to give their names, addresses or credit card details. (more)
Friday, October 17, 2008
Weird Science #342 - E-proboscis
Device can detect distress signals from plants that are harmed, under attack It turns out the best way to hear a plant scream is to smell it. Scientists are using an electronic nose tailored to eavesdrop on plants that have been damaged or are under attack. The nose successfully discriminated among the various distress signals different plants emit, depending on the pests plaguing them — discerning, for example, a tobacco hornworm attack from assault by powdery mildew. (more)
Not so strange.
Our noses have always been talking.
"I smell a rat." (lying)
"The smell of fear." (fear)
"The smell of death." (sickness)
"The scent of a woman." (attraction)
...and dog's noses talk even louder.
Say "cheese" for details.
All visitors to internet cafés in Beijing are to be required to have their photographs taken in a stringent new control on the public use of cyberspace.
According to the latest rules, by mid-December all internet cafés in the main 14 city districts must install cameras to record the identities of their web surfers, who must by law be 18 or over.
All photographs and scanned identity cards will be entered into a city-wide database run by the Cultural Law Enforcement Taskforce. The details will be available in any internet café. (more)
According to the latest rules, by mid-December all internet cafés in the main 14 city districts must install cameras to record the identities of their web surfers, who must by law be 18 or over.
All photographs and scanned identity cards will be entered into a city-wide database run by the Cultural Law Enforcement Taskforce. The details will be available in any internet café. (more)
MINOX Agent M - One-Stop SpyCam Shopping
Agent M DSC DigitalSpyCam
DSC is the name of the new mini MINOX model: Digital SpyCam. This outstanding masterpiece in minimalist design and photo technology packs remarkable features into dimensions of just 86 x 29 x 20 mm. With a resolution of five million pixels it can compete with traditional digital cameras with ease. The bright viewfinder allows spontaneous, fast shots, even in critical light conditions. In twilight the integrated flash switches on automatically. In total these features make the new DSC a very sound optical notebook.
229,00 EUR / $308.47
Agent M Digital Sunglasses Camera
This pair of sunglasses has more than just one surprise in store: a micro camera is integrated in one of the earpieces and can be controlled via a remote control without attracting attention. The other earpiece houses a MP3 player. The lenses are replaceable, making this ingenious eyewear adjustable to the diopter strength required by the person wearing them.
169,00 EUR / $227.65
Agent M Spy Sunglasses 180°
These unusual sunglasses have lenses that are mirror-coated on the inside, at their outer edges. They reflect everything going on behind the back of the person wearing them to allow perfect observation without having to turn around. The new MINOX spy sunglasses are also exactly what they look like, a perfectly normal pair of sunglasses with excellent UV protection.
99,00 EUR / $133.35
Agent M Digital Belt Camera
Camouflaged as an inconspicuous belt buckle the MINOX Belt Camera enables videos to be taken without being noticed. The micro-optics are perfectly concealed on the front of this ingenious camera, allowing undercover surveillance to be recorded inconspicuously in 3GP format. The controls are arranged on the underside of the buckle and are within easy reach.
229,00 EUR / $308.47
Agent M Digital Pen Camera
This normal-looking pen would appear to be just another ball-point. But hidden behind its clip there’s a micro video camera that records video films in AVI realtime format. The high-power microphone is additionally integrated in the chrome-plated clip. A USB port for downloading the videos is built into the front part of the pen. 189,00 EUR / $254.69
Special... The secret spy brochure.
Bonus... MINOX DSC has its own internet forum on www.license-to-shoot.com. Original and exciting “Agent M Shots“ can be placed on this site and contacts made to other “agents” all over the world.
DSC is the name of the new mini MINOX model: Digital SpyCam. This outstanding masterpiece in minimalist design and photo technology packs remarkable features into dimensions of just 86 x 29 x 20 mm. With a resolution of five million pixels it can compete with traditional digital cameras with ease. The bright viewfinder allows spontaneous, fast shots, even in critical light conditions. In twilight the integrated flash switches on automatically. In total these features make the new DSC a very sound optical notebook.
229,00 EUR / $308.47
Agent M Digital Sunglasses Camera
This pair of sunglasses has more than just one surprise in store: a micro camera is integrated in one of the earpieces and can be controlled via a remote control without attracting attention. The other earpiece houses a MP3 player. The lenses are replaceable, making this ingenious eyewear adjustable to the diopter strength required by the person wearing them.
169,00 EUR / $227.65
Agent M Spy Sunglasses 180°
These unusual sunglasses have lenses that are mirror-coated on the inside, at their outer edges. They reflect everything going on behind the back of the person wearing them to allow perfect observation without having to turn around. The new MINOX spy sunglasses are also exactly what they look like, a perfectly normal pair of sunglasses with excellent UV protection.
99,00 EUR / $133.35
Agent M Digital Belt Camera
Camouflaged as an inconspicuous belt buckle the MINOX Belt Camera enables videos to be taken without being noticed. The micro-optics are perfectly concealed on the front of this ingenious camera, allowing undercover surveillance to be recorded inconspicuously in 3GP format. The controls are arranged on the underside of the buckle and are within easy reach.
229,00 EUR / $308.47
Agent M Digital Pen Camera
This normal-looking pen would appear to be just another ball-point. But hidden behind its clip there’s a micro video camera that records video films in AVI realtime format. The high-power microphone is additionally integrated in the chrome-plated clip. A USB port for downloading the videos is built into the front part of the pen. 189,00 EUR / $254.69
Special... The secret spy brochure.
Bonus... MINOX DSC has its own internet forum on www.license-to-shoot.com. Original and exciting “Agent M Shots“ can be placed on this site and contacts made to other “agents” all over the world.
FutureWatch - VoIP Encryption for All
by Patrick Thorel, Alcatel-Lucent
Over the last few years adoption of VoIP has grown rapidly. ...migration to an IP network also brings a host of new security challenges that are driving a trend toward voice encryption.
Voice communication ... needs be assured 24/7 and always go to all the right people and none of the wrong ones. In recent times eavesdropping has led to a number of information leaks in legal cases. Certain industries are particularly susceptible to this type of security risk and are thus driving the trend toward voice encryption.
In finance, for example, worldwide agreements which dictate data security in the banking and finance industry make data and voice protection a legal requirement. Healthcare professionals are also aware of patient confidentiality, although no government or company is excluded from the threat of industrial espionage...
To limit the risk of such security breaches encryption of voice traffic is essential... In order to maintain total security everything within the network must be encrypted... One solution is to install hardware in front of the communication server in the gateways and use encryption-optimized firmware in the phones. (more)
Prediction...
Eventually, end-to-end telephone/data encryption will be standard – with CALEA access. Until then, the best choice is to call us (from a safe phone) to inspect for bugs and taps. We can also advise you on current encryption solutions.
Over the last few years adoption of VoIP has grown rapidly. ...migration to an IP network also brings a host of new security challenges that are driving a trend toward voice encryption.
Voice communication ... needs be assured 24/7 and always go to all the right people and none of the wrong ones. In recent times eavesdropping has led to a number of information leaks in legal cases. Certain industries are particularly susceptible to this type of security risk and are thus driving the trend toward voice encryption.
In finance, for example, worldwide agreements which dictate data security in the banking and finance industry make data and voice protection a legal requirement. Healthcare professionals are also aware of patient confidentiality, although no government or company is excluded from the threat of industrial espionage...
To limit the risk of such security breaches encryption of voice traffic is essential... In order to maintain total security everything within the network must be encrypted... One solution is to install hardware in front of the communication server in the gateways and use encryption-optimized firmware in the phones. (more)
Prediction...
Eventually, end-to-end telephone/data encryption will be standard – with CALEA access. Until then, the best choice is to call us (from a safe phone) to inspect for bugs and taps. We can also advise you on current encryption solutions.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
What It Takes to be a Spy
Former MI6 spy Harry Ferguson
has revealed the skills necessary to be a real-life James Bond.Resourcefulness: "It might surprise people, but unfortunately in real life out gadgets often don't work when we need them and so you have to adapt."
Observation: "You have to understand what you see, like if someone has you under surveillance or if you spot a face you saw in a briefing a few months earlier."
Empathy: "People must have trust in you, and you must protect them."
Weapon skills: "In the past agents did not really have to use arms, but with the work now in Iraq and Afghanistan that has changed."
Coolness: "The ability to stay unshaken involves keeping your level of eye contact normal and retaining a relaxed body posture."
Social skills: "You have to move in playboy circles, and go to Monte Carlo and drive a flash car and be able to carry it off like a natural.
Languages: "The more easily you can slip intro a foreign country without drawing attention, the better."
"If we're going to use gadgets, a lot of the stuff you can get in shops will do. If you plant a commercially made bug and it's found, it's not tied to a government organisation. The last resort would be a gadget made by the technical sections at MI6." (more)
You might also want to review...
What does a spy look like?
Quiz - Would you make a good spy?
Why do I mention this?
So you will know who you are up against.
SpyCam Story #482 - Free SpyCam Gadget
Using Vista?
Using a Logitech Webcam?
Bingo!
Instant spycam.
from Logitech...
"Keep a watchful eye—even when you're not around. This Gadget acts like a motion detection sonar, triggering a recording whenever it senses movement within the field of view of your QuickCam. Recording stops when the motion stops, and an .AVI file is saved in a location you specify. The videos are even time & date stamped to help you keep track of what happened, when." (more)
The important stuff – "...an .AVI file is saved in a location you specify."
Make sure no one loads this on your computer without your knowledge. They could be collecting movies and storing them elsewhere on your network, or the Internet. Very bad for computers located in offices and bedrooms. ~Kevin
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Book Review - The Shadow Factory - NSA
Once upon a time the NSA was so secret that its acronym was said to mean No Such Agency.Today we know a great deal more about it, in part because of James Bamford, who in The Puzzle Palace
(1982), a portrait of the agency, offered secrets so sensitive that the NSA attempted to block the book's publication.Now, with The Shadow Factory: The Ultra-Secret NSA from 9/11 to the Eavesdropping on America
Mr. Bamford takes a close look at the National Security Agency's performance just before 9/11 and after. (more)
Monday, October 13, 2008
Bright Idea: LED WiFi Hotspots
Folks at Boston University's College of Engineering are researching a program aimed at developing the next generation of wireless communication -- based on visible light.The aim of the initiative is to eventually develop an optical communication technology which would make an LED light, the equivalent of a Wi-Fi access point.
BU Engineering Professor Thomas Little paints the ideal scenario for these LEDs: "Imagine if your computer, iPhone, TV, radio and thermostat could all communicate with you when you walked in a room just by flipping the wall light switch and without the usual cluster of wires..."
Additionally, as these networks work on the "line of sight" theory, it would be impossible to eavesdrop into a network by a person sitting across the wall. (more)
Humm...
• Light reflects.
• Fiber optics channel.
• Photocells convert.
• Appearance points can be tapped.
Impossible-to-eavesdrop type "progress" often brings with it info-vulnerabilities to be discovered. I can't wait. ~Kevin
Meanwhile, from the minds at MIT...
Talking-Lights.com "The Talking Lights System (using fluorescent lamps) can be used to form a hybrid network that combines the advantages of optical location-finding with broadband WiFi duplex data transfer... The systems can also be used to offer information and guidance to shoppers, museum-goers and trade show attendees, improve security in office buildings and secure facilities..."
Historical Note: Both LEDs and fluorescent lights are already being used for electronic eavesdropping bugging purposes.
Spies, Get Ready For Halloween...
Learn from the Masters of DisguiseMagicians, like spies, excel at the art of misdirection and deception. Join Jonna and Tony Mendez, both former CIA chiefs of disguise, as they explore how magic and illusion have been used through the centuries to deceive the enemy.
Spy Magic: Disguise, Deception, Illusion and Espionage
At the International Spy Museum
Tuesday, 28 October; 6:30 pm $15.00 / Members $12.00 (more)
Get Your Disguise Gear Ready Black Bar Glasses.
Make yourself photo-proof.
$8.99 (more)
And, above all...
Don't Act Furtive
Play this CD.
It features some really disturbing noises... unforgettable tracks like Unhappy Dog, the agonizing squeal of Violin Practice, and the exquisitely excruciating din of House Party.
$7.00 (more)
Remember Alex Allan?
Right, now do you remember Alex Allan?If not check here. If so, read on and learn more about this spook.
Although the press knocked him a bit, his creative mental outlook and humor makes him perfect as an intelligence adviser. His resume is impressive. My kind of guy!
This Alex Allan caught the attention of Philadelphia, PA bookplate maven, Louis Jaffe... "I was looking through an album of 20th century British bookplates this morning and selected a few of my favorites. There is never enough time to research every bookplate so the backlog grows.
If you know something about any of these owners or the artists please share it with us.
I purchased the Alex Allan bookplate in England after seeing it in The Bookplate Society Journal (vol.v11,1989). It is a wood engraving by Anne Jope and it is one of the earliest if not the first plate depicting a computer. The owner may be the larger than life Alex Allan, Chairman of The Joint Intelligence Commission Of The United Kingdom and Grateful Dead enthusiast." (more)
Update... This is, indeed, Mr. Allan's bookplate.
First quantum encrypted network goes live
The first network protected by quantum encryption has gone live at a scientific conference in Vienna...
The quantum cryptography systems rely on an application of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, which broadly states that it is impossible to observe quantum information without altering it.
This makes eavesdropping impossible, since as soon as it takes place the change in data can be recognised and the network shut down. (more)
FutureWatch – Fistfights between network operators and governments demanding surveillance capabilities. Result: This level of protection may never trickle down to the average user of data services unless a back-door compromise can be reached. — Retrospect
The quantum cryptography systems rely on an application of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, which broadly states that it is impossible to observe quantum information without altering it.
This makes eavesdropping impossible, since as soon as it takes place the change in data can be recognised and the network shut down. (more)
FutureWatch – Fistfights between network operators and governments demanding surveillance capabilities. Result: This level of protection may never trickle down to the average user of data services unless a back-door compromise can be reached. — Retrospect
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)