The eavesdropping climate in Turkey these days...

Turkey - Deputies made unexpected remarks at the Parliamentary Search Commission that was formed after claims were raised that the CHP's Önder Sav was being wiretapped.

The Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP, Gaziantep deputy Hasan Özdemir is a former police chief. "Including me, every part of society is experiencing eavesdropping paranoia. People, today, cannot talk freely with their friends, spouses or lovers. Something must be done."

"Technically, it is possible to eavesdrop on what we are talking about here from one kilometer away. Most of the official experts are my friends. And despite I am an ex-security director and a new Parliamentary deputy I am trying to be careful while I am on the phone," he said.

Another member, CHP Adana Representative Tacidar Sayın, is a software expert. "It doesn't take 10 minutes of my time to convert a broken radio or television into eavesdropping equipment," said Seyhan, pointing out how easy it is.

The former police director is having fears of being tapped; the former software expert is drawing attention to how simple it is to eavesdrop. Politicians, journalists, authors, intellectuals, academics … everyone is saying that they are being tapped. The Commision's job is not easy. (more)

SpyCam Story #486 - Phonecam'ing Down Under

Australia - A 29-year-old man has been charged with three counts of recording in breach of privacy, after he was allegedly caught using his mobile phone inappropriately at a shopping centre... Police were called ... after a woman approached the centre's security guards. It is alleged she caught an Albany Creek man taking unauthorised photos of her while she was in a change room in a store... the man's phone allegedly contained video images of three women. (more)

Alleged Wiretapper Sues Oprah for $180 Million!

First things first -- Keifer Bonvillain was arrested two years ago after allegedly recording conversations he had with an O employee and then shopping the tapes around to publishers and tabloids.

The Feds ended up dismissing the case against Mr. Villain (sic) on the grounds he perform 50 hours community service, undergo drug testing and pay back $3,000 he took from a company looking to meet with him over the tapes.

Fast forward to the present, when Keifer filed the $180 million lawsuit claiming Oprah and an attorney made false statements that led to his arrest. (more) (background)

The Tape Recording Caper, or...

...Mystic X-Ray Vision
It may sound bizarre—or like some kind of high school science fair project, but it's not: Researchers have discovered that peeling adhesive tape ejects enough radiation to take an x-ray image.

If they stick, the findings could set the stage for a less expensive x-ray machine that does not require electricity.

Lead researcher Carlos Camara, a physicist at the University of California, Los Angeles, reports in Nature today that his team captured x-rays of a finger on film (positioned behind it) by using a simple tape-peeling device (placed in front of it).

How is that possible? It turns out that radiation is released when tape is ripped from a surface. The reason, says Camara: electrons (negatively charged atomic particles) leap from a surface (peeling off of glass or aluminum works, too) to the adhesive side of a freshly yanked strip of tape, traveling so fast that they give off radiation, or energy, when they slam into it.

The result of this process when recorded by radiographic film is a fuzzy x-ray of the finger bone of physicist Seth Putterman, who runs the lab in which it was made. (more)

FutureWatch...

Wiretap coincidence or vendetta? You decide.

Italy - Gucci is the latest fashion label to be drawn into Italy's on-going "Spy Story" scandal - of which its former head of womenswear, Alessandra Facchinetti (and recently fired from Valentino), has previously been revealed as a target.

A Gucci spokesman yesterday confirmed in a statement that the Prosecutor's Office in Florence had ordered a search of the house's various Italy-based offices in relation to its investigation into the long-running scam, which saw the phones of various politicians, bankers, entrepreneurs, journalists and celebrities being wiretapped over a matter of years.

"The search is a result of the investigation on suspicion of the crime of revelation and use of official secrets," Gucci's spokesperson said, adding that the company was cooperating fully with the authorities. (more)

Just sayin'...
Silvio Berlusconi, an Italian politician, entrepreneur, real estate and insurance tycoon, bank and media proprietor, and sports team owner, and now the third longest-serving Prime Minister of the Italian Republic (President of the Council of Ministers of Italy), a position he has held on three separate occasions: from 1994 to 1995, from 2001 to 2006, currently since 2008. (background 1 2 3 )

Vault Doors Blown Off World Bank Computers

Satyam Computer Services has denied a report alleging its contractors installed spy software on World Bank computers but has refused to assure Australian clients that it does not engage in such activity.

On October 10 Fox News reported, citing sources, that after a forensic analysis of a security breach at the World Bank, investigators discovered spy software installed on computers at its Washington headquarters "allegedly by one or more contractors from Satyam Computer Services".

"It is still not known how much information was stolen, but sources in the bank confirm that servers in the highly restricted treasury unit were deeply penetrated with spy software in April. Invaders also had full access to the rest of the bank's network for nearly a month in June and July. "The software, which operates through a method known as keystroke logging, enabled every character typed on a keyboard to be transmitted to a still-unknown location via the internet."

Satyam declined to guarantee that it (or its contractors) had not installed spying software on computers in any Australian or global customer site. (more)

"We listened to them sweep." (unnamed source)

via Intelligence Online...
According to our sources, the Chinese embassies in Paris, London and Berlin as well as in other European capitals have just received the visit of a team of technicians from the 3rd department of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who specialize in detecting eavesdropping devices on government premises. ($more$)
Time to schedule your next TSCM eavesdropping detection audit.

"Wimpy. Hammurabi took ears and eyes."

SC - Felony suspects will now have DNA samples taken when they’re arrested, after the South Carolina House on Tuesday joined the Senate in overriding Gov. Mark Sanford’s veto of a bill requiring the procedure.

The samples would be taken when people are arrested for felonies, as well as for eavesdropping or peeping, which are misdemeanors on first offense and felonies thereafter. (more)

SpyCam Story #485 - Video Lasertag SpyCam Car

from the website...
"Radio controlled sports car with video camera function. A unique toy that combines all the coolest features of a RC car with an added video transmitter for extra fun.

Fun and easy to use RC car kit has everything you need to have a fun day in the park or play some games with your neighbors. The car has a remote control with an extra long range (up to 30 meters) and can control the cars movement by eyesight or via the LCD monitor.

Tired of ripping this baby around the park or neighborhood? Then how about using your new RC sports car to play laser games with your friends? Yes, you got that right! This sports car has a laser function and can be used to play lasertag with your friends. And the fun isn't even over yet! You can also use the cars video transmission function to view what the neighbors are doing ;-) " (more)

"Radio Waves Are Up, Dude. Toss Your Board."

Computer keyboards are often used to transmit sensitive information such as username/password (e.g. to log into computers, to do e-banking money transfer, etc.). A vulnerability on these devices will definitely kill the security of any computer or ATM.

Wired keyboards emit electromagnetic waves, because they contain electronic components. These electromagnetic radiation could reveal sensitive information such as keystrokes...

We conclude that wired computer keyboards sold in the stores generate compromising emanations (mainly because of the cost pressures in the design). Hence they are not safe to transmit sensitive information. No doubt that our attacks can be significantly improved, since we used relatively inexpensive equipment.

More information on these attacks will be published soon, the paper is currently in a peer review process for a conference. (more with two videos)

Electronic Surveillance Detection Audits

Not having an Electronic Surveillance Detection Audit program can cripple your company.

Just ask...
• Société Générale, who last January, revealed that unauthorised dealing by Jérôme Kerviel, a futures trader in Paris, resulted in losses of €4.9 billion ($6.6 billion) for the French bank. This is the biggest rogue trading scandal in history. (more)

Tool of choice: A tiny cell phone, using text messaging!

Preventable? Yes.

How? We would have pointed out this vulnerability during a regular Electronic Surveillance Detection Audit (TSCM sweep). The solution... a special 24/7 radio-monitoring system. The system would have nailed the very first unauthorized text message from the trading floor. Via computerized triangulation mapping, a big red dot would have popped up, right over Mr. Kerviel's desk – indicating he was the culprit!

Total Solution Cost? Less than .000016 % of this loss (or about $100,000.00).
Status: Until a solution is put into place, this type of loss can happen again! Smart money protects... before the problem occurs. They use Electronic Surveillance Detection Audits to uncover hidden vulnerabilities.

Other cases, this year, where Electronic Surveillance Detection Audits could have prevented the loss...
• Jim Damman thought somebody was looking over his shoulder for months. Little did he know that his office was routinely broken into and more than 150-million dollars worth of trade secrets were stolen without a visible trace according to a federal lawsuit. The President of Exel Transportation Services says his suspicion grew so strong that he took the unusual step of sweeping the company's Addison offices for electronic bugs. (Had the "step" not been "unusual" the problem would not have turned into a 150-million dollar loss.)
Preventable? Yes.

• The BexarMet Board of Directors voted Thursday evening to terminate the contract of its embattled general manager, Gil Olivares. Olivares was suspended in August days after a Bexar County jury indicted him on charges of official oppression and illegal wiretapping, among other charges. (The cost: of attorney's fees, lost productivity and employee moral easily makes periodic inspections a no-brainer.)
Preventable? Yes.

• A federal judge denied a motion by a group of ex-securities brokers and former A.B. Watley Inc. executives to dismiss a criminal case against them in an alleged scheme to misuse brokerage firm "squawk" boxes. Prosecutors have alleged that three ex-brokers placed open telephone lines next to the internal speaker systems at their companies so that Watley day traders could secretly eavesdrop on block orders by institutional clients. (The costs here include: stockholder suits, public relations, company attorney fees, lost productivity and employee.)
Preventable? Yes.

• A state lawmaker said Thursday night he attached a digital recorder under an aide’s desk as “just a prank,”... (he) recalled setting the device up on Tuesday, said he forgot about putting the recorder there until Thursday. (Just having an Electronic Surveillance Detection Audit program would have been a deterrent in this case.)
Preventable? Yes.

• Bechtel National has taken disciplinary action against four managers at the Hanford vitrification plant for reportedly eavesdropping on a meeting between safety representatives and the Department of Energy.Preventable? Yes.

• 15 new GSM bugs - eavesdropping devices which can be listened to from anywhere in the world by simply dialing their cell phone number - are featured here, and on ebay here.
(Letting you know about new problems like this is the job of your Electronic Surveillance Detection Audit consultant. This person should also have solutions, too.)
Preventable? Yes.

The list goes on, but the point remains the same.Electronic Surveillance Detection Audits are cheap insurance, only better!
Insurance can't prevent the disaster.

Homeowner's Insurance Doesn't Cover Spycam'ing

courtesy of Serrano & Serrano, LLC...
Synopsis: As homeowner’s insurance policy excluded covering injuries caused by criminal acts, the insurance company was not required to cover the damages the homeowner caused his neighbor by spying on her. The homeowner, who was charged with trespass, disorderly conduct, voyeurism and stalking, pled guilty to disorderly conduct and admitted during a deposition that his actions were crimes. (case)

"Iran a spy ring of squirrels and pigeons."

July 2007 - ...the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported this week, that police had, ahem, "arrested" 14 squirrels on charges of espionage.

The rodents were found near the Iranian border, allegedly equipped with eavesdropping devices, according to IRNA. (more) (background)

TODAY - Security forces in Natanz have arrested two suspected "spy pigeons" near Iran's controversial uranium enrichment facility, the reformist Etemad Melli newspaper reported on Monday. One of the pigeons was caught near a rose water production plant in the city of Kashan in Isfahan province, the report cited an unnamed informed source as saying, adding that some metal rings and invisible strings were attached to the bird.

"Early this month, a black pigeon was caught bearing a blue-coated metal ring, with invisible strings," the source was quoted as saying of the second pigeon. (more) (background) (clue) (history)

FutureWatch - Spying spiders and dragonflys. (video) (video)

Spycam Story #484 - ID Card Cam

from the manufacturer's website (corrected)...
"The world's first ID card type micro-recorder / camera / recorder. Only 5.3 mm thickness; the size of a credit card.

• Users can create their own permits and licenses with different styles.

• ID cards have built-in high sensitivity sensor chips. User can used it on device like attendance, access control, car parks, and other equipment.

• The appearance can be customized – different colors according to the customer needs.

• CMOS built-in 1.3 million high-definition digital camera.

• Audio and video can be synchronous. It can work about three hours. The time watermark is embed into video files automatically.

• Can be used as a digital tape recorder alone, recording about four hours.

• Can be used alone as digital camera – more than 100 photos.

• Built-in high-performance rechargeable lithium and standby time is up to 10 hours or more.

• Video resolution: 352x288, video frames: 15fps/s, AVI format, WAV audio format, photo resolution: 1280x1024, played via a computer.

• Built-in memory: 4GB." (more)
Homer not included. Card comes blank.

France to toughen laws on private spying firms

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)