SpyCam Story #616 - Cam or Gun? Duh, both!

NC - A Knightdale man faces charges that he put a camera in a woman's home to spy on her, according to arrest warrants.

The warrants state that Decarlos Lajuan Upchurch, 34, also broke into the woman's home early Saturday and pointed a black handgun at her. (more)

Scared of SCADA? You will be now...

In news that will probably leave you tutting and muttering “I knew this would happen,” two hackers have found a way to unlock cars that use remote control and telemetry systems like BMW Assist, GM OnStar, Ford Sync, and Hyundai Blue Link. These systems communicate with the automaker’s remote servers via standard standard mobile networks like GSM and CDMA — and with a clever bit of reverse engineering, the hackers were able to pose as these servers and communicate directly with a car’s on-board computer via “war texting” — a riff on “war driving,” the act of finding open wireless networks. (more)

The real scary part...

It’s not just cars that use telephony as a control network: there are 3G security cameras, traffic control systems, home automation systems, and — most worryingly — SCADA systems. SCADA is an acronym that covers almost any industrial control system, from manufacturing to power generation, to water treatment and the management of oil and gas pipelines. To quote Don Bailey, one of the hackers: “What I got in two hours with the car alarm is pretty horrifying when you consider other devices like this, such as SCADA systems and traffic-control cameras. How quick and easy it is to re-engineer them is pretty scary.”

SpyCam Story #615 - An American Bugging

FL - Two female Bulgarian students visiting the United States for the summer found hidden cameras hidden in their Florida apartment this week and fear they may have been videotaped throughout their three-month stay.

Ratitsa Dzhambazova, 23, and Vanya Amokovareva, 22, discovered at least four cameras stashed throughout the apartment they were sub-leasing for the summer in both bedrooms, the bathroom and the living room area, according to police.

"This is unbelievable, but one night I had a dream that someone watch me when I was naked," said Dzhambazova.

The women's worst nightmare came true when a male roommate pulled one of the smoke detector-like devices off the wall that discovered a camera hidden inside. They later discovered more cameras stationed around the apartment.

Four other roommates moved out of the apartment after the cameras were found, according to Dzhambazova, a journalism student. (more)

Not quite Theodore Dreiser, but a sad tale nonetheless. Reminds me of another multiple spycam incident in Florida.

News of the World - Phone Fiasco - Yet Another Victim

UK - The mother of a murdered child who became the face of a News of the World campaign to change British sex-offender laws says she was on the list of a private investigator who hacked phones for the tabloid— a development that is likely to generate more scrutiny for Rebekah Brooks, the former News Corp. executive who edited the paper at the time.

The mother of a murdered child who became the face of a News of the World campaign to change British sex-offender laws said she may have had her voice mails hacked. Paul Sonne also reports that James Murdoch will remain Chairman of BSkyB.

Sara Payne, in a prepared statement, said Thursday that police had found her details on a list seized from Glenn Mulcaire, the private investigator who worked for the now-closed News of the World and intercepted mobile-phone voice mails. Ms. Payne is the mother of Sarah Payne, an eight-year-old British girl who was abducted and murdered in July 2000 by a man who had a previous conviction for abduction and sexual assault against a child. (more)

FutureWatch - The Cone of Silence... without the cone!

The Walls of Silence!

Get Smart

When it comes to the sound-proofing of buildings, most people likely think of using materials that simply absorb the sound waves in a noisy room, so they can't proceed into a neighboring quiet room. 

Get Smarter

Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), however, are taking a different approach. They have created something known as an acoustic diode, that only allows sound traveling through it to go in one direction. If incorporated into building materials, such diodes would let sound travel from the quiet room to the noisy one, but would simply block noise transmission in the opposite direction. (more) (much more)

Corrections Officer Pleads Guilty to Eavesdropping on Superiors

OH - The second of three corrections officers at the Trumbull County Jail has pleaded guilty to reduced charges in an eavesdropping case in which the jail employees were listening to their superiors.

Robert J. Rihel Jr., 46, of Leavittsburg, pleaded guilty to 13 misdemeanor counts of falsification in a bill of information and will undergo a pre-sentence investigation ordered Thursday by Judge John M. Stuard.

Rihel, who was placed on administrative leave without pay, had been indicted on 23 counts of ''interception of wire, oral or electronic communications - a fourth-degree felony.'' The various counts in the indictment say the eavesdropping occurred from July 7 to Nov. 1, 2010. (more) (sing-a-long)

Watergate: David Gergen - White House Files

Why is this man laughing?

87 pages of selected David Gergen White House files related to Watergate and the resignation of President Richard Nixon. These files were not available to the public until July 21, 2011. David Gergen worked as a presidential adviser for Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton. This set also includes four documents from the files of William Timmons, Assistant for Legislative Affairs, also released on July 2, 2011. This set contains correspondences to and/or from David Gergen, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Allexander Haig, Pat Buchanan, Ron Ziegler, Ben Stein, Len Garment, Stephen Bull, and Ray Price. (download) (answer)

On Woot Today: 8 IR camera, 500 GB DVR Home Surveillance System - $279.99 - Amazing

or four cameras, only $189.99!

No, I'm not out to sell cameras or help Woot. In fact, buy the time you see this, they will probably be sold out.

It just strikes me that the cost of entry to spying/securing up the 'ol castle, small business or any location for that matter has dropped to $35.00 per recording eyeball. And, if that's not enough it will also transmit photos to your smartphone. 

It wasn't that long ago that a system like this would cost thousands. Granted, these may not be the highest quality cameras, but really, look at the features.

Warranty: 1 Year Zmodo

Condition: New

Features:
• Surveillance kit includes an 8-channel H.264 real-time standalone DVR, eight indoor/outdoor color IR security cameras, cabling and mounting hardware
• Everything you need to have your surveillance system up and running in your home or business quickly and easily
• The DVR is an 8-channel, fully integrated, real time, and hardware based standalone digital video recorder with 500GB SATA hard drive
• Supports up to 2TB 3.5" SATA hard drive and includes (2) hard drive mounting screws
• A hard drive is not needed when using cameras for surveillance, but is required when using DVR for recording camera images
• The DVR is based on an embedded Linux operating system and includes a remote control for easy setup and operation
• DVR functionality is easily controlled by using either the remote control or the front panel controls on the DVR
• DVR supports network access through Ethernet RJ45 interface
• Supports DVR backup via USB flash drive, removable drive, recorder and network
• The DVR also features the most updated 3G mobile live! Preview via mobile phone
• Use the 15-pin VGA output to connect a computer monitor (not included)
• Playback resolution 704x480
• The cameras included in the kit are weatherproof, day/night, security cameras with 30ft night vision
• Record Mode options include Continuous, Time Schedule, and Motion Detection
• Each camera comes with a 60-foot power and BNC video all-in-one cable
• All eight cameras are powered by one AC adapter using an 8-way power splitter
• Monitor is not included in the package

DVR Features:
• 8 CH H.264 Surveillance DVR
• 500GB Hard Drive Installed
• H.264 Hardware Compression
• Video Input / Output: BNC 8 / BNC 2
• Audio Input / Output: RCA 4 / RCA 2
• Two Type Video Out: TV Monitor BNC Output and PC Monitor VGA Output
• Signal System: NTSC / PAL
• Display: 240 fps
• Record: 240 fps
• Remote Access: Internet Explorer or Netviewer Software
• PTZ via RS485 Port (not with these cameras however)
• Support Remote View via Smart Phone & 3G Mobile with each of those systems below:
      a) iPhone™
      b) Google Android™
      c) Blackberry™ OS V4.7
      d) Windows Mobile™ Pro 5.0 & 6.1
      e) Symbian™ S60 3rd & S60 5th

Camera Features:
• 1/4” Color Image Sensor
• 420 TV Lines, Horizontal
• 3.6mm Lens
• Signal: NTSC
• IR Irradiation Distance: up to 30ft
• Weatherproof
• Video Connector: BNC
• Power Connector: RCA 12V DC
• Mount: Ceiling or Wall

Don't worry about missing the sale. They will even become less expensive in the future. (more)

"Landau details both the internal threat and industrial espionage, and it is not a pretty picture."

Book review by Ben Rothke... 

Surveillance or Security?: The Risks Posed by New Wiretapping Technologies is a hard book to categorize. It is not about security, but it deals extensively with it. It is not a law book, but legal topics are pervasive throughout the book. It is not a telecommunications book, but extensively details telco issues. Ultimately, the book is a most important overview of security and privacy and the nature of surveillance in current times... 

Surveillance or Security?: The Risks Posed by New Wiretapping Technologies is an extremely important book on the topic of the many risks posed by new wiretapping technologies. Landau has the remarkable talent of taking very broad issues and detailing them in a concise, yet comprehensive manner. The book should be seen as the starting point for discussion on a most important topic.

Landau does an excellent job of detailing how unwarranted surveillance can undermine security and affect our rights, while noting that security for every citizen is paramount to the very spirit of the Constitution.

The book closes with the very principles of what it means to get communications security right and that adhering to these principles cannot guarantee that we will be completely secure. But failure to adhere to them will guarantee that we will not. (more)

Today in Spy History

On July 26, 1947, President Truman signed the National Security Act, creating the Department of Defense, the National Security Council, the Central Intelligence Agency and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (more)

Having Trouble Keeping Track of the Phone Hacking Scandal?

The Telegraph key pounds it out.

Click to enlarge.

Below is a list of the alleged victims of phone hacking. This includes public figures, celebrities and others who have accused News International newspapers of hacking, those who are currently bringing legal action and those who brought successful cases in the courts.

Alleged victims
Milly Dowler
Parents of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman
Families of servicemen and women killed in Iraq and Afghanistan
Relatives of victims and victims of 7/7 bombings
Clarence Mitchell, spokesman for Madeleine McCann’s family
Colin Stagg, accused of Rachel Nickell murder
Elle Macpherson, model
Wayne Rooney, footballer
Hugh Grant, actor
Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall
Simon Hughes, Liberal Democrat deputy leader
Helen Asprey, former royal aide
Michael Mansfield, barrister who represented Mohamed Al Fayed at the Princess Diana inquest
Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, private secretary to Princes William and Harry
Peter Mandelson, former Labour minister
David Davis, former shadow Home Secretary
Andrew Neil, BBC presenter
Boris Johnson, London Mayor
Sir Ian Blair, former Metropolitan Police commissioner
Paddy Harverson, Prince of Wales’ communication secretary
Vanessa Feltz, presenter
Lembit Opik, former Liberal Democrat MP
Cousin of Jean Charles de Menezes, Brazilian man shot dead by police
Paul O'Grady, presenter and comedian
John Yates, former Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner
David Cook, former Metropolitan Police detective chief superintendent

Seeking legal action
Steve Coogan, actor and comedian
Sky Andrew, former Olympian
Nicola Phillips, assistant to Max Clifford
Andy Gray, broadcaster
Paul Gascoigne, footballer
Sienna Miller, actress
John Prescott, former Labour Deputy Prime Minister
Brian Paddick, former Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner
Brendan Montague, freelance journalist
Chris Bryant, Labour MP
Jude Law, actor
Ryan Giggs, footballer
Chris Tarrant, presenter
Leslie Ash and Lee Chapman, actress and former footballer
Kelly Hoppen, stepmother of Sienna Miller
Kieren Fallon, jockey
George Galloway, former MP

Successful cases
Max Clifford, publicist
Gordon Taylor, chief executive of Professional Footballers’ Association
Jo Armstrong, legal advisor to Gordon Taylor
Tessa Jowell, former culture secretary (offered settlement)
David Mills, lawyer and ex-husband of Tessa Jowell (offered settlement)
Joan Hammell, former aide to John Prescott (offered settlement)

(more)

The Number 1 Spybusters Tip that would have saved most of these people from being hacked...

Make sure your voice mail and cell phone both have decent secret passwords. 

Don't want to see your name on a list like this someday? 

Read more tips from IMCPB)

TSCM Inspection Reveals Taps & Bugs In Inspector's Office

India - Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Santosh N Hegde, who is probing illegal mining in the state, on Thursday claimed that his phone has been tapped.

Hegde, a former Supreme Court judge, told PTI that after reports of alleged bugging in the office of Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee surfaced, he had asked a professional to carry out a check in his office.

"(The professional) told me that my telephone has been tapped. Every conversation was being recorded from two sources," he said.

Hegde refused to comment on who could have tapped his phone. The tapping had been going on for the past three-four months, he said. (more) 

Tip: Quarterly inspections for bugs and taps (TSCM) within sensitive offices and conference rooms is a generally accepted security practice. (more)

"Murdock, he wrote."

Image courtesy of Guns, Gams, and Gumshoes

UK - A TV show personally overseen by Rupert Murdoch allegedly bugged the rooms of celebrities, politicians and other guests, the show's musical director told a friend shortly before his death, it has been claimed. The allegations came in a 'frantic' phone call from respected BBC journalist and musician, George Webley, days before Webley's untimely death in May, his friend John Romano said. “I have literally never talked to someone so afraid”, Romano said.

“Before his death, George Webley alleged that a News Corp entity bugged dressing rooms of celebs and politicos as far back as 1990. The allegation, if true, would show that News Corp had a pattern of bugging and hacking over a long period of time that went far beyond a rogue editor or reporter for News of the World,” Romano claimed...

“Murdoch-owned papers bugged people all the time, long before the time frame that they are accused of”, Webley claimed, according to Romano. After remaining silent for many years Webley had in 2011 taken his allegations of illegal bugging activity to UK authorities investigating News Corp, Romano believed, and he now feared for his safety, believing his phone was tapped and he was being followed.

“I’ve pissed some really powerful people off”, Webley told Romano in April this year. The BBC journalist seemed so frightened that Romano asked him if he felt his life was in danger. “No, Murdoch’s game is to destroy your life, not end it”, he replied. One week later, Webley died at home, aged 53. Local authorities are yet to release a report on his death but have not described it as suspicious. (more)

Business Espionage: FBI Thwarts Akamai Info Heist

http://www.bottomsupcomic.com/2009/06/trade-secrets/

MA - A former employee of a website content delivery company has agreed to plead guilty to a charge of foreign economic espionage for providing company trade secrets to an undercover FBI agent posing as an Israeli intelligence officer, federal prosecutors announced Thursday.

Elliot Doxer, 42, will admit to providing trade secrets from Cambridge-based Akamai Technologies Inc. over an 18-month period to the agent, whom he believed was an Israeli spy, the U.S. Attorney's Office for Massachusetts said in a statement. A plea hearing is scheduled for Aug. 29. (more)

"Everybody wants to get in on the act." It's not just phone hacking.

UK - Millionaire Labour donor David Abrahams claims he was a victim of phone hacking.

Mr Abrahams, who was plunged into the epicentre of a media storm in 2007 when he was accused of making thousands of pounds of illegal donations to Labour, has revealed how he believes he was the victim of secret bugging...

Now he claims the current phone hacking scandal is simply “the tip of the iceberg.

And he claims bugs and other recording devices were placed in his home, prompting him to call in experts who discovered the electrics at his property had been tampered with.

Today he warns there could be much more to come from the hacking scandal. He told the Chronicle: “It’s not just News International and it’s not just phone hacking.

“They put little video cameras in car aerials and bugs and devices in people’s houses. There are a lot of other factors as well as phone hacking. I’ve had it in my own life far too many times.” (more)