EU Court Say NO and YES to Private Surveillance Cameras

The European Union's highest court ruled on Thursday that private individuals generally cannot install surveillance cameras to film people on a public path. 

It said, however, that exceptions can be made if they help prevent and prosecute criminal acts.

The case arose after a Czech man installed a surveillance camera under the eaves of his family home from October 2007 to April 2008 after attacks, in some of which windows were smashed. (more)

A Guide to Electronically Stored Information Preservation Responsibilities

The litigation-related duty to preserve relevant evidence, including electronically stored information (ESI), is well established and widely known in the legal community and the business world...

In today’s legal climate, even a company’s seemingly innocent delay in implementing an appropriate method to preserve ESI may be catastrophic...

This white paper guides litigants through their responsibilities to preserve evidence and provides valuable information on implementing a defensible legal hold process. (more) (pdf)

Blackphone Improves - Now with Apps and a Silent Space!

Blackphone, a joint venture between SGP Technologies, Silent Circle, and others, will introduce world's first privacy-focused app store. 

PrivatOS1.1 empowers users to take control of their privacy, without the tradeoffs...

With most smartphones, separating work and play means compromising either privacy or convenience: either work apps and data live in the same place as personal games and social media apps, or users carry two devices to guarantee privacy and separation. Spaces can separate work life from personal life, a "parents only" space from a kid-friendly one, or any other separation users can dream up – no compromises needed.

A "Silent Space" is featured by default and includes the Silent Suite of apps for encrypted communication, Blackphone app store and a bundle of pre-loaded privacy apps. From there, build additional Spaces as you see fit – for whatever purpose you need – with the Blackphone Security Center and PrivatOS keeping you safe across each one.

The accompanying launch of the Blackphone app store ‐ the first one in the world that focuses solely on privacy-focused applications – solidifies Blackphone's position as a global leader in privacy and security.

Available January 2015, the Blackphone app store features curated apps specifically selected by Blackphone as the most secure privacy-optimized apps on the market. Several pre-loaded apps will be immediately available with the latest PrivatOS update in early 2015. (more)

My Kind of Christmas Card

Thanks, Joe!

Update: Jersey Girls Never Say Die and I'm Not a Spy

A New York judge has rejected a 98-year-old woman's request to erase her 1950 conviction for conspiracy to obstruct justice in the run-up to the atomic spying trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg.

Manhattan Judge Alvin Hellerstein said Thursday that Miriam Moskowitz's lawyers could not show that newly released records would have changed her trial's result. Moskowitz lives in Washington Township in Bergen County, New Jersey. She served a two-year prison sentence.

She said afterward: "Too bad." She says she's disappointed. (more)

Eavesdropping Lies, Coverups and Other Dumb Politico Moves

Australia - The future of Federal Parliament's top bureaucrat is under a cloud following the release of a scathing report by the Senate's powerful Privileges Committee.

It found Carol Mills provided "contradictory" and "misleading" information to a parliamentary committee about the use of security cameras inside Parliament House.

At issue was whether internal cameras were used to investigate a Parliament House employee who allegedly leaked information to Labor senator John Faulkner... previously said she only became aware in May that security footage had been used... other documents indicated Ms Mills was aware of the issue in February and had approved the use of security camera footage...

Her position as the chief bureaucrat in charge of Parliament House has come under question in recent months, following her decision earlier this year to downgrade security to save money.
That decision was subsequently reversed. (more)

Australia - The release of a secret report into a police bugging scandal has been blocked by Premier Mike Baird's department, leading to warnings the dispute may end up before the Supreme Court.

The Strike Force Emblems report examines allegations of illegal bugging by the NSW police's Special Crime and Internal Affairs (SCIA) and the NSW Crime Commission between 1999 and 2001, but has never been made public. (more)

Malware Planted In Chinese E-Cigarettes

Electronic cigarette manufacturers may have highlighted its numerous benefits to let you lead a healthy, stress-free life.

What they certainly did not highlight was that the device can be used for malware distribution as well...

To avoid such risks, it is advised to disable data pins on the USB and keep only cable charge to prevent any information exchange between the devices it connects.

Alternatively, use a USB Condom, a gadget that connects to USB and makes data pins ineffective. (more)

The History of the Telephone - Infographic

The history of the telephone...
(Wiretapping started in the 1800's. First on telegraph lines, then on the telephone lines.)
The History of the Telephone by ITS Limited, a provider of telecommunication solutions.

Cricket Can't Overbill for Wiretaps in Good Conscious

Cricket Communications has agreed to fork over nearly $2.2 million to resolve claims that it over-billed federal law enforcement agencies for the costs of conducting wiretaps and pen registers, federal authorities announced this week...

“A joint investigation by the Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Attorney’s Office revealed that Cricket overcharged federal law enforcement agencies for executing wiretaps and pen registers from 2007 until Cricket lowered its fees in 2010," the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in the press release. “The settlement agreement resolves the United States’ civil claims against Cricket based on the over-billing." (more)

Jersey Girls Never Say Die and I'm Not a Spy

A 98-year-old New Jersey woman's showdown with the federal government over her 1950 conviction in the run-up to the atomic spying trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg returns to a Manhattan courtroom.

Miriam Moskowitz asked a judge earlier this year to reconsider her conviction in light of new evidence that emerged in the last decade... The government said she conspired with two men to lie to a grand jury investigating allegations of atomic espionage.

U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein is set to hear oral arguments. He has urged a speedy resolution of the case. (more) (more) (her book) (video)

Espionage Conference: Beat Security into CEOs with a Stick

CEOs and business leaders often ignore cyber intrusions or even cover them up, allege IT experts who attended an espionage conference near Ottawa this week.

But those actions leave publicly listed companies and their corporate boards exposed to massive legal liabilities when cyber attacks leak customer info or damage the company’s competitive value...

...compel company executives and corporate boards to fix security holes, says Errol Mendes, a law professor at the University of Ottawa, who also spoke at the espionage conference.

“Tell them about the potential legal liability,” he said. “Use the legal stick.” (more)

Business Espionage: GlobeRanger Awarded $15 million in Trade Secrets Espionage Case

Background
A lawsuit filed in state court Friday reads like a Hollywood script: It includes sex, deception and espionage in an alleged conspiracy to rob a Richardson company of its livelihood. (more)

The Verdict
According to a Nov. 28 court filing, on Nov. 20 a jury in federal court in Dallas awarded Richard, Texas-based GlobeRanger $15 million in a case that involved the misappropriation of trade secrets related to radio frequency identification technology.  

The case is GlobeRanger Corp. v. Software AG, 3:11-cv-00403, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas (Dallas). (more)

Russian Politicians May Be Required to Use Dumb Phones

A leftist Russian lawmaker has prepared a bill recommending all MPs to stop using iPhones and iPads to protect themselves from eavesdropping by foreign special services.

Dmitry Gorovtsov, of the center-left Fair Russia party, told the Interfax news agency that his suggestion applied primarily to politicians who had access to classified information...

“In principle, the MPs know that using the most primitive mobile phones, those that cost no more than $20, is a guarantee not only against the theft of your own financial data or spying on your e-mail, but also against bugging,” Gorovtsov said. (more)

The least expensive way to assure you will not be tracked, eavesdropped, or have your information stolen by spyware is to use a dumb cell phone. Sources: johnsphones.com, Kyocera Marbl K127, Motorola W260g, Motorola C139, more

Wiretap Costs Drops

How much does a wiretap actually cost?

Last year, the average wiretap cost $41,119, according to the U.S. Courts Wiretaps Report for 2013, down from $57,540 the previous year. The steady decrease in wiretapping price means it's highly likely that wiretapping is cheaper now than it has ever been before. The average length of these wiretaps was 40 days, and the most prominent wiretapping happened in northern Illinois, where narcotics officers intercepted 136,378 text messages. (more)

Chanel #007 - It Stinks

French researchers claim to have found indisputable evidence that Coco Chanel worked as a spy for the Nazis during the Second World War.

A written record made public for the first time in a documentary broadcast on French television last night is said to prove that the late fashion designer was a member of Abwehr - Adolf Hitler's secret military intelligence agency. (more)