Julian Claxton Speaks Out on the Spy Camera Pandemic

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A spate of high-profile incidents have showcased just how easy it is for Airbnb hosts to spy on unsuspecting guests.

These cameras are cheap, easy to use and hard for guests to find, says Julian Claxton, managing director of counterespionage organisation, Jayde Consulting. “Depending on how well they’re hidden, it can be very difficult to detect them without professional help,” Mr Claxton told The New Daily.

“The devices are really easy to get. If you type in ‘hidden camera’ into eBay you will get thousands of hits. The new ones, they’re building them into charger packs, into the bases of lamps, clocks, radios – you name it and you can put a camera in it.”

Those hiding cameras in hotels are looking for more specific targets, Mr Claxton says.

“Often it’s not the hotel themselves, it’s a rogue worker who is more interested in a perversion or extortion,” he said.

“For instance, if you work for a major conglomerate and have a dalliance with a man or woman while you’re married, that video can then be used to extort that person.” more | Learn how to detect spy cameras yourself.

Spycam: Firefighter v. Firefighter

US - A former Denver fire lieutenant was charged Thursday with secretly planting a recording device in the changing room used by a female firefighter...

Flesner, who is retired, allegedly placed the recording device in the sleeping room of another firefighter. The lens was facing the changing area, the news release says.

When the device was discovered and reported to superiors, of which he was one, Flesner allegedly tampered with the device. more

I really doubt he did this, but it made me laugh.

The New Zealand Embassy Spycam Case... or, You're-In-Trouble

The jury has seen footage from a covert camera found in a toilet at the New Zealand Embassy in the US, in the trial of top military attache.

A number of videos captured on 27 July were played to the jury this afternoon, the first being a video of the covert camera being set up. more

"It was a black box, probably about an inch, an inch and a half thick and three or four inches long. It appeared to be what I thought was a hard drive." more

Learn how to spot spycams yourself.

The "Yes Master" Bracelet

Children who end up caught in Chicago's policing and justice system are being outfitted with ReliAlert XC3 GPS ankle-cuffs supplied by the Track Group, who use them to log children's movements and to bark orders at them, as well as listening in on them. The children have to wear them 24/7 while on bail awaiting trial.

The company claims that the recording function in the tracking anklets generates a notification every time it is used, but its own technicians have testified under oath that the listening function can be covertly activated. Track Group stores all recordings of its interactions with children indefinitely.  more

"Sooo, what are you wearing Mr. big, strong, Alexa man."

Tens of millions of people use smart speakers and their voice software to play games, find music or trawl for trivia. Millions more are reluctant to invite the devices and their powerful microphones into their homes out of concern that someone might be listening.

Sometimes, someone is.

Amazon.com Inc. employs thousands of people around the world to help improve the Alexa digital assistant powering its line of Echo speakers... more

Idea: Taunt them. "Sooo, what are you wearing Mr. big, strong, Alexa man."

The Steinger, Iscoe & Greene Law Firm Bugging

A fascinating case, still unfolding!
What happened...

While attorney Gary Iscoe — the Iscoe of the decades-old Steinger, Iscoe & Greene personal injury law firm — is gone and two other associates have been fired, the strange goings-on remain shrouded in mystery. “It’s very John Grisham,” said attorney Michael Pike, who is representing the firm in a lawsuit aimed at finding out who the spies were, what they were seeking and why.

Listening devices behind a ceiling tile

When the firm’s finance director found drywall debris on the floor of her office when she came to work on Sept. 10, she asked a maintenance man to pop up a ceiling tile, according to West Palm Beach police who were summoned to investigate two days later. There, hidden in the recesses of the ceiling, the finance director and others discovered wires that were linked to an audio receiver, police said.

...police said they found wires running to cameras, microphones and recording equipment mainly in the firm’s finance, marketing and human resources departments. Some of the wires had been cut and a video recording device was missing.

...it appears whoever installed the devices hurriedly removed the digital recorder once they realized police had been called.

From other authorized cameras at the firm, police said they recovered a video that showed two people, carrying tools and a ladder, entering the office at about 10:30 p.m. on Sept. 9. Employees couldn’t identify one of the intruders, police said. The other person caught on camera was identified by employees as Michael Coronel, a 26-year-old former Marine who had worked as an investigator at the firm for about six months... more | analysis

Quote of the Week

“Boston is a target-rich environment for anyone who is interested in intellectual property.”
–US Assistant Attorney General John Demers  more

From Those Wonderful Folks Who Brought You APT - Manditory Free Pen-Testing

New provisions made to China's Cybersecurity Law gives state agencies the legal authority to remotely conduct penetration testing on any internet-related business operating in China, and even copy and later share any data government officials find on inspected systems...

These new provisions, named "Regulations on Internet Security Supervision and Inspection by Public Security Organs" give the MSP the following new powers:

• Conduct in-person or remote inspections of the network security defenses taken by companies operating in China.
• Check for "prohibited content" banned inside China's border.
• Log security response plans during on-site inspections.
• Copy any user information found on inspected systems during on-site or remote inspections.
• Perform penetration tests to check for vulnerabilities.
• Perform remote inspections without informing companies.
• Share any collected data with other state agencies.
• The right to have two members of the People's Armed Police (PAP) present during on-site inspection to enforce procedures. more

Judd Bank's Tips on How to Spot A Liar

At some point in life, everyone is a victim of a lie. It may include romantic relationships, business transactions, political behavior and/or criminal misrepresentation...  

There are two main techniques in detecting deception without the use of a polygraph instrument. They are observing body language and asking open-ended questions... more

Concise and very educational. ~Kevin

How to Tell if Someone Snoops on Your Computer

Think about all of the personal information stored on your computer -- it's essentially an extension of your whole identity in digital form. You may have all your photos, videos, resumes, contacts, documents and other sensitive information saved on your PC or Mac.

Can you imagine someone snooping around and getting their hands on all that?

But how can you tell if someone was accessing your files and applications without your knowledge? Is someone using your computer behind your back? Thankfully, there are various ways to find out.

Read on and learn these tricks you can use to see if someone is snooping on your PC or Mac... more

Ya Think?

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo suggested Friday that Yujing Zhang, the woman who breached security at President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago, Florida club, may have been a Chinese spy. more

Polish Millionaire Arrested Over Eavesdropping Scandal

A fugitive Polish "multi-millionaire" at the heart of an eavesdropping scandal... in 2015 has been arrested in Spain, police said Saturday.

Marek Falenta was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison in Poland in December 2016 for setting up an eavesdropping system in swanky restaurants in Warsaw that saw waiters record conversations between business-people and politicians.

That led to a major scandal that erupted in 2014 with media publishing extracts of incriminating conversations... more

The Surprising Cost of a GPS Tracking & Cellular Eavesdropping Bug

As described on eBay...

Ultra Mini GF-07 GPS Long Standby Magnetic SOS Tracking Device for Vehicle/Car/Person Location Tracker Locator System Anti-lost Device 

Features:
1. Small size and light weight, easy for carry.

2. Black shell, easy to hide, perfect for tracking vehicles, teens, spouses, elderly persons or assets. With two powerful magnets inside, easy to attach to vehicle firmly, no extra installation need.

3. All you need is a working SIM card (NOT included!) to insert into the device, then you can track and map (with Google Maps) in real-time over the Internet.

4. Dial SIM card number, then you can hear voice around this tracker, with no light and no noise, you can monitoring and spy what's going on around the tracker silently and secretly.

5. Voice Recording Function: Send text message 555 to SIM card number, it will reply a message “Snd” and start recording, SIM card and TF card are not included.

 

Electronic surveillance devices, like this one, are flooding into the country. Below is just one of the many ads on eBay alone. At these prices (as low as $11.99, and cheaper from the China and Hong Hong listings) they are throwaway items. Set it and forget it. No need to risk retrieving it to recharge the battery. 

Businesses especially need to be concerned. Imagine competitors tracking your sales people, delivery trucks, or your top executives. Learn more about these types of devices and what you can do about them.

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Pre-Installed Anti Malware Phone App Does More Harm Than Good

Researchers have discovered multiple vulnerabilities in a pre-installed app on phones made by one of the world’s biggest smartphone vendors that potentially impacted the privacy and security of more than 150 million Android users worldwide.

According to security researchers at Check Point Research, the vulnerabilities were found in an app pre-installed on smartphones made by Xiaomi, the biggest mobile phone manufacturer in China and India, and the fourth biggest by market share in the world.

The app in question was a self-proclaimed security app dubbed “Guard Provider,” which promised to protect Xiaomi users from malware.

Xiaomi said last year it had originally hoped to offer its smartphones and other hardware here in the States in 2019, though those efforts may have been delayed for PR reasons... more

Whew!

The War Against Smartphone Spyware is On

Eva Galperin says she's learned the signs: the survivors of domestic abuse who come to her describing how their tormentors seem to know everyone they've called, texted, and even what they discussed in their most private conversations...

Galperin has a plan to end that scourge for good—or at least take a serious bite out of the industry.

In a talk she is scheduled to give next week at the Kaspersky Security Analyst Summit in Singapore, Galperin will lay out a list of demands:

• First, she's calling on the antivirus industry to finally take the threat of stalkerware seriously, after years of negligence and inaction. 
• She'll also ask Apple to take measures to protect iPhone users from stalkerware, given that the company doesn't allow antivirus apps into its App Store. 
• Finally, and perhaps most drastically, she says she'll call on state and federal officials to use their prosecutorial powers to indict executives of stalkerware-selling companies on hacking charges.

"It would be nice to see some of these companies shut down," she says. "It would be nice to see some people go to jail." more

Check here if you need a solution for checking your Android phone for spyware.