The ToothBots Are Coming

According to a recent report published by the Aargauer Zeitung (h/t Golem.de), around three million smart toothbrushes have been infected by hackers and enslaved into botnets...

In this particular case, the toothbrush botnet was thought to have been vulnerable due to its Java-based OS. No particular toothbrush brand was mentioned in the source report. Normally, the toothbrushes would have used their connectivity for tracking and improving user oral hygiene habits, but after a malware infection, these toothbrushes were press-ganged into a botnet. more

UPDATE: Okay, stop laughing. The report of a massive denial of service attack by smart toothbrushes was a misreported story from mainstream sources. A hypothetical that was mistranslated.

“The Conversation” to be Remade as a TV Series

Francis Ford Coppola‘s 1974 masterpiece “The Conversation” will be remade as a TV series, with “Margin Call” and “All Is Lost” filmmaker J.C. Chandor attached to both write and direct the series, IndieWire has confirmed.

Chandor will direct via his CounterNarrative Films banner alongside Temple Hill, producer Adam Fishbach, and executive produced by Coppola’s American Zoetrope. Erin Levy, known for her work on “Mad Men” and “Mindhunter,” will be the showrunner on “The Conversation” remake. 

MRC is the studio behind the series, and the company optioned the TV remake rights directly from the Coppola estate. more

...and for old times' sake...

FutureWatch: New Wi-Fi Tech Has Potential Spy Applications

Morse Micro, announced the first live demonstration of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED HaLow technology extending 3 km (nearly two miles). Morse Micro staged this record-setting field test of a long-range video call in San Francisco’s Ocean Beach neighborhood to showcase the ability of sub-GHz Wi-Fi HaLow signals to reach long distances in challenging real-world conditions. A low-power, long-reach version of Wi-Fi based on the IEEE 802.11ah standard, Wi-Fi HaLow offers more than 10x the range, 100x the coverage area and 1000x the volume of traditional Wi-Fi technologies...

Wi-Fi HaLow overcomes the limitations of traditional Wi-Fi by operating in the sub-GHz spectrum on narrow frequency bands, enabling the technology to penetrate obstacles and provide unmatched performance, even in noisy environments crowded with numerous connected devices and cameras. Wi-Fi HaLow not only increases wireless range; it also extends battery life with its power-saving features...

The company is sampling its Wi-Fi Alliance and FCC-certified MM6108 production silicon – the fastest, smallest, lowest power and longest-range Wi-Fi HaLow SoC available in the market. more

Crime: Cameras Hidden in a Church Bathroom

UPDATE: U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Thursday sentenced a man who hid a video camera in a bathroom to capture images of a young girl to 25 years in prison. more

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U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Stephen Nicot, 61, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to receipt of child pornography...

Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that between 2012 and 2014, Nicot hid a camera in the bathroom of a church located in the Western District of New York. 

Nicot positioned the camera so that it would capture video and images of naked individuals using the shower in the church bathroom. He did this knowing some of the individuals would be under the age of 18 and he planned to display the video of the minors. 

...law enforcement executed a warrant at the Nicot’s residence and recovered a memory card and USB drive, which contained videos and images of at least five minor victims using the church bathroom and shower. Two cell phones were also seized, which contained naked images of a minor victim that were recorded by a camera hidden in a bathroom of Nicot’s residence. more

Don't let you or your children become victims. 

Know how to spot hidden spy cameras. 

Take the course.

So Much Data Even Spies Are Struggling to Find Secrets

Spying used to be all about secrets. Increasingly, it’s about what’s hiding in plain sight.

A staggering amount of data, from Facebook posts and YouTube clips to location pings from mobile phones and car apps, sits in the open internet, available to anyone who looks. US intelligence agencies have struggled for years to tap into such data, which they refer to as open-source intelligence, or OSINT. But that’s starting to change.

In October the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which oversees all the nation’s intelligence agencies, brought in longtime analyst and cyber expert Jason Barrett to help with the US intelligence community’s approach to OSINT. His immediate task will be to help develop the intelligence community’s national OSINT strategy, which will focus on coordination, data acquisition and the development of tools to improve its approach to this type of intelligence work. ODNI expects to implement the plan in the coming months, according to a spokesperson. more

US spies want to use AI

The U.S. government is considering incorporating more artificial intelligence into its spying operations — but first it has to figure out which AI models can resist tampering and protect the country’s secrets...

“The intelligence community wants to avail itself of the large-language models out there, but there are a lot of unknowns,” Tim McKinnon, who runs IARPA’s Bias Effects and Notable Generative AI Limitations (BENGAL) project, told Bloomberg. “The end goal is being able to work with a model with trust.”...

The BENGAL team tests different ways to attack AI models and uncover vulnerabilities that could hamper their effective use by U.S. spies. Officials have also invited private companies to perform these tests for the government. more

"There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven't yet met." - TSA

The Transportation Security Administration is planning to expand its facial recognition scanners to more than 400 airports, an agency official said...

The CAT-2 units are currently deployed at nearly 30 airports nationwide, and will expand to more than 400 federalized airports over the coming years,” the TSA official said...

During a discussion at the South by Southwest festival in March 2023, TSA Administrator David Pekoske said “eventually we will get to the point where we will require biometrics across the board because it is much more effective and much more efficient.” more

World's Smallest Video Camera (2024)

They just keep getting smaller and smaller...

1/11" CMOS mini medical design camera to capture 1 megapixel in a compact 1.43 x 0.81 mm package. These features make it ideal for many endoscopic devices, including those used in airway management ; gastrointestinal ; and urology applications. more

China’s Nuclear Battery Powers your Smartphone for 50 Years

A Chinese startup called Betavolt has cooked up this itty-bitty nuclear battery - about the size of a little coin - which they claim can crank out electricity for 50 years straight, with no charging pit stops needed.

As the company leaps from development to the pilot stage, they're gearing up for full-scale production and a grand entrance into the market pretty soon...

Zhang Wei, Chairman and CEO of Betavolt, said in a press release that the BV100 marks a groundbreaking achievement as the world's first mass-produced nuclear battery...

The company also deems these batteries safe for medical devices within the human body, such as pacemakers and cochlear's, with no external radiation. more

Ok, now think of this technology being applied to quick-plant eavesdropping bugs and voice recorders.

Warning As 26 Billion Records Leak: Dropbox, LinkedIn, Twitter Named

via Rob Kleeger, Digital4nx Group, Ltd.

Hold on tight because we've got some major news for you. Brace yourselves for the 'Mother of all breaches' (MOAB) - a breach so massive it's making waves in the cybersecurity world!

Security researchers have just uncovered a mind-boggling database with over 26 billion records, compromising billions of accounts worldwide. Yep, you read that right! This treasure trove of data has been collected from big shots like LinkedIn, Twitter, Adobe, and many more.

Can you believe it? This jaw-dropping database is made up of a whopping 3,800 folders, which means these records were gathered over time to create a mind-blowing 12 Terabyte database. Talk about a digital goldmine! 

Now, here's the important part: some major players have been affected, including Twitter/X (281 million records), LinkedIn (251 million records), Evite (179 million records), and Adobe (153 million records). It's a serious situation, folks.

We don't want you to panic, but it's crucial to take immediate action to protect yourself. 

Here's what you need to do:
1️⃣ Change your passwords for ALL online accounts, especially those linked to the affected organizations.
2️⃣ Enable two-factor authentication wherever possible. Double the security, double the peace of mind! 
3️⃣ Stay on high alert for any suspicious emails, messages, or calls asking for personal information. Don't fall for their tricks!
4️⃣ Keep a close eye on your financial accounts and credit reports. If you spot any unauthorized activity, act fast!
The breach reminds me of this movie clip for some reason... 

Citizens Warned Against Spy's 'Exotic Beauty' Traps

China has warned its citizens against "exotic beauties" seeking to lure them into the hands of foreign spy agencies.

The Ministry of State Security said a Chinese man, Li Si, went to a nightclub while on an overseas trip and was later blackmailed by foreign spies.

The ministry's WeChat post's title read, "Hunting for beauty? You may become the prey". Analysts say such warnings reflect a sense of insecurity among China's leaders. more

Actually, good advice for any business traveler.

Police Can No Longer Request Ring Doorbell Videos via App

Amazon-owned Ring will stop allowing police departments to request doorbell camera footage from users, marking an end to a feature that has drawn criticism from privacy advocates.

In a blog post on Wednesday, Ring said it will sunset the “Request for Assistance” tool, which allows police departments and other public safety agencies to request and receive video captured by the doorbell cameras through Ring’s Neighbors app. The company did not provide a reason for the change, which will be effective starting this week. more

How To Turn On Apple iPhone’s New Anti-Theft Feature

Apple's 'Stolen Device Protection' tool aims to deter cases of phone theft, but you need to enable it first.

Apple's new ‘stolen device protection' tool, was launched as part of its iOS 17.3 release, and plans to squash instances of phone theft by ramping up security requirements and limiting the amount of data thieves have access to...

Activating Apple's new security mechanism is very straightforward. First you need to enable two-factor authentication for your Apple AI and set up a device passcode, Face ID or Touch ID, Find My, and Significant Locations (under Location Services).

Once you have these up, you need to: 

• Go to Settings
• Tap ‘Face ID & PassCode'
• Enter your device passcode
• Tap to turn Stolen Device Protection on

more  video

Widow: Hugh Hefner Had ‘Little Spy Holes’ to Record Celebs

Crystal Hefner has revealed that her late husband, Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, had camera peepholes in his bedroom and even in the foot of his bed — where he says he recorded sexual encounters with celebrities and high-ranking politicians, apparently without their knowledge...

The revelation is part of Hefner’s upcoming tell-all book, Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself, which is due out on January 23...

In the book, Hefner adds that Hef, who passed away in 2017 at the age of 91, claimed to have tapes of numerous A-list celebrities and “videos of wild orgies, also with celebrities and politicians and business leaders, some of whom were married.”... It has not been reported what Hef did with all those videos... more

Flight Attendant Allegedly iPhone's Minors in Plane Restrooms

NBC Boston identified the suspect as 37-year-old Estes Carter Thompson III in its report Thursday, noting authorities launched an investigation after a 14-year-old girl said she found an iPhone taped to a toilet seat lid on a flight from Boston to Charlotte...

The minor told her parents about the incident and they reported that information to other crew members. In addition, the father confronted the suspect who reentered the restroom...

Police met the suspect when the plane landed in Boston and it appeared the suspect’s phone had been reset to factory settings. However, officials reportedly found stickers similar to those allegedly seen in the restroom tucked inside his suitcase.

Thompson’s iCloud account also revealed he allegedly had recordings of victims who were 7, 9, 11, and 14 years old, along with photos of an unaccompanied minor.

Not all spy cameras are this easy to detect. SpyCam detection training is a good idea.