Security Scrapbook - Espionage & Privacy News of the Week.
Date: Sat, 29 Dec 2001
To: Clients, colleagues and friends.
Subject: Espionage & Privacy News of the Week.
====================================================
Kevin's Security Scrapbook® is published on an irregular
basis for a select audience. HTML versions are archived at http://www.spybusters.com/Security_Scrapbook.html
==================================================== SPECIAL SECTION -- Security Director News
SPECIAL SECTION -- Jersey Boyz
SPECIAL SECTION -- World Spy News
SPECIAL SECTION -- Private Eyes
SPECIAL SECTION -- Odd Stuff - ***CONTEST*** ====================================================
SPECIAL SECTION -- Security Director News
"It depends on how you define privacy." CIOs (and security directors) have a good reason to rethink their
company's privacy policy. The antiterrorism law President Bush signed in
late October makes it easier for officials investigating potential
terrorist activity to get court orders to search companies' business
records. Having the right privacy policy in place can save executives
from bad PR or lawsuits by customers or business partners whose data
they may have to turn over if the feds come knocking. http://www.cio.com/archive/010102/tl_washington.html
The standard knee-jerk reactions to an espionage incident... 1. Denial - "Who's going to bug us? Besides, no one can get in here."
2. Indecision - "Let's not be rash. Probably just a coincidence."
3. Evidence Sabotage - "We found a recorder and ripped it out."
4. Fear - "Maybe we should call somebody."
5. Regret - "I should have trusted my instincts."
We told you XP was just an emoticon... The FBI's top cyber-security unit warned consumers and corporations
Friday night to take new steps beyond those recommended by Microsoft to
protect against hackers who might try to attack major flaws discovered
in the newest version of Windows software. http://www.ocregister.com/business/microhack22cci.html "Be Glad You Have A Mac." That's what I was thinking as the FBI's
National Infrastructure Protection Center issued a new security alert to
users of Windows XP on Saturday. Of course in the battle between XP and
OS X, there have been bugs on both sides, but this new security breach
from XP was so severe it warranted the FBI's attention, and that's bad. http://www.macdirectory.com/4u/wire.fm$retrieve?
SPECIAL SECTION -- Jersey Boyz
Security Quote of the week... "We move a lot of boxes and unfortunately sometimes they get lost."
- Emery spokesman, James Allen. A little background music...
NEWARK, N.J. -- An air freight courier at Newark International Airport
says a shipment of painkillers worth $800,000 was either lost or
stolen.... OxyContin is a slow-release narcotic painkiller. One pill is
designed to last 12 hours, but abusers crush OxyContin and snort or
inject it, producing a quick, heroin-like high. http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-nj--missingpainkiller
"Fresh and full of life." ...National ID mints. The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center have spurred a former
surgeon from New Jersey to turn himself into a human guinea pig. Richard
Seelig spent about five minutes implanting two "Verichips" -- each no
larger than a small breath mint -- below the skin of his right forearm
and right hip. Applied Digital Solutions of Palm Beach, Fla., touts its
chips as a "tamper-proof" identification system. They contain radio
transmitters and about two paragraphs of information, and the data can
be scanned from up to 4 feet away with a proprietary wand that activates
the transmitter. http://www.northjersey.com/news/doctor21200112216.htm http://www.mentos.com/commercial.jsp
No. You fuhgetaboutit. A defense attorney for reputed mobster Nicodemo Scarfo, Jr. Thursday
promised an appeal of a federal judge's ruling that the FBI properly
spied on Scarfo's computer system. ...Acting under a court-ordered
search warrant in 1999, FBI agents installed a so-called key logger
device in Scarfo's computer to crack into encrypted files. http://www.forbes.com/work/managementtrends/newswire/2001/12/27/
SPECIAL SECTION -- World Spy News
India -- Lt. Commodore Raj Kumar, one of the main accused in the
espionage case that shook the Eastern Naval Command in the port city of
Visakhapatnam recently, committed suicide in the Vizag Central Prison on
Sunday. ... he is believed to have been driven to it by humiliation and despair. http://www.arabnews.com/Article.asp?ID=11515 http://www.indian-express.com/ie20011226/nat12.html
UK -- Private detectives are being used as "professional witnesses" in
the fight against antisocial behavior on Merseyside. Police and council
officials have turned to specialist agencies to provide the service,
which can cost as much as £5,000 a week (about $7254.USD). They are used
to gather video surveillance evidence which can be used in court to
obtain anti-social behavior orders. http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/page.cfm?
Australia -- A private investigator is being used to track down
motorists with noisy car stereos. Rockdale Council in Sydney came up
with the idea after residents complained about loud dance music. The
investigator, who issues on-the-spot fines, pretends to be an ordinary
motorist talking on a mobile. The method has helped the council issue
196 $150 fines (about $100. USD) in less than two months, reports the
New South Wales Daily Telegraph. http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_481930.html?
Austria -- Agents work undercover for True Love? Agency, putting
wandering eyes and cheating hearts to the test for men and women who
suspect their partners are would-be philanderers. Working under the
motto "Trust is good, but control is better", agency founders Inez
Zapletal and Romana Weissmayer charge clients $600 to send an agent out
to places such as discos, tennis clubs and cafes. Clients who want to
hire a professional flirt go to the agency's tiny office in a busy
Vienna shopping district, where they provide a photograph of their
partner, a description of the person's free-time activities and an idea
of what "type" he or she would probably find most irresistible. http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page
SPECIAL SECTION -- Odd Stuff
"Just checking for weapons of mass reproduction, your honor..." Japan -- A court worker has resigned after he was caught looking up a
woman's dress with a hand-held mirror. The 36-year-old worker at
Kumamoto Family Court was found guilty of creating a public nuisance.
The court fined him 50,000 yen (about $381.USD). http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_482374.html?
"Escorting 'Rocky' and 'The Moose' to Washington?" - Agent Karen Sympathy Three high-powered FBI guns - along with a laptop computer and a digital
camera - were stolen in Queens (New York City) from an agent who left
them overnight in a parked car. And to add insult to injury, the thief
also ripped off an FBI parking sticker. Agent Jennifer Bleier, 32, told
cops she returned to the car at 6 a.m. yesterday and found the front
window broken. ...The shotgun and submachine gun were taken from a rack
mounted on the front seat of the vehicle that was visible from the
street. ...It was not clear what she was doing in the area. http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37007.htm
Also good for certain car door handles... Anti-terrorist 'snot' spray developed for US military. Inventors have
created a spray-on slime for the US military which makes it impossible
to walk on any surface. They say the 'mobility denial system' is a
'snotty' substance which can be sprayed on roads, lawns or stairways. It
can be used to make the floor slippery during riots and anti-terrorist operations. http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_483089.html?menu=
***CONTEST***
Odd Question of the Year... We answer many interesting questions via the spybusters.com questions page...
http://www.spybusters.com/guestbook.html
This arrived the other day with no explanation... "What is an epishimore?" Care to guess. Yes, we know the answer.
Prize... A virtual Brass Figlagee encrusted with Bronze Oak Leaf Palm.
and...
The Last Big Secret You'll Need to Know in 2001... New Year revelers should flirt, joke and bribe to ensure they get into
the nightclub of their choice - and if all else fails, try a secret code
word. A survey of bouncers for the Discovery Channel found, "...if you
whisper 'filet mignon' to them you will immediately get let in." http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_482095.html?menu=news.quirkies
If you think I'm going to whisper into
some bouncer's ear and risk becoming
'steak tartare', guess again.
I'm staying home.
Happy New Year.
Security Scrapbook - Espionage & Privacy News of the Week.
Sat, 22 Dec 2001
To: Clients, colleagues and friends.
Subject: Espionage & Privacy News of the Week.
====================================================
Kevin's Security Scrapbook® is published on an irregular
basis for a select audience. HTML versions are archived at http://www.spybusters.com/Security_Scrapbook.html
==================================================== SPECIAL SECTION -- Security Director News
SPECIAL SECTION -- SpyCam News
SPECIAL SECTION -- World Spy News
SPECIAL SECTION -- The section you read first... ====================================================
SPECIAL SECTION -- Security Director News
TAPPING OFFICIALS' SECRETS is a complete compendium of information on
every state's open records and open meetings laws. Each state's section
is arranged according to a standard outline, making it easy to compare
laws in various states. If you're a new user of this guide, be sure to
read the Introductory Note and User's Guide. ...most "legalese" has been
avoided. We hope this will make this guide more accessible to everyone. http://www.reporterscommittee.org/tapping2001/index.cgi
Still looking for the perfect gift for the security person who has everything?
Underwater Television - Marine Robotics - "NOD" is very cool! http://www.a-v-s.com/
Just when we thought he could go no lower... Lesley Stahl has learned that Robert Hanssen, the FBI agent who betrayed
his country, also betrayed his church and his wife. Stahl reports that
Hanssen invited his best friend to watch him have sex with his wife on a
secretly installed television system his wife never knew about. http://www.drudgereport.com/flash1.htm Hear the whole story... (Excellent interview! Amazing story!) RealAudio
Pulitzer-prize winning journalist David Vise is a staff writer for The
Washington Post. He's the author of the new book, The Bureau and the
Mole: The Unmasking of Robert Philip Hanssen, the Most Dangerous Double
Agent in FBI History. Vise tells the story of how a seemingly
all-American boy became a traitor. Vise had access to files about
Hanssen, and the opportunity to talk with Hanssen's family and friends. http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/fa/20011219.fa.01.ram http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0871138344
Glass Video Voyeur Crushed... A lab technician who filmed up a woman's miniskirt from under the
spectator stands at the Molson Indy has to pay $500 to charity and spend
six months on probation. Michael Glass, 36, of Newcastle, pleaded
guilty to mischief yesterday, admitting he videotaped up the woman's
skirt as she walked into the Indy stands last July 15. At times, Glass
cupped the tiny camcorder in his palm or hid it in a black bag, the court
heard. The woman's boyfriend intervened when he saw Glass following her.
"He punched the accused in the face and stomped on the camera,
destroying it," prosecutor Calvin Barry said. http://www.canoe.ca/TorontoNews/ts.ts-12-19-0033.html
More Spy Toys... (FutureWatch)
Matsushita Electric Industrial (Panasonic) unveiled a mobile phone-size
digital still camera with video and voice recording and Secure Digital
audio player functions. The SV-AV10 D-Snap measures 1.1 by 1.9 by 3.4
inches and weighs 3.5 ounces. With the 512MB card, the camera can store
up to 3520 still images at fine mode and 14,080 at normal mode. The
recording medium is an SD card, which also allows for voice recording
and music playback with Advanced Audio Coding. http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/ptech/12/19/tiny.panasonic.idg/index.html
SPECIAL SECTION -- World Spy News
You still have Nixon to kick around some more... NARA is proposing to open approximately 4,125 conversations which were
recorded at the Nixon White House from January 1972 to June 1972. These
tape segments total approximately 425 hours of listening time. In
addition, the National Archives is proposing to open 360 declassified
segments of conversations recorded in the Cabinet Room at the Nixon
White House from February 1971 -- July 1973. These segments total
approximately 69 hours of listening time. These previously restricted
segments were reviewed for release and declassified in accordance with
the mandatory review provisions of Executive Order 12958 and 36 CFR
1275.56 (Public Access Regulations). This is the ninth opening of Nixon
White House tapes since 1980.
[Federal Register: December 17, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 242)]
[Notices][Page 64993-64994]
Another John, another "self-licking ice cream cone."
Attorney General John Ashcroft last week set up an interagency task
force to find administrative, legislative and advanced technological
means of preventing leaks of classified information. ... The recent
history of classified leaks generally indicates congressional and White
House sources. http://www.gcn.com/vol1_no1/daily-updates/17648-1.html
Pig v. Ham
A German radio ham who overheard a policeman calling for help after his
car became stuck has been charged after going to his aid. He helped tow
the officer's vehicle from a muddy field and was then charged with
illegally listening to police transmissions. ("Pig" - police, term of disrespect.
Restricted to this incident only. "Ham" - amateur radio operator, term of respect.) http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_476423.html
To be released next week as "EnemyAnime"... Japan -- An unidentified fishing boat defense officials say might have
been spying was sunk off southwestern Japan after trading shots with
coast guard vessels. Independent military analyst Kensuke Ebata told NHK
television that the unidentified boat appeared to be equipped with a
satellite dish and had other features suggestive of surveillance activities. http://www.ananova.com/yournews/story/sm_479909.html
SPECIAL SECTION -- The section you read first...
Yo! Bears. That's why they call them 'reporters.' The Bears complained to the league that sideline reporters were
eavesdropping after two of them reported that defensive players were
getting on offensive coordinator John Shoop for his play-calling in the
second quarter of Chicago's 17-7 loss at Green Bay last Sunday. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/
...thus settling the "What's wrong with ear tags?" controversy.
Applied Digital pushes microchip to plant in foreigners for tracking...
Today's security measures don't work very well, says Richard Sullivan,
pointing to the Sept. 11 terror attacks on New York and Washington.
He's says he's got a better idea: a microchip instead of a green card.
Foreigners who pass through customs or immigration could be injected
with the chip, allowing officials to monitor their activities better and
keep terrorists out. (Nasdaq: ADSX) http://www.gopbi.com/partners/pbpost/epaper/editions/today/business
Advergreetings Email from someone I don't know... Subject: Season's Greatings (sic)
Kevin
Have a Great Holiday Season this year!
Thank You,
Xxxx Xxxxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxxx, your one-stop Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx Solution
www.xxxxx.com
Phone: 800-XXX-XXXX Ext.XXXX
Fax: 800-XXX-XXXX
Holiday's got you feeling Baroque? Outta lute?
Kevin's Secret 5-Minute Holiday Stress Reducer - Guaranteed
Grab the CD. Slap on the headphones. Play...
Vivaldi's Concerto in D major, Largo (lute or guitar version) http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000004125
Security Scrapbook - Espionage & Privacy News of the Week.
Mon, 17 Dec 2001
To: Clients, colleagues and friends.
Subject: Espionage & Privacy News of the Week.
====================================================
Kevin's Security Scrapbook® is published on an irregular
basis for a select audience. HTML versions are archived at http://www.spybusters.com/Security_Scrapbook.html
==================================================== SPECIAL SECTION -- Security Director News
SPECIAL SECTION -- HERF guns and EMP bombs
SPECIAL SECTION -- World Spy News
SPECIAL SECTION -- SpyCam Story of the Year
SPECIAL SECTION -- Other Stuff ====================================================
SPECIAL SECTION -- Security Director News
You've found a 'bug.' Now what? This week one of our clients found a bug.
(in-between the annual inspections we conduct)
The device was a small digital voice recorder (no tape), with voice
activation capability, taped to a wastepaper can in the Board Room. The
Board Meeting was scheduled for the following morning. We responded on
an emergency basis. The eavesdropping device was removed before we were
called for help.
This brings up an important point. If _you_ find a bug, what should be done?
Here is our short, simple request list...
1. Do not to disturb the device. It's evidence.
2. Do not alert the eavesdropper by talking.
3. Secure the area. It's a crime scene. Use a non-alerting excuse.
4. Call us quickly from a 'safe' area, using a 'safe' phone.
5. Start making notes, and take photos if possible. Document.
6. Notify only people who have an immediate 'need to know.'
7. Advise all persons involved to keep it confidential.
We will be there to help you just as soon as possible.
At that point we will work with you to:
- complete the documentation process;
- inspect for additional / supplementary devices;
- evaluate the situation;
- answer questions;
- and make recommendations about how to identify the eavesdropper.
We can also be your expert witness, should the case be taken to court.
"How often should we be conducting pro-active inspections?"
Quarterly inspections are the norm, with additional inspections prior to
and during 'high-value' meetings.
Keep our number handy... +1-908-832-7900.
Security Director Computer Education Tip # 334 Telecommuters Have Unique Security Needs...
The average home worker using a cable-modem or digital subscriber line
link can expect about a dozen hacking attempts and at least one
attempted denial-of-service attack every day... Telecommuters need to
have up-to-date antivirus and intrusion-detection software installed on
their machines, as well as personal firewalls attached to their cable
modems or DSL links. http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20011018S0076
Security Director Computer Education Tip # 335 Sneaking Peeks -- Software Secretively Watches Your Computer
No one likes to be a snoop. But if you're a parent, you've probably
wondered from time to time what your child does when he or she spends
too much time in front of the computer. http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/TechTV
SpyBack's a bitch... (one of our FutureWatch items)
Australia -- As civil rights advocates express concerns about managers
snooping on their workers' online activities, a labor union in Australia
has hit on the idea of letting workers find out more about what their
bosses are up to. The New South Wales Labor Council launched a Web site
called Bosswatch, which tracks links between apparently separate
companies and executives. http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2001/1212snoop.html http://bosswatch.labor.net.au/
Trade Secrets and Proprietary Information Briefing.
Oil and gas industry case history reviewed. Protecting trade secrets
versus the right to work. What is a trade secret? What constitutes
misappropriation? Is knowledge 'experience,' or 'confidential'? http://www.haynesboone.com/briefing/00Wolfe.htm
First Amendment v. Your Newsletter (or this one)
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled that press protections extend to
newsletters and commercial publications that are newsworthy and include
legitimate matters of public concern.
Dickerson & Associates v. Dittmar http://www.rcfp.org/news/2001/1204dicker.html
Security Officer Swing's... Wiretapping Bust
A security officer with the State of New Jersey Water Authority, Rt. 31,
Clinton Twsp., NJ, has been charged with violating NJ's electronic
surveillance laws, a third-degree indictable offense. Allegedly, John
Swing, 38, of Bangor, PA placed a mini-cassette recorder in the locker
room to capture conversations between co-workers. Police were notified
by one of the victims.
Today in Hunterdon - Vol.11, No. 37 - Dec. 13-19, 2001
Congratulations!
AOL Time Warner Inc., said it named Larry Cockell, deputy director of
the US Secret Service, as the company's senior vice president and chief
security officer, a newly created position, effective Jan 14, 2002. http://www.iii.co.uk/uknews/?articleid=4251383&action=article
SPECIAL SECTION -- HERF guns and EMP bombs
Security director question of the week... Q. "What are HERF guns and EMP bombs? A consultant said we were
vulnerable to this attack. Do we need to do something about this?"
The short answers are:
Yes, it can be done.
Yes, shielding can bring a certain level of protection.
No, this is not a major threat requiring remedial attention for most clients.
"HERF stands for High Energy Radio Frequency. HERF guns are able to shoot
a high power radio signal at an electronic target and put it out of
function. The damage can be moderate (e.g. that a system shuts down, but
can be restarted) or severe (e.g. the system hardware has been
physically damaged). Electronic circuits are more vulnerable to overload
that most people would suspect. This mechanism uses HERF guns with big
success. In essence, HERF guns are nothing but radio transmitters. They
send a concentrated radio signal to the target. The target can be a
mainframe inside a business building, an entire network in a building,
or as today's planes and cars are stuffed with electronic equipment, the
target can even be a moving vehicle with all the inherent dangers for
the people who are inside."
"EMP stands for electromagnetic pulse. The source can be a nuclear or a
non-nuclear detonation. It can be used by special forces teams who
infiltrate the enemy's area and detonate a device near their electronic
devices. It destroys the electronics of all computer and communication
systems in a quite large area. The EMP bomb can be smaller than a HERF
gun to cause a similar amount of damage and is typically used to damage
not a single target (not aiming in one direction) but to damage all
equipment near the bomb." http://www.guest.seas.gwu.edu/~reto/infowar/
How to harden against HERF...
"The first question which we must ask is whether we are at risk or not,
and what are the likely losses to be incurred should we be successfully
attacked. This provides baseline for the budget to be allocated to the
task of protecting our site. ... In the short term, electromagnetic
attack is not particularly likely..." http://www.infowar.com/class_3/harden.html-ssi
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
"This pamphlet provides unclassified engineering and design information
about protecting fixed ground facilities against the effects of an
electromagnetic pulse (EMP) produced by a nuclear explosion."
(If this happens, you'll have more serious matters to attend to... hopefully.) http://jya.com/emp.htm
SPECIAL SECTION -- World Spy News
Far sighted spy artists hawkin' their art in all the wrong places... Some 60 Israelis, who federal investigators have said are part of a
long-running effort to spy on American government officials, are among
the hundreds of foreigners detained since the Sept. 11 terror attacks...
Investigators are focusing on Israelis who said they are art students...
and repeatedly made contact with U.S. government personnel by saying
they wanted to sell cheap art or handiwork. Documents say they
"targeted" and penetrated military bases, the Drug Enforcement
Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, dozens of
government facilities and even secret offices and unlisted private homes
of law enforcement and intelligence personnel. Another part of the
investigation has resulted in the detention and arrest of dozens of
Israelis working at kiosks in American malls, where they had been
selling toys called "Puzzlecar" and "Zoomcopter." http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,40679,00.html
Spy-'r-Us toy of the year... "No license required." http://www.fountainsandmore.com/zoomcopter.html
Extortionography? Arab News reports...
(Paragraph One)
"Video evidence has emerged that CIA operatives were threatening Taliban
prisoners they would be left to die if they did not co-operate under
interrogation. In an exchange captured on video by an Afghan cameraman..."
(Paragraph Three)
"The precise nature of the threat... is unclear..." http://www.arabnews.com/Article.asp?ID=11188
We don't tap... but we can sing and dance! UK -- A Labour peer has demanded an inquiry into suspicions that his
telephone was tapped and transcripts passed to a Government minister.
Lord Ahmed's move followed an angry confrontation at the Foreign Office
with minister Denis MacShane. The telephone tapping allegation was
denied strongly by Government sources. http://www.ananova.com/yournews/story/sm_474788.html
Don't knock on the back door... just tap.
Antivirus software vendors said Monday they don't want to create a
loophole in their security products to let the FBI or other government
agencies use a virus to eavesdrop on the computer communications of
suspected criminals. http://www.corpwatch.org/news/PND.jsp?articleid=1009
Remember when spies were macho? US -- The leader of a Cuban spy ring has been sentenced to life in prison...
Gerardo Hernandez, 36, received the maximum sentence after a 20-minute
speech in which he denounced his trial as a propaganda show and blamed
his prosecution on the political clout of Miami's Cuban exile community. http://www.ananova.com/yournews/story/sm_472140.html
Macho Bravo remembers when British spies were Russian spies...
UK -- The Old Bailey has heard how a security guard stole top military
secrets and tried to sell them to Russian agents. But Rafael Bravo, 30,
was caught when the men he thought were Russians turned out to be
British spies. http://www.ananova.com/yournews/story/sm_475551.html
SPECIAL SECTION -- SpyCam Story of the Year
SpyCam Recidivist... A man sentenced to probation for using a tiny video camera in his
sneakers to peek up women's skirts also used the "sneakercam" to ogle
women at his probation office, prosecutors told a Florida court.
First...
Daniel Searfoss, a 43-year-old mechanic, was first arrested last Dec. 31
on a misdemeanor voyeurism charge at a Wal-Mart store in Plant City,
Florida. Police said he wired a camera hidden in his sneaker to a video
recorder he carried in a bag, using it to peek up women's skirts. He was
sentenced to 12 months' probation, which was terminated early, in
September.
But wait, there's more...
Sheriff's deputies arrested him again on voyeurism and stalking charges
in November at a flea market where he was again accused of using his
sneakercam to look up women's skirts. Investigators seized 45 videotapes
from him, some four hours long, and were still reviewing them.
But wait, there's more...
...prosecutors said Searfoss had also used his shoe camera to ogle women
at a church, apparently while serving 25 hours of court-ordered
community service related to the first charge.
But wait, there's more... (The Ginsu Knife charge.)
"It's worse than that," Assistant State Attorney Dean Tsourakis told the
judge. "He was doing it at the probation office -- for instance, the
cashier at the probation office."
Quote of the week...
"That just really strikes me as really being wrong," replied
Hillsborough County Circuit Judge Walter Heinrich, who refused Searfoss'
request to lower his $75,000 bail. http://news.excite.com/news/r/011213/09/odd-voyeur-dc
Recidivist?
The criminal by passion never becomes a recidivist, it is the social,
not the antisocial, instincts that are strong within him, his crime is a
solitary event in his life. --H. Havelock Ellis (another interesting character)
SPECIAL SECTION -- Other Stuff
Good neologisms like 'spyactivism' and 'Extortionography' are harder to find.
"You probably don't know this, but all the main dictionary makers have
industrial spies in each other's premises. We have to keep an eye on
what trendy words and new profanities they are including, what
old-fashioned ones they are knocking out. You have to be ahead of the
game the whole time." http://argument.independent.co.uk/regular_columnists/
Fiber Optic Eavesdropping Vanquished In A Blink... (a FutureWatch item)
Scientists have developed an LED so precise it sends out a single photon
of light when turned on and could lead to unbreakable quantum
cryptography and would make optical networks immune to eavesdropping.
http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20011214S0023
Peregrinations in the Big Apple...
Ground Zero seems to be the #1 tourist destination in New York City.
Over the past two weekends, the normally-deserted streets of lower
Manhattan were swarming with people and cars... even at 11:30 pm
Saturday night.
Security Scrapbook - Espionage & Privacy News of the Week.
Sun, 09 Dec 2001
To: Clients, colleagues and friends.
Subject: Espionage & Privacy News of the Week.
====================================================
Kevin's Security Scrapbook® is published on an irregular
basis for a select audience. HTML versions are archived at http://www.spybusters.com/Security_Scrapbook.html
==================================================== SPECIAL SECTION -- Security Director News
SPECIAL SECTION -- National Spy News
SPECIAL SECTION -- World Extortionography
SPECIAL SECTION -- Seasonal Fun - CONTEST / Games / Music ====================================================
SPECIAL SECTION -- Security Director News
Industrial Espionage Report...
Israel - Ilan Shoshani, general manager of communications company
Newcall, has been arrested on suspicion of committing industrial
espionage and theft against ECI Telecom (Nasdaq: ECIL). http://new.globes.co.il/serveEN/globes/docView.asp?did=542420&fid=942
Security Department Budget Booster # 301 - Wiretapping Telephone Poll. Korea - Fears of having telephones wiretapped are spreading throughout
government agencies ... according to a recent telephone poll. Some 8.9% of
respondents said they had evidence that their phones had been tapped, a
steep increase since 1999's 4.7%, while 46.7% of said they felt they
were being overheard on the phone. ... Early this year, a famous hotel
in Seoul screened its Conference Room following customer complaints and
found six electronic eavesdropping devices. ... Big businesses such as
Samsung and LG have their own security teams and regularly screen
directors offices, conference rooms and laboratories. LG Electronics has
bought five countermeasures devices at W50 million apiece, and a manager
there noted that every year they uncover bugs planted in the company's buildings. http://www.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200112/200112020150.html
Look smarter than the IT nerd...
Now that Google is indexing a wide range of document types beyond HTML
and plain text formats, potential security concerns are cropping up
...(one) concern is that you might unwittingly open yourself up to
viruses that are embedded in non-HTML files, such as Word macro viruses.
Also... If a document is sensitive, don't place it on the Internet, period. http://www.searchenginewatch.com/sereport/01/12-google.html
Pop Quiz... What is the latest US government approved encryption standard?
...Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), the new algorithm will replace
one first adopted by the federal government in 1977 (Data Encryption
Standard, or DES). The new standard was developed by Belgian
cryptographers Joan Daemen and Vincent Rijmen. (256-bit key) http://www.computerworld.com/storyba/0,4125,NAV47_STO66311,00.html
SPECIAL SECTION -- National Spy News
By George, it's Orwell... The Bush administration is asking Congress for a second major expansion
of federal surveillance powers that legal experts say would radically
change laws that protect the rights of Americans.
-- A Justice Department proposal would eliminate the chief legal
safeguard in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
-- A CIA proposal seeks legal authority to gather telephone and Internet
records from domestic communication companies.
The still-secret proposals would build upon and expand intelligence-gathering
powers granted to the FBI and CIA under the USA Patriot Act.
... By removing the requirement of a foreign connection for a FISA wiretap,
the administration proposal would make it easier to mount surveillance on
people who have no known connection to overseas groups or nations. http://inq.philly.com/content/inquirer/2001/12/03/national/SNOOP03.htm
Killer Ap - In For Red Technology Transfer...
A Chinese double agent who was jailed for smuggling military equipment
is trying to avoid deportation back to China, where he says he would be
killed. Mr. Wu came to the United States in 1990, but he said he believed
in democracy and didn't want to spy to help his homeland. He eventually
agreed to work for the US government... China wanted him to buy parts
for night vision scopes... http://www.ananova.com/yournews/story/sm_466501.html
Hollywood goes to the CIA!
"A secret that could destroy the CIA" Dr. Frank Olson's life was a
mystery, full of dubious experiments for the CIA, and unexplained trips
to Porton Down. His death, in 1953, was stranger still. Was it suicide?
A failed exercise in brainwashing? Or murder? And what did he know that
made his death so convenient? Next week, a grand jury may finally hear
the truth about the Cold War's darkest Secret. ...divers found a body
identified as Colby’s. He had apparently been the victim of a boating
accident. If so, it would appear that Maryland waters are particularly
unkind to retired members of the CIA. In 1978 another CIA officer, John
Paisley, also vanished there in another boating accident.
(Long, but fascinating in an X-fileish way.) http://www.frankolsonproject.org/Articles/LondonMail.html
CIA goes to Hollywood!!
Documentary examines Hollywood's CIA connection... recruiting master
Hollywood makeup artists to devise ways to disguise operatives in the
field. ...supplying technical advice for some projects, such as CBS'
The Agency. "If it's a type of effort where someone's portraying us in a
realistic light, we're happy to help out," CIA spokesman Mike Tadie
said. "If it perpetuates the types of myths in popular films of the past
-- that we're into assassination plots and drug dealing -- we're just
not going to cooperate on something like that." http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/printstory.hts/headline/entertainment/
That's nothing... The Secret Service goes to the Superbowl!!!
The Secret Service will be in charge of security for the Super Bowl at
the Louisiana Superdome on Feb. 3. (Ginsu Knife Protection) Local, state
and federal agencies also will keep watch at the NFL's biggest game -
possibly an inviting target for terrorists. http://www.abcnews.go.com/wire/US/ap20011204_145.html
SPECIAL SECTION -- World Extortionography
So, sue myself. ...OK. Swedish police filed a complaint against themselves after a Swedish TV
show revealed that police used manipulated video footage as evidence.
The TV show Uppdrag Granskning compared its own footage with the
evidence used by the attorney general. The comparison shows that images
were swapped, sound was edited, and police brutality cut out. Scenes
where 19 year old Hannes Westberg gets shot in the belly have been
tampered with. http://www.svt.se/granskning/reportage.asp? (video comparison) http://www.standaard.be/nieuws/buitenland/ http://www.spybusters.com/Extortionography.html
SPECIAL SECTION -- Seasonal Fun - Contest / Games / Music
Spy Mystery Now History... Spy lied about sister to 'save himself' -- An American whose evidence
sent his sister to the electric chair admits he lied at her trial. David
Greenglass gave evidence against his sister Ethel Rosenberg at an
espionage trial in 1951. http://www.ananova.com/yournews/story/sm_466123.html
Who Was This Wiretapper's Famous Wife? J. Arnstein, handsome, urbane but a somewhat inept con man and thief.
She lived with him for six years before marrying him. Despite his infidelity
and a stretch in Sing Sing Prison for illegal wiretapping, this devoted woman
stayed with him, had two children and supported him by working. Email for answer.
Security Scrapbook - Espionage & Privacy News of the Week.
Sun, 02 Dec 2001
To: Clients, colleagues and friends.
Subject: Espionage & Privacy News of the Week.
====================================================
Kevin's Security Scrapbook® is published on an irregular
basis for a select audience. HTML versions are archived at http://www.spybusters.com/Security_Scrapbook.html
==================================================== SPECIAL SECTION -- Security Director News
SPECIAL SECTION -- More VoIP Internet Telephony
SPECIAL SECTION -- More Weird Science
SPECIAL SECTION -- Snitch Culture, SpyCam & Espionage
SPECIAL SECTION -- Cat Tales ====================================================
SPECIAL SECTION -- Security Director News
Security Department Budget Booster - #563 (Cautionary Tale)
New Zealand - Thousands of people's financial details have been stolen
in a mystery burglary in Auckland. They stole computer tapes with
clients' names, addresses, bank account numbers, how much they had
invested, as well as financial advisers' computer passwords. Only one
office was broken into. NZ Funds Management has about 25,000 clients
throughout New Zealand, with $1.6 billion invested. http://www.odt.co.nz/cgi-bin/getitem?date=26Nov2001
Add these rare talents to your contact book...
Cynthia Hetherington, MLS, MSM - a professional librarian who speaks the
language of PI's and security directors, and knows where to find what
you want, fast. ...even if it is not on the Internet. (201-794-3075) http://www.virtuallibrarian.com/resume.html
Michael D. Allison - Corporate due diligence / Internet investigations.
International Business Research. Stocked with some of the brightest and
hardest working data diggers available. Reason... located directly
across the street from Princeton University. (888-Due-Diligence) http://www.IBRUSA.com/
Thomas J. Owen - Audio / video enhancement, noise reduction, recording
authentication, voice print analysis, and training. (800-695-2834) http://www.owlinvestigations.com/cv.html
These are some of "the best" in my contact file. There are plenty more.
Need a different "brain" - different part of the country or world?
My contact book is open to you. Kevin +1-908-832-7900
Coincidence or Espionage?
You decide... Two major rivals announce look-alike products. Same size ad, same
magazine - 4 pages away from each other - products offered the same
benefits... "drug and explosive" detection, in one hand-held instrument. http://www.law-enforcement.com/toc/lepn/index.shtm (11-12/01 issue)
Have you seen any "Coincidence or Espionage" items? Let me know.
Your Current Security Knowledge + Computer Security Knowledge = $$$
Study says security expertise In short supply. According to a recent
report from online certification company Brainbench, disaster-recovery
and network-security skills are scarce within the IT workforce. http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20011121S0015
Ma VoIP?
Internet telephony. IP telephony. Voice over IP (VoIP). Call it what you
want, using IP links for voice may finally become a feature of corporate
communications. Internet telephony could become the modern-day
equivalent to Bell Telephone. http://www.techweb.com/tech/networking/20011129_networking
Alien Vision Richard P. Feynman, Ph.D. was able to explain quantum electrodynamics to
anyone by visualizing abstractions. He was as brilliant as he was cool.
Austin Richards, Ph.D., the author of "Alien Vision" does exactly the
same, with the same élan, in explaining the entire electromagnetic
spectrum. Want to know how to: "see" the universe through new eyes; see
the invisible; have X-ray vision; finally understand with crystal
clarity what can be seen using different frequencies of light? Read
"Alien Vision." This is one of the few "science texts" that is also
thoroughly entertaining and readable just for fun. LOTS of amazing alien
vision photographs, charts and diagrams. Anyone from 12 to 112 years old
will enjoy it. Makes a great gift. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0819441422/ http://www.austinrichards.com (Dr. Megavolt)
Note: Dr. Richards is one of the "brains" behind our "Alien Vision." http://www.spybusters.com/Infrared.html (alien vision photos)
Q. So... how many light bulbs does it take to fix a spy?
A. Just one... New spy camera looks like an ordinary floodlight bulb. Transmits signal on
power wiring. Just screw it in, and watch with tele-vision. http://64.132.25.173/servlet/cat/product/CVL32.html
Butt Uglyvision Biometrics...
Mark Wayne Toon, 24, was arrested and charged with breaking into the Van
Alma Tire Center in Fort Smith, Ark., and stealing some things. Police
investigators learned that Toon had not only accidentally dropped his
wallet at the scene but, in the course of urinating against a front
window, had had occasion to rest his buttocks against the pane, leaving
two sets of what police described as buttocks-shaped prints. http://www.uclick.com/client/slp/nw/
Q. What terrifies terrorists?
A. Alien Vision ...and other SpyTech. Popular Science - As the U.S. campaigns against terrorism, new
technologies will move to the front lines. http://www.popsci.com/science/01/11/20/shadowwar/
Full article, photos/graphics/diagrams in the 12/01 newsstand issue.
"What a difference a day makes..." CIA drones spotted bin Laden but couldn't shoot... A year before the attacks
of Sept. 11, Central Intelligence Agency officials sat at the Global Operations
Center in Langley, Va., and watched live aerial video images of al Qaeda terrorist
training camps 7,000 miles away in Afghanistan. Not until after Sept. 11 would
drones equipped with deadly Hellfire missiles be deployed to track down
Mr. bin Laden and his top lieutenants. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?
Job security...
Demand for hi-tech spy gadgets and weapons has soared since September 11
and companies are scrambling to invent more as governments beef up
security in response to global jitters, experts said on Thursday. http://news.excite.com/news/r/011123/07/odd-gadgets-dc
Product security... Microsoft Corp. yesterday offered Germany's parliament and Interior
Ministry access to the source code for its Windows operating system to
counter concern that data could be diverted to the CIA. http://seattlep-i.nwsource.com/business/48893_windows01.html
"No... you take the high road."
Scotland - Hidden speed cameras will be banned by tough new rules set to
be announced by the Government. Cameras which "flash" speeding drivers
will have to be painted bright yellow and have warning signs at least 60
yards in front. http://www.edinburghnews.com/news.cfm?id=EN01201594
SPECIAL SECTION --Snitch Culture, SpyCam & Espionage
CELL YELL!!! ...a tendency of many cellphone users to speak into their phones more
loudly than necessary, unwittingly involving surrounding strangers in
their personal business. Cell yell has created a subculture of cell-yell
haters. The phenomenon has given rise to a Web site... http://www.cellmanners.com http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/22/technology/circuits/
What's next, cell spies? Yup! "Cell Spies are friends of CellManners.com who keep watch for
examples of both good and bad cell manners. You'll find their reports
here from time to time. If you're interested in being a cell spy (an
unpaid but fun job) please get in touch with us." http://www.cellmanners.com/forum/spies.htm
What's next, cell bombs?
Yup! "So now you can send an SMS and crash a mobile phone, so that the
user is locked out. Job de Haas, a security researcher at ITSX, has
adapted a program called sms_client, which sends an SMS message from an
Internet-connected PC, in which the User Data Header is broken. During a
presentation during the Black Hat conference last week, he demonstrated
how a malformed message crashes a Nokia 6210 phone on its receipt. Once
the message is received it is impossible to turn on an infected phone
again. The vulnerability is tied to the software used by a phone. The
flaw affects Nokia 6210, 3310 and 3330 phones, de Haas has discovered,
but not a Siemens phone he tried. Phones from other manufacturers are
yet to be tested. http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/55/23080.html
SpyCam news... Neighborhood Watch. South Africa - Police have seized a suspected "peeping Tom" video camera
found in the bathroom ceiling of a house owned by a local nurse. They
also took possession of an extension cable, and acting on information,
searched a nearby house where they confiscated several tapes. http://www.news24.co.za/News24/South_Africa/
SpyCam news... He's back! A Florida man has been arrested for the second time for using a tiny
video camera hidden in a shoe to look up women's skirts. Daniel W.
Searfoss is in police custody on voyeurism charges after police said he
filmed women at a flea market in Brandon, near Tampa. Police say he was
found with a small camera inside one of his shoes wired to a recording
device in his shoulder bag. http://www.ananova.com/news/story/
You KNOW where this is headed...
The FBI's controversial snooping virus Magic Lantern could ultimately be
a threat to the organization itself. ... Many experts claim that as soon
as variants start appearing in the wild it will become impossible to
keep track of who is snooping on whom. http://www.silicon.com/public/door?6004REQEVENT
They're under enough stress... Attorney General John Ashcroft is considering a plan to relax
restrictions on the FBI's spying on religious and political
organizations in the United States, senior government officials said Friday. http://www0.mercurycenter.com/premium/local/docs/ashcroft01.htm
Dear Dearlove, Tony Blair has personally written to Britain's spymasters paying tribute
to their work in the war against terrorism. He has sent letters to MI6
chief, Richard Dearlove, MI5 director general, Sir Stephen Lander, and
Francis Richards, director of the Government's GCHQ listening centre,
thanking them for their efforts. http://www.ananova.com/yournews/story/sm_463284.html
Eavesdropping Detection Services
United Kingdom Eavesdropping Detection Services
