Security Scrapbook - Special Edition - World Privacy Roundup
Tue, 28 Aug 2001
To: Clients, colleagues and friends.
Subject: World Privacy Roundup
====================================================
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 -- The Other Workplace Violence
SPECIAL SECTION -- Personal Privacy Violations
SPECIAL SECTION -- Technical Privacy
SPECIAL SECTION -- General Privacy News
SPECIAL SECTION -- Global Courts & Legislation ====================================================
* * * * *
AUGUST 2001
World Privacy Roundup
* * * * *
Who's Reading Your Office Email?
Long an issue in the U.S., privacy of office e-mail is becoming an
increasingly hot issue in Asia. In Taiwan, savvy mobile-phone companies
are hoping to capitalize on the new-found concern. Taiwan office workers
are also increasingly afraid of workplace surveillance. http://www.feer.com/2001/0108_23/p038innov.html
SPECIAL SECTION -- Personal Privacy Violations
USA - Strip search at road stop... Mississippi - A Coast man says a Harrison County sheriff's deputy
violated his civil rights when the deputy forced him to strip in public
during a May 2000 traffic stop, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court. http://web.sunherald.com/content/biloxi/2001/08/22/local_news/it_0822
Malaysia - Strip search at school... Female students stripped for body check. Assemblyman Teng Chang Khim
described the incident as an infringement of privacy and urged the
Education Ministry to investigate and take action against those involved. http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2001/8/18/nation/
USA - Strip search at school... Georgia - A federal appeals court has upheld a judge's ruling that a
strip search of elementary school pupils was unconstitutional but that a
teacher and a police officer involved could not be sued for conducting
the search. http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=2238334&BRD=1100
USA - Strip search at airport... Illinois - A Wisconsin hairdresser told a federal jury today how two
Customs agents forced her to submit to a humiliating strip search in a
four-hour ordeal at O'Hare International Airport. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-010814
SPECIAL SECTION -- Technical Privacy
Korea - Police Arrest Two for Invasion of E-mail Privacy The Cyber Crime Investigation Team of Seoul Policy Agency arrested an
office worker and a mobile phone company employee. ... (the office
worker) obtained his ex-girlfriend's email and mobile account password
and has been reading her email since last November. http://www.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200108/
USA - Cable-Based Internet Provider Can't Reveal Federal Probe
In an apparent case of first impression, a district court has ordered a
cable company to provide federal investigators with private details
about one of its Internet subscribers without informing the subscriber. http://www6.law.com/lawcom/displayid.cfm?statename=NY&docnum=
USA - FBI's 'Carnivore' Might Target Wireless Text Federal law enforcement authorities may soon expand the use of a
controversial FBI monitoring system to capture e-mail and other text
messages sent through wireless telephone carriers, as well as messages
from their Internet service providers. http://www.washtech.com/news/regulation/12051-1.html
USA - Another view on Internet privacy...
Rather than basking in the glory of the Information Age, privacy
advocates are using scare tactics to try to stifle the Internet with
suffocating regulations. But the facts present a different scenario. In
truth, the Internet is relatively safe, information sharing can be
beneficial and legislation is not the best answer for privacy invasions. http://www.charlotte.com/observer/natwor/docs/internetrec0820.htm
Georgia - Radar flashlight... The hand-held piece of equipment uses a narrow radar beam to detect
movement through doors and walls up to 8 inches thick. Police officials
from across the state say the RADAR Flashlight could be a tremendous
asset for SWAT teams and police serving warrants, but only if used under
the appropriate conditions. http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/081801/new_0818010028.html
Washington, DC - Digital 'license plates' for kids... District officials plan to begin taking digital photographs and
fingerprints of schoolchildren this fall as part of a high-tech
identification initiative designed to improve the search for missing
children. ... the information about the children would be collected at
schools using laptop computers. It would be fed into a centralized
computer system, and the children then would receive ID cards containing
bar codes that can be scanned by authorities... The ID cards, issued by
the Department of Motor Vehicles, could be used to track everything from
children's welfare benefits to attendance at school functions. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12001-2001
USA - Computer maker Gateway and the National Center for Missing and
Exploited Children kicked off a program Friday that allows parents to
create free digital ID cards for their children. http://www.vny.com/cf/News/upidetail.cfm?QID=212884
USA - The streets have eyes... Civil libertarians complain that assaults on privacy are multiplying
faster than they can predict them. Only a year ago, privacy advocates
were warning that law enforcement agencies by 2005 would be installing
new sophisticated "face-recognition" cameras in public locations to
identify criminal suspects and terrorists.
Guess what?
They're already in place in Tampa, Fla. -- tested without notice on the
last Super Bowl crowd. Now, Virginia Beach also plans to activate them.
Also previously forecast for mid-decade: a proliferation of
speed-triggered hidden cameras at municipal intersections to catch
unsuspecting red light runners, photograph them and ticket them by mail.
Guess what?
Proliferation has come and gone. That advanced photo technology is being
used in 57 cities and urbanized counties in 12 states and the District
of Columbia. Several other big cities will have them installed by
winter. Other states are considering legislation to permit them. http://news.theolympian.com/stories/20010819/HomePageStories/
USA - Has personal privacy gone the way of the dodo?
Listen to Scott McNealy, CEO of Sun Microsystems:
"You have zero privacy; get over it."
And to culture author Michael Lewis:
"Privacy is no longer a right, but a wasteful luxury." http://news.theolympian.com/stories/20010820/HomePage
USA - Whatever happened to being discreet? Sure, everybody is complaining about the loud, obnoxious cell-phone
calls that have become commonplace in restaurants and on commuter
trains. A cell-phone user, however, is usually a stranger who maintains
a certain amount of anonymity -- once the dinner or train ride is over,
he won't be inflicting his personal woes on us ever again. No, the real
indecent exposure is in the workplace, where everyone -- or at least
everyone within earshot -- knows your name. Lewis Maltby, president of
the National Workrights Institute in Princeton, N.J. says Americans have
an ambivalent attitude toward privacy. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28099-2001Aug18.html
USA - Demand for document destruction growing...
Theft, corporate espionage, Dumpster-diving and a greater awareness of
privacy issues are driving the success of the document-shredding business. http://denver.bcentral.com/denver/stories/2001/08/20/smallb1.html
SPECIAL SECTION -- Global Courts & Legislation
Canada - Wiretap without warrant... The country's top cops are urging speedy passage of the federal
government's anti-gang legislation which allows officers to break the
law while undercover. Part of that national strategy should include ...
legislative changes to ensure authorities can eavesdrop on private
communications when needed. http://www.southam.com/calgaryherald/newsnow/cpfs/national/
Florida - Public toilet privacy upheld... A judge has ruled that a police officer had no right to peer through a
peephole at former state Rep. Willie Logan, who faces charges of
performing a sex act in a park bathroom. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/miami/
Greece - The cradle of democracy... DNA fingerprinting, electronic surveillance and anonymous testimony by
witnesses are among the provisions of a new Justice Ministry bill
designed to facilitate the state's efforts to counter terrorism and
organised crime. http://www.greece.gr/POLITICS/InternalAffairs/targetingterrorism.stm
United Kingdom - Warning over wiretaps... The controversial Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act requires many
companies providing communication services to install technology that
allows up to one in 10,000 of their customers to be watched at the same time. http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1500000/1500889.stm
South Africa - Weights Police Spy Law South Africa is about to approve a wiretapping law that bans private
citizens from eavesdropping but hands police broad surveillance powers. http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,46124,00.html
South Africa - Watchdog Wanted to Curb Abuse of New Law A lack of public trust in government has prompted calls for an
independent watchdog to be created to curb abuse of the controversial
Interception and Monitoring Bill. http://allafrica.com/stories/200108160457.html
Michigan - Felons must now give DNA samples... All convicted felons will have to provide samples of their DNA for a
state database under new laws signed recently by Gov. John Engler. http://www.detnews.com/2001/metro/0108/17/d08w-271449.htm
USA - Public, business press Congress for solutions... There are more than two dozen federal laws designed to regulate
encroachments on privacy, but Congress is under heavy public pressure to
do more. It also is under heavy pressure from the business community to
do very little. http://news.theolympian.com/stories/20010820/HomePageStories/
Australia - Australian Internet Body Unveils Net Privacy Code The code, one of the first announced under Australia's new privacy
regulatory regime is claimed to be a world-first in online privacy, in
that the code, if accepted and registered by the government, will be enforceable. http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/169217.html
Australia - Bill extends pry power... Federal law enforcement agencies will be granted sweeping new powers to
use false identities and listening devices, under a Bill to be debated
in Federal Parliament this week. http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478
USA - Your health care Federal ID number... Eight years after President Clinton's failed plan for putting the
federal government in charge of health care, the foes of the ill fated
idea are trying to roll back a major feature of the Clinton plan that
made it into the federal code - a health care identifying number to be
assigned to all Americans. http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp
California - Court decides school 'stop & question' policy
Teenagers around the Bay Area worried Tuesday that a state Supreme Court
decision that grants school officials wide latitude to question students
could lead to problems ranging from invasion of privacy to racial profiling. http://nl4.newsbank.com/
Pakistan - Two days before Pakistan’s Independence Day... General Pervez Musharraf has amended relevant laws to give the police
‘‘sweeping’’ powers, media reports said here on Monday. Legal experts
and Opposition parties have slammed the move as a ‘‘draconian’’ measure
that would infringe on the privacy of citizens and the powers of provinces. http://www.indian-express.com/ie20010814/int3.html
Neologism for the day...
Talkubus \(n) pl -bi,\
A demon, assuming any form (such as a co-worker, or 'ex'),
who forces one-way verbal intercourse; thus putting you to
sleep while they continue. qv. Brain Sucking Spider.
Security Scrapbook - Espionage & Privacy News of the Week.
Sat, 25 Aug 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 & Cautions
SPECIAL SECTION -- In the courts
SPECIAL SECTION -- World Spy News
SPECIAL SECTION -- SpyCam News
SPECIAL SECTION -- The unusual, novel & bizarre ====================================================
SPECIAL SECTION -- Security Director News
"Feign regret, smile and party hearty?"
Your company is planning to lay off 15 percent of its employees,
including some staff in the IT department. What will be your top two or
three security priorities/activities? Why?
Some good serious answers are here... http://www.infosecuritymag.com/articles/august01/departments
How to Balance Rights of Employees and Your Company
Summary...
• Establish expectations.
• Focus on business reasons.
• Consider doing a search only as a last resort.
• Stay out of employees' private lives.
(read, print and save the whole article) http://more.abcnews.go.com/sections/business/corneroffice/corneroffice
Spies in the corner office? As rapidly as technology has given talkative humans new ways to connect
with one another, it has added to the listening power of the third-party snoop. http://www.csmonitor.com/2001/0820/p11s1-wmwo.html
If the boss still doesn't believe...
Tell him, "Bugs are still being sold and purchased right here in the USA
(illegally) for less than the cost of a good dinner out." Proof... http://www.electronickits.com/kit/complete/surv/surv.htm
SPECIAL SECTION -- In the courts
The headlines...
Pennsylvania High Court Rules Individuals Have No Privacy in Phone Calls
In a decision that would make George Orwell glow with prescient delight,
the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled that individuals have no
reasonable expectation of privacy in telephone calls made to their own homes. http://www.law.com/cgi-bin/nwlink.cgi?ACG=ZZZHW8CDOQC
What the court actually said...
"A telephone call received or placed to another is readily subject to
numerous means of intrusion at the other end of the call, all without
the knowledge of the individual on the call. ... it is impossible for
one to reasonably expect that he or she will be free from intrusion.
Based on these realities of telephonic communication ... we hold that
Rekasie did not harbor an expectation of privacy in his telephone
conversation with Tubridy that society is willing to recognize as reasonable." http://www.courts.state.pa.us/OpPosting/Supreme/out/J-52-2000-mo.pdf
(Read Footnote #11 for the decision's limitations.)
Note... This marks a slight judicial shift from idealism to realism...
and hints individuals must be responsible for protecting their own
communications. ...good thing we know each other.
SPECIAL SECTION -- World Spy News
"Only eavesdropping failures make the news.
They are the tip of the iceberg." - KDM 1981
South Africa - Four high-profile bugging scandals recently made news.
Now a professional debugger says telephone monitoring is on the increase. http://allafrica.com/stories/200107260273.html
So much for that trip to Disneyworld... US - A former U.S. Air Force serviceman attached to a U.S. agency that
operates spy satellites has been arrested on espionage charges, the
Justice Department said on Friday. It said Brian P. Regan, who retired
from the Air Force in August last year and has since been employed by a
government contractor and assigned to the highly secretive National
Reconnaissance Office, was arrested as he tried to fly to Europe on
Thursday evening. http://news.excite.com/news/r/010824/13/news-crime-spy-dc http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/aponline/20010824/aponline164627_000.htm
Go ahead. See if they're awake. Poke the bears with a stick.
Russia - A wiretapped conversation between President Mikhail Gorbachev
and other Soviet leaders in which he discussed plans to remove the KGB
chief and the minister of defence triggered a 1991 coup attempt,
Gorbachev revealed in an interview published today. http://www.theage.com.au/breaking/2001/08/20/FFX6EP55LQC.html
Spy plane stories never die... US - (editorial) Imagine you are subject to a collision, your people
kidnapped and then handed a bill for $1 million. As simplistic as it may
sound, this more or less summarizes the chain of events after the U.S.
EP-3 reconnaissance plane was hit by a Chinese fighter in international
air space in April. So therefore the $34,576 check that the White House
has cut Beijing in the wake of the accident is $34,576 too much. http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20010818-731770.htm
The Emperor's New Raincoats...
China has produced 'invisible' military raincoats for the Swedish army
that cannot be detected by infrared surveillance satellites and so
provide an effective camouflage for soldiers in field operations. http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/asia/story/0,1870,65485,00.html
SPECIAL SECTION -- SpyCam News
Working on tips from confidential informants...
Bangkok police say they are investigating reports hidden cameras have
been fitted in department store changing rooms to spy on women as they
try on clothes and underwear. ... Local newspapers reported that
websites have featured pornographic photos of women customers trying on underwear. http://news.com.au:80/common/story_page/0,4057,2669154
Sentencing wipes smile off of face.
Riverhead, NY - A professional circus clown was found guilty of
sodomizing his teenage assistant. Christopher Bayer, 29, known as
"Smiley the Clown," was found guilty Wednesday on nine counts including
sodomy, sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child. The boy's
father grew suspicious in 1999 and placed a surveillance camera in the
living room of the family's Long Island home, where Bayer would stay
when in the area. http://www.azcentral.com:80/offbeat/articles/0823clown23-ON.html
Want to buy a bridge?...
The United States, China and most other major nations with satellites in
space have failed to register all of them. McDowell said that in nearly
all cases, there were no nefarious motives behind the lack of
registration. "In those cases I'm quite convinced that it's just
incompetence," he said. http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/space/08/17/space.satellites.reut/
SPECIAL SECTION -- The unusual, novel & bizarre
The Wild Rover... Ireland - A hi-tech satellite tracking device that monitors a car's
speed could mean cheaper insurance premiums for up to 50,000 young
drivers. The on-board monitor offers a choice for young drivers - if
they stay within the speed limit, their insurance premiums will be
reduced. The system called Traksure has been developed here over the
past two years with the backing of AXA, the country's biggest motor
insurance company. http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=9 http://www.ireland-information.com/irishmusic/ (sing along)
To go with his disappearing ink wedding check... "My best friend gave me a paper shredder for my birthday last November,
and for a long time, I didn't know what to think about it. ...Soon I was
telling Joseph the story. ... 'That kind of gift makes a beautiful
statement,' Joseph told me, his voice soaked in sentimental
appreciation. 'Anyone who would give you a paper shredder for your
birthday — for any occasion — obviously cares a lot about you. Because,
you know, there are people out there that want the information on the
paper you are shredding. There are people out there spying on you.'" http://www.ocweekly.com:80/ink/01/51/weekly-wielenga.html
Stop! Don't Stop!!! New joystick delivers an electro shock when you take a hit.
"Your muscles tense up, and you can't defend yourself,"
said Matt Bennion, Mad Catz' business development manager. http://www.latimes.com/technology/custom/techtimes/la-000062768
Rock & Roll Wisdom...
"You can't always get what you want,
But if you try sometimes, you just might find
You'll get what you need." - Jagger/Richards
(What's your favorite?) http://www.getlyrics.com/lyrics.php?
Security Scrapbook - Espionage & Privacy News of the Week.
Sat, 18 Aug 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 & Cautions
SPECIAL SECTION -- SpyCam News / Inadequate Laws
SPECIAL SECTION -- World News
SPECIAL SECTION -- FBI Keystroke Logger - Viewpoints
SPECIAL SECTION -- Red Light Cam News =====================================================
SPECIAL SECTION -- Security Director News & Cautions
CarsDirect.com Sued by Employees Saying Company Eavesdropped The plaintiffs said the company disclosed in January that it had
installed wiretapping devices on the phones of all employees, including
managers, officers and directors at the company's Culver City,
California, offices. The suit claiming negligence, invasion of privacy
and unfair business practices seeks unspecified monetary damages. "At no
time did plaintiffs or any members of the class consent'' to having
their phone calls recorded, said the 12-page complaint. http://quote.bloomberg.com/fgcgi.cgi?T=finer99_auto.ht&s=
SilentRunner lets companies monitor and protect against employees
sending sensitive information to places it doesn't belong. It also
tracks employee use of company equipment to a degree that may be
disconcerting to workers. "It's one of our best tools to fight
intellectual-property loss," said Kris Haworth, a senior manager with
the forensic and investigative services group at consulting firm
Deloitte and Touche, which resells the software. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22966-2001Aug16.html
Judge Rejects Attempt To Unmask Online Speakers... A California Judge on Friday quashed a subpoena that would have
forced an Internet bulletin-board operator to reveal the identities of
several people who posted anonymous messages to a Web discussion. EFF
Staff Attorney Lauren Gelman said today, "Courts are not going to let
themselves be used in this manner to ferret out (companies') critics." http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/168972.html
Two female employees of Caesars Atlantic City were fired for complaining
about male colleagues' practice of using the casino's hidden
surveillance cameras to ogle other women, according to a complaint
disclosed yesterday by the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/17/nyregion/17CASI.html?
Robert Hardin, special agent for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
... he's concerned about the growth of do-it-yourself spying equipment
that ranges from wireless cameras to audio bugs to phone tap equipment.
...spy equipment that, a few years back, would have been on the leading
edge of what law enforcement had available. http://199.244.139.109/dcwww?-show:client/journal/PRG/j2001/
Alleged voyeur taping has DA pushing limits...
Roommate hidden cameras spur 'civil' case...
In what could become a precedent-setting case, a Jamaica Plain man is
facing 'civil rights' charges, accused of violating the privacy of his
female roommates by secretly videotaping them in their bedrooms and
bathroom. Suffolk Assistant District Attorney Jeremy Silverfine said,
''We have been getting lots of calls about secret videotaping, and lots
of times we are in the very tough situation of having to say we can't
assist in any criminal prosecution.'' (because Massachusetts lacks a law
against secret videotaping) http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/227/metro/Alleged_voyeur_taping
A St. Paul man who allegedly videotaped teen-age girls as they changed
clothes backstage at a weekend festival has been charged with invasion
of privacy, police said. Joseph Paul Zeimet, 36, was charged Monday
with interference with privacy, a gross misdemeanor. The officers found
a man hiding under a curtain in the tent, took him into custody and
seized a video camera from him. The girls apparently did not notice
anyone taping them. http://www.pioneerplanet.com/news/mtc_docs/111128.htm
The owner of a modeling and talent agency was sentenced to 16 to 24
months in prison, the maximum sentence allowable, for videotaping women
as they changed clothes at his agency in Brighton. Dennis McVittie, the
owner of Success Modeling, pleaded no contest in May to eavesdropping
for using a hidden camera to videotape women. The no-contest plea isn't
an admission of guilt but is used as such in sentencing. "The offense
that was committed here is just one that doesn't fit into the legal peg
we have," Judge Burress said. McVittie will not have to register as a
sex offender, according to the law. It is a law his victims would like changed. http://detnews.com:80/2001/livingston/0108/14/d05l-265676.htm
Beats looking for Nessie...
Scotland - Police are to install closed circuit cameras to monitor the
safety of prostitutes in Edinburgh's new red light tolerance zone. http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_377047.html?menu=
A stiff lower lip...
UK - Civil liberties groups are mounting an unprecedented challenge to a
new law which gives the security and intelligence agencies powers to
eavesdrop on private communications. http://politics.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,9174,538235,00.html
Karachi Cops 0 - Pradesh Police 1
India - A senior naval officer, Rajbeer Singh, was arrested by Andhra
Pradesh police at the port city of Visakhapatnam on charges of espionage
and links with Pakistan's inter-services intelligence (ISI). http://www.timesofindia.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=757695211
Karachi Cops 0 - India Intelligence 1
India - Menon, the man accused in the espionage case involving sending
of defence secrets to Pakistan, was on Thursday sentenced to five years'
rigorous imprisonment. http://www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/160801/dtLNAT43.asp
We hear you...
The deal announced in March to sell Australia's No. 2 phone company,
Cable and Wireless Optus, to Singapore Telecommunications is running
into stiffening opposition because of concerns about the Singapore
government's reputation for eavesdropping and spying at home and abroad. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/13/business/13OPTU.html?
Emails sent via short wave radio intercepted...
"New HF e-mail services, stations, networks and frequencies currently
emerge virtually on a weekly basis. We do monitor them from
exclusive locations spread all over the world, exchanging standard
WAVECOM .w40 and .w41 files by normal e-mail. http://www.klingenfuss.org/
Email snoop arrested...
Tokyo - Kumiyo Kishi was the first person ever arrested for breaking the
electronic communications projects law after she was allegedly caught
snooping through a co-worker's e-mail messages. http://www12.mainichi.co.jp/news/mdn/search-news/831196/
SPECIAL SECTION -- FBI Keystroke Logger - Viewpoints
The legacy of "depends what the definition of 'is' is."
Federal law does provide us with a modicum of security from unwarranted
snooping by U.S. agents on fishing expeditions. That protection is
called a court order. It requires probable cause for installing a
wiretap or electronic bug. But that protection may be inadequate now
because of a new technology that thoroughly confuses the issue of what
is and isn't a wiretap... http://www.bakersfield.com/24hour/opinions/story/660819p-703649c.html
SPECIAL SECTION -- Red Light Cam News
"Here they come again, mmmm-mm-mm" (1965/DC5)
Opponents of high-tech programs designed to catch red-light runners in
the act were bolstered by a ruling which criticized the pay-per-citation
fee arrangement made with the camera contractor. "The potential
conflict created by a contingent method of compensation further
undermines the trustworthiness of the evidence which is used to
prosecute red light violations," Judge Styn wrote. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/ http://www.mathematik.uni-ulm.de/paul/lyrics/dc5/ (sing along)
"Time to get a move on, mmmm-mm-mm"
UK - A police force has conceded there hasn't been any film in its speed
cameras for the past eight months. http://ananova.com/news/story/sm_372307.html?
Security Scrapbook - Espionage & Privacy News of the Week.
Sat, 11 Aug 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 -- "You're only a stranger here once."
SPECIAL SECTION -- More Extortionography
SPECIAL SECTION -- SpyCam Stories of the Week
SPECIAL SECTION -- TechTalk
SPECIAL SECTION -- Think Different. Look Different!
SPECIAL SECTION -- DIY Detective Tricks
SPECIAL SECTION -- The usual nonsense... =====================================================
SPECIAL SECTION -- Security Director News
Cautionary Tale...
Two former Philadelphia Eagles cheerleaders filed a federal lawsuit
claiming players from visiting teams repeatedly spied on the
cheerleaders as they changed clothes. The cheerleaders' dressing room
adjoins the visiting team's locker room... the suit alleged, the players
drilled holes through the door or scratched the paint off a small glass
window to see through to the other side. ... plaintiffs contend that the
"ability to peer into the cheerleaders' locker room, and to view them in
(various) states of undress, was considered one of the special 'perks'
of being a visiting team of the Eagles."
The important parts... 1. "It was common knowledge among virtually the entire National Football
League -- while at the same time a carefully guarded secret to be known
only to the players and other team employees of the (visiting) teams --
that these conditions existed," the suit stated. 2. Marylou Tammaro, director of the cheerleading team, told the Times
she had repeatedly spoken to city officials about creating a more secure
environment for the cheerleaders, but her pleas had been ignored. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/aponline/20010809/
Moral...
Take reports of spying seriously.
Don't let it get this far. Call us, please.
Again...
Your wireless LAN is like an old cordless phone!
...Eavesdropper-friendly. "Anyone who assumes 802.11b wireless local area networking (WLAN)
systems are inherently secure will get a wake-up call next week with the
release of a report that claims there are significant weaknesses in the
RC4 encryption algorithm used to secure such systems." http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20010807S0002
A 20-year-old undergraduate student from Rice University, Adam
Stubblefield, has earned the distinction of being the first to implement
a devastating new attack on the wired equivalent privacy (WEP)
encryption protocol used in 802.11b wireless local area networks. http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20010808S0042
SPECIAL SECTION -- "You're only a stranger here once."
Ybor 2001 - Decidedly tart and whinny...
Tom Colatosti, president and chief executive officer of Viisage
Technology - the company that supplied controversial TV surveillance at
the Super Bowl - says he declined to keep the system in Ybor City after
the game for philosophical reasons. "Neighborhood scanning is an
unreasonable application" of the face-recognition software. The
now-controversial deal won by a competitor, Visionics Corp. of New
Jersey. A Tampa police official calls Colatosti's criticism "sour grapes." http://www.sptimes.com:80/News/080301/TampaBay/Civil
Forget your parking meter and they will be there in seconds... An image from Ybor City's cameras was reprinted in a national magazine.
An Oklahoma woman phoned Tampa police and said the man was wanted.
Yes, that's him in the image. But no, he's never been to Oklahoma. And no,
he's not wanted. "They made me feel like a criminal." He was just having
lunch in Ybor City when a surveillance camera captured his image. Weeks
later, the police show up. (note: The ID was not confirmed by the camera
system. They just took the woman's word.) http://www.sptimes.com/News/080801/TampaBay/
What was that other doctor's name? Franken-something? Facing a growing public backlash, the security industry called on
Congress Wednesday to regulate the use of surveillance systems that
match faces of people on the street with a database of known criminals.
"This discovery was intended to bring a benefit to society and the
world, and my feeling about it is I need help from the federal
government to make sure there is no room for misuse," said Dr. Joseph
Atick, chief executive of Visionics Corp. http://dailynews.yahoo.com/htx/nm/20010808/pl/tech_privacy
SPECIAL SECTION -- More Extortionography
Case 1... Neal Horsley asks for help placing cameras at abortion clinics. "We have
an opportunity to develop abortion abolition television programs in
every media market in the nation. ...using the www.abortioncams.com web
site to expose... (people in) twenty-one states are sending in real-time
images... Our plan is to utilize the hundreds of cable access channels
around the nation to broadcast on television the material we are gathering. http://www.politechbot.com/p-02351.html
Case 2... WLOS-TV in Asheville, N.C., aired footage surreptitiously recorded in a
nursing home after a judge ruled news outlets have a constitutional
right to publish information without direction from the courts. http://www.rcfp.org/news/2001/0801havoni.html
What every cameraman, photographer and videographer should know
about invasion of privacy standards in the 50 states and D.C. http://www.rcfp.org/photoguide/index.html
SPECIAL SECTION -- SpyCam Stories of the Week
Dude!?!? David Kendrick had everything - money, privilege and an idyllic
upbringing in a £500,000 luxury home in an exclusive Cheshire village.
But his secret double life as a jealous petty crook was uncovered by a
shocked next-door neighbour, who set up spy cameras to catch the thief
who had plagued him for the previous five years. http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/news/content.cfm?story=115813
Cold comfort...
Tiny spy cameras fitted in fridges, cookers and kitchen cupboards may be
used to warn care givers when vulnerable elderly people fall over or
become ill in their own homes. If a pensioner fails to use the utilities
for a long period, the Big Brother-style technology will alert social
services to send someone to investigate. http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/story.jsp?story=87131
Throw in the fridge and I'm sold!!! "What if you bundled a computer, a camera and a modem in the same box?
If it had an operating system, it should work unassisted for years. StarDot
(stardot-tech.com) has one. It combines a high-definition Web camera,
computer and communications hardware in a self-contained NetCam
unit running the Linux operating system. Suggested list price is $599.
NetCam needs only a phone line to connect to the Internet full time.
Some uses are obvious. Security surveillance comes to mind..." http://www.startribune.com/viewers/qview/cgi/qview.cgi?
SPECIAL SECTION -- TechTalk
Judge Dreads...
A group of federal employees who believed that the monitoring of their
office computers was a major violation of their privacy recently staged
an insurrection, disabling the software used to check on them and
suggesting that the monitoring was illegal and unethical. This was not
just a random bunch of bureaucrats but a group of federal judges who are
still engaged in a dispute with the office in Washington that
administers the judicial branch and that had installed the software to
prevent downloading of music, streaming video and pornography. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/08/national/08COUR.html?
Judge Dreads III...
"New FBI chief Robert Mueller's testimony before the US Senate during
his confirmation hearing last week, to the effect that he had no
understanding of key-logging technology, sounded very wrong to us. We
figured that little gem had to be either a bald-faced lie, or evidence
of his technical incompetence and consequent unfitness to lead the FBI
in the 21st Century. ... If we consult the following advisory from the
Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) Coordination Center at
Carnegie Mellon University, we find that Mueller contributed to a report on the
legalities of installing key-logging technology on a network. The
bulletin is dated December 1992, revised September 1997." http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/20894.html http://www.cert.org/advisories/CA-1992-19.html
Do not pass 'Go'...
A Miami man has pleaded guilty to mail fraud for Internet pitches for
so-called "Go Box" devices falsely promised to turn red traffic lights
green. Buyers who paid $69 to $175 either got nothing in return or
received plans for a strobe light sold by a legitimate Southern
California company that produces electronic kits for students. http://www.naplesnews.com/01/06/florida/d647418a.htm
Coming next year... "Spouse-lingual" interperts grunts.
A new gadget released in Japan is trying to reduce the lingual divide
between dog and its owner. Creatively called "Bow-lingual", the
hand-held electronic device claims to gauge a dog's mood by listening to
its bark. Released by Takara Co Ltd, Japan's third-largest toy maker,
the invention uses a microphone on the dog's collar to record the bark.
An infra-red voice print is then beamed to the owners 'emotion pager' --
a small liquid crystal display that shows how the dog feels. Gauging
six emotions, the "Bow-lingual" uses 200 words to relay to the owner the
dog's feeling together with the relevant pictures. http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/east/08/08/japan.translator/
(photo)
No, Fido didn't say, "Bite me."
South Korea - Animal rights groups are threatening to launch a boycott
of next year's soccer World Cup unless the South Korean government
clamps down on the sale of dog meat. http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/east/08/05/korea.dog/
So, this comes as NO surprise... "Ruff. Ruff. Hello, ASPCA..."
NTT DoCoMo Inc., Japan's leading cellular carrier, made headlines last
year when it suggested up to 360 million cellular terminals may be in
use in Japan by 2010, among them 20 million on cats and dogs. Now the
company has expanded its vision further... http://www.idg.net/ec?go=1&content_source_id=13&link_id=525181
I Huntsville, AL-based Time Domain has a device that can see through
walls. The device, which the company expects to sell by year's end, will
be responsive enough to prevent even the minute motions of a person
attempting to stand still. http://www.technologyreview.com/magazine/jun01/prototype.asp (photo)
IV Need something to do with the kids - Go Kaping!
Ever wanted to take snapshots that don't immediately inspire narcolepsy
in your friends? All you need is a camera, a mechanism to remotely
activate the shutter and a kite big enough to lift them both off the
ground. As far as thriving online subcultures go, few surpass the sheer
geekiness of kite aerial photography, or "kaping." http://www.thestandard.com/article/0,1902,28237,00.html http://www.fortunecity.com/marina/nelson/479/
Hear Different...
Electronic Recordings by Lawyers Without the Knowledge of All Participants
Formal Opinion 01-422, June 24, 2001
"A lawyer who electronically records a conversation without the
knowledge of the other party or parties to the conversation does not
necessarily violate the Model Rules. Formal Opinion 337 (1974)
accordingly is withdrawn." http://www.abanet.org/cpr/ethicopinions.html
SPECIAL SECTION -- DIY Detective Tricks
Free Internet Access to Government Public Records ...over 300 state, county, city and federal (court) URL's where you can
access public record information for free. http://www.brbpub.com/pubrecsites.asp
A Practical Guide to Taping Phone Calls and In-Person Conversations in
the 50 States and D.C. (note: Laws change rapidly. Always double check.) http://www.rcfp.org/taping/index.html
Can't get a good hotel room in Boston for that...
The United States is to reimburse China for the costs incurred during
the three-month seizure of a Navy surveillance plane. A Pentagon
official says the amount, 66-thousand-dollars, includes the care of the
24-member crew who were detained for 11 days. ($250. p/p/ p/d) http://www.abc.net.au/asiapacific/news/GoAsiaPacificBNA_344188.htm
Security Scrapbook - Espionage & Privacy News of the Week.
Sat, 04 Aug 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 -- Government Surveillance & Law
SPECIAL SECTION -- Asian Spy News
SPECIAL SECTION -- FutureWatch
SPECIAL SECTION -- The other stuff =====================================================
SPECIAL SECTION -- Government Surveillance & Law
"Is that a wiretap dongle, or are you just glad to..." By bugging a keyboard or using special software, FBI agents can remotely
capture a computer user's every keystroke. With a black box, they can
intercept e-mail from miles away. In a van parked outside, they secretly
can recreate the pictures on a computer screen from its electromagnetic
energy. The legal limits for these new investigative tools will get a
test Monday when a federal court in New Jersey examines a mob case in
which agents, without a wiretap order, recorded a suspect's computer keystrokes. http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20010728/ts/fbi_surveillance_1.html
"looks like a wiretap, but it's not." - U.S. District Judge N. Politan NEWARK, New Jersey -- Nicodemo S. Scarfo is not merely an affable
computer aficionado, the son of Philadelphia's former mob boss and an
alleged mastermind of a loan shark operation in New Jersey. He's also
the defendant in a case that could -- depending on how a federal judge
rules in the next few weeks -- dramatically expand the government's
powers to spy on Americans or restrict police to traditional techniques. http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,45730,00.html
Wiretapping Legislation -- Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Sen. Charles Schumer
(D-NY), and Sen. Mike DeWine (R-OH), introduced S 1234, a bill to
provide that certain sexual crimes against children are predicate crimes
for the interception of communications. The bill was referred to the
Senate Judiciary Committee. http://www.techlawjournal.com/home/newsbriefs/2001/07e.asp
"Spy planes? ..." China is trying to avoid another surveillance plane incident with the
United States by cutting back on the aggressive pursuit tactics that led
to a collision in April off the Chinese coast, Secretary of State Colin
Powell said Sunday. http://www.suntimes.com:80/output/news/cst-nws-pow30.html
"We don't need no stinkin' spy planes..." China has launched a new military reconnaissance satellite for spying on
American forces in Asia, disguising it as a civilian system for
monitoring crop yields and natural disasters, according to US
intelligence officials. http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,3-2001263573,00.html
Why academics are often labeled 'spies' in China...
In China officials can arbitrarily declare scholarly publications secret
and against the law to distribute. Examples... publications and papers
about differences in women's rights, Chinese culture and Taiwan. http://www.washingtontimes.com/metro/20010729-71426092.htm
Now they tell us...
The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (Riken) on Tuesday
denied any organized involvement in the 1998-1999 genetic spy
allegations in which U.S. prosecutors accused an institute member of
stealing genetic materials from an Ohio laboratory. http://home.kyodo.co.jp/all/firstp.jsp?news=japan&an=&dummy
SPECIAL SECTION -- FutureWatch
"Beam me up." - Capt. J. Kirk
Quantum teleportation involves transmitting all of the information
contained in a quantum-mechanical particle (such as a photon or atom) to
another particle, even if the two are completely separated by a large distance. http://webplaza.pt.lu/public/fklaess/html/AIP.HTML
"What do you see, Superman?" - J. Olsen New laser-based methods for generating pulses of far-infrared radiation
at terahertz frequencies (0.1 - 10 THz) have been developed. The use of
T-ray imaging to see through visually opaque materials is perhaps one of
the most exciting and actively investigated areas of the field.
Laser Focus World - July 2001 http://www.photonics.com/Spectra/Features/May00/repWindow.html
"Morphing Mopar, Batman!!!" - Robin
This black goo brakes (sic) the laws of physics on demand: Just add
magnets and the magnetorheological material turns from a free-flowing
liquid into a solid. ... If Ford gets its way, the car of the future
will be made entirely of MR material. Press the Reset button after that
fender bender and speed away unscathed. Electronic Word 9.08 - http://www.wired.com/
"I'll take a Perrier." - W.C. Fields AT&T Labs will start selling speech software that it says is so good at
reproducing the sounds, inflections and intonations of a human voice
that it can recreate voices and even bring the voices of long-dead
celebrities back to life. The software, which turns printed text into
synthesized speech, makes it possible for a company to use recordings of
a person's voice to utter things that the person never actually said.
The software is called Natural Voices. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/31/technology/31VOIC.html?searchpv=day04
"What is all this 'International' crap?" - T.U. American
The profusion of international news available on the Internet has made
it increasingly difficult for the average American to ignore the rest of
the world, a trend researchers say threatens Americans' long, proud
history of disregarding anything not about them. ... said Chip Pernadge
of Kansas City, Mo. "Jesus, no wonder those guys lost the war and had to
give Hong Kong back to Canada." http://www.satirewire.com/news/0010/international.html
Vancouver may need a new motto too...
A plan to install 23 video surveillance cameras in downtown Vancouver
could eventually reduce crime in the area by as much as 50 per cent,
says the author of the proposal. (Grant Fredericks, a former police
constable and video surveillance expert.) http://www.vancouversun.com/newsite/news/010731/5011929.html
Andes Gang...
Gonna Change My Way of Thinking...
Captured former Peruvian spy chief Vladimiro Montesinos told the ex-wife
of deposed president Alberto Fujimori the autocratic leader ordered she
be killed. http://www.thestar.com//NASApp/cs/ContentServer?GXHC
Subterranean Homesick Blues...
Peru's former spy chief wants two CIA agents to testify on his behalf
against charges that he masterminded a clandestine arms pipeline to
Colombian guerrillas... Peruvian investigators say Montesinos and his
cronies in Peru's military amassed more than $260 million in illicit
profits, mostly from alleged kickbacks on shady arms deals. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/aponline/20010803/
...and so much for Mom's home cooking...
The Central Intelligence Agency paid the Peruvian intelligence
organization run by fallen spymaster Vladimiro Montesinos $1 million a
year for 10 years to fight drug trafficking, despite evidence that
Montesinos was also in business with Colombian narcotraffickers... In
prison, he has insisted on dining on Gerber baby food -- to soothe his gastritis. http://www.miami.com/herald/content/news/americas/digdocs/
Cheech & Chong never looked like that...
Pretoria, South Africa -- Wouter Basson, the spy and mastermind behind
the apartheid government's chemical warfare programme, claimed on Friday
the United States had used hallucinogenic weapons against Iraq during
the Gulf war.
Basson told the Pretoria high court, television footage shot during the
war showed clearly that elite Iraqi troops who surrendered en masse were
under the influence of hallucinogens. He said their faces were
expressionless, their pupils were dilated and they were drooling at the mouth... http://www.khilafah.com/1421/category.php?DocumentID=1928&TagID=2
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