About Charles Patterson

Charles Patterson is the president, CEO, and primary consultant of Exec Security TSCM. He began working in the security field in 1978 in executive protection and related technical security services. He has been providing TSCM sweeps since 1995.

Who’s in your conference call?

Electronic communications has made meeting up with others via conference calls and web conferencing quite convenient and very commonplace today.  It is important, though, to be aware of the security concerns and vulnerabilities for all types of conference services.

During an inspection we performed at a financial services company we found that their brand new boardroom conferencing system had been left with “auto-answer” enabled. This allowed anyone to call in and listen to everything taking place in the room, not only from any phone extension on the property, but also from any outside phone line. A caller just needed to know the “DID” or direct inward dial number (which happened to be the room’s extension number with the common prefix).

That incident involved the hardware based conference system built into the corporate boardroom. More common, though, and used by all levels of employees, is conference calling using either a corporate conference number (conference bridge […]

2016-12-16T20:23:47-05:00October 13th, 2014|
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Spy kids… spy theme store raises funds for non-profit creative writing program for kids.

Spy themes always seem attractive to almost anyone. A Chicago store uses a spy theme to help raise funds for a 826CHI, a non-profit writing and tutoring center for children.

Formerly known as “The Boring Store”, it has recently moved and changed it’s name to “Wicker Park Secret Agent Supply Co.“, with a website at www.notasecretagentstore.com. They are currently using Kickstarter to help fund their new location.

notasecretagentstore

The website looks like fun with simple game type activities, but it doesn’t seem to connect to an online store at this time so it’s hard to tell if they really do sell spy supplies. Their brick and mortar shop does seem to have some exhibits that would be interesting for kids, though.

An article on their project can be viewed at the ChicagoTribune.com.

2016-12-16T20:23:48-05:00August 13th, 2014|
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Prague: Czech-ing for bugs

More and more influential players are resorting to meetings abroad or in secluded areas

Prague, July 16 (ČTK) — Czech politicians, lobbyists and influential businessmen are seeking new places safe from bugging for their meetings in reaction to extensive wiretapping not only in offices but also in luxurious hotels and restaurants where they used to meet in the past, Lidové noviny (LN) writes today.

It names a recent case in which a bugging device was found in the office of a senior official of the Czech Energy Regulatory Office (ERÚ) as well as the wiretapping scandal in neighboring Poland that almost led to the fall of the government. “A politically incorrect” conversation between Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski and former Finance Minister Jacek Rostowski was wiretapped in a restaurant in Warsaw and then released to the public.

Recently, controversial Czech lobbyist […]

2016-12-16T20:23:48-05:00July 27th, 2014|
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“We can neither confirm or deny… our first tweet” – @CIA

The NSA may be listening, but the CIA is talking… err, tweeting. If you thought they were following you, now you can follow them.

www.azcentral.com

WASHINGTON — For a spy agency that likes to blend into the background, the CIA’s debut on Twitter has revealed a covert sense of humor.

In a medium heralded for its snide remarks, the Twittersphere gave high praise Friday for the intelligence agency’s first tweet, under the handle @CIA.

“We can neither confirm nor deny that this is our first tweet,” posted @CIA. Within an hour it had gained more than 67,000 followers.

At first, that raised a question: Was this really the Central Intelligence Agency? Since any number of fake CIA twitter accounts have sprung up over the years, some caution was in order.

The agency quickly confirmed in a news release that it had, in fact, established a presence on both Twitter and Facebook.
 

2016-12-16T20:23:49-05:00June 6th, 2014|
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$40,000 eavesdropping investigation at University of Colorado

There is a need to tighten up policies and procedures regarding conference calls. An assistant to CU’s fundraising officer listened in on conference call of a closed door executive session of the Board of Directors. The story is not even so much about what was heard, but more about the cost of investigating the incident (estimated at $40,000) and whether the official may have instructed the assistant to eavesdrop.

from the Daily Camera, Boulder, Co.

Less than a year after being hired as the University of Colorado system’s top fundraising officer, Kelly Cronin is leaving the university in the wake of a $40,000 investigation into an allegation her assistant eavesdropped on a closed-door meeting…

Eavesdropping investigation

At a meeting in Denver between the CU Foundation’s Board of Directors and several university employees, the board moved into executive session, which is closed to all non-board members.

All university employees either left the room or left […]

2016-12-16T20:23:49-05:00June 6th, 2014|
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Backdoors to stored phone recordings.

Listening-Recording-Device

“Calls may be monitored for quality assurance…” but also for other reasons such as legal documentation or emergency services and 911 calls. Call recordings can exist for a number of legitimate purposes, using a variety of means and equipment. Not many use actual tape anymore, it usually stored on digital media. This can range from usb memory, to local PC hard drives, to more elaborate servers and cloud services. The larger systems will be managed by software which could have multiple levels of access.

One system I am familiar with can be set up to record calls and save them as if they were voicemail messages in the user’s mailbox. These recordings are then automatically emailed to the user. Whoever has admin access to the phone system will be able to adjust the destination email addresses, adding multiple different addresses for copies of the […]

2016-12-16T20:23:49-05:00May 29th, 2014|
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Credit Card-Reading Spy Camera Found in the NYC Subway

Hidden cameras abound. Knowing how to spot them can help protect you against credit card skimming. Skimming involves attaching a device to a card reader that can copy your card data- but the bad guys also need your pin number. That is where the cameras come into play. The camera would be placed in a location that can see the buttons as you enter your pin number.

This hidden camera and a skimming device were found by a customer earlier this week in a vending machine at the 59 Street-Columbus Circle station. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is warning New Yorkers to keep an eye out for hidden cameras installed in MetroCard machines.

Covert camera Covert camera over Metro Card machine.

This recent find in the NYC Subway was a camera installed in what appeared to be an electric […]

2016-12-16T20:23:50-05:00April 12th, 2014|
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Hidden camera updates: Tampa, FL company; Ft. Meyers, FL rental home; Fredericton YMCA, New Brunswick, CA

It’s worth paying attention to even the small incidents of attempted spying. Eavesdropping equipment is cheap and easily obtained. News reports are of the few who get caught, but there are many more that go undetected.  Contact us if you have concerns for your place of business. 

Tampa, FL:

Ex-employee’s lawsuit claims Tampa company didn’t act on covert videos

Days after the chief financial officer of a Tampa maintenance company was accused of recording videos of female employees using the bathroom and showering, the former information technology employee who exposed the chief  financial officer’s alleged actions has sued the company and his ex-boss.

On March 28, Jeremy Lenkowski, the former information technology director for MaintenX , filed a lawsuit accusing the company’s president and vice president, among others, of failing to act after Lenkowski showed them videos he’d discovered on CFO […]

2016-12-16T20:23:50-05:00April 2nd, 2014|
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Counterespionage for facilities

Here is a link to an article by my friend and colleague Kevin Murray offering a some tips and an introduction to espionage countermeasures for building and facility managers. When the serious possibility of espionage arises, building managers and even security managers may not know where to turn for help.

How to Handle Counterespionage 3/19/2014 by Kevin D. Murray 

You know everything about managing facilities, but a request from management to debug your building can throw even the most seasoned FM for a loop. With the help of an outside professional, you can ensure speech privacy and business security. 
Business espionage is a growing concern, yet it’s mistakenly thought of as an IT department problem. The reality is that the information IT protects is vulnerable to theft long before it is put into the computer – 
 

[Read the full article at buildings.com]

2014-03-23T00:01:07-04:00March 23rd, 2014|
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New presidential limo in the works.

Detroit News, March 11, 2014

Washington— The Department of Homeland Security plans to award a contract for the design of the next-generation presidential limousine by late August, to be ready by the time the next president takes office in 2017.

According to a contract proposal posted last week by the U.S. Secret Service on the government’s contracting site, the administration plans to award the contract by Aug. 29, “based on best value to the government.”

The project is in four phases, the Secret Service said. “Phase 1, armor development, is currently underway. Phase 2 work will include integration of the armor design developed during Phase 1 of the program. Phase 2 requirements will include selection and integration of final automotive components, chassis, interior, exterior, and test vehicle fabrication and automotive component testing. Phase 3 will be focused on automotive validation and Phase 4 production of vehicles,” said the proposal, […]

2016-12-16T20:23:53-05:00March 16th, 2014|
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Hidden camera footage surfaces of Supreme Court debate

Here is an example of what could happen if covert audio or video eavesdropping took place in any corporate meeting.  Our concern is not as much about what was said as it is about the backlash from having any type of embarrassing situation displayed publicly, whether on YouTube or any other media.

Hidden camera footage of what appeared to be Supreme Court proceedings from earlier this week surfaced on Thursday, offering one the of the first public recordings of the High Court’s proceedings.

A video posted on YouTube and recorded by 99 Rise, a group that supports tougher campaign finance laws, shows proceedings leading up to and during a rare protest that took place in the court Wednesday.

 

[Jump forward to 1:05 for the action scene.]

Noah Kai Newkirk, a leader of the group, is seen in the video standing up and calling on the court to […]

2016-12-16T20:23:53-05:00March 9th, 2014|
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Bugged director wins unfair dismissal case against Michelle Mone

Scottish Express, Feb 27, 2014

A SENIOR employee of lingerie tycoon Michelle Mone who walked out after discovering his office was bugged won an unfair dismissal case yesterday.

Scott Kilday discovered a listening device in his office

Scott Kilday, 35, was horrified to find a listening device hidden in a plant pot days after he was asked to resign from his post as operations director.

The bug was placed by management at MJM International, which makes the Ultimo brand, for “business strategic reasons”, an employment tribunal heard.

Mr Kilday told the Glasgow hearing of difficulties at the lingerie firm’s HQ after Ms Mone, 42, split from her husband and business partner Michael, 46, in December 2011.

Judges yesterday found in his favour, ruling MJM’s decision to plant the listening device was likely to “destroy or seriously damage” Mr Kilday’s trust in his bosses. He was awarded £15,920 […]

2016-12-16T20:23:53-05:00February 26th, 2014|
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It’s good enough for the Irish… Department of Finance regularly sweeps for bugs

It should be accepted practice in all businesses. The level and frequency needed for corporate countermeasures sweeps relates to the value of information being discussed. But it is not just measured as a dollar value of a few pieces of data- the loss of confidential information can also affect stock prices, product announcements, market positioning, law suits, shareholder relations, executive protection, and many other areas.

Feb 21, 2014; The Irish Times

The Department of Finance and the National Treasury Management Agency carry out regular sweeps to ensure they are not subject to any bugging or surveillance. Minister for Finance Michael Noonan confirmed the steps were taken due to the commercial sensitivity of issues being discussed within the department. However, other departments declined to reveal if they undertake similar counter-surveillance measures.

In response to parliamentary questions from Fine Gael TDs Brendan Griffin and Noel Harrington, Mr Noonan said he was “aware of the importance of maintaining security given the commercially sensitive meetings held in the […]

2014-02-26T21:05:17-05:00February 26th, 2014|
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Turkey: Reports of widespread wiretapping make waves in Ankara

25 February 2014, Turkish Weekly

Thousands of people, including Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, national intelligence chief Hakan Fidan and a wide range of journalists, academics, business leaders and NGO representatives, have been wiretapped for years by the police as part of different probes, Turkish media claimed Feb. 24. The reports prompted a top judicial body to open an internal investigation into the claims, but were dismissed by the prosecutor involved in the cases.

The classified files on the wiretappings were found in the Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office by the new prosecutors who were assigned following mass purges in the judiciary, pro-government dailies Star and Yeni Şafak claimed in separate but similar reports.

Yeni Şafak reported that up to 3,064 people have been wiretapped according to the first documents found by the newly appointed prosecutors, while Star alleged that the real number is likely close to 7,000.

The Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors […]

2014-02-26T20:34:02-05:00February 26th, 2014|
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Istanbul, Turkey: Prime Minister’s bugging suspect found to be bodyguard of Yasin al-Qadi

Lessons can be learned about who plants bugs and why by reviewing international incidents.
25 February 2014  TODAY’S ZAMAN
 
A police officer only known as S.D., allegedly responsible for placing a bugging device in Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s study inside his Ankara residence, has reportedly been working as a bodyguard for Saudi Arabian businessman Yasin al-Qadi, the Taraf daily claimed on Tuesday.
Four covert listening devices, as Erdoğan explained in December 2012, had been discovered in the office of his Subayevleri home in Ankara, without detailing exactly when the devices had been found, adding that an investigation was being launched.

According to Uslu, no […]

2016-12-16T20:23:53-05:00February 26th, 2014|
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Could lonely hearts lead to theft of data? Report breaks down security risks on 5 online dating sites.

from Mobile Enterprise by Stephanie Blanchard: Online Dating Leads to Data

Online dating. It’s not going away. In fact, according to Pew Research Center, 11% of American adults have used online dating or mobile dating apps in 2013. Many are looking for love, not cyber threats or blackmail.  RIIS LLC, a consulting firm offering accelerated application development, has released findings that break down the risks for the top five dating sites.

The Android Mobile Security Index analyzes Match.com, Plenty of Fish, and three other extremely popular sites that employees are bound to be accessing at some point during the day. Each app was rated using an industry standard as defined by the OWASP Mobile Security Project.

So, what’s the result? Out of the five, Match scored the lowest while Christian Mingles came out on top.

What’s going on with Match? Insecure data storage – where a user’s profile and activity are all stored locally […]

2016-12-16T20:23:53-05:00February 24th, 2014|
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Listening Devices Found in Jakarta Governor’s Residence

By Jakarta Globe on February 20, 2014.

Jakarta. Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) members conducting a sweep of Governor Joko Widodo’s official residence allegedly discovered listening devices spread throughout the home in the second spying attempt on a prominent member of the opposition party, an official revealed on Thursday.

Three devices were found in the governor’s official residence in Menteng, Central Jakarta, in December of last year, PDI-P secretary general Tjahjo Kumolo said on Thursday. The spy equipment, which could allegedly listen-in on Joko’s private conversations, was found in his bedroom, living room and dining room — the governor’s preferred meeting room in the house.

“We searched Jokowi’s house, there were three spying devices,” Tjahjo told the Indonesian news paper Kompas. “It feels like someone is trying to intimidate us.”

The party’s chair Megawati Sukarnoputri has reportedly been under surveillance for some time, Tjahjo said. A man was once found snooping around the former Indonesian president’s home, he explained.

“Someone […]

2014-02-21T11:06:48-05:00February 21st, 2014|
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