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.

LA hoaxer arrested on eavesdropping charges- not for making prank calls, but for recording them.

Man Nabbed Over Prank Calls to Pro Coaches, By Matt Cantor, Newser Staff

(NEWSER) – Famous last words: “I’m like the world’s most safe criminal.” A Los Angeles man has been arrested after allegedly making prank calls to at least a dozen NFL, NBA, and college football coaches offering them new jobs. Kenneth Tarr, 32, allegedly called the likes of ex-Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy, offering him a head coach position at the University of Southern California, NBC News reports. Others targets included Minnesota Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier, University of Hawaii head coach Norm Chow, and Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden.

Tarr was arrested yesterday on suspicion of eavesdropping after he allegedly recorded the calls; recording without consent is illegal in California. He seems quite open about the pranks, having apparently written to Deadspin boasting of them. “I’m amazed that they’re returning any of these calls,” he […]

Charles Patterson2016-12-16T20:23:56-05:00December 13th, 2013|

Hidden camera and remote controlled power outlets- but no espionage, just an advertising stunt.

Intel and The Monkeys chase power in hidden camera stunt

Intel has enlisted creative agency The Monkeys to conduct a hidden camera experiment which sees people chasing around remote controlled power outlets as they try to charge their devices.

The video ‘Chasing Charge’ to promote the new Core Processors has people chasing the power outlet at a cafe until it hides in a box which reveals the message “power keep running out on you?”

Intel’s Asia Pacific director brand strategy and integrated marketing Jayant Murty said in a statement: “In a world where people want to stay connected to the things they love without breaks or interruptions, they are increasingly seeking devices that have great performance and amazing battery life.

“Until recently consumers have had to choose between the two. But not with the latest core processors, that give you both in one package.”

Charles Patterson2013-12-05T19:25:02-05:00December 5th, 2013|

Video surveillance of hacker/activist Aaron Swartz released.

The video can be viewed at the website links below.

WIRED, BY KEVIN POULSEN 12.04.13

The door to the network closet pops open and a slender figure enters, a bicycle helmet hanging at his side. He sheds his backpack and pulls out a cardboard box containing a small hard drive, then kneels out of frame. After about five minutes, he stands, turns off the lights and furtively exits the closet.

This scene, captured by a video camera hidden in a wiring closet at MIT, was the beginning of a probe that led to federal charges against the late coder and activist Aaron Swartz. The video, along with dozens of other documents related to the case, has been released to the public for the first time through my Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the U.S. Secret Service.

The video was made in January 2011, near the end of a months-long cat-and-mouse game between MIT personnel […]

Charles Patterson2016-12-16T20:23:56-05:00December 5th, 2013|

World news- Australia: Chinese’s scientist absence exposed alleged spying activities at CSIRO

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation(CSIRO) is Australia’s national science agency.

The Sidney Morning Herald, 12/5/2013
A CSIRO scientist’s failure to show up for work led Australia’s top scientific organisation to uncover a suspected spy in its ranks.

The Chinese scientist at the centre of an industrial espionage probe had missed three days of work last week, prompting CSIRO management to ask police to visit his suburban Melbourne residence to check on his welfare.

But by the time the officers arrived, the scientist was nowhere to be seen.

Fairfax Media understands he had left the country days earlier, possibly returning to China.

However, he had left CSIRO computer equipment in his home. The equipment is now being examined by federal police and intelligence officials.

It is believed CSIRO databases had been accessed from the computer equipment and confidential information may have been used in an unauthorised fashion.

Neither the Australian Federal Police […]

Charles Patterson2016-12-16T20:23:56-05:00December 5th, 2013|

Types of people behind today’s corporate security threats

An article on ZDNet provides a good summary of who might be attacking your network, along with tips for fighting back.
Problems could easily come from any of the following:

Employees
IT workers
CEOs and small business owners
State-sponsored actors
Corporate espionage
Wannabes and thrill seekers
Software developers

[Full Article] Field guide: Types of people behind today’s corporate security threats

…For an example of how serious corporate espionage can be, one need look no further than Nortel, the former telecommunications giant that declared bankruptcy in 2009. In 2012, The Wall Street Journal reported that hackers, who appeared to be working in China, used stolen passwords from Nortel executives to “downloaded technical papers, research-and-development reports, business plans, employee emails and other documents.” Brian Shields, a former 19-year Nortel employee and systems […]

Charles Patterson2016-12-16T20:23:56-05:00December 2nd, 2013|

The importance of a trade secret (vs. filing for a patent), from Coca-Cola to the telephone.

There is a big difference between filing for a patent for your idea, and establishing it as a trade secret.

A patent, by it’s very nature, requires that you reveal details about how it works, what it is, what it does. This information must be revealed in order to gain a patent. A definition of a patent would be a set of exclusive rights granted… to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time, in exchange for the public disclosure of the invention. (The telephone- often considered the most valuable patent.)

A trade secret, on the other hand, is exactly that- a secret. No one but you should know what it is, or how it works. It is required to be kept secret, private, and confidential. It must be protected, otherwise it cannot be considered a trade secret. (The formula for Coca-Cola- the most famous trade secret.)

Here are some other significant points- a patent […]

Charles Patterson2016-12-16T20:23:56-05:00December 1st, 2013|

Technology lets peeping Toms take spying to new level [and not just peeping Toms: anyone who wants to spy]

Most news articles focus on voyeurism, but of course, it’s not just peeping Toms to worry about. It could be an employee looking for an edge up, a jealous executive, any adversary planning an attack or disruption. Anyone who wants to take advantage of another’s situation has high tech spy technology available on line, literally at their fingertips. Micro video recorders, audio eavesdropping, tracking devices, all available for a few dollars from on line sources.
TIP: If you see a device you are not sure of, one tell tale sign could be if the device has a USB port on it. A key fob, calculator, even sun glasses, if they have a connection plug for a computer it could be suspicious. On more advanced devices you may not see such connections, though. The more common covert video and audio recorders have a USB port for both […]

Charles Patterson2016-12-16T20:23:56-05:00November 30th, 2013|

European Commission Takes Aim at Industrial Espionage, Proposes Trade Secrets Law Harmonization

Author: James Rundle

The European Commission (EC) has proposed new rules on the protection of so-called trade secrets, seeking to harmonize the definition and enforcement of guidelines among its member states, in a move that could have ramifications for the financial technology industry.

The new rules, says the EC, will make it easier for companies to defend themselves against misappropriation of their trade secrets in national courts, to seek injunctions against products using their property, and to seek damages for theft and misuse. Under the terms of the proposal, the “trade secrets” phrase encompasses both technical and commercial endeavors designed to provide business and commercial advantages to firms in both the short and the long term.

“Cybercrime and industrial espionage are unfortunately part of the reality that businesses in Europe face every day,” says Michel Barnier, commissioner for internal market and services at the EC. “We have to make sure our […]

Charles Patterson2013-11-29T23:35:10-05:00November 29th, 2013|

Ralph Nader: Corporate espionage undermines democracy

By Ralph Nader

Nov 27 (Reuters) – It’s not just the NSA that has been caught spying on Americans. Some of our nation’s largest corporations have been conducting espionage as well, against civic groups.

For these big companies with pliable ethics, if they don’t win political conflicts with campaign donations or lobbying power, then they play dirty. Very dirty.

That’s the lesson of a new report on corporate espionage against nonprofit organizations, by my colleagues at Essential Information. The title of the report is Spooky Business, and it is apt.

Spooky Business is like a Canterbury Tales of corporate snoopery. The spy narratives in the report are lurid and gripping. Hiring investigators to pose as volunteers and journalists. Hacking. Wiretapping. Information warfare. Physical intrusion. Investigating the private lives of nonprofit leaders. Dumpster diving using an active duty police officer to gain access to trash receptacles. Electronic surveillance. On […]

Charles Patterson2016-12-16T20:23:56-05:00November 28th, 2013|

it was ‘easy to listen to voicemails’, hacking trial hears

“She [Brooks] said that it was so easy to do and she couldn’t believe that famous people who have all these advisers did not know they needed to change their pin code to make their voicemail secure”.

Lisa O’Carroll and Caroline Davies
theguardian.com, Monday 25 November 2013 13.20 EST

Eimear Cook, the ex-wife of golfing star Colin Montgomerie was accused of repeatedly lying under oath about a lunch with Rebekah Brooks in which she claimed the former News International chief excutive had told her how easy it was to hack phones.

In a tense and prolonged exchange at the Old Bailey on Monday, counsel for Brooks said Cook had fabricated parts of her witness statement to the police, including a claim that the former publishing boss had told her about an assault on her ex-husband Ross Kemp.

Brooks’ counsel Jonathan Laidlaw, QC, asked her had she done […]

Charles Patterson2013-11-28T08:50:20-05:00November 28th, 2013|

Executive bad habits endanger corporate security

By Dave Jeffers, IDG Creative Lab

…According to ThreatTrack Security, top executives play a major, unintentional role in helping hackers breach their companies’ defenses. ThreatTrack recently reported the results of a survey of 200 United States-based corporate malware analysts. “Among the issues that malware analysts face: more than half said they’ve had to remove malware from the device of a member of senior leadership because the executive clicked on a malicious link in a phishing e-mail, while nearly 40% had to remove malware after a senior executive visited an infected pornographic website.”

The survey was conducted last month by Opinion Matters on behalf of ThreatTrack Security.

The numbers are striking enough to make you wonder about the average intelligence of our country’s highest-paid employees. A full 56 percent of those surveyed reported that they had removed a […]

Charles Patterson2016-12-16T20:23:56-05:00November 28th, 2013|

Report from Milipol 2013, Paris, France

Entrance to Milipol, Parc des Exposition, Paris, France

Milipol is an advanced expo for military, police, and security held every two years in Paris, France, and alternate years in Qatar. Encompassing arms, ammunition, protective equipment, electronics, optics, IT, uniforms, mobility and more for government, military and public security applications protecting the world’s people and property, Milipol Paris has become the premier expo of the latest technologies and defense capabilities. This year’s show expected over 27,000 visitors.

RF Jamming Vehicle

Armored communications vehicle.

Armored communications vehicle.

While much of the expo was dedicated to military and police, many of the products on display would be of interest to anyone involved […]

Charles Patterson2016-12-16T20:23:56-05:00November 27th, 2013|

Milipol Paris: 18th Worldwide exhibition of internal state security. Nov 19-22, 2013

Milipol is a top level international expo for police and security. It is held every two years in Paris, and now also on alternate years in Qatar. It provides an opportunity to view some of the latest equipment available in fields of security, executive protection, and police. We will be attending Milipol this year, and hope to be able to supply some interesting reports when we return.

Of particular interest for the field of TSCM, is that along with the latest countermeasures gear being exhibited, there will also be displays of spying and eavesdropping equipment from manufacturers from all over Europe and Asia, including Russia, Israel, China, and probably any other place you can think of. Many of these countries who profess to be “shocked, shocked I tell you” that the NSA may have been listening to them, have been supplying the most advanced eavesdropping equipment and promoting industrial espionage against […]

Charles Patterson2016-12-16T20:23:56-05:00November 13th, 2013|

Insider threats- the dangers within

We’ve come across a number of articles recently highlighting the spy threats that come from within a company’s own employees, a few of these are referenced below. As with all security, some of the biggest threats come from within your own walls. This is particularly worth noting when it comes corporate espionage. About 90 percent of all eavesdropping devices and threats we have discovered were placed by current or former employees or others who had free access to the target areas. In espionage cases, there may be nothing obvious missing to alert you to the incident. By the time the loss of information is recognized it may be too late, the damage may be done.

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Digital security website Dark Reading reports:

Generation Y Users Say They Will Break Corporate BYOD Rules

Majority of users ages 21 to 32 say they would flout company policies restricting the […]

Charles Patterson2016-12-16T20:23:57-05:00November 9th, 2013|

Spy shoes to drones: How U.S. surveillance changed

An article in USA Today reviews the history of spy-dom with an interactive graphic reviewing some devices and techniques from the 1940’s through 2013. An important point to remember when considering all forms of technology today, is that the advancements have a cumulative effect, especially when it comes to spying. Techniques from the 1700’s, 1800’s, and 1900’s are still valid in 2013. Just because new technology has emerged does not mean that old technology or techniques have disappeared. We now have Kindles and iPads, Youtube and podcasts, yet books, radio, and TV are still with us and very significant. With much of today’s spying taking place in the cyber world, it’s important to remember that the old techniques have not gone away. Hidden microphones, transmitters, covert video, even putting your ear up to an air vent to hear voices from another room are still active valid eavesdropping threats […]

Charles Patterson2016-12-16T20:23:57-05:00November 8th, 2013|

Trade secrets protection set to get tougher

Performing regular TSCM sweeps is a key element in trade secret protection. If security measures are not being taken to protect your privacy, intercepted or stolen information may not be considered a “trade secret” in court.

Legal protection of trade secrets on a state-by-state basis has created enforcement problems. Now push is on for federal legislation.

By Paul Krill | InfoWorld

Momentum is building for federal legislation protecting trade secrets, an intellectual property attorney said at a Silicon Valley seminar on Thursday.

Trade secrets, in which a company keeps vital information a secret rather than disclosing it for patent protection, can be vital to companies in fields such as information technology. Intel endured a $1 billion trade secrets case in 2008 that saw a departing employee sent to prison.

But protection of trade secrets via the Uniform Trade Secrets Act, which was passed on a state-by-state basis, has been limited, said attorney […]

Charles Patterson2016-12-16T20:23:57-05:00November 2nd, 2013|

Nanny cam catches guilty musician…

Neighbors had been complaining about noise, so the owner set up a nanny cam and their pup was caught in the act.

Charles Patterson2016-12-16T20:23:57-05:00November 1st, 2013|

Pacific Beach home searched for cameras after renters found webcam

By Matt Johnson, Reporter

PACIFIC BEACH (CBS 8) – A vacation home in Pacific Beach was searched for at least one hidden camera that recorded nude images of renters, according to a search warrant.

Police officers searched the house on the 4800 block of San Joaquin Drive on October 6, the same day a Seattle family reported they had discovered a camera hidden in the living room.

A male family member spotted the camera behind glass in the entertainment center. Then a female family member removed the webcam’s memory card to discover nude images of her 4-year-old niece playing in the living room. The camera had also recorded video of her walking around nude while no one else was home, according to documents.

She expressed concern the homeowner could have remote access to the clips via the internet. The family said they had not been notified that […]

Charles Patterson2016-12-16T20:23:57-05:00November 1st, 2013|