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.

Germany: Government and business team up against espionage

from DW.DE Aug. 28, 2013

Faced with increasing rates of espionage attempts directed at companies, German government and business leaders have agreed on hammering out a joint protection strategy. Raising awareness is the first objective.

The German government and business organizations agreed on Wednesday that domestic companies needed stronger protection from espionage and cyber crime. They signed a declaration on hammering out a joint defense strategy and pooling resources for the most efficient infrastructure to ward off risks.

German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich said it was of pivotal importance to raise awareness for the threats particularly among small and medium-sized companies across the nation which tended to ignore or underestimate the scope of the problem.

“Spying attacks on companies can potentially lead to a painful drop in competitiveness and market distortions,” Friedrich said in a statement. “And it is bound to result in the loss of jobs, so we have to […]

Charles Patterson2013-09-02T20:13:35-04:00September 2nd, 2013|

Times are changing- this ain’t your father’s spy world.

Spy Kids: A sci-fi visionary on why the children of tomorrow are the NSA’s biggest nightmare.

The following article by Charles Stross, a Hugo Award-winning science-fiction writer, is an interesting read. We all know that technology is changing faster than we can digest it. What does this mean for our children? And more pointedly, what does it mean for the future world of espionage, privacy, and information security. While I may not entirely share the author’s view of the future, it is clear that many old and current rules will not apply. It is worth paying attention, especially when considering new threats and new adversaries as they come of age. The author focuses on the challenge spy agencies will face in dealing with new recruits, but it is worth considering as well, the challenges to information security that new technology and the users of […]

Charles Patterson2016-12-16T20:23:59-05:00September 1st, 2013|

Can’t believe it’s not bugger, er Bulger… supposed FBI wiretap equipment on ebay.

Problem with the auction, it is just parts from an old NEC phone system that happens to have the words “Bulger phone switch” written on the side. The claim is that it came from surplus FBI parts although they deny it. $3500 is bit steep for busted phone parts.

‘Bulger wiretap’ electronics on eBay

From the Boston Herald, by Laurel Sweet

A Connecticut history buff is selling a pile of electronic stuff on eBay that he claims was the surveillance equipment used “to tap phone conversations” and gather evidence against convicted mob killer James “Whitey” Bulger while he was on the lam — and which was later salvaged from a scrap heap — but the FBI says it’s not what it is purported to be.

Available on eBay for $3500, sold by universityarchives02

John Reznikoff of Westport is asking nearly $4,000 for […]

Charles Patterson2016-12-16T20:24:01-05:00August 24th, 2013|

Idaho hospital CEO accused of recording phone calls, stalking. IT department employees also accused of assisting.

from KTVB.com Boise, ID

BOISE, Idaho — The leader of the public hospital in Blackfoot, ID has pleaded guilty to second-degree stalking in the wake of an investigation by the Idaho Attorney General.
Bingham Memorial Hospital Chief Executive Officer Louis Kraml entered the plea Friday in 7th District Court.
He was indicted last month along with three other hospital staff for recording telephone calls made by and to former hospital director Robert Rosin and staff. The wiretapping allegedly occurred between June 2009 and August 2010.
In a plea agreement, Kraml pleaded guilty to misdemeanor stalking and was sentenced to 30 days in jail. But the judge suspended the sentence and withheld judgment in the case.
The Attorney General has issued a warrant for the arrest of Jack York, one of three information technology employees accused of helping Kraml.

also from am-news.com:

Kraml was indicted […]

Charles Patterson2013-08-18T23:51:26-04:00August 18th, 2013|

Guarding against industrial espionage at the Outdoor Retailer’s Expo

Tools for covert audio and video interception are available everywhere. Manufacturers need to pay attention, not just at trade shows, but in the design office, in the conference room, anywhere their new designs are stored or revealed. We regularly sweep offices and boardrooms to help insure that no eavesdropping or electronic surveillance is taking place. Performing TSCM sweeps also helps establish trade secret status for the information discussed or shared in those locations. Theft of trade secrets is a much more serious, prosecutable offense than just loss of general information. ~Charles

Fox13 News, Salt Lake City July 31, 2013, by Ben Winslow

SALT LAKE CITY — The Outdoor Retailer’s Summer Market has brought thousands of people to Utah to showcase innovative new designs and technology in outdoor merchandise.

But exhibitors are also trying to guard against counterfeiters, thieves and industrial espionage at this expo, to […]

Charles Patterson2016-12-16T20:24:01-05:00August 11th, 2013|

Hackers Hack into Toyota Prius

Christian Seabaugh, Associate Online Editor July 25, 2013

Like it or not, more and more computers are making their way into our cars. Depending on what car you drive, a computer could control everything from your infotainment system, your throttle, and even your steering. An alarmist new Forbes story shows what could happen if someone hacked into your car and took control while you were driving.

The video starts off with a noble purpose: to show that with cars increasingly reliant on computers, they become more vulnerable to hackers (we assume Forbes means 4Chan, Anonymous, and North Korea). In this case, the two hackers, Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek, are most certainly not North Korea. They’re two middle-aged web security engineers who have modified a 2010 Ford Escape and 2010 Toyota Prius to be hackable, with the help of a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) grant that has […]

Charles Patterson2016-12-16T20:24:01-05:00August 6th, 2013|

Cameras May Open Up the Board Room to Hackers

With all telecom and conferencing equipment, a key element is to understand all of the features of your systems, and make sure you have control over those features and disable any that pose threats or vulnerabilities.

From New York Times, Business Day Technology By NICOLE PERLROTH, January 22, 2012

SAN FRANCISCO — One afternoon this month, a hacker took a tour of a dozen conference rooms around the globe via equipment that most every company has in those rooms; videoconferencing equipment.

With the move of a mouse, he steered a camera around each room, occasionally zooming in with such precision that he could discern grooves in the wood and paint flecks on the wall. In one room, he zoomed out through a window, across a parking lot and into shrubbery some 50 yards away where a small animal could be seen burrowing underneath […]

Charles Patterson2016-12-16T20:24:01-05:00August 2nd, 2013|

Former President George H.W. Bush shaved head to show solidarity for the son of a Secret Service agent with Leukemia.

The nation’s 41st president shaved all his hair as a show of solidarity with Patrick, the son of one of the members of Bush’s security detail, who lost his hair as part of his cancer treatments.

The boy, named Patrick, is the son of one of the members of Bush’s security detail. He had lost most of his hair due to his cancer treatments, a Bush spokesman said.

Bush, 89, got the idea to shave his head to show his support after he noticed that several members of his Secret Service detail, known as the Bush Protective Division, had also shaved their heads in solidarity with Patrick.

Patrick’s prognosis is good, but his treatment and illness carry a special place in the former president’s heart as his daughter Robin died of the same blood disease when she was three.

A website has been created to help support Patrick and his […]

Charles Patterson2016-12-16T20:24:01-05:00July 24th, 2013|

Chinese Wind Company Charged With Corporate Espionage

From IEEE Spectrum Eliza Strickland, Jul 2 2013

The Chinese wind power company Sinovel will be keeping its legal team busy. In addition to the intellectual property charges against the company in Chinese courts, which Spectrum covered last year, the company now faces criminal charges of corporate espionage brought by the U.S. Justice Department.

In the new charges, prosecutors allege that Sinovel stole trade secrets from the Massachusetts-based company AMSC (formerly American Superconductor Corp.), which sells software and systems to control wind turbines. According to the indictment, AMSC’s alleged losses exceed $800 million.

The prosecution is part of efforts undertaken by the Justice Department’s IP Task Force, which was recently created to “safeguard the nation’s economic security against those who seek to profit illegally from American creativity, innovation and hard work.”

The various cases against Sinovel have attracted widespread attention, as theWall Street Journal notes:

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, while in his capacity […]

Charles Patterson2016-12-16T20:24:01-05:00July 21st, 2013|

Pirelli chairman sentenced to jail for industrial espionage and phone taps

Pirelli chairman Marco Tronchetti Provera has been sentenced to jail for twenty months.

The Financial Times reports that a Milan court found him guilty, but suspended his jail sentence, in an industrial espionage case involving Telecom Italia.

Provera, who denies the charges, was also ordered to pay € 900 000, ”I will appeal, [I am] convinced that the truth will emerge,” he said in a statement.

According to FT the trial was linked to a broader case of suspected industrial espionage and phone-tapping that led to the arrests in 2006 of 20 people, including Giuliano Tavaroli, a former head of security at Telecom Italia and Pirelli.

They were accused of operating a spy network that collected private information about many prominent Italians, including two prime ministers, Silvio Berlusconi and Romano Prodi. (GMM-Apex)

Marco Tronchetti Provera with Paul Hembery

Charles Patterson2013-07-21T16:50:15-04:00July 21st, 2013|

Iranian MP Ali Motahari says his offices were wiretapped and illegally videotaped.

7/13/2013 Payvand Iran News

Ali Motahari, Iranian MP

Iranian conservative MP Ali Motahari says his offices were wiretapped and illegally videotaped.

Motahari said in a statement that surveillance equipment was accidentally discovered in the air conditioning ductwork, and his own video surveillance shows that up to nine intruders had entered the premises at night.

—————-

This news report points to the need for multiple levels of security. Motahari’s security video recordings revealed intruders who were planting their own video surveillance devices. If you suspect possible intrusion to your premises, even if nothing was taken, ESPECIALLY if nothing was taken, it could have been an attempt at planting bugs or eavesdropping equipment and may require a proper TSCM inspection to maintain security.

Charles Patterson2016-12-16T20:24:01-05:00July 21st, 2013|

Travel Tips: be wary of free cell phone charging stations.

This was reported a while back, but I was reminded of it while planning for an overseas trip. Airports, convention centers, and many other locations offer free charging stations for attendees or visitors to be able to get an extra boost of power for their cell phones. They typically will have USB cables attached or built in USB ports where users can plug their own cables in.

The other side of that cable could be connected a device or computer designed to download data, contacts, and images from the cell phone. This can be done to some degree even if the lock screen is still on. It was proved in concept at the DefCon hacker convention in 2011 when researchers from Aries Security set up charging kiosks specifically designed to warn users of the risk. The kiosks did not steal any information, but when an active device was plugged […]

Charles Patterson2016-12-16T20:24:02-05:00July 16th, 2013|

How eavesdropping was punished in medieval times

The problem of eavesdropping dates back to the 1370s, according to one historian

By Arika Okrent | June 24, 2013, TheWeek.com

When people live together in small communities, they can be a great source of comfort and support to each other — but they can also really get on each other’s nerves. Every community must figure out the best way to keep conflict to a minimum. In the late middle ages, English village courts tried to maintain equilibrium by imposing punishment for eavesdropping, scolding, and noctivagation (aimless night wandering), three offenses, as Marjorie McIntosh explains in her book Controlling Misbehaviour in England, 1370-1600, “often said in local records to be damaging to local harmony, goodwill, and peaceful relations between neighbors.”

The term “eavesdropping” originally came from Anglo-Saxon laws against building too close to the border of your land, lest the rain running off your roof, the yfesdrype or “eaves drip,” mess up your […]

Charles Patterson2016-12-16T20:24:02-05:00July 14th, 2013|

Hidden microphone discovered inside Ecuadorian embassy

Here is one reason regularly scheduled sweeps of offices are important…

Daily Mail
By HARRIET ARKELL PUBLISHED: 11:19 EST, 3 July 2013 | UPDATED: 11:19 EST, 3 July 2013

A hidden microphone has been found inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London where WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been living for the past year, the country’s foreign minister has said.

Ricardo Patino said the microphone was found inside the office of the Ecuadorian ambassador to the UK, Ana Alban, in Knightsbridge in central London.

The foreign minister did not say who was believed to be responsible, and the embassy made no comment today – Mr Assange’s 42nd birthday.

Mr Patino said the device was discovered during a brief visit he made to London last month when he met Assange and held talks with British Foreign Secretary William Hague.

‘We regret to inform you that in our embassy in London we have found a hidden microphone,’ Mr Patino […]

Charles Patterson2016-12-16T20:24:02-05:00July 3rd, 2013|

James Bond Lotus Esprit submarine from The Spy Who Loved Me up for auction

{this would have been a good deal for Auction Hunters…}

Goes under the hammer in September

The Lotus Esprit submarine that starred in The Spy Who Loved Me will be going under the hammer at RM Auctions’ London auction in September.

Dubbed “Wet Nellie,” the car was built by Florida-based Perry Oceanographic for a reported cost in excess of $100,000 (€76,870/ £65,755) – roughly $500,000 (€384,350 / £328,775) in today’s money. It was a fully functional submarine that was used for underwater shots during filming.

After production wrapped up, the car was shipped to New York where it was put into storage for a decade. In 1989, the contents of the storage unit were sold at a blind auction to cover delinquent rent. A local couple submitted a “modest” bid and were surprised to discover they won a classic movie car.

Bond spy car up for auction

Charles Patterson2016-12-16T20:24:02-05:00June 28th, 2013|

Wiretap Exemption Blocks Recorded-Call Suit, Omni Hotels

Omni Hotels were recording phone calls for “service observation”, that is having the ability monitoring or record calls for quality assurance, as we have all often heard announced at the beginning of a call. In this case Omni was not making that announcement and a class action suit was made against them.

Law360, Los Angeles (June 24, 2013, 5:04 PM ET) — By Matthew Heller

Omni Hotels Management Corp. urged a California federal judge Monday to toss a putative class action alleging it has illegally recorded telephone conversations between customers and its employees, saying California’s wiretapping law did not apply to the “routine” business practice of “service-observing.”

Omni’s attorney David Farkas said the luxury hotel operator could not be sued for violating the California Information Privacy Act by taping calls without first telling the guests or getting their approval because the law included an exemption for recording equipment “furnished and used […]

Charles Patterson2016-12-16T20:24:02-05:00June 28th, 2013|

Risky Business of Travel

ASIS Security Management magazine has a recent article regarding the security aspects of business travel. The article offers information security advice highlighting some of the concerns addressed by the security department at industrial supply company W.W. Grainger, offering advice to their employees who travel internationally. Even though they are not in research and development or other high-tech field, they recognize the value in their confidential information. They did not mention eavesdropping countermeasures, but that is also a key element in information security plans, often overlooked by security departments.

By Ann Longmore-Etheridge [Full article available here]

… W. W. Grainger is a Fortune 500 industrial-supply company based in Lake Forest, Illinois, with offices in Central and South America, China, Canada, India, Japan, and Puerto Rico. Grainger has about 21,000 employees, out of which about 1,500 may travel internationally on business in a given year. Keith Blakemore, CPP, its director […]

Charles Patterson2016-12-16T20:24:03-05:00June 9th, 2013|

Two Massachusetts Men Charged with Invading a Private Conversation Between Two NFL General Managers

Initial report from FBI website is first below, more from the web site www.deadspin.com follows. The Deadspin report carries more juice in it, including excerpts of the actual recordings. Conclusion – don’t take random phone calls for granted, may not be who you think it is.

m.fbi.gov BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Joshua Barber, 20, and Nicholas Kaiser, 20, both of Plymouth, Massachusetts, were charged by criminal complaint with intentionally intercepting a wire communication and with making a telephone call without disclosing their identity with the intent to annoy or harass the person at the called number. The charges carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $500,000 fine or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, Joshua Barber telephoned the office of former Buffalo Bills General Manger Buddy Nix claiming to be […]

Charles Patterson2016-12-16T20:24:03-05:00May 30th, 2013|