A military unit that helped secure U.S. diplomatic compounds for decades has seen its mission grow as security threats have escalated from bugs buried in embassy walls to car bombs driven up to embassy gates. A small group of Navy Seabees, known as the Naval Support Unit - State Department, has played a largely behind-the-scenes role implementing technical measures to combat threats abroad since the 1960s.
A Prince George's County school administrator found a recording device that may have been hidden inside their office for months, county officials said.
The issue of internal leaks is at the forefront of security concerns for all major corporations but especially tech companies today. These may come from leaked documents but also from deliberate eavesdropping efforts such as from overheard conversations and unauthorized audio or video recordings. The pleasing, open atmosphere found at many technology companies doesn't help security, so we see many of them needing to tighten up there security efforts at preventing leaks and corporate espionage. Unfortunately, many in the workplace do not understand the seriousness of the problem and the damage that can be done, or perhaps in some cases they do understand and are acting as willing spies.
Kevin Fu and Wenyuan Xu, researchers with the University of Michigan and Zhejiang University in China, study the use of ultrasonic waves that may have been a possible source of recent ailments of diplomats living in Cuba. Causes of the symptoms of the diplomats and their families have not yet been confirmed, but one of the possible causes offered was the use of some sort of sonic "weapon". Hearing about this caused Fu and Xu to wonder if ultrasound could be the culprit. Their research tries to explain possible ways the effects that were described could have been created leading them to also investigate ultrasonic eavesdropping and microphone jamming.
A civil lawsuit against several large oil companies for allegedly failing to act when a female drill rig engineer discovered a spy cam in her room is one step closer to a jury trial... it is one expensive reason why corporations need to take unauthorized surveillance seriously- and have a professional TSCM sweep team on call.
Keeping conversations private and information confidential requires more than electronic inspections and fortified firewalls. When conducting TSCM sweeps we regularly find vulnerabilities that allow sound to escape from meeting rooms and offices. It may be through an air duct, heating vent, or other unexpected physical attribute. Canadian officials have spent millions plugging leaks in Ottawa's renovated West Block, a heritage building that will become a temporary home for the House of Commons later this year. But no plumbers were hired for the job. Instead, acoustical experts were called in to prevent eavesdropping in the halls by pesky journalists and others eager for hot information leaks.
From the “just because you’re paranoid, it doesn’t mean…” department.
Reported on Page Six
Evi and Randy Quaid might be justified in some of their paranoia. They say they were among the victims of wiretapping private eye Anthony Pellicano and his inside man at the Los Angeles Police Department, Sgt. Mark Arneson.
Evi and Randy Quaid
Randy, 67, who was nominated for an Oscar and other awards for his serious dramatic roles, was best known for his Cousin Eddie character in the “National Lampoon’s Vacation” movies before his career derailed about eight years ago.
The Quaids claimed to be victims of “Star Whackers,” a secret cabal that they say are responsible for the deaths of David Carradine and Heath Ledger. The couple said Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan were also targets.
Now, they say they’ve learned they were part of a recently settled class action suit against the LAPD and Arneson, who was […]
If you are going to record -video or audio- there is a good chance you may be breaking the law. You may have good motivation, but don’t expect the courts – or your co-workers- to see it that way.
Such devices can appear anywhere, at home or in the work place.
from the Pocono Record
Pleasant Valley School District Director of Support Services Joshua Krebs was arraigned on wiretapping charges Tuesday. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 26.
Court papers allege Krebs electronically eavesdropped on conversations in the elementary school faculty break room in April 2016.
Krebs was still working at the school district as of Tuesday’s arraignment.
Krebs, 37, of Kunkletown, his hands clasped in front of him, appeared calm and did not speak at the arraignment. He sported a full beard, closely cut hair, and wore a gray suit with a blue shirt and gray patterned tie […]
The temptation to use technology for spying has been with us for a long time. Carl Stormer purchased his first hidden camera- a "C.P. Stirn Concealed Vest Spy Camera"- when he was a young student of mathematics in Oslo. It was so small that the lens fit through the buttonhole in his vest with a cord that led down to his pocket, allowing him to snap his secret photos.
Interesting story of a man who listened to radio signals for a living. Mickey monitored the airwaves for the state-run Israel Radio and passed on information to his editors — and, sometimes, intelligence agents — to hijackings, invasions and revolutions, even intercepting a telephone call between the White House and Air Force One.
Analog audio was being transmitted from wired Clear-Com headsets. The signals were not intended to emanate in the air, but we were able to receive and demodulate the audio from at least 20 feet away.
Motivation for eavesdropping #139: Retaliation Against Employees. High school district police chief charged with eavesdropping.
The last month has been a bit busy so we were not able to post articles as regularly as we had hoped. News hasn't stopped though. Here are a few recent articles worth looking at. >The Corporate Ecosystem >Loss of Confidential Thumb Drive >Is Facebook Listening?
A camera was discovered on September 14 in the office of Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno when staff noticed a warm spot on the wall. Moreno later claimed that former President Correa was spying on him. The camera was apparently installed many years ago but his daily countermeasures sweeps didn't notice it.
CEO of robotics firm Medrobotics noticed a stranger in the conference room. The individual falsely claimed to be there for meetings with top executives but appears to have been a spy, going after their trade secrets.
Voice recognition systems built into your phone, computer, or other devices, such as Siri, Google Now, Cortana, or Alexa, can respond to ultrasonic sounds far above your hearing range. If a computer or smartphone has the voice features activated, the device could secretly be given commands to make phone calls, access malicious websites, or many other vulnerable features without the user being aware. This could be used for deliberate eavesdropping, surveillance, or other form of espionage attack.
An interesting article on WeLiveSecurity.com looks at the security risks that may come from allowing the use of smart phones in banks. The author is quick to point out that the same concerns can also apply to any corporate environment.
Alexa is not alone. Yes, the Amazon Echo was hacked and turned into a listening device. That shouldn't be too surprising, though. Spies have been hacking devices and appliances for decades. Here is a look at some of the hacks and modifications that have turned many common items into eavesdropping devices.