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As Seen on TV: Jay Leno the eavesdropper?

It is unfortunate for those tasked with protecting privacy and confidential information that the public does not understand eavesdropping as a threat. I'm referring to the actual meaning of the word eavesdropping- secretly listening to private conversations of others. Current use of the term in the media covers everything from the NSA recording phone call data to the local drug store collecting your shopping habits from your CVS card. Real eavesdropping can be a very focused as well as personal attack on private and confidential information. Many consider eavesdropping to be a joke. In this interview with Jay Leno, he admits hiding in a closet and listening to an executive meeting, then going back to do it again on a second day:

Exec Security2017-11-16T09:17:13-05:00April 13th, 2014|

Confidential Hedge Fund Information Obtained through Eavesdropping

Eavesdropping doesn’t need to be high tech. Employees, spouses, and family members have a duty to protect and safeguard confidential information.

Two Men Caught Trading on Confidential Information Gained Through Eavesdropping

New York (HedgeCo.Net) – A man is being charged with violating a duty of trust by trading during a blackout window after he overheard work calls made by his wife.

“Spouses and other family members may gain access to highly confidential information about public companies as part of their relationship of trust,” said Jina L. Choi, director of the SEC’s San Francisco Regional Office. “In those circumstances, family members have a duty to protect and safeguard that information, not to trade on it.”

Tyrone Hawk of Los Gatos, Calif., overheard his wife, a finance manager at multinational computer technology corporation Oracle Corp speaking of her company’s plan to acquire Acme Packet Inc. Hawk also had a conversation with his wife in which she informed him […]

Exec Security2016-12-16T20:23:51-05:00April 1st, 2014|

Gadget alert: Compact audio amplifier to use as sound source for sweeps.

Gadget alert summary: inexpensive audio amp with built in micro SD mp3 player, works well as sound source for sweeps.

I’m always trying to make improvements to our sweep techniques and to find ways make our operations more efficient. Finding a compact but strong sound source to use during RF sweeps that does not drive people nuts can be a challenge (for both the sweep team and the client). A number of fellow tscm-ers have mentioned playing recordings of things like a cleaning crew with a vacuum cleaner, other office sounds, or just music. The goal, though, is to have a playback device that is compact and fast and easy to set up. I have seen guys take an iPod, mp3 player, or even their cell phone and connect it to a remote speaker. That can do ok, but it adds an […]

Exec Security2016-12-16T20:23:51-05:00March 29th, 2014|

Illinois Eavesdropping Law Voided

Audio recordings are an easy thing to accomplish, almost everyone’s phone today has recording capability. It’s very important to understand your state’s eavesdropping laws if you ever consider recording phone calls or recording any conversation for that matter, even if the conversation takes place in public. It also is important to understand these laws when drafting corporate rules and regulations regarding audio recording in the workplace.

For a recording to be legal, most states require the approval by just one party of the conversation, this is often easily fulfilled since the person doing the recording is usually part of the conversation. There are a number of states, though, that require all parties to give their consent. Recording of phone calls on a company wide basis, though, requires consulting a qualified attorney since incoming calls may be coming from states with different laws than your state. Illinois was one state […]

Exec Security2016-12-16T20:23:53-05:00March 25th, 2014|

Wiretap Lawsuit Settlement Finalized- AT&T pays $1.5 mil

Illegal wiretapping and eavesdropping can result in large law suits and penalties. Corporations should not take such activity lightly. Even if it was not done by anyone in an official position- perhaps just a disgruntled employee, and even if no critical trade information was lost- perhaps just personal conversation, the resultant law suits could cost millions. Add to that the possibility that someone may really be trying to steal classified information, and you have very good reasons for scheduling professional sweeps of your facilities.

A few rogue employees at AT&T helped LA high profile private investigator Anthony Pellicano (“P.I. to the Stars”) accomplish his wiretaps over 10 years ago. That activity has resulted in a class action lawsuit against AT&T. They are now required to pay approximately $4,000 to each of the numerous victims, amounting to a total of almost $1.5 million.

from Hollywood Reporter:

AT&T will shell out […]

Exec Security2016-12-16T20:23:53-05:00March 19th, 2014|

Japan vows to fight industrial espionage

Several media outlets said police had arrested a former engineer at a Toshiba affiliate on suspicion of improperly providing technical data to South Korea’s SK Hynix Inc.

Media reports of espionage can cause severe financial damage on their own: Toshiba’s shares fell 0.9 percent on Thursday, 3/13, compared to the 0.1 percent drop in Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei average, after reports of espionage were revealed.

From Engineering and Technology Magazine, 13 March, 2014

Japan has vowed to fight industrial espionage after reports of leaks from local companies, including Toshiba, to rivals in other countries.

Several Japanese media outlets have reported that police had arrested a former engineer at a Toshiba affiliate on suspicion of improperly providing technical data to South Korea’s SK Hynix.

The Nikkei newspaper also reported today that police had arrested an unspecified number of people in Yokohama and Aichi in 2012 for alleged leaks of industrial secrets […]

Exec Security2016-12-16T20:23:53-05:00March 14th, 2014|

Admitted stalker and eavesdropper appeals conviction

Melbourne, AU, Herald Sun News

A MAN who planted tracking devices on his ex-wife then threatened to “f*** up” her new lover has launched an appeal, despite pleading guilty to his offending.

Peter John Gale planted tracking devices, and a listening device, on his wife Kaye’s car three days before she walked out of their 21-year marriage in September 2012. Weeks later he also fixed a similar tracking device to the car of Darren Edgell, Ms Gale’s new partner.

But that was just the beginning of his obsession as he struggled to cope with the breakdown of his marriage. In the weeks after his wife left and moved to regional Victoria, Gale sent her dozens of text messages, changed a password to one of her email accounts and accessed her mobile phone records – forcing her to change her number twice.

He started appearing wherever she was, and at the height of his […]

Exec Security2014-02-24T09:01:42-05:00February 24th, 2014|

Julia Lipnitskaia’s coach blames Russian media and a bugged locker room for skater’s performance.

From Yahoo Sports: SOCHI, Russia – Julia Lipnitskaia’s coach blamed the Russian media’s intense coverage of the teen figure skating star for her subpar performance in the Sochi Olympics figure skating competition.

Eteri Tutberidze said reporters bugged the locker room at Lipnitskaia’s practice rink in Moscow with listening devices after the 15-year-old left the Winter Games to train for the ladies individual competition. The coach also accused the media of stalking Lipnitskaia’s family in her hometown of Nizhny Bardym, a village in the Ural Mountains with a population of just 300.

Tutberidze said the media coverage got so bad that Lipnitskaia had to be evacuated from the practice rink every night to escape reporters. Also, Lipnitskaia had to be booked on numerous flights in order to keep her travel itinerary a secret from the press.

The coach spoke out against the media circus on Thursday after Lipnitskaia fell […]

Exec Security2014-02-23T19:36:30-05:00February 23rd, 2014|

International eavesdropping: U.S. Points to Russia as Diplomats’ Private Call Is Posted on Web

WASHINGTON — After months of taking grief for snooping on foreign leaders, the Obama administration found itself on the other side on Thursday after a private telephone call between two American diplomats appeared on the Internet in a breach that the White House tied to Russia.

In the recording, an assistant secretary of state and the ambassador to Ukraine are heard talking about the political crisis in Kiev, their views of how it might be resolved, their assessments of the various opposition leaders and their frustrations with their European counterparts. At one point, the assistant secretary uses an expletive in a reference to the European Union.

The conversation opened a window into the American handling of the crisis and could easily inflame passions in Kiev, Brussels and Moscow, where the role of the United States has been controversial. The […]

Exec Security2016-12-16T20:23:53-05:00February 10th, 2014|

Hidden microphone helps save Christmas…

Shelby County Sheriff’s Office arrests The Grinch, saves Christmas
www.abc3340.com Dec 23, 2013 By Ben Culpepper

COLUMBIANA, Ala. — Christmas has been saved and the gift-stealing, green-faced Grinch is behind bars Monday thanks to some great police work by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.

According to a news release, 56-year-old The Grinch, of Whoville, was taken into custody by deputies at an unknown hideout, where he was waiting to snatch Christmas joy from the hearts of children everywhere.

“Children throughout Shelby County can sleep soundly tonight, as the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office has apprehended the famed Christmas thief, The Grinch,” the sheriff’s office said.

Authorities were tipped off to the Grinch’s whereabouts by a concerned Whoville resident, Cindy Lou, who told deputies the suspect was headed their way. A short time later, deputies spotted Grinch’s dog, Max, at the Alabaster Dog Park, […]

Exec Security2016-12-16T20:23:55-05:00December 26th, 2013|

FBI warns of U.S. government breaches by Anonymous hackers

(Reuters) – Activist hackers linked to the collective known as Anonymous have secretly accessed U.S. government computers in multiple agencies and stolen sensitive information in a campaign that began almost a year ago, the FBI warned this week.

The hackers exploited a flaw in Adobe Systems Inc’s software to launch a rash of electronic break-ins that began last December, then left “back doors” to return to many of the machines as recently as last month, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a memo seen by Reuters.

The memo, distributed on Thursday, described the attacks as “a widespread problem that should be addressed.” It said the breach affected the U.S. Army, Department of Energy, Department of Health and Human Services, and perhaps many more agencies.

Investigators are still gathering information on the scope of the cyber campaign, which the authorities believe is continuing. The FBI document tells […]

Exec Security2016-12-16T20:23:56-05:00November 15th, 2013|

More Kinds of Corporate Spies Target More Kinds of Trade Secrets

Voice of America, Jim Randle November 05, 2013

Efforts to steal trade secrets from U.S. companies continue at a high level and are hitting new targets, in spite of major efforts to stop such industrial espionage. Losing trade secrets hurts the economy by discouraging investments in the research critical to growth. Some new players are getting into the fray, and the attacks hit a huge variety of businesses from high tech to high fashion.

Plans for a fighter jet are an obvious target for corporate and other kinds of spies, but experts say industrial espionage also has been aimed at high fashion designers and toymakers, innovative steel makers, food and beverage companies, clean energy research and wind turbine makers. Corporate spies also are seeking information about the management practices that guide successful businesses.

Mandient corporate security expert Laura Galante says a growing number of companies think security breaches are becoming inevitable.

“2013 was […]

Exec Security2016-12-16T20:23:56-05:00November 11th, 2013|

Canadian Department of National Defense finds listening devices prior to moving in to former Nortel offices.

Former Nortel offices had listening devices discovered as the Department of National Defense was preparing to move in.

Ottawa Citizen, BY DAVID PUGLIESE, September 30, 2013

OTTAWA — Workers preparing the former Nortel complex as the new home for the Department of National Defence have discovered electronic eavesdropping devices, prompting new fears about the security of the facility.

It’s not clear whether the devices were recently planted or left over from an industrial espionage operation when Nortel occupied the complex.

Asked for details about the listening devices and whether they were still functioning, the DND responded with a statement to the Citizen that it takes security at its installations seriously.

“The Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces cannot provide any information regarding specific measures and tests undertaken to secure a location or facility for reasons of national security,” noted an email from DND spokeswoman Carole Brown. “The DND/CAF must maintain a safe […]

Exec Security2016-12-16T20:23:58-05:00October 1st, 2013|

New Research Reveals Top Tactics Behind Today’s Cyber Attacks: Beware of Trust

IBM Security Intelligence Blog

Announcing the IBM X-Force 2013 Mid-Year Trend and Risk Report

For over 15 years, IBM X-Force has been tracking trends and emerging threats. Today we released the2013 mid-year trend and risk report which highlights some of our key findings.

While vulnerability statistics, attack trends, and data breaches are all covered in detail, one of the more interesting points of discussion is a look at the psychology and social engineering around how these attacks are implemented. We explore how attackers have learned to capitalize and take advantage of the human factor in trust relationships.

Attackers are optimizing tactics

Attackers are optimizing their operations around many key initiatives which include a path of least resistance to reach the largest number of potential targets for the minimal amount of exploit effort.

For example, attackers are optimizing:

The exploitation of trust via social media.
Coordinated operations leaking user data as well as exploiting weak entry points […]

Exec Security2016-12-16T20:23:58-05:00September 25th, 2013|

The confessions of Enron executive, Andy Fastow

Understanding what makes people commit criminal acts is one of the first steps in improving security. This is true for physical security and information security as well as financial matters. Employees as well as executives do not always understand where to draw the line.

The convicted former Enron CFO is now admitting his sins to audiences — but also claiming that what other companies are doing today is “10 times worse” than what Enron did.

from CNN Money, By Peter Elkind, editor-at-large July 1, 2013

“Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Andrew Fastow!”
He was an improbable Las Vegas headliner, taking the stage before a packed convention hall of 2,500 fraud examiners.

For former Enron CFO Andy Fastow, who spent more than five years in federal prison for his crimes, last week’s appearance before the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners was his most public step in an uphill redemptive journey — to explain how […]

Exec Security2016-12-16T20:24:02-05:00July 14th, 2013|

Iron Mountain And Shred-It Pay $1.1 Million in Lawsuit Over Failure To Properly Shred Sensitive Government Documents

Honesty is the best policy. Major document shredding firms were misrepresenting their capabilities in order to win contracts.

Articles from KNOE.com, the Boston Globe and Boston Business Journal

PHILADELPHIA, July 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Two of the biggest document-shredding companies in America, Iron Mountain Corporation (“Iron Mountain”, NYSE “IRM”) and Shred-It USA (“Shred-It”), have agreed to pay a total of $1.1 million to settle a lawsuit alleging that they defrauded the government by failing to shred sensitive documents as required by their contracts with the United States government.

The settlement follows a multi-year investigation by the United States Department of Justice triggered by a lawsuit filed by Pennsylvania resident Douglas Knisely, owner of a family-operated document-shredding business.

A third Defendant, Cintas Corporation (“Cintas”, NASDAQ “CTAS”), a multi-billion company based in Cincinnati, Ohio, continues to contest allegations that it defrauded the federal government by failing to properly shred sensitive documents.

The qui tam lawsuit filed in federal district court in Philadelphia in 2010 by Mr. Knisely alleged […]

Exec Security2016-12-16T20:24:02-05:00July 13th, 2013|

Espionage? Moi?

Excerpts from Foreign Policy magazine
BY ADAM RAWNSLEY | JULY 1, 2013

Sure, Paris is a hypocrite when it comes to spying. But it isn’t alone.

If you buy the latest reporting out of Europe, France is outraged, simply outraged, at news that the National Security Agency has been eavesdropping on the European Union through its mission in New York and embassy in Washington. French political parties are now rumbling about offering asylum to Edward Snowden, the former NSA contractor at the center of the leaks. The French government is demanding answers from the United States about its snooping. Monsieur Le Président himself, François Hollande, is calling for an end to the spying.

All of which is pretty hilarious, given France’s penchant for stealing American defense technology, bugging American business executives and generally annoying U.S. counterintelligence officials. If you’ve been paying attention, you know that France is a proficient, notorious and unrepentant economic spy. “In economics, […]

Exec Security2016-12-16T20:24:02-05:00July 5th, 2013|

EU orders global sweep of diplomatic missions after US spying reports

Published time: July 01, 2013 16:08 RT.com

The European Union has ordered a worldwide security sweep of all its premises following reports US intelligence has bugged its offices in Washington, Brussels and the United Nations.

Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the EU’s Executive Commission, “has instructed the competent commission services to proceed to a comprehensive ad hoc security sweep and check” in light of the most recent spying allegations leveled at the US, spokeswoman Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen told reporters.

The sweep follows a report by German weekly Der Spiegel, based on revelations by fugitive whistleblower Edward Snowden, that the National Security Agency [NSA] bugged EU offices and gained access to EU internal computer networks.

Ahrenkilde said allegations of US spying were “disturbing” and demanded “full clarification.”

“Clarity and transparency is what we expect from our partners and allies and this is what we expect from the United States,” she continued.

Exec Security2016-12-16T20:24:02-05:00July 2nd, 2013|