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Trade secret theft: Cargill sues former executive, accused of stealing secrets

Reported by Star Tribune, Minneapolis, MN

The agribusiness giant said the executive stole secrets when leaving for competitor JBS.

Cargill Inc. is suing a former high-ranking executive for alleged theft of trade secrets when he left his job for a position at JBS SA, one of Cargill’s biggest meat industry competitors.

Cargill filed the suit Thursday against Jason Kuan, a 20-year company veteran who most recently was managing director for its McDonald’s-related business in Canada. Kuan “suddenly resigned and left the job without prior notice” on Aug. 1, Cargill said, and took confidential computer files.

Kuan could not be reached for comment. The suit was filed in federal court in Colorado, where JBS USA is based. A spokesman for JBS didn’t immediately return a call for comment.

The U.S. meat industry is dominated by about a half-dozen companies, and Minnetonka-based Cargill and Brazil-based JBS are two of them.

Kuan had been in the Cargill […]

Exec Security2014-08-29T14:11:43-04:00August 29th, 2014|

Legality of police recording their own phone lines under question.

Are any of your phone lines being recorded for “quality assurance”? Make sure your company policies cover how and when this is done and that employees are aware of it. South Bend, Indiana, Police Department is in court because the recording process that was set up on certain extensions years ago was still going on, yet the officers using those lines were not aware of it.

At the heart of the matter is they want to determine if the content of the calls can be revealed in court. If the recordings were done legally as part of the standard police recording system, then the content can be revealed. If the recordings are determined to be illegal, then the content must remain confidential.

Exec Security2014-08-23T18:13:47-04:00August 23rd, 2014|

Former IT director enters plea in wiretapping case

Ignorance of the law as well as “just following orders” is no excuse. Former hospital IT director faces felony charges while the well liked CEO apparently behind it all was only charged with a misdemeanor of stalking.

Idaho, KIDK Eyewitness News

BLACKFOOT, Idaho – Former Bingham Memorial Hospital IT Director Jack York changed his plea in a wiretapping case.

He entered an Alford plea one count of interception of wire, electronic, or oral communication, a felony. An Alford plea means he maintains his innocence, but will not fight the charges.

York made the move as part of a plea deal. The two other wiretapping charges were dropped. He is accused of setting up devices to record phone calls in a doctor’s office in 2009 and 2010. York said in court he didn’t know what he did was a crime.

His attorney, Ann Taylor, said York […]

Exec Security2016-12-16T20:23:48-05:00August 23rd, 2014|

‘Low-tech’ spycraft tricks

from BBC Future, Frank Swain

Despite ubiquitous surveillance and fancy gadgets, there are still simple, old-fashioned ways that spies and criminals can avoid detection, says Frank Swain.

The F-21 buttonhole camera - 1970 (International Spy Museum)

The F-21 buttonhole camera – as used by the Soviet Union, Europe, and North America in the early 1970s (International Spy Museum)

In the wake of Edward Snowden’s revelations about the US National Security Agency’s activities around the globe, authorities in Russia and Germany declared they were investing in a foolproof counter-surveillance technology: mechanical typewriters. Patrick Sensburg, the head of the Bundestag inquiry into NSA spying, told a reporter from German TV programme Morgenmagazin the suggestion was “no joke”.

Is this the key to thwarting cybersnoopers? (Thinkstock)

Low-tech countermeasures […]

Exec Security2016-12-16T20:23:48-05:00August 23rd, 2014|

City manager accused of eavesdropping through phone system.

All major phone system have features that can be used for listening in to conversations. This could be legitimate monitoring by supervisors, but the systems could also be compromised to allow unauthorized eavesdropping. There are also methods for activating speakerphone mics to listen in to room conversations. In King City, CA, the city manager is accused of listening in to room conversations through his phone.

The Californian

An early May search warrant of Michael Powers’ office indicates the King City city manager may have surreptitiously listened to confidential conversations regarding an alleged for-profit tow scheme…

“Investigators believe that Powers arranged the KCPD telephones set-up in a way that allows him to activate the microphone in Chief Hegwood’s office (and others) without their knowledge and consent,” according to the warrant.

On April 17, Diaz and Ferreria met with Hegwood in his office. Topics of discussion included Officer Christopher Craig’s towing practices […]

Exec Security2016-12-16T20:23:48-05:00August 13th, 2014|

Tech news: Extracting audio from video, or how to turn a bag of chips into a microphone

As technology advances, new threats to privacy emerge as well. What only takes place in a lab today, may be more commonplace in the near future.

The team from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Microsoft and software firm Adobe created an algorithm that created useful audio from the videoed vibrations caused by soundwaves of a glass of water, the leaves of a plant and even a packet of crisps filmed through soundproof glass.

‘We’re recovering sounds from objects,’ said lead researcher Abe Davis in a statement. ‘That gives us a lot of information about the sound that’s going on around the object, but it also gives us a lot of information about the object itself, because different objects are going to respond to sound in different ways.’

Typically this technique requires a high-speed camera recording separate video […]

Exec Security2016-12-16T20:23:48-05:00August 5th, 2014|

CIA reeling from spy scandal

from TheHill.com

The CIA’s admission that it broke into Senate computers and spied on Intelligence Committee staffers has created a firestorm for the spy agency, with some calling for change at the top.

The scandal has stirred fresh doubts about Director John Brennan’s ability to lead the CIA and could make it difficult for the agency to push back on the findings of a Senate report on Bush-era “enhanced interrogation” techniques that might be released this month.

“This is going to feed into the Hollywood narrative about a wicked CIA,” said Jim Lewis, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The agency’s admission this week that officials hacked into Senate staffers’ computers comes after months of controversy about the surveillance activities exposed by Edward Snowden.

Though the CIA’s hacking is unrelated to the activities of the National Security Agency […]

Exec Security2016-12-16T20:23:48-05:00August 2nd, 2014|

New book “Spymaster: The Secret Life of Kendrick”, story of British MI6 officer in WWII.

A historian’s new book examines the valiant spying effort made at a highly secretive house in Buckinghamshire, which may have saved London from the same fate as Hiroshima.

Dr Helen Fry has written Spymaster: The Secret Life of Kendrick, which tells the story of the top MI6 officer at the heart of Britain’s Second World War intelligence work, Colonel Thomas Kendrick.

Kendrick at his desk in Latimer House in the Second World War

From 1942, he worked for the British Secret Service from Latimer House near Chesham where he led the operation of spying on German prisoners of war and eavesdropping their conversations.

Dr Fry said: “I find the topic fascinating, I wanted to find out more and more and uncover it in the book. Kendrick has not had much attention and he has taken a lot to his […]

Exec Security2016-12-16T20:23:48-05:00August 2nd, 2014|

Eavesdropping Goes Postal

Postal worker accused of eavesdropping

WATERTOWN, NY — State Police arrested a Watertown postal worker for trying to tape a confidential conversation.

Troopers arrested 50-year-old John L. Sullivan after they say he placed a recording device in a U.S. Postal Vehicle in an attempt to record a privileged conversation.

Sullivan was given an appearance ticket for eavesdropping, a felony.

Exec Security2014-08-02T21:02:53-04:00August 2nd, 2014|

Fox News: One method for dealing with hidden cameras…

ANCHORAGE, AK — A group of researchers studying sea lions in Round Island, Alaska, saw a fox coming along. Being the curious people they are, they decided to set up a video camera to record the animal.

Unfortunately, the fox was more aware of its surroundings than the sea lions. The animal immediately spots the camera, chomps down on it and tries to carry it away to eat later.

After a brief chase, the researchers were able to recover the camera. The fox managed to chew off part of the lens.

Exec Security2016-12-16T20:23:48-05:00July 27th, 2014|

India: Bugged or not bugged? Media claims possible bugging of Minister of Transport home.

The Sunday Guardian of India claims to have a report from a “highly placed source” that high power bugging devices were found in the bedroom of Nitin Gadkari, senior BJP leader who is also the Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways. The reports are later denied but drawing a lot of media attention. They do admit regular sweeps are done at ministerial offices and residences.

The Guardian says:

In a startling incident, high power listening devices were found in the bedroom of Nitin Gadkari at his 13 Teen Murti Lane residence in New Delhi. The discovery was “accidental” and a debugging exercise was immediately ordered.

According to highly placed sources, more devices were consequently discovered at the residence of the senior BJP leader who is also the Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways. Gadkari has apparently informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh […]

Exec Security2016-12-16T20:23:48-05:00July 27th, 2014|

Listening devices found at Ford HQ; recently fired engineer investigated

from The Detroit News

Detroit— The FBI searched Ford Motor Co.’s world headquarters while investigating one of the automaker’s engineers and seized listening devices, computers and financial records, according to search warrants obtained by The News on Thursday.

A lawyer for the mechanical engineer said Ford’s security team feared she was stealing trade secrets by hiding secret recording devices in conference rooms at the Dearborn automaker’s headquarters, nicknamed the Glass House.

Court records that would explain why the FBI had probable cause to search Ford and the engineer’s home are sealed in federal court. The government’s lawyer on the case, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Tukel, heads the National Security Unit in Detroit, successfully prosecuted underwear bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab and specializes in cases involving espionage, counter-terrorism and terrorism financing, among others.

Searching a Fortune 500 company’s world headquarters instead of issuing a subpoena is a rare […]

Exec Security2014-07-25T16:55:17-04:00July 25th, 2014|

West Seneca, NY, employees claim conversations were bugged by former boss

from The Buffalo News

An accountant resigned from her $42,000-a-year part-time job as West Seneca’s comptroller two months ago after employees accused her and an aide of using a tape recorder to secretly record their workplace conversations.

Town officials confirmed that two town employees made complaints against Jean M. Nihill, 57, about a month before she resigned from her job as the town’s top finance officer on May 12. Nihill, a certified public accountant, is the business partner of one of the town’s most politically powerful individuals – town Democratic Party leader Paul T. Clark, who served as town supervisor for 16 years.

The employees also alleged that former deputy comptroller Linda Kauderer took part in the bugging. Kauderer retired from her town job May 20. Police investigated the complaints and verified that a tape recorder was used to record the […]

Exec Security2016-12-16T20:23:49-05:00July 25th, 2014|

Australia: Bugging probe of Greek Orthodox priest and his home

POLICE are examining alleged threats made to a Greek priest and the bugging of a church house in which he was living.

The alleged threats, involving an unnamed priest from the Autocephalic Greek Church of America and Australia, were reported a fortnight ago while the discovery of the concealed listening device was reported to police in late March.

The alleged threats are related to the controversial ordination of Father Prokopios Kanavas as bishop of the AGCAA last August.

Father Kanavas resigned in acrimonious circumstances in April – just eight months after he was ordained. He has been stripped of his titles and moves are now being made to expel him from the Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia.

While GOCSA executives believe they know who made the unlawful threats to the priest, the precise motive and culprit responsible for the bugging remain unclear.

The listening device was hidden in the rangehood of a church house […]

Exec Security2016-12-16T20:23:49-05:00July 8th, 2014|

Saskatchewan: Corrections denies bugging employee staff lounge at jail

Hidden microphones can be found disguised in many places. The final destination of this microphone system was for the inmate areas but they were testing it in the staff lounge, without notifying the staff. If you have any type of audio or video monitoring going on in your facilities, be sure to have it included in your company policies and employee agreements.

From CBC News: Mic hidden in smoke detector at Saskatoon Correctional Centre a test run for staff safety system

Management at the Saskatoon Correctional Centre has apologized to employees for not properly warning them about a hidden microphone installed in a staff lounge in April.

In a letter to employees, dated June 23rd, acting director of the correctional centre, Jock McDowell, said the listening device was a prototype for a new intercom system, intended to keep the facility safer.

Saskatoon Correctional Centre [...]
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Exec Security2016-12-16T20:23:49-05:00July 8th, 2014|

Good guys as targets. Hacker who shipped heroin to cyber security expert gets arrested.

Working in any aspect of security can have it’s own dangers. Brian Krebs, known for his cyber security blog KrebsOnSecurity.com was the target of a cybercrook known as “Fly”. Brian, though, was good enough to uncover the identity of the bad guy. The “Fly” was arrested in Naples, Italy, earlier this month.

From Brian Krebs, Krebsonsecurity.com:

A Ukrainian man who claimed responsibility for organizing a campaign to send heroin to my home last summer has been arrested in Italy on suspicion of trafficking in stolen credit card accounts, among other things, KrebsOnSecurity.com has learned.

Passport photo for Sergei “Fly” Vovnenko. He was arrested in Naples, Italy earlier this month.

The only thing I knew about Fly then was that he was the founder and administrator of a closely-guarded Russian-language crime forum called thecc.bz (the “cc” part referring to credit cards). Fly also […]

Exec Security2016-12-16T20:23:49-05:00June 24th, 2014|

Northern Ireland: Listening device found in vehicle of dissident republican

From BBC.com: A dissident republican from Lurgan, County Armagh, is taking legal action after finding surveillance equipment hidden in his car.

The man, who does not want to be named, is a member of the Republican Network for Unity.

He discovered what appear to be battery packs and a transmitter hidden behind the rear bumper of his car.

They are believed to have been attached to a listening device hidden somewhere in the vehicle.

There was also a smaller device, believed to be a GPS locator that would have enabled those who planted it to track his movements as well as listen to anything said inside the car.

Vehicle listening device.

The man believes the equipment was placed in his car after he refused an attempt to recruit him as an informer.

He told the BBC he was approached at Belfast International Airport in April as he […]

Exec Security2016-12-16T20:23:49-05:00June 12th, 2014|

Hackers Infiltrate Desk Phones for Epic Office Pranks

Wired Magazine’s Andy Greenberg reports how a researcher at security firm SilverSky, along with a friend who was a reverse engineering tech, were able to hack a coworker’s phone to play pranks on him to get revenge for some pranking he had done. This resulted in a presentation for the Summercon security conference in New York.

The hacking they perform requires access to the internal company network that the the VOIP phones are working on. They discovered a number of bugs that could lead to more nefarious hacks.

An office deskphone hacked via ethernet to show an image on its screen. The phone has been covered in electrical tape and paper to obscure its model. Photo: Andy Greenberg/WIRED

A workplace tip: If you’re planning an office prank war, don’t target someone with the skills to reverse-engineer and control the phone on your desk.

That’s the lesson […]

Exec Security2016-12-16T20:23:49-05:00June 10th, 2014|