Hidden cameras in the workplace (again, and again)
Hidden cameras in the workplace are a serious concern. Here are a few tips as well as two reports of recent camera incidents in Georgia.
Housekeeper at Israeli Defense Minister’s home was sentenced to 3 years in prison for spying.
A man employed as a cleaner in Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz's home was sentenced to three years' prison for attempting to spy for Iran-linked hackers, the justice ministry said Tuesday.
School administrator planted “spy pen” in a closed meeting.
Another episode of "Thinking of Eavesdropping? -- Don't Do It!" Throughout the TSCM industry, reports of eavesdropping devices being discovered are often found to have been placed by executives or other trusted individuals who feared that they may be fired or passed over for a promotion. They typically want to know what is going on behind the closed doors of a meeting they were not invited to. This case appears to fall into this category.
Spies for the PRC charged with planting cameras and surveillance devices in residence of dissident.
The defendants electronically spied on pro-democracy activists. Posing as an art dealer interested in purchasing the artwork of the dissident artist, they secretly installed surveillance cameras and GPS devices at the dissident’s workplace and in his car which were monitored in the PRC. [Click to read more]
Are tech employees leaving and going to competitors?
Keeping loyalty among employees can be a difficult challenge, but may also be critical to survival of your business as well as stopping leaks, spying, and other forms of corporate espionage. Often requests for our corporate TSCM service come when a well placed employee in a tech position has left the company. Even those without any sort of grudge may still have access to confidential information. Those who may fit the “disgruntled” category may pose even greater threats.
A recent ZDNet article suggests that tech workers are more inclined to leave their jobs than those in other industries. 
“As many as two-thirds of IT workers are open to or are already actively seeking new job opportunities, a global analysis of 18,000 employees indicates, putting CIOs in a precarious position as tech talent shortages bite.
A workforce survey conducted by analyst […]
Update! Student research, student spying, university sports spying, and more.
Finally - a new update for the Exec Security News. More audio surveillance research from Ben Gurion University. Student caught spying, coach caught spying, and victims catch up with the spy.
Eavesdropping and spy updates, September 2021
Where the wild spys are... Eavesdropping can be a concern for all areas, corporate espionage, sports, and celebrities. Your office may be a target, of course, but recent news also includes concerns for Peyton Manning as well as Britney Spears.
Threat watch: “Glowworm” attack using power LEDs
Researchers at Ben Gurion University have demonstrated a new class of TEMPEST attack for intercepting confidential information. Their technique involves recovering sound by analyzing optical emanations from a device’s power indicator LED, specifically in the circuits providing power to various speaker systems. Could your conversations be vulnerable?
Spy Stories: Interview with Jonna Mendez, Former CIA Chief of Disguise
Interview with Jonna Mendez, former CIA Chief of Disguise from Wired Magazine. Being a spy has always been difficult. During the Cold War, being a spy in Moscow was especially hard...
Eavesdropper caught on video trying to retrieve devices.
Lessons learned. An eavesdropper planted listening devices in a neighbor's home. She finds multiple devices then catches the stalker on video when he comes back to retrieve the devices. Some of the steps she takes provide good lessons and are worth paying attention to.
Corporate Information Security and Privacy Challenges from Covid – 2021 update.
2021 update: originally posted in April of 2020, a year later this article is still very significant. Empty offices and increased work from home creates privacy and information security problems. Meetings once contained in a secure board room have now spread out to executive homes in multiple locations, each one with it's own inherent security vulnerabilities. The need for TSCM sweeps has moved to a new level.
Killer eavesdropped on victims for a year using hidden microphone
A loner installed a listening device to eavesdrop on neighbors before launching a “carefully planned, premeditated” attack, where he used a crossbow to kill a council worker and seriously injured his girlfriend. This helps demonstrate the importance of TSCM for personal protection.
Large scale security camera breach of Verkada- hackers claim access to almost 150,000 cameras
Cloud CCTV company Verkada suffers a breach exposing almost 150,000 cameras. Security measures in one area may just move the target to a different area. Click to read more.
Security podcast episode focuses on TSCM- The Circuit Magazine
I was happy to be on the Circuit Magazine podcast with Phelim Rowe and Elijah Shaw discussing TSCM and related security concerns. Click to learn more.
Morse code still active and being used to bypass security in cyber attacks.
Morse code used to hide malicious URLs in a novel phishing attack.
Welcome to 2021
I've been away from the keyboard for a while, so I thought I would post a few updates as we begin the new year. - hidden cameras, recording devices, horses on the loose, and the passing of two spy genre greats in 2020.
Hidden camera news- camera “left behind” in FOP president’s office.
When you move into new facilities or new offices, and when previous executives move out, get transferred, or (especially) fired, that is an important time to have your offices swept for possible surveillance devices.
The former president of the Fraternal Order of Police in Chicago conveniently left behind a live covert video camera with remote access.
When Graham lost his bid for reelection, he promptly cleared out of his office. Three weeks later, after the new boss, John Catanzara, took over, the camera was found, still working.
A sweep of the entire building was then conducted.
“The issue was when I took over, he had an obligation to tell me, and he didn’t. It’s really that simple,” Catanzara said. “We’re talking about a past president of this lodge. This isn’t just an average policeman doing something silly and facing charges for this lodge. You’d expect someone who’s been and member […]
Passwords on Display
Where do you store your passwords? Recent blunders on TV reveal passwords in plain view of the camera.