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Web, Social Networking

British Secret Service Chief's Facebook Faux Pas

MI-6 is Britain's snazzier, shaken-not-stirred version of the CIA. The espionage authority is so secretive that it wasn't even officially acknowledged until 1992, the AP reports. The head of the organization's identity is so carefully guarded that, until the '90s, the chief was simply known as "C."

So, when incoming head Sir John Sawers -- an experienced spy and Britain's current ambassador to the UN -- was found on Facebook through his wife Lady Shelley Sawers's page, we can only imagine that MI-6 agents everywhere (including James Bond) shook their heads in shame.

After Lady Shelley posted family vacation pictures (including an unflattering one of Sir John in his bathing suit) and after the Daily Mail published said photos yesterday, the world got dangerously more than a laugh. While a spy in a Speedo might seem funny, information on Sawers's family, location, and friends could be highly damaging to the Sawerses, the agency, and Britain as a whole.

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Google, Visionaries

'Citizen Spies' Using Google Earth to Uncover Secrets of North Korea



During Kim Jong Il's reign as leader of North Korea, the nation has been shrouded in mystery, with the government only periodically breaking its silence in order to tout fantastical accomplishments of the ruler and his nation. The veil of secrecy is now slowly being lifted, though, thanks to surveillance work carried out by ordinary citizens using Google Earth and information gleaned from news releases and eyewitness accounts.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Curtis Melvin, a doctoral candidate at George Mason University, has been spearheading the "citizen spy" movement. Melvin and his fellow not-so-clandestine agents, using "democratized intelligence," have created North Korea Uncovered, a file which details the locations of nuclear facilities, air fields and dams, as well as the nation's transportation and electrical grids (pictured above).

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Cell Phones

Easy Ways to Tell if Your Cell Phone is Bugged

If you've got a lot of enemies (or watch too many spy movies), you've probably noticed those online ads for cell phone bugging software and thought: "Hey, I wonder if my phone is bugged?" Fortunately, the news crew at Fox 26 in Houston shares your paranoia: it recently tested out some cellular spyware to figure out if your ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend is listening in.

After dropping $250 for the software on the Internet, the crew had it up and running on a test phone in 10 minutes. As you can imagine, the spyware enabled call- and text-monitoring, gave access to the phone's contact list, and kept extensive logs of call times and duration. The coolest function let the testers tap into the test phone from a remote location and activate its microphone, allowing them to listen in even with the phone on standby and concealed in a pocket.

As for figuring out if your own phone is bugged, the Fox team says to watch out for significant, unexplained drops in battery power or random screen flashes. Strange billing activity and text messages with random numbers and symbols could also be signs of a bugging. To be safe, you should lock your phone with a password, and if you want to go super clandestine, pop out your phone's battery when you go meet that guy with the briefcase chained to his wrist. [From: Fox 26]

Computers

$300 Billion Pentagon Project Hacked (Data Compromised, Again)

$300 Billion Pentagon Project Hacked

According to a front page Wall Street Journal article this morning, it looks like piles of data related to the $300 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter military plane have found their way in to the hands of hackers. According to government officials the newspaper spoke with, the Defense Department was the subject of a concerted cyber attack over the past few months in which terabytes (yes plural) of data related to the project were intercepted and fed to IP addresses that have been tracked to China.

Of course, the Chinese embassy issued a statement denying any involvement and said it "opposes and forbids all forms of cyber crimes," but we know it means that in the same way Ted Haggard meant that he opposed homosexuality.

"We aggressively monitor our networks for intrusions...," Air Force Lt. Col. Eric Butterbaugh told the WSJ. Now, anyone who has ever tried to download an HD movie via BitTorrent knows how long it takes to download a few gigabytes of data, which leads us to believe the monitoring couldn't be too aggressive if spies were able to siphon off several thousand gigabytes before setting off alarms.

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Computers

Canadians Uncover Chinese Cyber-Spies


Desperate to prove there's more to their country than socialized medicine and Mounties, a group of Canadians has uncovered a major international cyber-spy network originating in China. According to Canadian research group Information Warfare Monitor (IWM), the spy network has hacked over 1,000 PCs in over 100 countries, including those of foreign embassies and the offices of the Dalai Lama.

In the report, titled 'Tracking GhostNet: Investigating a Cyber Espionage Network,' the IWM suggests that the network of spies used malware to obtain access to and take control of computers in the foreign affairs offices and embassies of Iran, Indonesia, the Philippines, India, South Korea and Pakistan, among others.

The Dalai Lama seems to have been a major target; the IWM found evidence that substantial amounts of private and sensitive data relating to the Tibetan exile had been offloaded to China.

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Audio/Video

Would-Be Voyeur Puts Spy Cam in Restroom, Leaves Video of Himself


In yet another case of crimes featuring dumb criminals, the Daily Freeman brings us this story of an upstate New York man who recently installed a surveillance video camera inside a unisex bathroom at a local coffee shop. Obviously intended for prurient purposes, the would-be voyeur accidentally left a video of himself on the device. The camera was discovered shortly after being installed and police are on the lookout for the man.

The suspect is said to be 35-40 years old, about six feet tall, has a beard and mustache, and wears circular-rimmed glasses (see photo above). He is shown in the video wearing a green military jacket, and carrying an over-the-shoulder backpack.

If you live in the New Paltz, New York area and recognize/have information on this man, please call the local authorities at (845) 255-1323. All calls will be kept confidential. [From: Daily Freeman]

Related Links:

Computers

Bug Sized Spy-Bots Headed for the Battlefield

Bug Sized Spy-Bots Headed for the Battlefield

We haven't even seen the Bat yet, the flying spy-bot from the University of Michigan, and already researchers are talking about even further miniaturization in the realm of robotic spooks. According to the Associated Press, the U.S> Army is doing research on Micro Aerial Vehicles, or MAVs, which are essentially robotic bees that could be released as a swarm and blanket a city undetected. The tiny surveillance robots could be as small as a bumble bee and hide on streets or in buildings feeding video and audio to military personnel.

The MAVs would help identify and monitor potential targets. The Army even believes that they could be equipped with tiny weapons for attacking foes. It foresees insect-sized bots strapped with chemicals or explosives.

We see the clear tactical advantage that these tiny spies provide on the battlefield. Still, we can't help but fear the possibility that they may be turned against us. It wouldn't be the first time. [From: AP/AOL News]

Cell Phones

Cell Phone Snooping Software Lets You Snoop on Kids, Spouses


For parents and suspicious spouses who have no regard for the privacy of others, there is now TechGuard. It's a program that allows you to track the calls and read text messages sent to and from a cell phone.

After loading the program on the target cell phone (currently only compatible with Windows Mobile phones and BlackBerrys) the application can be controlled from a Web site. Snoops can then read every outgoing and incoming text message, and even block certain parties from getting through. You can also read any e-mail that comes to the phone, and view call and browsing history.

TechGuard costs about $11 a month. But, if you're really this nosy, we think that money might be better spent buying yourself some anti-anxiety drugs. [From: CBS News]

Computers

Researchers 'Eavesdropping' on Computers Via Keyboard Emissions



We always knew those electromagnetic emanations would amount to no good, and now here they go ruining any shred of privacy we once thought to possess. Some folks from the Security and Cryptography Lab at Switzerland's EPFL have managed to eavesdrop on the electromagnetic radiation shot off by shoddy wired keyboards with every keystroke. They've found four different ways to listen in, including one previously-published general vulnerability, on eleven keyboard models ranging from 2001 to 2008, with PS/2, USB and laptop keyboards all falling to at least one of the four attacks. The attack works through walls, as far as 65 feet away, and analyzes a wide swath of electromagnetic spectrum to get its results.

With wireless keyboards already feeling the sting of hackers, it's probably fair to say that no one is safe, and that cave bunkers far, far away from civilization are pretty much our only hope now. Videos of the attacks are after the break.

[Thanks, Dave]

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Cameras

Minox Cameras Nurture the Spy in All of Us


Minox, we knew you wouldn't let us down. We've seen a few bland cameras released by you over the years, but it warms our hearts to see you haven't forgotten why we love you. This latest line of miniature cameras comes in three flavors: yuck, meh, and totally badass. The DC 1033 looks like every other camera known to man, with the slight improvement of being a mere 94 x 55 x 24mm with 10-megapixels of firepower. The DCC Leica M3 Gold Edition is nothing more than a rerelease of the silvery edition - tiny, cute, but no match for the classic 30s style DSC (Digital Spy Camera) -- 86 x 29 x 20mm, 5-megapixels -- to be showcased this week at Photokina in Germany.

[Via Studio Lighting]

Read - Minox DCC Leica M3 Gold Edition
Read - Minox License to shoot

Computers, MySpace

FBI and CIA Launching MySpace for Spies

Shh, MySpace for Spies Launches This MonthYou know how we told you last week that most people don't know what social-networking is? Well, apparently the CIA and FBI are using this news to their advantage, and are looking to get all of their secret agents friending and messaging online like chatty tweens, creating a MySpace knockoff site especially for spies and other officials to connect and chat.

The idea behind the site, called A-Space, is for agents to share intelligence gleaned through various sources, whether they be covert or CNN. It is intended to replace ad-hock e-mails and other forms of messaging with one centralized, easily traceable communication channel. The obvious concern is security, of course, as this site will quickly become a repository of virtual reams of sensitive info. Operators plan to rely on behavioral processing such as that used by credit card companies -- not so much to restrict what users can do, but to raise flags if someone tries to do something... unusual.

You know, kind of like the last time you took a road trip and had your card declined while buying gas 1,200 miles from home. That sounds just like the kind of security we need protecting our agents. [Source: CNN]

Audio/Video, Computers

Spy Satellites to ID You Via Your Shadow?

Spy Satellites Could ID Your Shadow
It is literally becoming impossible to hide (and yet we still can't find Bin Laden). Cameras are posted everywhere. Facial and audio recognition software have made leaps and bounds. The NSA is tapping our phones, and the cops have cameras that can read your license plate. What else could our governments and law enforcement possibly need to keep tabs on us?

Why, spy satellites that can identify your shadow, of course!

Scientists are working on a system that will be able to analyze shadows from satellite video to recreate the way a person walks. Since your stride, sway, pace, and bounce combine to create a gait unique to you, gait analysis could prove to be a powerful tool for tracking criminals and terrorists (and you).

Of course, there are some caveats. Most satellites currently in orbit can't record high enough resolution images for effective gait analysis. Also, because the method is reliant on shadows, the system could be easily disrupted by rain or cloud cover and would prove completely useless at night.

Still, researchers believe this could prove to be an invaluable tool for tracking ne'er do wells. Oh, and you. [From: Daily Mail]

Cameras, Computers

Camera-Equipped Teddy Bear Catches Thief, Becomes Hero

In what can only be seen as a triumph for stuffed animals everywhere, a teddy bear was used as a spying device -- specifically, a teddy bear with a small video camera positioned inside one of its eyes -- and was used to catch a caretaker criminal in Liverpool, England. The plan was put into action by a forensic science graduate (no coincidence there) and her father, who caught his mother's caretaker stealing from her. Who, it should be noted, was terminally ill with cancer.

The thief, 28 year-old Yvonne Allen, was sentenced to six months in prison.

"We can confirm that a former health care assistant, employed by the Provider arm of Liverpool Primary Care Trust has been arrested and convicted of stealing from a patient," said Bernie Cuthel, managing director of Liverpool PCT Provider Services. "Following information from the courts that the employee involved was pleading guilty to all charges, an internal disciplinary hearing was held and this person is no longer employed by Liverpool PCT."

Having marked the bills in her grandmother's wallet and installed the consumer-grade camera in the teddy's head, the daughter made sure the evidence was incontrovertible. The convicted has agreed to pay £60 -- or roughly $120 -- compensation to her victim. Which, to be honest, doesn't really seem like all that much. [From: The BBC]

Back to School Guide 2008

Movie Make-Outs Could Be Filmed By Cinematic Spy Cams

One of our most awkward childhood memories was going to see 'Muppet Treasure Island' at the AMC with mom and lil' bro. There was this couple in the back totally necking (actually, they'd probably crossed over into heavy petting, though we didn't know what that was at the time).

Not that we all haven't made out in the cinema a time or two ourselves, but puh-leaze! It's the MUPPETS.

Count on the British to put a stop to this sort of behavior -- Odeon, the UK's largest theater chain, has taken to installing security cameras inside movie theaters. So while you're sitting around watching 'The Dark Knight', someone might be watching you! It's so meta.

Odeon execs claim that the cameras are intended to ensure the safety of moviegoers, and have already cut down on "disruptive incidents." But young Brits and human rights groups are sketched out. It's Big-Brotherly, they worry, and takes all the fun out of an old fashioned makeout sesh at the movies. [Source: Telegraph UK]

Cell Phones, Computers

Beware of Chinese Hackers at the Olympics

Beware of Chinese Hackers at the Olympics
Remember that warning U.S. security agencies gave government officials and businesses? It appears that warning may be publicly extended to any and all travelers to Beijing. The danger to personal and sensitive data is hard to overstate in a country with such a long history of electronic espionage, but a public warning could damage political and business relationships with the economic powerhouse.

Copying data from unattended cell phones and laptops is just part of the problem. Data can also be "slurpped" over Bluetooth connections, Wi-Fi connections can be intercepted, and spyware can be installed. One security expert turned on a new Treo smart phone upon landing in Beijing, by the time he hit the hotel a handful of malicious applications had been installed on his phone.

To be safe if you're traveling to China for the Olympics take the following precaution
  • Use a disposable cell phone while in Beijing.
  • Store all data on an encrypted USB flash drive, never let it leave your sight.
  • Place anti-tamper stickers on screws and hard-drives.
  • Keep Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned off unless absolutely necessary.
  • Make sure anti-virus, firewall, and anti-spyware are installed and up to date.
[Source: Wall Street Journal]

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Weirdest Techie Heists and Scams

    Elderly Amish Man Caught on Film With Prostitute, Blackmailed
    When a 75-year-old Amish widower slept with a prostitute, he -- we feel certain -- felt pretty bad about it the next morning. As if that guilt weren't enough for the old man, the prostitute and her boyfriend demanded $67,000 from him, claiming that they had filmed the scene with wall-mounted cameras and would upload the recording to the Internet. The pair was later arrested and, we can only imagine, the Amish man abhorred technology more than ever.

     

    Bank Robber Gets Away With the Help of Craiglist
    In October, a bank robber -- wearing a safety vest, blue shirt, face mask and goggles -- eluded police with the help of Craiglist. Just outside the bank, while the robbery was in progress, stood a group of men who were responding to a Craiglist day labor opportunity. As the advertisement required, they were all wearing safety vests, blue shirts, face masks and goggles.

     

    Nude New Zealander Arrested After Responding to Fake Sexy Text Message
    Late in 2007, a Wellington, New Zealand man received a racy text message from two anonymous "ladies," giving him only an address and a request that he show up naked. Well, he indeed showed up naked... at the home of one appalled, unsuspecting New Zealander. Both the nude Romeo and the sadistic texter were arrested, though neither were prosecuted.

     

    Fake Craiglist Ad Costs Man Most of What He Owns
    Last Spring, a post appeared on an Oregon Craigslist board stating that the owner of a specific house was leaving all of his worldly possessions (still in said house) to whoever wanted them. When homeowner Robert Salisbury rushed home -- on a tip from a woman suspicious about the offer of a free horse -- he found his house being ransacked by 30 strangers. We suggest he take that horse and collect some vengeance Clint Eastwood-style.

     

    17-Year-Old Jailed for Stealing Virtual 'Furniture'
    When a 17-year-old Dutch boy hacked into several accounts on the Second Life-style site 'Habbo' in 2007, the the law got involved. The boy was discovered to have stolen $5,800 worth of virtual furniture and knick-knacks. Apparently, crime -- whether actual or virtual -- does not pay.

     

    Phishers Going After Your Phones in New 'Vishing' Trend
    Over the past year, sneaky spammers have begun to forsake the worn-out territory of e-mail in favor of cell phones' fertile frontier. The result? "Vishing." Get it? Voice mail phishing. It might be more ominous if it didn't sound like a James Bond villain saying, "Wishing."

     

    Burglars Break Into Restaurant, Steal HDTV, Leave Money / Food Behind
    Around Halloween of last year, a truckload of thieves drove into -- that's right, into -- a Pennsylvania Mexican restaurant, where they -- apparently uninterested in the cash register -- stole a mid-grade 47-inch HDTV and fled the scene. We've all heard about how this generation is lacking in ambition, but this generation's thieves, too?

     

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CNET provides the latest tech news, unbiased reviews, videos, podcasts, software, and downloads, making tech products easy to find, understand and use.

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