• British law enforcement exploits flaw in iTunes to spy

    British law enforcement agencies and Apple are coming under sharp criticism after it was discovered that authorities exploited a security flaw in iTunes to spy on individuals

  • German police uses backdoor Trojan to monitor Skype calls

    A backdoor Trojan capable of monitoring online activity and recording Skype calls has been detected — and is allegedly being used by the German police force

  • TraceSpan Communications shows new interception device

    DOCSIS Phantom intercepts target communications directly from the line and collects a hundred percent of the information in both directions, to and from the ISP or communications provider; the device allows interception of all data, including peer-to-peer communication, even when it does not pass through the ISP server

  • Terrahawk showcases its mobile surveillance vehicle

    This Thursday Terrahawk, LLC will show off its Mobile Utility Surveillance Tower (MUST) to members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate along with their staffs; with MUST, law enforcement agencies can quickly set up a mobile surveillance tower for emergency response, crowd control, or general surveillance

    • view counter

  • China's big surveillance push

    In China’s latest push to keep tabs on its citizens, police in Beijing have ordered supermarkets and shopping malls throughout the city to install high-definition security cameras; the recent order comes as part of a broader expansion in monitoring technology which includes the addition of millions of surveillance cameras over the past five years and large increases in domestic security spending

  • New drone listens in on cell phone calls and hacks Wi-Fi networks

    At this week’s annual Defcon security conference for hackers, two hobbyists will showcase their sophisticated unmanned Wi-Fi detecting, cell-phone eavesdropping spy drone; the drone was assembled using an old Army target drone that had been converted to run on electric batteries and is now equipped with an HD camera, eleven antennas, and a cigarette pack sized computer that is loaded with hacking tools

    • view counter

  • China further limits Internet access

    In its continuing efforts to control the Internet, Chinese officials are now mandating that all cafes, hotels, and businesses in central Beijing install surveillance technology for Wi-Fi users; the new software would allow government officials to check the identities of users and monitor their activity at public computers; those who do not cooperate will face fines or even closure

  • Pakistani spies track immigrants in U.S.

    Last week the indictment of two Pakistani-Americans pulled back the veil on the extent of Pakistan’s spy network in the United States; led by Pakistan’s military spy agency, the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the country’s efforts in the United States are primarily aimed at influencing lawmakers, keeping track of the Pakistani Diaspora, stifling dialogue critical of its military, and stymieing India — the country’s chief rival

  • FBI investigates News Corp. for potential 9/11 victim hacks

    Lawmakers in the United States have waded into the growing controversy that has engulfed Rupert Murdoch’s media empire; on Wednesday several Democratic senators and Representative Pete King (R-New York), requested that the FBI begin an investigation into whether News Corp. attempted to hack into the phones of 9/11 victims; in response to their calls, the FBI opened an investigation into News Corp. to determine if the allegations of bribery and wiretapping are true

  • Michigan cell snooping furor

    The furor over Apple surreptitiously planting tracking software in users’ iPhones and iPads comes on the heels of reports that police in Michigan were using a portable device capable of scanning and downloading cell phone contents in a very short time

  • India bans Nokia push e-mail devices until govt. surveillance is allowed

    BlackBerry’s maker RIM complained that the Indian government singled out its popular smartphone for harsh regulatory treatment because of the phone’s e-mail encryption which prevented Indian law enforcement services from snooping on e-mails of people suspected of involvement in terrorism or crime; now the Indian government is considering putting a hold on the sales of Nokia devices with push e-mail until monitoring systems were in place

  • China clamps down further on Internet to prevent unrest

    The Chinese government has eyed the protests sweeping across the Middle East and North Africa with growing unease; to quash the prospect of wide spread protests at home, the government has increasingly clamped down on the Internet and other forms of communication; access to Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter have been blocked while government agents are more carefully monitoring cellphone calls, electronic messages, and emails; residents say they have never seen such high levels of censorship before

  • Video Surveillance Clock keeps watch

    If you want to keep an eye on the goings-on in your home or office while you are away, you may want to consider the Video Surveillance Clock; the small (2 3/4″ Diam. x 3/4″ D ) analog clock has a built-in, motion-activated video surveillance camera that records both audio and video and takes photographs too

  • FBI retreats from push to expand surveillance capabilities on Web

    The FBI recently retreated from calling for a push to introduce legislation that would require all Web-based email services and social networking sites to build backdoor access for law enforcement officials; when granted permission to conduct wiretaps by the courts, the FBI and other investigative agencies are unable to successfully monitor communications on encrypted channels like social networking sites and Web-based email servers; at a House hearing the FBI distanced itself from reports that suggested it was seeking legislation to demand backdoors on encrypted networks; the FBI believes that it can obtain the information using other means; the agency was not clear on how it plans to move forward

  • Police uneasy about cheap smart-phone scanner app

    Just a few years ago, someone wanting to listen to the dispatches of their local police department had to purchase and program special equipment; now, modern technology has made it possible to transform popular smart phones into personal police scanners; police say that criminals could use the increased accessibility provided by the new technologies as a tool for committing crimes