Posts Tagged ‘Security’

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The Security of Obama’s Blackberry – Much Ado About Nothing?

By Dawn in Debugging - Electronic Countermeasures, eavesdropping, gps, gps tracker, Hacking, MSI Detective Services, Politics, Technology at January 11th, 2012 | No comments

 

 

 

 

 

Much has been written about the security concerns of the President of the United States using a Blackberry – in particular about President Obama as he is more tech-savvy than previous Presidents.

I don’t claim to be an expert on how hackers do their thing, but I find it disturbing when journalists/media print or talk of the ways in which security can be breached. Why would we want to give the crazies of the world any tips on how to breach our national security? Exposing techniques for hacking or eavesdropping  on the President of the United States is quite irresponsible - whether you know what you are talking about or not. Even if there is a justified vulnerability concern, don’t publicize it!

Two such articles do just that (links provided at the end of this story). My head was spinning after reading about the various technologies, the proposed vulnerabilities written by non-security experts, and the comments written by readers explaining why/how it would be virtually impossible to hack into the President’s Blackberry.

Both stories seem more focused on concerns that carrying around a Blackberry places the President at risk because his location could be determined either via GPS tracking of his device or by hackers being able to hone in on which device belongs to the President by discovering the serial number (IMEI) of his device. Read the full article »

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Cellphone Spying Becoming Easier for Abusers and Stalkers

By Dawn in Cheaters, Cheating spouse, Debugging - Electronic Countermeasures, eavesdropping, gps, harassment, Infidelity, invasion of privacy, MSI Detective Services, Safety, stalking, Technology at January 9th, 2012 | No comments

 

 

 

 

 

Here is one company’s promise on its website to anyone who wants to eavesdrop on someone else’s cellphone: “You could now listen in 100% completely undetected.”

The average person now has easy access to spy technology allowing them to gather cellphone information, read private emails, and track someone’s location using GPS. Experts say that the technologies are being used by spouses and partners to track, harass and stalk. “Technology has just exploded. It’s so sophisticated now and it’s very easy to utilize these different technologies to keep tabs on a person and find out where they’re going,” said Gina Pfund, chief assistant prosecutor of the Domestic Violence Unit in Passaic County.

This is very scary stuff when this type of technology gets into the wrong hands or is abused. I know of one woman who was being stalked by her ex-boyfriend and eventually learned he was tracking her whereabouts via her cellphone.

Experts say the person watching or listening is often a family member and frequently a suspicious or controlling partner. They have scanned Facebook pages, viewed online web-browsing histories, and exam­ined cellphone records for proof. However, some take it a step further, planting spyware on smart phones and computers.

Spyware is being aggressively marketed online as a means to find out if a spouse is cheating. It can be in­stalled on computers to monitor keystrokes, emails and passwords and to take screen snapshots. Spy software can also be installed on a smart phone to allow a third party to monitor calls, view text messages and photos, and track a person’s location and movement via GPS. A built-in microphone can also be remotely activated and used as a listening device, even when a phone is turned off. Technology experts say the phone user has no idea they are being spied on. Read the full article »

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GSM Phones Vulnerable to Hijack Scams – Researcher Says

By Dawn in Electronic Fraud, Electronic Theft, Hacking, MSI Detective Services, Security, taps, Technology at December 28th, 2011 | No comments

 

 

 

 

 

Mobile security is a hot issue as smartphone sales have outpaced PC sales. Smartphone malware is popping up at an unprecedented rate as people put more and more valuable information on their devices, using them to hold corporate secrets, conduct banking and function as digital wallets.

Hackers have taken notice and continue to find ways to breach the security of these devices.

Karsten Nohl, head of Berlin-based Security Research Labs, will be speaking at the Berlin hacking convention this week about the security vulnerabilities of GSM phones.

Nohl discovered flaws in a widely used wireless technology that could allow hackers to gain remote control of phones and instruct them to send text messages or make calls. Nohl is a well-regarded expert on mobile security who identified a bug last year in GSM technology that makes calls vulnerable to tapping. He says he is calling attention to these flaws to pressure the industry into beefing up the security of their products.

They could use the vulnerability in the GSM technology — which is used by most telecom operators globally and by billions of people — to make calls or send texts to expensive, premium phone and messaging services in scams.

Security experts have previously identified a small number of viruses designed to infect smartphones, allowing hackers to take control of the devices and force them to make calls or send text messages. But Nohl said he has discovered a way to leverage previously disclosed vulnerabilities in GSM technology that could potentially threaten hundreds of thousands of phones.

GSM became the dominant mobile technology globally in the late 1990s. Although new and faster mobile networks have been rolled out across the world, operators have stuck to their GSM networks to support older phones and to offer service when new networks fail. Read the full article »

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Twenty-Two Things Burglars Won’t Tell You

By Dawn in Burlary, Home Security, MSI Detective Services, Safety, Stolen Property at November 23rd, 2011 | No comments

Have you ever wondered what factors a burglar considers when deciding which homes to target? Some of these things may surprise you.  This list comes from a Texas based security company that is taking steps to educate its customers. The list takes a humorous approach to giving end users some insight into the diverse and sometimes surprising forms a burglar can take, the indicators of wealth burglars pick up on, and how they know no one is home, among others.

The list highlights the importance of supplementing a dependable security system with a deeper awareness of seemingly harmless visitors and how a residence or business can attract a burglar’s attention. Hopefully, it will give you some tips to avoid being a victim of theft or something worse.

In addition to having a good security system, you may want to consider adding surveillance cameras to the outside of your home. There are also cameras that use motion detection which then turns on a flood light. A burglar is not going to go past this first line of defense. If a flood light comes on, they will run. Personally, I want to stop anyone from even attempting to breach my home security system. I know that with some home systems, if a door or window is opened when the system is armed, the panel box “beeps” for sixty seconds before alarms are set off. Then, you receive a call from the security company, and if you don’t answer, they call your back-up number. If no one answers at the back-up number, it is only then that the police are notified. Therefore, it could take 10-15 minutes at best before the police are at your door.

I accidentally set off my alarm in the middle of the night one time and punched in my code once to turn it off. I was actually supposed to punch in my code twice if the alarm is accidentally set off. I didn’t have my phone turned on, was in a sleepy stupor and returned to bed. The police showed up an hour later. I did not find that experience to be very comforting and even sixty seconds seems like a long time to me before alarms are set off. An intruder can do a lot of harm to you in that short amount of time if they aren’t scared off by your beeping sound. Many home invasions are committed by people on drugs who are not thinking logically – like they should run when they hear your alarm box beeping.

Here is that list: Read the full article »

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