Corporate espionage silently rampant in Canada, says former CSIS officer
GATINEAU, Que. ” Corporate espionage ” ranging from Dumpster diving for industrial secrets to plying vulnerable employees of competitors with booze, drugs and sex in exchange for information — is a common tactic in Canada for companies to get ahead, says a former CSIS spy and private investigator.
Tuesday, at the Canadian Industrial Security Conference, Ron Myles said that Canadian companies often perceive corporate spying and infiltration as something out of Hollywood and insists the amount of cases that are exposed is but a mere fraction of the problem in this country.
“As Canadians, we undervalue our abilities in research and development, we’re a little bit naive in the sense that the rest of the world is doing this (but not in Canada),” Myles said in an interview after presenting to a packed room on the opening day of the two-day conference. “We carry that attitude into our business and I think it costs Canadian businesses quite a bit.
“I don’t think even the tip of the iceberg is showing. (Corporate espionage) is more prevalent in small- and medium- sized companies because they’re often just starting up and don’t have massive (security) budgets.”
Myles, who was a CSIS officer for 13 years before working another 13 years as a private investigator, said a number of methods are used by competing interests in terms of stealing ideas and other intellectual property — noting the technology sector is targeted most.
In addition to rummaging through another company’s trash with the hope of acquiring secrets, he said other, more involved techniques are employed.
Long-term infiltration, by which a person that is compensated by a competing company, lands a job with the target group and feeds information back as trust is gained.
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Article source: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/business/Corporate+espionage+silently+rampant+Canada+says+former+CSIS+officer/5786144/story.html
Hidden Cameras in Society ‘Today Tonight’ Story
We have no control of CCTV footage, and the embarrassing security vision that’s being shared with a worldwide audience.
Captured on camera then released to the world – the angry, the amorous, the innocent and the indecent. It’s the secret ‘black label’ CCTV footage you weren’t meant to see – the private collection kept not for your personal safety, but for a premiere on YouTube.
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How To Protect Against Mobile Phone Spy Software
The threat posed by mobile phone spy software is very real. Spy software is readily available and affordable. Installing it is simple – provided you have access to the target phone. It is, however, ILLEGAL to install it on any phone other than your own within most states in Australia.
Phone spy software provides the ability to:
- Eavesdrop on active telephone calls
- Record all text (SMS) messages
- Track your location via GPS and GSM
- Activate the phone’s microphone via Bluetooth; and much more!
Information on how to protect against mobile phone spy software.
How To Protect Your Business From Spying
Corporate espionage is a very real threat
Levels of corporate espionage have significantly increased across all industry sectors in recent years, with the financial crisis exacerbating the problem. Technological advances and an increasingly transient workforce have contributed to the steady rise in espionage levels during the past decade. More recently, the increased competition between companies, heightened workplace pressures, large-scale redundancies and cost-cutting measures caused by the financial crisis have contributed to a dramatic proliferation in the scale and frequency of acts of espionage.
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Mobile [Cell] Phone Espionage
There has recently been a great increase in the levels of telephone network hacking and mobile phone espionage. Mobile phone spy software is now widely available and very affordable, and the majority of mobile phones can quickly be modified or replaced, to become portable espionage tools. This security threat has increased as more mobile phones offer increased functionality, such as internet access. Generally speaking, the more complicated a phone is, the more easily it can be tapped. Spy software can be quickly downloaded onto a mobile phone within a few minutes, and such software can enable the phone’s conversations to be listened to, text messages to be viewed, and the precise location of the phone to be pinpointed to within two to three metres using triangulation from telephone masts or base stations. Phone microphones can subsequently be switched on remotely, allowing conversations to be overheard even when the phone is not being used or in some cases, is switched off!
Precautions should be taken to reduce the risk of mobile phone espionage. Security passwords should be installed on all mobile phones and personnel should keep their phone within sight at all times to prevent the opportunity for spy software to be installed. Removing a phone’s battery when not in use can be an effective security measure, however this is not always failsafe.
All organisations should invest in security measures to ensure that the mobile phones of high-level employees are kept secure, to prevent unnoticed espionage occurring. If there are any concerns that a mobile phone has been bugged, a replacement should be purchased immediately. The same process should apply if you are not sure whether the phone may have been previously sabotaged.