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Global articles on espionage, spying, bugs, and other interesting topics.

Keep abreast of the espionage threats facing your organisation.

Business Espionage – Conference Call Eavesdropping

State Republican Party staff members eavesdropped on a conference call organized by party activists to strategize ways to convince GOP candidates adopt more of the party platform, according to several people who participated in the meeting.

S.C. GOP 1st Vice Chairman Patrick Haddon organized the call with party activists including Randy Page, Chad Connelly and Justin Evans. Organizers said the call was intended as brainstorming session for fall campaigns, and not to discuss party leadership or direction.

But when the call ended, the list of participants contained an unknown number. Organizers called the number and reached a phone within Republican Party offices. State party officials declined to discuss the conference call.
ā€œNo comment,ā€ S.C. GOP executive director Joel Sawyer said. ā€œIā€™m not confirming or denying anything.ā€ (more)

To all Murray Associates clients, please re-read the Conference Call section of your reports again. This problem is real and surfaces in the news quite often. Thank you, Kevin


Business Espionage – This Zeus is no Cretan

The Zeus banking Trojan could be a useful tool in corporate espionage…

Zeus typically steals online banking credentials and then uses that information to move money out of internet accounts. In the past year, however, Gary Warner, director of research in computer forensics with the University of Alabama, who has been closely monitoring the various criminal groups that use Zeus, has seen some hackers also try to figure out what companies their victims work for…

“They want to know where you work,” he said. “Your computer may be worth exploring more deeply because it may provide a gateway to the organisation.”

That’s worrying because Zeus could be a very powerful tool for stealing corporate secrets. It lets the criminals remotely control their victims’ computers, scanning files and logging passwords and keystrokes. With Zeus, hackers can even tunnel through their victim’s computer to break into corporate systems. (more)


Espionage Research Institute – Day 1

Attending and presenting at the annual ERI meeting means telling clients we will be unavailable for a few days. They understand once I tell them what goes on behind these closed doors. The information I gather directly benefits them. If you think any of this can help you, give me a call and I will brief you in greater detail.

This is what I heard today…

ā€¢ Need to make sure the people outside of your room can’t overhear you?

Dynasound to the rescue. As they say, “These are not your father’s white noise generators.” Made to be un-filterable, this white noise is injected directly into construction materials (as opposed to vibrated in with old piezo-electric transducers). The benefit… walls, windows, ceilings and floors transmit the sound outward. People in the room can hardly hear it. Bonus… Need a temporary solution (as in a hotel) or need to move the permanent installation? No problem. The new transducers are easy to move.

ā€¢ Want to have 24/7 monitoring of an area for certain types of bugging devices?
Global TSCM Group has an answer. Their multi-faceted monitoring system may be monitored anywhere via the Internet. It may not be the total answer, but it helps when securing Boardrooms and creating secure conference rooms.

ā€¢ Need to control Wi-Fi and cell phone usage in your building?
AirPatrol can do it. Once their system is installed, you will know where every rogue laptop, unauthorized Wi-Fi appearance point and cell phone is… within six feet of its exact location, plotted on a computer map. Also, monitorable via the Internet. (PS – There is a whole lot more their system does. Visit their web site.)

Ok… Lunch break.
ā€¢ Need portable secure storage for cell phones and tablets when everyone enters the top secret meeting? Hey, you never know whose cell phone is infected with spyware, turning their phone into a bugging device. Vector Technologies has the answer, and if the answer doesn’t suit you, talk to them. They will make whatever you need. Bonus… It won’t look like an old pirate’s chest. They make really nice looking stuff with pneumatic lids! Independent testing labs certify effectiveness. Call 540-872-0444.

The rest of the afternoon, ERI members taught what they know…
ā€¢ “Finds in the Computer World” – Dr. Gordon Mitchell
ā€¢ “Access Control / Physical Security” – Mark Clayton
ā€¢ “Building and Using a UV LED Light Source” – Dr. Gordon Mitchell
ā€¢ “Adventures with Software Defined Radio” – Kevin D. Murray

More tomorrow…
(MJD, DC can be fun. Make the TSCM hajj next year.)