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Don’t tell Mrs. Quaid. It will just upset her.

John McTiernan, director of the movie “Die Hard,” was sentenced to one year in prison for lying about his association with a private investigator, Anthony Pellicano, to illegally wiretap a movie producer. (more)

By on 02/11/2010

Hoist by a Voicemail Petard

Employees at a CBS affiliate in Anchorage left an accidental voicemail for an aide to GOP Senate candidate Joe Miller in which they discussed and laughed about the possibility of reporting on the appearance of sex offenders at a Miller rally. And they chatted about responding with a Twitter alert to “any sort of chaos whatsoever” including the candidate being “punched.”
 
Jerry Bever, general manager for KTVA, said in a statement that a call to Miller spokesman Randy DeSoto to discuss the candidate’s planned appearance on a newscast wasn’t disconnected after the conversation ended. The call took place during a KTVA staff meeting to plan coverage of that evening’s Miller rally in downtown Anchorage. (more)

By on 02/11/2010

Security Alert: iCracked

A security flaw in the iPhone allows strangers to bypass the handset’s lock screen with a few button presses.

…the quick method to circumvent an iPhone’s passcode-protected lock screen:
• tap the “Emergency Call” button,
• then enter three pound signs,
• hit the green Call button
• and immediately press the Lock button.
That simple procedure gives a snoop full access to the Phone app on the iPhone, which contains the address book, voicemail and call history. (more)

Apple:

“We’re aware of this issue and we will deliver a fix to customers as part of the iOS 4.2 software update in November.” 

“Why is this important?”
Not having password protection on a smart phone leaves you open to information theft, jail-breaking and injection of spyware.

“Why does this trick exist?”
• It is a software loophole.
• It is a programmer’s shortcut they forgot to patch.
• It is a programmer’s Easter egg.
• It is a law enforcement backdoor never meant to become public knowledge.
Interesting question. You decide.

FutureWatch: The ability to create passwords longer than four measly digits… which is only a pool of only 10,000 passwords. ~Kevin

By on 29/10/2010

Ex-Chief Legal Counsel Pleads Guilty

OH – The former state lawyer behind an electronic eavesdropping scheme agreed yesterday to plead guilty to three misdemeanor charges and cooperate in other investigations, including one into an aborted operation at the Governor’s Residence.
Joshua Engel, the former chief legal counsel for the Ohio Department of Public Safety, faces three misdemeanor counts of intercepting and disclosing sensitive, confidential information from investigations by the state inspector general, the Ohio Ethics Commission and federal authorities. (more)

By on 22/10/2010

Weird Wiretap Story of the Week

How does watching a football game land you in court facing wiretapping charges?
You’re a former police detective. Your accuser is a former judge.
Care to judge this one yourself? 
If you have the time… (more)
P.S. Wiretapping is a McGuffin.

By on 21/10/2010