Sprint Nextel is excluding Chinese telecommunications-equipment makers Huawei Technologies and ZTE from a contract worth billions of dollars largely because of national security concerns in Washington. The Defense Department and some U.S. lawmakers have been increasingly concerned about the two companies’ ties to the Chinese government and military, and the security implications of letting their equipment into critical U.S. infrastructure. Some officials argue China’s military could use Huawei or ZTE equipment to disrupt or intercept American communications. (
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The Hamas government in the Gaza Strip is warning local politicians, government officials and faction leaders against buying cars imported from Israel for fear they may contain eavesdropping equipment or even remote-activated bombs planted by Israeli security agencies. (more)
Test your car…
If you own a late model General Motors car with OnStar, try this test. Tune your radio to 770 AM, turn up the volume and tap on the OnStar microphone near the rear view mirror. Do you hear yourself coming through the radio? No? Maybe they only bugged my car. ~Kevin
Earlier this year after a suspicious break-in, a leading Sydney Councillor accidentally discovered a listening device concealed under his house. It was alleged that the same councillor had located another device some weeks earlier that was apparently logging computer activity, via a crude attachment at the back of his PC. The councillor felt that the installation must be politically motivated, as little was stolen during the initial break-in. Furthermore, there was an election looming and various suspicious [political] incidents occurred during the lead-up.
As a result, management within the local government he represents requested that a series of sweeps be undertaken of other councillor’s homes.
It begs the question of who would be bugging a local councillor and for what benefit? We have undertaken technical surveillance countermeasure inspections for numerous governments (local, state and federal) over the years, generally as a precautionary measure. Interestingly, we’ve found definitive evidence of listening devices having been placed at a number of locations and have provided practical security advice accordingly. In most cases, however, we’ve believed that these placements have been in relation to various inquiries undertaken by law enforcement agencies – an area we do not want to interfere with.
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A proposed deal between Sprint Nextel, Cricket and two Chinese telecom companies has raised a few eyebrows, with some U.S. senators concerned about security.
The Hill reports a bipartisan group of legislators wrote a letter seeking reassurance about the deal from Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski.
The letter, signed by Susan Collins (R-Maine), Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), contends the two Chinese companies, ZTE Corporation and Huawei, have ties to the Chinese military and are financed by the Chinese government.
The letter raised the specter of the Chinese government or military using the companies to spy on American communications. (
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