From: James M. Atkinson, Comm-Eng Date: Fri Jan 19, 2001 0:24pm Subject: Re: Telephone Line Questions At 10:07 AM -0800 1/19/01, Dawn Star wrote: >From: Tom Suess >Subject: Telephone Line Questions > >Hi, > >Comments would be appreciated from list subscribers on the following >telephone line balance/audio amp./line noise questions: > >This ones easy, if you are not using a TDR you should not be >sweeping telephone lines for compensation. Roger > I have to agree with Roger. A good TDR and/or PINGer box is critical any any check of a phone line. In fact I feel that there are several "must have" instruments for performing any kind of legitimate telephone TSCM services (where someone is actually paying you for services). 1) A very high impedance low noise audio amplifier (ie 1059, uAmp, PicoDAC, etc) 2) A premium digital volt meter (Fluke 89, etc) 3) A decent hand held or similar small oscilloscope with bandwidth of 250 MHz of better, and a sensitivity down to at least 5mV (a 30-40 dB pre-amp may be handy here as well) 4) A dedicate TDR or PINGER box for the above mentioned oscilloscope. Personally I prefer a two line unit with a sync output 5) An interface so that the phone line can be tied into a search receiver or spectrum analyzer without blowing out either when the ring voltage comes down the wire. 6) Spectrum analyzer and/or Search Receiver from below 9 kHz up to at least 250 MHz and a DANL/Noise floor of at least -135 dBm. 7) Various craft tools and lesser instruments (tone generators, butt-in sets, inductive probes) Of course if you are only performing a cursory check of the lines then you have to limit your equipment and tests to a bare minimum. -jma -- ======================================================================= Sed quis custodiet ipsos Custodes? "In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act" - George Orwell ======================================================================= James M. Atkinson Phone: (978) 381-9111 Granite Island Group Fax: 127 Eastern Avenue #291 http://www.tscm.com/ Gloucester, MA 01931-8008 jmatk@tscm.com ======================================================================= The First, The Largest, The Most Popular, and The Most Complete TSCM, Technical Security, and Counterintelligence Site on the Internet. ======================================================================= 2343 From: James M. Atkinson, Comm-Eng Date: Fri Jan 19, 2001 0:38pm Subject: Re: Telephone Line Questions At 3:40 PM -0800 1/18/01, Tom Suess wrote: >Reply to: James Atkinson > >Thanks for the help. The replies are listed below: > > > * line - 38.397 mA > * please explain "draw tone" The phone has to place a resistance across the line to create current flow. This current flow is detected at the central office/PBX where the line is seized. In days-of-old and in some modern systems the line actually runs though the coil of a relay which caused the relay to seize the line as the current started to flow. Determining how much current draw is required to "draw tone" is helpful to the TSCM'er as it flags potential mischief on the line. > > * line - infinity or no path > * instrument - 7.186 M Ohms You were not using the right DVM... the line resistance should be over 30 Mega ohms when battery is lifted. > > * no test instrument. James, could you list the methods for checking > 60 Hz to 5.0 kHz? Do you graph and overlay the frequency response, > or only look at several frequencies? What parameters are > considered normal/abnormal? Use a DVM specially designed for telcom work as they have a setting for C-Message noise, and one for broadband noise. If you have access to both ends of the wire you can use a sweep generator (with a loop voltage bias) and a spectrum analyzer. If you only have access to one end of the line they you can use a low frequency spectrum analyzer and check out the noise using the narrowest filters in the instrument. > > * no loading coils found...called and e-mailed TelCo for local office > field trip and they have not responded yet -jma -- ======================================================================= Sed quis custodiet ipsos Custodes? "In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act" - George Orwell ======================================================================= James M. Atkinson Phone: (978) 381-9111 Granite Island Group Fax: 127 Eastern Avenue #291 http://www.tscm.com/ Gloucester, MA 01931-8008 jmatk@tscm.com ======================================================================= The First, The Largest, The Most Popular, and The Most Complete TSCM, Technical Security, and Counterintelligence Site on the Internet. ======================================================================= 2344 From: Ray Fitgerald Date: Sat Jan 20, 2001 0:24am Subject: Re: Two new FBI agents were in a parking lot... [humor] They must have been blond female agents... -----Original Message----- From: James M. Atkinson, Comm-Eng To: TSCM-L Mailing List Date: Thursday, January 18, 2001 4:33 PM Subject: [TSCM-L] Two new FBI agents were in a parking lot... [humor] > >Two new FBI agents were in a parking lot trying to unlock the door of >their car with a coat hanger. > >They tried and tried to get the door open, but they couldn't. > >The one with the coat hanger stopped for a moment to catch his >breath, and fellow agent said anxiously, "Hurry up! It's starting to >rain and the top is down." > >-jma >-- > > ======================================================================= > Sed quis custodiet ipsos Custodes? > "In a time of universal deceit, telling the > truth is a revolutionary act" - George Orwell > ======================================================================= > James M. Atkinson Phone: (978) 381-9111 > Granite Island Group Fax: > 127 Eastern Avenue #291 http://www.tscm.com/ > Gloucester, MA 01931-8008 jmatk@tscm.com > ======================================================================= > The First, The Largest, The Most Popular, and The Most Complete TSCM, > Technical Security, and Counterintelligence Site on the Internet. > ======================================================================= > > >======================================================== > TSCM-L Technical Security Mailing List > "In a multitude of counselors there is strength" > > To subscribe to the TSCM-L mailing list visit: > http://www.onelist.com/community/TSCM-L > > or email your subscription request to: > subTSCM-L@t... >=================================================== TSKS > > 2345 From: Rob Muessel Date: Fri Jan 19, 2001 0:47pm Subject: So much for digital phone security Take a look at this product's website, http://www.capturecalls.com/. and that of their parent company, http://www.mck.com . They are offering a recording interface compatible with many of the PBX protocols that are common in offices today. For under $400. Guess we'll have to work a little harder now. -- Rob Muessel, Director email: rmuessel@t... TSCM Technical Services Phone: 203-354-9040 11 Bayberry Lane Fax: 203-354-9041 Norwalk, CT 06851 USA 2346 From: Dawn Star Date: Fri Jan 19, 2001 1:36pm Subject: Cover Your Ass "Second rule is always CYA (Cover Your Ass). You will be surprised how few friends and how many adversaries you will have if something goes wrong. Don't expect anyone else, like PI middlemen, to take a bullet for you. If I feel uncomfortable, even hold harmless agreements will not change that feeling." Steve Uhrig This is absolutely true, some years ago I had to leave Los Angeles and hide in the Desert for a month after one of those "everything goes wrong jobs" took place. It eventually got straightened out. Their was some confusion and until it was settled it was quite intense. Roger [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] 2347 From: Lesya Dyk Date: Fri Jan 19, 2001 4:21pm Subject: Re: So much for digital phone security Rob, This has been around for many years, at least for Nortel systems (I am a Canadian). Check out Nice Systems www.nice.com . They have a full line of digital monitoring gear originally designed for trading floors, dispatch, military etc. At the bottom end of their product line, they have a compact self contained unit that intercepts 4 channels of traffic transparently and has an easy to use analog audio output right on it (one per channel). It does however leave big tracks on your TDR display... > Take a look at this product's website, http://www.capturecalls.com/. > and that of their parent company, http://www.mck.com . > > They are offering a recording interface compatible with many of the PBX > protocols that are common in offices today. For under $400. > > Guess we'll have to work a little harder now. cheers, dyk@c... Robert Dyk Worldwide Security Ltd. Mississauga, Ontario Canada [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] 2348 From: Date: Fri Jan 19, 2001 1:36pm Subject: Linda Tripp Fired From Pentagon Job Linda Tripp Fired From Pentagon Job By DAVID PACE .c The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) - Linda Tripp, whose secret tape recordings spurred the impeachment of President Clinton, was fired Friday after she refused to resign like other political appointees. Her lawyers, who pleaded with the government to keep her in her job, portrayed the move as ``vindictive, mean-spirited and wrong.'' But administration officials said the termination letter she received was routine. They said she had to lose her job like nearly all other political appointees at the end of a presidential term. White House press secretary Jake Siewert said Tripp was treated as any other employee in her ``Schedule C'' classification. ``Most Schedule C employees were - virtually all were asked to submit their resignations, and if they didn't do so, they were terminated,'' said Siewert. Tripp's lawyers issued their statement just as Clinton reached a deal to settle the remaining legal issues from the Monica Lewinsky affair. It was Tripp's recordings of her conversations with the former White House intern that led to the scandal. Tripp, who earned $100,000 a year, was asked in recent days along with all other political appointees to resign in preparation for the change in administrations. On advice of her attorneys, she refused to do so, in a letter sent Thursday, addressed to Clinton. A Pentagon spokesman, Navy Rear Adm. Craig Quigley, said ``it really doesn't matter'' that Tripp did not resign. He said Tripp was notified, as a matter of routine, that her appointment ended Friday. ``All political appointees' term of service ends at the end of an administration,'' Quigley said. ``That's how it works.'' Stephen Kohn, a Tripp lawyer, blamed Clinton for the dismissal on the ground that the ultimate responsibility for firing political appointees rests solely with the president. ``She was asked to voluntarily submit her resignation, and she was not threatened with dismissal if she failed to submit it,'' Kohn said. Tripp was out of the country Friday and unavailable for comment. A 20-year government employee, Tripp began working in the White House in a civil service job under former President Bush. She stayed on after Clinton took office, receiving a political appointment, pay raise and a new job at the Pentagon in 1994. Tripp is suing the government, alleging the Clinton administration illegally released to The New Yorker magazine her statement on a security clearance form that she had never been arrested, when she had. She was arrested for grand larceny when she was a teen-ager, and the charge was later reduced to loitering. The Justice Department investigated the release of information but did not prosecute. ``She only became a political appointee after being fired by the White House,'' Kohn said. ``Her employer assisted in a smear campaign that renders her unemployable.'' Tripp was a public affairs specialist at the Defense Department's Defense Manpower Data Center in Arlington, Va. The tape recordings Tripp gave to Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr led to the perjury and obstruction of justice probe of Clinton, his impeachment by the House and a Senate trial that acquitted him. Tripp's tapes also led to her indictment on state wiretapping charges in Maryland, where a judge's ruling forced prosecutors to abandon their criminal case. AP-NY-01-19-01 1855EST 2349 From: Rob Muessel Date: Fri Jan 19, 2001 8:33pm Subject: Re: Linda Tripp Fired From Pentagon Job At least they didn't have her drawn and quartered. Might have been more appropriate. -- Rob Muessel, Director email: rmuessel@t... TSCM Technical Services Phone: 203-354-9040 11 Bayberry Lane Fax: 203-354-9041 Norwalk, CT 06851 USA 2350 From: Mike Date: Fri Jan 19, 2001 0:11pm Subject: Micro pan-tilt devices I've been researching "Nitinol" properties lately with the thought of makeing VERY small pan-tilt devices that can be used with tiny CCD cameras or other small devices. Nitinol is a combination of 2 metals, usually about 55% nickle and the rest mostly Titanium. It has a few unique properties. A .003 " wire can exert 12 grams of force. (Nitinol can be bent to any shape and returns to its original shape when a small current is applied.) A larger diameter wire will exert more force if needed. When current is applied, Nitinol also contracts about 5% with a lot of force. This 5% contraction could easily be used in a simple ratcheting configuration that's spring biased thus allowing pan/tilt with few moving parts, no motors, ultra small sizes and "Remote" due to the low current required. (possible even mobile pan/tilt bugs/cameras in sizes smaller than a golf ball!) Very small robots using Nitinol in one way or another to provide remote mobility without motors already exist. Imagine one with a pan/tilt camera/bug being directed down a home or office air duct that can turn, climb, stop awhile then move if it spots someone sweeping? smiles... and with NO motors! I currently have one of the biggest producers on Nitinol making up a quote for a small simple pan/tilt device including a prototype and cost estimates for a large production run. Anyone interested in getting involved on a partnership basis? (X10 alone might buy thousands for their cheap remote cameras!) The possibilities for evolved and custom designs for the Gov or large companies or the Security Industry should be extrordinary. To do this right, I need more than just myself. Just too many money making pan/tilt devices can be made simply, at extremely low cost, with sizes from micro to mega. Reliability is far greater than motors driven units. Would like to hear from those that may be interested in Launching a product line form the beginning? (It will be fun designing these for various purposes!) Would also like to hear from any of you that may be able to sell "quantity" once things start going? Mostly, I'm hoping for some input? Do you think this is a viable product that will be succeed? Any ideas about designs/uses? (sure could use input here! smiles..) Nuff Said- Bootleg PS Nitinol is being used for many types of actuators and valves in recent inventions. Could have a "Lot" of Security uses as alarm actuators, pan/tilt, valves, Security robotics, auto trigger for cameras or even firearms, time delay, Gov applications and a million other things. (yes-that walking roach bug is easily possible and with a micro pan/tilt ccd camera built in!) What about a bug that can climb up your sinks drain and listen/view? Air ducts-piece of cake! Add small magnets or adhesive to its feet and the roach can go verticle or upside down on or in a metal surface. (Think what a Mouse size device packed with HE, BIO or Chem agents could do? Direct it through a companies/hotels air vent or even up the toilets drain to wait and watch until the target sits down?!! lol ) How about a roach that could sneak past guards or be guided to attach itself to a vehicle, then drop off or move to another location? How about a pan tilt ccd in a pager, cell phone, laptop, cars interior light dome, a baseball cap, pack of cigs, heel of a boot, etc., etc. Since a Nitinol pan/tilt device would basically have only a couple short nitinol wires, a bias spring and a small plastic ratcheting gear, it would weigh zip and could be very small in various configurations. If one used a short twisted Nitinol ribbon, one could apply current and the Nitinol ribbon would start untwisting and thus be another good pan/tilt device with only one moving part for each axis, the wire! WoW! Talk about making a small micro device? Nano/Millimeter applications/devices/robotics? Don't know yet! Centimeter or two? looks likely. IR, RF, laser, DC to Light or hard wired Remote Control? No Problemo [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] 2351 From: Tom Suess Date: Fri Jan 19, 2001 3:49pm Subject: Re: Telephone Line Questions Reply to: Roger Thanks for the help. The reply is listed below: < ...if you are not using a TDR you should not be sweeping telephone lines for compensation. * no compensation... I initiated the telephone troubleshooting question off list to a member, who suggested posting to this list for additional technical feedback. * I would never "sweep" for compensation without adequate instrumentation Regards, Tom Suess 2352 From: James M. Atkinson, Comm-Eng Date: Sat Jan 20, 2001 0:51am Subject: Last year I upgraded... Dear Tech Support: Last year I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0 and noticed that the new program began making unexpected changes to the accounting modules, limiting access to flower and jewelry applications that had operated flawlessly under Boyfriend 5.0. In addition, Husband 1.0 uninstalled many other valuable programs, such as Romance 9.9 but installed undesirable programs such as NFL 5.0 and NBA 3.0. Conversation 8.0 no longer runs and Housecleaning 2.6 simply crashes the system. I've tried running Nagging 5.3 to fix these problems, but to no avail. --Desperate *** Dear Desperate: Keep in mind, Boyfriend 5.0 is an entertainment package, while Husband 1.0 is an operating system. Try to enter the command: C:/ I THOUGHT YOU LOVED ME and install Tears 6.2. Husband 1.0 should then automatically run the applications: Guilty 3.0 and Flowers 7.0. But remember, overuse can cause Husband 1.0 to default to GrumpySilence 2.5, Happyhour 7.0 or Beer 6.1. Beer 6.1 is a very bad program that will create "Snoring Loudly" wave files. DO NOT install MotherInLaw 1.0 or reinstall another Boyfriend program. These are not supported applications and will crash Husband 1.0. In summary, Husband 1.0 is a great program, but it does have limited memory and cannot learn new applications quickly. Consider buying additional software to improve performance. I personally recommend HotFood 3.0 WildSex 6.9 and Lingerie 5.3. Tech Support -- ======================================================================= Sed quis custodiet ipsos Custodes? "In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act" - George Orwell ======================================================================= James M. Atkinson Phone: (978) 381-9111 Granite Island Group Fax: 127 Eastern Avenue #291 http://www.tscm.com/ Gloucester, MA 01931-8008 jmatk@tscm.com ======================================================================= The First, The Largest, The Most Popular, and The Most Complete TSCM, Technical Security, and Counterintelligence Site on the Internet. ======================================================================= 2353 From: Date: Sat Jan 20, 2001 6:39am Subject: links include a guide to common bugs and wiretaps http://www.spy-nexus.com/ or Bug Detectors & Counter-Surveillance Equipment seems to be a site for Great Southern Security. The above link looks interesting. 2354 From: Ed Naylor Date: Sat Jan 20, 2001 1:51pm Subject: Re: links include a guide to common bugs and wiretaps >http://www.spy-nexus.com/ >Bug >Detectors & Counter-Surveillance Equipment > >seems to be a site for Great Southern Security. The above link looks >interesting. ================================= OPPORTUNITIES in YOUR OWN 'DE-BUGGING' BUSINESS! Learn how individuals without experience earn more than $200 per hour conducting sweeps! ================================= jma, I had no idea this was such a lucrative business for people with no experience. Ed 2355 From: Miguel Puchol Date: Sat Jan 20, 2001 6:48pm Subject: RE: links include a guide to common bugs and wiretaps Best jokes site I've seen this week !!! I really think the CSD-18 is used by the U.N., probably for listening to the Cosby Show.... Enough said! Have a good weekend, Mike > -----Mensaje original----- > De: Ed Naylor [mailto:ednaylor@p...] > Enviado el: sabado, 20 de enero de 2001 20:52 > Para: TSCM-L@egroups.com > Asunto: Re: [TSCM-L] links include a guide to common bugs and wiretaps > > > > >http://www.spy-nexus.com/ >Bug > >Detectors & Counter-Surveillance Equipment > > > >seems to be a site for Great Southern Security. The above link looks > >interesting. > ================================= > OPPORTUNITIES in YOUR OWN 'DE-BUGGING' BUSINESS! > Learn how individuals without > experience earn more than $200 per hour > conducting sweeps! > ================================= > jma, > > I had no idea this was such a lucrative business for people with > no experience. > > Ed > > > > ======================================================== > TSCM-L Technical Security Mailing List > "In a multitude of counselors there is strength" > > To subscribe to the TSCM-L mailing list visit: > http://www.onelist.com/community/TSCM-L > > or email your subscription request to: > subTSCM-L@t... > =================================================== TSKS > > 2356 From: Gregory Horton Date: Sat Jan 20, 2001 10:13pm Subject: Bogus Endorsement First, I went to the spy-nexus list and had a good laugh. Let me state to the list that, unless things have radically changed since I left the LAPD, they do not endorse any products. Especially the small group of technicians that make up our varied electronics groups. As far as I remember, it is against the policy to endorse anything. Second, I just landed a job as an investigator with the local DA's office and am getting out of the business. I wish to thank all the members of the list for increasing my knowledge tenfold and the professionalism that exudes from every pore of this group. I don't think that any other group of individuals can claim a greater degree of expertise than the incredible knowledge base that makes up this list. Thank you Jim for running such a class act and I hate to leave but it is time to move on. Thanks to you all. Greg Horton 2357 From: James M. Atkinson, Comm-Eng Date: Sun Jan 21, 2001 3:13am Subject: Re: Bogus Endorsement At 8:13 PM -0800 1/20/01, Gregory Horton wrote: >First, I went to the spy-nexus list and had a good laugh. Let me state >to the list that, unless things have radically changed since I left the >LAPD, they do not endorse any products. Especially the small group of >technicians that make up our varied electronics groups. As far as I >remember, it is against the policy to endorse anything. > >Second, I just landed a job as an investigator with the local DA's >office and am getting out of the business. I wish to thank all the >members of the list for increasing my knowledge tenfold and the >professionalism that exudes from every pore of this group. I don't >think that any other group of individuals can claim a greater degree of >expertise than the incredible knowledge base that makes up this list. >Thank you Jim for running such a class act and I hate to leave but it is >time to move on. > >Thanks to you all. >Greg Horton Greg, Thank you for your kind words, they are greatly appreciated. Good luck in your new position, and feel free keep in touch as you never know when a TSCM'er may come in handy. The spy-nexus site really tickled me, but if someone if foolish enough to buy one of their products they will not last very long in this business. -jma -- ======================================================================= Sed quis custodiet ipsos Custodes? "In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act" - George Orwell ======================================================================= James M. Atkinson Phone: (978) 381-9111 Granite Island Group Fax: 127 Eastern Avenue #291 http://www.tscm.com/ Gloucester, MA 01931-8008 jmatk@tscm.com ======================================================================= The First, The Largest, The Most Popular, and The Most Complete TSCM, Technical Security, and Counterintelligence Site on the Internet. ======================================================================= 2358 From: Jim Date: Mon Jan 22, 2001 8:31am Subject: SECURITY NOTICE > > The following is provided for your information. This is only one of many > types of disguised firearms. It is sometimes frustrating to wait during > security screening at our facilities and certain prohibitions on various > types of equipment may be difficult to understand. The existence of > weapons like this require a thorough, professional and sometimes lengthy > search. > > > Deadly Decoys Cell Phone Guns Discovered > > > > <<...OLE_Obj...>> > > Hitting the 5, 6, 7 and 8 buttons on the phone gun fires four .22 caliber > rounds in quick succession. (U.S. Customs Service) > > At first sight it looks like a regular cell phone - same size, same shape, > same overall appearance. But beneath the digital face lies a .22 caliber > pistol - a phone gun capable of firing four rounds in quick succession > with a touch of the otherwise standard keypad. > > European law enforcement officials - stunned by the discovery of these > deadly decoys - say phone guns are changing the rules of engagement in > Europe. "We find it very, very alarming," says Wolfgang Dicke of the > German Police union. "It means police will have to draw their weapons > whenever a person being checked reaches for their mobile phone." > > Although cell phone guns have not hit America yet, the FBI, the Bureau of > Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the U.S. Customs Service say they've > been briefed on the new weapons. "This criminal invention represents a > potentially serious threat to law enforcement and the public," said U.S. > Customs Service Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly. "We received word about > these guns last month. We have since alerted our field personnel to be on > the lookout for "cell phone guns" at U.S. ports of entry." > > Guns on the Move These new covert guns were first discovered in October > when Dutch police stumbled on a cache during a drug raid in Amsterdam. In > another recent incident a Croatian gun dealer was caught attempting to > smuggle a shipment through Slovenia into Western Europe. Police say both > shipments are believed to have originated in Yugoslavia. INTERPOL sent > out a warning to law enforcement agencies around the world. European > border police and customs officers are at a heightened state of alert at > all ports, airports and border crossings. > > Realistic Appearance 'If you didn't know they were guns, you wouldn't > suspect anything," said Ari Zandbergen, spokesman for the Amsterdam > police. "Only when you have one in your hand do you realize that they are > heavier," says Birgit Heib of the German Federal Criminal Investigation > Agency. The guns are loaded by twisting the phone in half, the .22 > caliber rounds fit into the top of the phone under the screen. The lower > half, under the keyboard, holds the firing pins. The bullets fire through > the antenna by pressing the keypad from numbers five to eight. > > Amsterdam police says they are very sophisticated machines constructed > inside gutted cell phones which do not light up or operate as real phones. > "These are very difficult to make. We believe experts are involved," says > Zandbergen. > > America on Alert > U.S. authorities, including the FBI, ATF, Federal Aviation Administration > and the U.S. Customs Service Authority have been supplied detailed > information and pictures of these new weapons. "They've been given a heads > up," said Jim Crandall, ATF spokesman. To date no phone guns have been > discovered either in the United States or in the process of being smuggled > in, authorities say. But they know it's only a matter of time. FAA > spokeswoman Rebecca Trexler said airport security officers had been > trained to deal with this new threat. "We don't want to tell the bad guys > exactly what we're looking for," she says, "We are trying to stay one step > ahead." > > Will Affect Travelers > Airport authorities across Europe are implementing systems to X-ray all > cell phones, those procedures will likely be followed by airports around > the world. "This is just one more item that we need to pay special > attention to because nowadays, of course just about every passenger > carries a mobile phone," says the spokesman for Frankfurt airport > security. Customs officials in the U.S. say their safety procedure has > normally been to require travelers to turn their phones on, however that > may no longer be enough. Cell phone users will have to be made aware that > reaching for their phones in some circumstances could be misinterpreted as > a threat by authorities. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] 2359 From: Steve Whitehead Date: Mon Jan 22, 2001 8:11am Subject: T Swift List Members I noticed in the past that T Swift, author of Checking Telephone Lines took part in discussions on this list. I would appreciate it if someone could assist me with his e-mail address or if he could contact me with his address. Regards Steve Whitehead Managing Member TSCM Services cc Tel (012) 664-3157 Fax (012) 664-3180 International (+2712) URL http://www.tscm.co.za E-mail sceptre@m... P O Box 16063, Lyttelton, 0140, Centurion, South Africa [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] 2360 From: Craig Snedden Date: Mon Jan 22, 2001 8:24am Subject: Re: links include a guide to common bugs and wiretaps ...Fell about the floor laughing...! I'm sure I made something that looked like the CSD18 in high school! Craig ----- Original Message ----- From: "Miguel Puchol" To: Sent: Sunday, January 21, 2001 12:48 AM Subject: RE: [TSCM-L] links include a guide to common bugs and wiretaps > Best jokes site I've seen this week !!! > > I really think the CSD-18 is used by the U.N., probably for listening to the > Cosby Show.... > > Enough said! > > Have a good weekend, > > Mike > > > > -----Mensaje original----- > > De: Ed Naylor [mailto:ednaylor@p...] > > Enviado el: sabado, 20 de enero de 2001 20:52 > > Para: TSCM-L@egroups.com > > Asunto: Re: [TSCM-L] links include a guide to common bugs and wiretaps > > > > > > > > >http://www.spy-nexus.com/ >Bug > > >Detectors & Counter-Surveillance Equipment > > > > > >seems to be a site for Great Southern Security. The above link looks > > >interesting. > > ================================= > > OPPORTUNITIES in YOUR OWN 'DE-BUGGING' BUSINESS! > > Learn how individuals without > > experience earn more than $200 per hour > > conducting sweeps! > > ================================= > > jma, > > > > I had no idea this was such a lucrative business for people with > > no experience. > > > > Ed > > > > > > > > ======================================================== > > TSCM-L Technical Security Mailing List > > "In a multitude of counselors there is strength" > > > > To subscribe to the TSCM-L mailing list visit: > > http://www.onelist.com/community/TSCM-L > > > > or email your subscription request to: > > subTSCM-L@t... > > =================================================== TSKS > > > > > > > ======================================================== > TSCM-L Technical Security Mailing List > "In a multitude of counselors there is strength" > > To subscribe to the TSCM-L mailing list visit: > http://www.onelist.com/community/TSCM-L > > or email your subscription request to: > subTSCM-L@t... > =================================================== TSKS 2361 From: Steve Uhrig Date: Mon Jan 22, 2001 4:25pm Subject: Re: T Swift Once upon a midnight dreary, Steve Whitehead pondered, weak and weary: > I noticed in the past that T Swift, author of Checking Telephone > Lines took part in discussions on this list. I would appreciate > it if someone could assist me with his e-mail address or if he > could contact me with his address. Ted Swift's website, with description of his excellent book on telephone wiretap detection: http://www.angelfire.com/biz/investigator/index.html You can email him through the site. Regards ... Steve ******************************************************************* Steve Uhrig, SWS Security, Maryland (USA) Mfrs of electronic surveillance equip mailto:Steve@s... website http://www.swssec.com tel +1+410-879-4035, fax +1+410-836-1190 "In God we trust, all others we monitor" ******************************************************************* 2362 From: James M. Atkinson, Comm-Eng Date: Mon Jan 22, 2001 5:12pm Subject: Re: Unfortunately there is way to much hype over this thing, and members of the law enforcement are going in complete hysterics without actually obtaining real information on the thing. It is not near the threat that people are claiming, is cumbersome to use, has very limited range, and would require the user to pretty much be in contact distance. If a suspect POINTS ANYTHING at you it should be considered a threat (not just a cell phone), but then you would be foolish to respond with lethal force when the guy was just trying to hand you a cell phone. Don't get all hysterical over such things... there are in effect firearms built into cell phone and pagers... but then you can also pack several grams of PETN into a cell phone an blow up a car with it. Be careful, be knowledgeable... but not hysterical... -jma At 9:31 AM -0500 1/22/01, Jim wrote: >SECURITY NOTICE >> >> The following is provided for your information. This is only one of many >> types of disguised firearms. It is sometimes frustrating to wait during >> security screening at our facilities and certain prohibitions on various >> types of equipment may be difficult to understand. The existence of >> weapons like this require a thorough, professional and sometimes lengthy >> search. >> >> >> Deadly Decoys Cell Phone Guns Discovered >> >> >> >> <<...OLE_Obj...>> >> >> Hitting the 5, 6, 7 and 8 buttons on the phone gun fires four .22 caliber >> rounds in quick succession. (U.S. Customs Service) >> >> At first sight it looks like a regular cell phone - same size, same shape, >> same overall appearance. But beneath the digital face lies a .22 caliber >> pistol - a phone gun capable of firing four rounds in quick succession >> with a touch of the otherwise standard keypad. >> >> European law enforcement officials - stunned by the discovery of these >> deadly decoys - say phone guns are changing the rules of engagement in >> Europe. "We find it very, very alarming," says Wolfgang Dicke of the >> German Police union. "It means police will have to draw their weapons >> whenever a person being checked reaches for their mobile phone." >> >> Although cell phone guns have not hit America yet, the FBI, the Bureau of >> Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the U.S. Customs Service say they've >> been briefed on the new weapons. "This criminal invention represents a >> potentially serious threat to law enforcement and the public," said U.S. >> Customs Service Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly. "We received word about >> these guns last month. We have since alerted our field personnel to be on >> the lookout for "cell phone guns" at U.S. ports of entry." >> >> Guns on the Move These new covert guns were first discovered in October >> when Dutch police stumbled on a cache during a drug raid in Amsterdam. In >> another recent incident a Croatian gun dealer was caught attempting to >> smuggle a shipment through Slovenia into Western Europe. Police say both >> shipments are believed to have originated in Yugoslavia. INTERPOL sent >> out a warning to law enforcement agencies around the world. European >> border police and customs officers are at a heightened state of alert at >> all ports, airports and border crossings. >> >> Realistic Appearance 'If you didn't know they were guns, you wouldn't >> suspect anything," said Ari Zandbergen, spokesman for the Amsterdam >> police. "Only when you have one in your hand do you realize that they are >> heavier," says Birgit Heib of the German Federal Criminal Investigation >> Agency. The guns are loaded by twisting the phone in half, the .22 >> caliber rounds fit into the top of the phone under the screen. The lower >> half, under the keyboard, holds the firing pins. The bullets fire through >> the antenna by pressing the keypad from numbers five to eight. >> >> Amsterdam police says they are very sophisticated machines constructed >> inside gutted cell phones which do not light up or operate as real phones. >> "These are very difficult to make. We believe experts are involved," says > > Zandbergen. >> >> America on Alert >> U.S. authorities, including the FBI, ATF, Federal Aviation Administration >> and the U.S. Customs Service Authority have been supplied detailed >> information and pictures of these new weapons. "They've been given a heads >> up," said Jim Crandall, ATF spokesman. To date no phone guns have been >> discovered either in the United States or in the process of being smuggled >> in, authorities say. But they know it's only a matter of time. FAA >> spokeswoman Rebecca Trexler said airport security officers had been >> trained to deal with this new threat. "We don't want to tell the bad guys >> exactly what we're looking for," she says, "We are trying to stay one step >> ahead." >> >> Will Affect Travelers >> Airport authorities across Europe are implementing systems to X-ray all >> cell phones, those procedures will likely be followed by airports around >> the world. "This is just one more item that we need to pay special >> attention to because nowadays, of course just about every passenger >> carries a mobile phone," says the spokesman for Frankfurt airport >> security. Customs officials in the U.S. say their safety procedure has >> normally been to require travelers to turn their phones on, however that >> may no longer be enough. Cell phone users will have to be made aware that >> reaching for their phones in some circumstances could be misinterpreted as > > a threat by authorities. -- ======================================================================= Sed quis custodiet ipsos Custodes? "In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act" - George Orwell ======================================================================= James M. Atkinson Phone: (978) 381-9111 Granite Island Group Fax: 127 Eastern Avenue #291 http://www.tscm.com/ Gloucester, MA 01931-8008 jmatk@tscm.com ======================================================================= The First, The Largest, The Most Popular, and The Most Complete TSCM, Technical Security, and Counterintelligence Site on the Internet. ======================================================================= 2363 From: James M. Atkinson, Comm-Eng Date: Mon Jan 22, 2001 5:03pm Subject: Re: links include a guide to common bugs and wiretaps All you really need is a cheap volt meter, a diode, a couple of cheap general purpose RF transistors, and several resistors for biasing with a coat hanger used for the antenna. Broadband diode detection systems actually do have a place in TSCM, but the TSCM'er has to be careful not to put too much faith in them, and always supplement them with a tuned system such as a spectrum analyzer, etc. Personally I prefer the REI CPM-700, and the Kaiser 2044 for broadband diode detection. IMHO, both instruments work very well, and seriously outperform the CSD and similar spy shop crap. -jma At 2:24 PM +0000 1/22/01, Craig Snedden wrote: >...Fell about the floor laughing...! > >I'm sure I made something that looked like the CSD18 in high school! > >Craig >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Miguel Puchol" >To: >Sent: Sunday, January 21, 2001 12:48 AM >Subject: RE: [TSCM-L] links include a guide to common bugs and wiretaps > > >> Best jokes site I've seen this week !!! >> >> I really think the CSD-18 is used by the U.N., probably for listening to >the >> Cosby Show.... >> >> Enough said! >> >> Have a good weekend, >> >> Mike >> >> >> > -----Mensaje original----- >> > De: Ed Naylor [mailto:ednaylor@p...] >> > Enviado el: sabado, 20 de enero de 2001 20:52 >> > Para: TSCM-L@egroups.com >> > Asunto: Re: [TSCM-L] links include a guide to common bugs and wiretaps >> > >> > >> > >> > >http://www.spy-nexus.com/ >Bug >> > >Detectors & Counter-Surveillance Equipment >> > > >> > >seems to be a site for Great Southern Security. The above link looks >> > >interesting. >> > ================================= >> > OPPORTUNITIES in YOUR OWN 'DE-BUGGING' BUSINESS! >> > Learn how individuals without >> > experience earn more than $200 per hour >> > conducting sweeps! >> > ================================= >> > jma, >> > >> > I had no idea this was such a lucrative business for people with >> > no experience. >> > > > > Ed -- ======================================================================= Sed quis custodiet ipsos Custodes? "In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act" - George Orwell ======================================================================= James M. Atkinson Phone: (978) 381-9111 Granite Island Group Fax: 127 Eastern Avenue #291 http://www.tscm.com/ Gloucester, MA 01931-8008 jmatk@tscm.com ======================================================================= The First, The Largest, The Most Popular, and The Most Complete TSCM, Technical Security, and Counterintelligence Site on the Internet. ======================================================================= 2364 From: Dragos Ruiu Date: Mon Jan 22, 2001 2:54pm Subject: CanSecWest/core01 Conference Announcement I apologize in advance for the commercial content of this message, and I don't know the list policy about such matters, but I thought the subject material could be of interest to the readers. (And it's usually easier to get forgiveness than permission. :-) Some information for all of you regarding the CanSecWest/core01 Network Security Training Conference: The dates for this year's conference are March 28-30. It will be held again in downtown Vancouver, B.C. Canada. The current conference speaker lineup includes: Renaud Deraison - Author of Nessus, speaking about the Nessus attack scanner, giving an overview of scanner operations and a tutorial on Nessus Attack Scripting Language. [http://www.nessus.org] Martin Roesch - Author of the popular Snort Intrusion Detection System (IDS), speaking about new developments in IDSes. [http://www.snort.org] Ron Gula of Enterasys - VP of IDS products, Speaking about evading IDS systems. [http://www.network-defense.com] Dug Song of Arbor Networks - Author of many famous networking tools. Speaking about monkey in the middle attacks on encrypted protocols such as SSH and SSL. :-) [http://www.monkey.org/~dugsong/] Rain Forest Puppy - Will be speaking about assessing the web, with demonstrations of several new (previously unreleased) rfp.labs web tools including the release of Whisker 2.0 and other surprises in his inimitable style. [http://www.wiretrip.net] Mixter of 2XS Ltd. (Israel) - Author of several widely used distributed tools and some popular security whitepapers will give a talk about "The future of distributed applications" explaining the key elements of peer-to-peer networks, discussing a few examples/possibilities of distributed technology, and related security problems in distributed networks. [http://mixter.void.ru] K2 of w00w00 - Will present his new ADMutate, a multi-platform, polymorphic shell-code toolkit and libraries for detection evasion. [http://www.ktwo.ca] (Early reviews say it's scary good. --dr) Matthew Franz of Cisco - Author of Trinux, A Linux Security Toolkit, will give a presentation about rigorous product security testing, as implemented at Cisco. [http://www.trinux.org] Lance Spitzner of Sun - Will present more of the HoneyNet group's honeypot findings, including watching Romanian hackers on their own web cam while they were hacking one of his honeypots for their botnet. [http://project.honeynet.org] Theo DeRaadt of OpenBSD - Paper Title TBA [http://www.openbsd.org] Fyodor of insecure.org - Author of the popular nmap network scanner, will talk about new mapping and scanning tools and techniques. [http://www.insecure.org] Frank Heidt of @Stake - Paper Title TBA [http://www.atstake.com] HD Moore of Digital Defense- WIll give a surely popular talk about his more esoteric NT penetration test tricks in apresentation called "Making NT bleed." where he will cover some of the procedures he as had to develop during the course of cracking multiple systems for customers daily. [http://www.digitaldefense.net] Jay Beale of MandrakeSoft - Author the the Linux Bastille scripts and Security Team Director at MandrakeSoft, will talk about securing Linux. [http://www.bastille-linux.org] Kurt Seifried of SecurityPortal.com - Will moderate a panel debate about cryptography... a "two edged sword" including PKI, SSH and SSL. [http://www.securityportal.com] And some other excellent papers TBA. Schedule: ------- Afternoon (1-6), Wed Mar 28. All Day (10-6:30) (and night :-), Thurs Mar 29, Morning (10-2) Fri 30. There will be some Birds of a Feather sessions held at 6:30 on Thursday - these will be announced at the conference. -- The venue will be the Pacific Palisades Hotel Conference Center on Robson Street. The hotel web site can be found at www.pacificpallisadeshotel.com We have negotiated discounted rates for the CanSecWest conference with the hotel at $150/night regular, and $200/night suite for attendees. I'm told that some (but not all) suites now feature in room high speed network access. Attendees need to tell the reservations desk they are attending the CanSecWest conference. The conference this year will be held in the hotel itself in their meeting facility, and will feature a catering room, as well as a a vendor display area and a place to set up your computer to check e-mail. There will be a wireless 802.11 network and a "Capture The Flag" contest over the wireless net, on-going throughout the presentations. If you are bringing a PC with a wireless card, please ensure your firewalls are in good working order, as we assume no liability for what kind of traffic may be seen. (:-) This year, we will have a permanent coffee stand (after feedback from last year's sessions). Seating is limited and the venue is slightly smaller than last year so please book early to ensure a spot. How to register: -In the month of January, you may register by either sending PGP encrypted e-mail to dr@d... (gpg/pgp key on file at wwwkeys.pgp.net) with the following information: Your name Your company Your company address Visa card number/expiry Visa Billing Name and Address Your contact phone number. Your preferred e-mail address for conference mailings. (I'm sorry we still accept only VISA at this time and Mastercard or AmEx is not an option. We also accept pre-payment by couriered cheque or wire transfer of USD or CAD equivalents. Registrations are reserved upon receipt of cheque - please email dr@k... for further details about this payment method.) -Alternatively you can phone Dragos Ruiu at +1 (604) 722-3993 with the above information and he will process the VISA transaction manually. Please try to phone between 10:00AM-8:00PM PST, but an occasional odd hour phonecall from wierd timezones will be tolerated if it _absolutely_ cannot be avoided. If you prefer we can also reserve a hotel room on your credit card, if you specify dates. (We have been told that our block booking will have priority for the rooms with networking). In January the registration fee will be: USD$895 - for past attendees. USD$980 - for all others up until Jan 31. In February, an on-line booking system will be up at www.dursec.com and the registration fees for all will be USD$1120. In March, the registration fee will be USD$1350. Due to the slightly smaller venue we expect that registrations at the door will be extremely limited and potentially unavailable, at a cost of USD$1595. Vendor sponsorships are available at USD$2500, which as well as sponsoring a display table for the vendor also gives the vendor up to five attendee registrations at USD$580. The cut-off date for vendor sponsorships is March 15. Registration fees include catered lunches and coffee breaks. Thanks for your continuing support, and I hope we'll have a conference that will surpass the positive experiences of last years conference. I'm eager to see and hear the fascinating papers planned, and this year, we will be bringing back the popular technical book(s) (title TBD) that will be given to attendees, as well as having another conference CD-ROM full of goodies and some previously unreleased tools and information. I'm looking forward to seeing you ladies and gentlemen there. Thank You, --dr -- Dragos Ruiu dursec.com ltd. / kyx.net - we're from the future gpg/pgp key on file at wwwkeys.pgp.net 2365 From: Date: Tue Jan 23, 2001 3:27am Subject: Dashboard Double Agent Personal TechnologyTen O'clock Tech: Dashboard Double Agent Arik Hesseldahl, Forbes.com, 01.22.01, 10:00 AM ET NEW YORK - Possibly one of the most annoying aspects of business travel is keeping track of reimbursable expenses. From meals to travel expenses, entertainment and mileage, keeping track of it all is complicated, time-consuming and rarely fully accurate. So far, using computers has only made our final expense reports look neater when they're printed out. There's not much you can do to automate tracking the expenses you rack up. Or is there? TravelEyes2: Traveling tattletale A gadget announced last week called TravelEyes2 uses Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation satellites launched by the U.S. Department of Defense to help you keep track of where you've been. TravelEyes2's manufacturer, Advanced Tracking Technologies of Houston, has not released information about price or availability. It's basically a GPS receiver that remembers where you've been, how long you were on the road and all the stops you've made. It can then help produce reports based on the data it stores. Plus, when hitched to a laptop computer, which is optional, it can help you plan a trip, navigate your way from one place to another and keep you on course and on time. Powered by a cigarette lighter in the car, it can sit on the dashboard, constantly taking readings from the constellation of GPS satellites that circle the Earth, bombarding it with radio signals that can be used to pinpoint your precise location on the globe. When you get back to the office you can link it up to a desktop PC to produce a report. It can store data for up to 50 hours of driving time before needing to download to a computer. It collects data only while the car is moving. But it can also be used for tracking someone using the car without them knowing. Its manufacturer has gone a long way to making this device easy to conceal so that drivers may not know their movements are being tracked. Companies that mistrust their employees on company business may like this feature. So will some parents with teenage drivers who are prone to mischief or expensive speeding tickets. It can track routes traveled and vehicle speeds. TravelEyes2 is only about the size of the deck of cards. It also comes with an external antenna less than three inches square for picking up GPS signals from nearly anywhere in the car. Since GPS signals are generally weak and easily blocked (no typical GPS reader works in doors, for example), using a GPS receiver in the car usually requires having it sit on the dashboard so it can "see" the satellites. 2366 From: Dawn Star Date: Tue Jan 23, 2001 10:44am Subject: Broadband "Broadband diode detection systems actually do have a place in TSCM, but the TSCM'er has to be careful not to put too much faith in them, and always supplement them with a tuned system such as a spectrum analyzer, etc." jma They sure do! When the incompetents use them and get readings all over the place the pros get to redo the job, their good for business! Roger [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] 2367 From: James M. Atkinson, Comm-Eng Date: Tue Jan 23, 2001 11:34am Subject: Re: Broadband Diode Bovine Feces Detector At 8:44 AM -0800 1/23/01, Dawn Star wrote: >"Broadband diode detection systems actually do have a place in TSCM, >but the TSCM'er has to be careful not to put too much faith in them, >and always supplement them with a tuned system such as a spectrum >analyzer, etc." > jma > >They sure do! When the incompetents use them and get readings all >over the place the pros get to redo the job, their good for >business! Roger Good point, What really tickles are the guys who run out and buys a cheap broadband diode detection system with visions of instantly making millions of dollars a year as a bug sweeper, and then starts finding "signals from bugs" on every sweep. Of course he doesn't actually FIND the bug, but does lock onto the signals and classifies it as a "FBI, DEA, or CIA classified surveillance device" and goes on to tell his clients that the "feds are spying on him". The same thing happens when some green-horn TSCM'er gets their hands on a TDR... they see it as a magic box, and detect a bug behind every impedance bump out there (when there actually is no bug at all). Just because they see a -4 dB drop in a TDR trace does not near there is a parasitic device installed 1500 feet down the wire. All the equipment in the world is worthless unless the user has some real-world technical background (and not theoretical bovine feces) to put behind it. -jma -- ======================================================================= Sed quis custodiet ipsos Custodes? "In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act" - George Orwell ======================================================================= James M. Atkinson Phone: (978) 381-9111 Granite Island Group Fax: 127 Eastern Avenue #291 http://www.tscm.com/ Gloucester, MA 01931-8008 jmatk@tscm.com ======================================================================= The First, The Largest, The Most Popular, and The Most Complete TSCM, Technical Security, and Counterintelligence Site on the Internet. ======================================================================= 2368 From: Steve Uhrig Date: Tue Jan 23, 2001 1:09pm Subject: Used equipment list updated Hello all, We have updated our used equipment page: http://www.swssec.com/used.html The page lists surveillance, countersurveillance, communications and other miscellaneous equipment for sale. We take credit cards and ship worldwide. Also updated is a similar page listing Minox submini cameras and accessories for sale: http://www.swssec.com/minox.html I buy used electronics and Minox items. Please contact me if you have anything available to sell. Regards ... Steve ******************************************************************* Steve Uhrig, SWS Security, Maryland (USA) Mfrs of electronic surveillance equip mailto:Steve@s... website http://www.swssec.com tel +1+410-879-4035, fax +1+410-836-1190 "In God we trust, all others we monitor" ******************************************************************* 2369 From: Dawn Star Date: Tue Jan 23, 2001 9:43pm Subject: Pole Climber "The same thing happens when some green-horn TSCM'er gets their hands on a TDR... they see it as a magic box, and detect a bug behind every impedance bump out there (when there actually is no bug at all). Just because they see a -4 dB drop in a TDR trace does not near there is a parasitic device installed 1500 feet down the wire." jma That's why if your not a pole climber, find another line of work Roger [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] 2370 From: A Grudko Date: Wed Jan 24, 2001 3:39am Subject: Climbing poles Our phone 'company' is owned by the State and they can get nasty if a non-employee goes up a pole, but I used to do it on all sweeps anyway, thanks to a 4 section folding ladder which was small enough to even fit in my Corvette. I used to be a hoby climber so I kept my harness, slings, Carabiners etc. in the car too for those really high cables, as well as a set of lock-picks, skeleton keys and lug keys to get into cable rooms and cupboards. But one fine morning I managed to loose both my 'vette and my left arm in one fell swoop, and now I have a legitimate reason to say I don't 'do' poles! Andy Grudko. D.P.M., Grad I.S, (S.A.) CEO - Grudko Wilson Associates (SA) (Pty) Ltd - Crime investigation & intelligence Johannesburg - Cape Town - Durban - Pretoria - UK - US - Canada - Australia - Israel - Bosnia. Agents in 41 countries - www.grudko.com - (+27 11) 465 9673 - 465 1487 (Fax) - Est. 1981 GIN (Charter), SACI (Pres), WAD, CALI, SASFed, SASA, SAMLF, SCIP (SA Chairman), UKPIN, AFIO (OS), IWWA, PRETrust, IPA, AmChamCom "When you need it done right - first time" 2371 From: Dawn Star Date: Wed Jan 24, 2001 7:05pm Subject: LoJack System Does anyone on the list know the typical location in the vehicle of a LoJack auto theft transmitter, its general appearance and antenna configuration? Thanks, Roger [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]