Surveillance -- Engadget Mobile

surveillance posts

Etisalat BlackBerry update was indeed spyware, RIM provides a solution

by Darren Murph posted Jul 21st 2009 @ 9:41AM

Um, yikes? An unexpected (and unwanted) surprise struck some 145,000 BlackBerry users in the UAE this time last week, when an official looking prompt coerced many of the aforesaid Etisalat customers to follow through with a software update. Rather than bringing about performance enhancements, the SS8-built app enabled the carrier to keep tabs on customers' messages. According to RIM:

"Etisalat appears to have distributed a telecommunications surveillance application... independent sources have concluded that it is possible that the installed software could then enable unauthorized access to private or confidential information stored on the user's smartphone. Independent sources have concluded that the Etisalat update is not designed to improve performance of your BlackBerry Handheld, but rather to send received messages back to a central server."

Like we said, yikes. The zaniest part is that Etisalat isn't backing down, still assuring the world that the upgrades were "required for service enhancements." At any rate, RIM has made remarkably clear that the update wasn't one authorized by the company, and it's even providing an app remover for those who'd prefer their BlackBerry to be in working order and, you know, not forwarding all their email to some dude in an Etisalat supply closet. Good on you, RIM. Bad on you, Etisalat.

[Thanks, Gerald]

Read - Confirmation of spyware
Read - RIM app remover

BlackBerry update in UAE reportedly surveillance software in disguise

by Donald Melanson posted Jul 14th 2009 @ 4:59PM

There's not much in the way of official statements on this one just yet, but itp.net is reporting that a recently pushed out update for all BlackBerry users on the UAE-based carrier Etisalat is not a "performance enhancement patch" as advertised, but rather some spyware that could potentially give Etisalat the ability to keep an eye on its customers' messages. The first suspicions about the update apparently arose when users noticed dramatically reduced battery life and slower than usual performance from their phones, which led to a bit of detective work from programmer Nigel Gourlay, who pegged the software down as coming from electronic surveillance company SS8. While it's not switched on by default, the software can reportedly let Etisalat flip the switch on phones one by one and monitor their emails and text messages -- or it could if it hadn't completely bogged down the network. Apparently, the software wasn't designed for such a large scale deployment, which resulted in the slowdown and battery drain as some 100,000 BlackBerrys constantly tried and failed to sign in to the one registration server for the software.

[Via The Register]

Sang Da SD999 includes wireless camera -- ripped logos no extra charge

by Chris Ziegler posted Mar 19th 2008 @ 7:08PM

Believe it or not, this little maestro has nothing to do with our Keepin' It Real Fake series. Don't get us wrong, thanks to a juiced Dopod logo and "Windows" text in the upper left that the manufacturer was too lazy to bother trying to make look even remotely legit, it certainly could be a KIRF honoree, but the Sang Da SD999 has a neat trick up its sleeve that manages to keep it out of that dubious category. Turns out the phone (which looks absolutely nothing like an ASUS P750, coincidentally) can hook up with wireless camera equipped with infrared LED illumination up to 30 meters away, although the reviewer found that it pretty much craps out after 10. A pretty neat trick with some potential real-world applications, we'd say -- like monitoring your premises for corporate spies, for example.

[Via iTech News Net]

Department of Homeland Security piggybacks on T-Mobile's SunCom buy

by Chris Ziegler posted Feb 20th 2008 @ 3:55PM

Here's an interesting little fact: because T-Mobile is foreign-owned (by Germany's Deutsche Telekom), several government agencies get all up in its business every time it makes an acquisition. Yes, of course, government agencies get their grubby paws in every acquisition here be it foreign or domestic, but the foreigners have it considerably worse. When DT completed the VoiceStream acquisition back in 2001 to form T-Mobile USA, the FBI and Department of Justice took their sweet time to make sure they'd have agreements in place that allowed them to monitor communications 24 hours a day at their leisure and discretion, and actually held up the FCC's approval until they had a signed deal with the company. Since then, the Department of Homeland Security has been thrust into prominence and wants in on the same luxuries its counterparts at the DOJ and FBI enjoy -- so yeah, you guessed it, they held up the SunCom deal until DT let them in on the action, too. Rumor has it T-Mobile wasn't too happy about the Department's demands, but when the rubber met the road, they chose wireless footprint over principles. Really, with the G Men already on board, what difference does it make? [Warning: PDF link]

[Via BetaNews, thanks oakie]

Japan could keep tabs on defense officials via GPS phones

by Darren Murph posted Nov 1st 2007 @ 8:44AM

It's not like the Japanese government hasn't dabbled in GPS (and RFID, too) tracking before, but the nation's latest idea involving Big Brother is (unsurprisingly) catching a fair amount of criticism. Reportedly, Japan wants to equip senior defense officials with GPS-enabled mobiles, and it's making no bones about the reasoning behind it. Quite frankly, it's looking for ways to keep a more watchful eye on officials' whereabouts after a higher-up was recently "treated to hundreds of expensive rounds of golf by a defense contractor." Reportedly, the handsets would only be given out to senior staff "required to report for duty in the case of a security emergency," but a number of anonymous individuals have already expressed disdain for the plan through local news outlets. Nothing to hide, nothing to fear, right?

NTT's HC-1000 puts you in control of home security

by Darren Murph posted Aug 8th 2007 @ 4:32AM

Here in America, we don't take our home security systems lightly, but for those in Japan, it appears that they haven't resorted to installing sensor-triggered weapons in their windows just yet. The HC-1000 camera can be controlled via the internet or a FOMA mobile, and allows users to take a peek at what's going on without actually being on the premises. The device sports a three-megapixel CMOS sensor, Ethernet port, 802.11a/b/g, 2x digital zoom, and a QVGA video mode to boot. Additionally, a "defense support" system can enable the piercing siren to let loose a wail, and the built-in microphone / speaker can even open up two-way communication between you and your home-wrecker (or faraway relative). The HC-1000 itself will run you a modest ¥29,400 ($247), but those looking to totally lock down their dwelling can spend up to ¥141,750 ($1,191) for an elaborate whole home system.

[Via CScout, thanks Mike]

Bluetooth set to discoverable? Loca's watching

by Chris Ziegler posted May 29th 2007 @ 8:45PM

It's no secret that Bluetooth devices that are in discoverable mode are... well, discoverable, so we figure it was just a matter of time before an independent organization set up a massive network of transceivers to track their every move. That's exactly what the "Loca" project has managed to do in a number of environments by setting up the pictured battery / phone combo underneath an unsuspecting looking cinder block shell. By pinging nearby Bluetooth-enabled phones and logging the data, Loca can do super-creepy things like send you a text that says "You were in a flower shop and spent 30 minutes in the park; are you in love?" Ultimately, Loca's goal isn't nefarious -- in fact, it's billed largely as an art project -- but the members do point out that Loca clearly demonstrates the illusion of privacy in a modern world. Folks wanting to set up a high-tech tracker of their own can pick up the "Loca Surveillance Pack," code and blueprints for the whole shebang. Scary? Not really; the phone isn't emitting any personally identifiable information -- and again, the phone has to be in discoverable mode -- but it does serve as a bit of a wakeup call.

[Via Bluetooth Source]

KTF's surveillance canine beams snapshots via HSDPA

by Darren Murph posted Apr 21st 2007 @ 4:30PM

It just makes sense that the same Korean provider that offered up a pet translator service would attempt to give back to the owners, as KTF has launched a robotic puppy that just melts the hearts of gizmo-lovin' gals abroad. Specifically, it garners a crowd of individuals wherever it's at, and then pulls double duty as an undercover surveillance agent, snapping mobile images and channeling them straight to your cellphone via HSDPA. For the paranoid 'rents in the crowd, this here ought to be a perfect way to monitor what really goes down in the house while you're away for the weekend, and while it's no guard dog per se, the evidence this bad boy captures could indeed be quite frightening. [Warning: Read link requires subscription]