Author Topic: Detekt this  (Read 4747 times)

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Offline Maik

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Detekt this
« on: Thursday, 20 November, 2014 @ 09:24:17 »
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Amnesty launches Detekt tool to scan for state spyware on phones and PCs
Human rights group says software represents ‘a strike back against governments’ over covert surveillance

Human rights experts and technology groups have launched a new tool allowing members of the public to scan their computers and phones for surveillance spyware used by governments.

Trade in communication surveillance technologies has grown massively in recent years, with private companies sell off-the-shelf equipment that allows governments to snoop on millions of emails, text messages and phone calls, according to an investigation by the Guardian last year. The Coalition Against Unlawful Surveillance Exports, of which Amnesty is a member, estimates the annual global trade in surveillance technologies is worth more than £3bn and growing.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/20/amnesty-launches-detekt-app-scan-for-spyware


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One such piece of software is FinSpy which, according to The Citizen Lab, is capable of monitoring your daily activity, recording ambient noise with your microphone or taking a picture with your webcam. In addition, it's claimed that FinSpy can take screenshots, monitor your Skype chats and even extract files from your computer.
http://www.engadget.com/2014/11/19/amnesty-international-detekt/


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Detekt is a free tool that scans your Windows computer for traces of known surveillance spyware used to target and monitor human rights defenders and journalists around the world.

If you suspect you are at risk of surveillance, learn how to use Detekt here.
https://resistsurveillance.org/


Just for info. If spooks are tapping my emails I hope they enjoy all the un-PC humour(?) I get sent.

Offline TonyKath

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Re: Detekt this
« Reply #1 on: Saturday, 22 November, 2014 @ 00:05:53 »
Thanks for this Maik.  Good to know there is this kind of stuff out there.  Will look when I've a bit more time.  One thing might be to physically disconnect microphones and webcams where possible and software disconnect where not.

 :btu:

Tony

Offline Maik

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Re: Detekt this
« Reply #2 on: Sunday, 23 November, 2014 @ 13:48:10 »
Well, on the subject of webcams:

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Security cameras in homes and businesses around the world are vulnerable to hackers because their owners have not changed the default password, a fact which a Russian website has exploited to create a browsable index of live streams.

By visiting the website the Telegraph was able to watch workers going about their business in offices, warehouses and factories and people relaxing in their own homes. A total of 584 vulnerable video cameras in the UK were listed on the website.

Worryingly, many of the cameras seem to be baby monitors and are therefore focused on children asleep in their cots.

The problem stems from internet-connected security cameras and webcams which have a feature enabling the owner to log-in remotely and check that their home or business is secure. This is a useful ability, but also one that is open to abuse if a strong password is not used.

Many people choose to leave the default password in place when they buy the devices – something which is exploitable by people who scan the internet for such devices and attempt to log in. The Russian website pulls together streams from those devices and lists them in an index by country and location.

 The Telegraph was able to see:

• An elderly woman asleep in bed in Wakefield

• Children watching television in living rooms and several baby's cots

• A man making a cup of tea in his kitchen in Norwich

• A mechanic's workshop in London

• An empty living room in Acton

• Customers paying for items at a newsagents on Baker Street in London

• Treadmills at a gym in Manchester

• The bar at a pub in Marlow
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/11242650/Is-your-webcam-allowing-hackers-to-peer-into-your-home.html


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The hacker who invaded the privacy of hundreds of Britons by creating a website which broadcast private scenes such as children sleeping in bed has told The Telegraph that he did it to “explain” that they were vulnerable – and takes credit for 120,000 cameras now being secured.

Now the creator of that site – who has chosen to remain anonymous – has given the Telegraph an exclusive interview over email. He said that the hack was enabled by "laziness and IT ignorance" on the part of the public.

Many people choose to leave the default password in place when they buy the devices – something which is exploitable by people who scan the internet for such devices and attempt to log in.

“The important thing is to set a password on home devices. The list of devices without a password is not limited by cameras. It could include network scanner, printer, green energy systems, coffee machines. In nearest future it will be home robots, droids, quadrocopters or automobiles,” he said.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/internet-security/11246286/Webcam-hack-enabled-by-laziness-says-website-creator.html


And then there's this:

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Uber scandal: Worried about NSA spying? It’s Silicon Valley billionaires you need to watch
I trust big government agencies with my data more than profit-making companies
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/11237836/Uber-scandal-Worried-about-NSA-spying-Its-Silicon-Valley-billionaires-you-need-to-watch.html


The convenience of the internet is marvellous, and mostly free - but there's a price we pay, especially for using smartphones and tablets: we're tracked and targeted.

Offline TonyKath

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Re: Detekt this
« Reply #3 on: Sunday, 23 November, 2014 @ 23:49:54 »
The Telegraph also mentions another major scandal with Whisper - a social networking app that claims to be more secure than Facebook etc. encouraging users to be more "candid".  The Guardian visited their offices and dicovered that That Whisper was tracking certain individuals and locating many others via the geolocation feature of their phones - even when it was turned off in some cases. 

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/16/-sp-revealed-whisper-app-tracking-users

Tony