From: Charles P Date: Tue Jan 2, 2001 10:15pm Subject: Re: Re: Playstation 2 Tomb Raiders ----- Original Message ----- From: To: Sent: Tuesday, January 02, 2001 12:51 PM Subject: [TSCM-L] Re: Playstation 2 > Anyone have ideas as to what Saddam Hussein intends to use the Sony > Playstation 2 for? > > > > > > HAVE A GREAT DAY !!! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ======================================================== > 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 > > > 2223 From: Date: Tue Jan 2, 2001 10:42pm Subject: ZDNet: News: Is PlayStation2 a military weapon? HAVE A GREAT DAY !!! ---------- http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2550857,00.html [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] 2224 From: Kohlenberg, Toby Date: Tue Jan 2, 2001 10:16am Subject: RE: A lesson in reality... Out of curiousity, what exactly does any portion of this discussion have to do with TSCM? toby Toby Kohlenberg, CISSP Intel Corporate Information Security STAT Team Information Security Specialist 503-264-9783 Office & Voicemail 877-497-1696 Pager "Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they're not after you." PGP Fingerprint: 92E2 E2FC BB8B 98CD 88FA 01A1 6E09 B5BA 9E84 9E70 > -----Original Message----- > From: Robert G. Ferrell [mailto:rferrell@r...] > Sent: Tuesday, January 02, 2001 5:18 AM > To: TSCM-L@egroups.com > Subject: Re: [TSCM-L] A lesson in reality... > > > >The toilet paper costs a buck. The 2000 pages of paperwork it > >takes to comply with all the applicable regulations and agencies > >and sanctions and certifications and programs is where the > >difference comes from. > > I've never seen a political discussion between extreme > opposing viewpoints where either side accomplished much of > anything beyond enraging their opponents, so I'm going to > stay far away from the central thrust of this thread. > However, I would like to point out that a great many folks > are putting considerable effort into reducing or eliminating > the need for paperwork when providing services to the U. S. > government. My agency, for example. The National Business > Center is a franchise agency of the U. S. Department of the > Interior that (among other things) develops applications > for paperless bidding, bid notification, invoice tracking, > and payment from Treasury. If you're a potential contractor > for the U.S. government, take a look at > > http://www.nbc.gov/products/procurement.html > > More and more agencies are signing up for this sort of thing > every day. As a franchise agency, I might add, we're required > (eventually) to "pay our own way" without any direct financial > support from Congress. > > As H. L. Mencken once wrote, "The wheels of bureacracy grind > slowly, but exceedingly fine." That doesn't have a lot of > relevance here, but it's still a great quote. > > ;-) > > Cheers, > > RGF > > Robert G. Ferrell, CISSP > Information Systems Security Officer > National Business Center > U. S. Dept. of the Interior > Robert_G_Ferrell@n... > ======================================== > Who goeth without humor goeth unarmed. > ======================================== > > > ======================================================== > 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 > > 2225 From: Shawn Hughes Date: Wed Jan 3, 2001 0:10am Subject: computers >>> Subject: WORD PERFECT >>> >>> >>> This has got to be one of the funniest I've heard of in a long time. >>> Truthfully, I think this guy should have been promoted, not fired. This >> is a true story from the WordPerfect Helpline which was transcribed from a >>> recording monitoring the customer care department. Needless to say the >>Help Desk employee was fired; however, he/she is currently suing the Word >>Perfect organization for "Termination without Cause." >>> >>> Actual dialogue of a former Word Perfect Customer Support employee (now I >>> know why they record these conversations!) >>> "Ridge Hall computer assistance; may I help you?" >>> "Yes, well, I'm having trouble with WordPerfect." >>> "What sort of trouble?" >>> "Well, I was just typing along, and all of a sudden the words went away." >>> "Went away?" >>> "They disappeared." >>> "Hmm. So what does your screen look like now?" >>> "Nothing." >>> "Nothing?" >>> "It's blank; it won't accept anything when I type." >>> "Are you still in WordPerfect, or did you get out?" >>> "How do I tell?" >>> "Can you see the C: prompt on the screen?" >>> "What's a sea-prompt?" >>> "Never mind, can you move your cursor around the screen?" >>> "There isn't any cursor: I told you, it won't accept anything I type." >>> "Does your monitor have a power indicator?" >>> "What's a monitor? >>> "It's the thing with the screen on it that looks like a TV. >>> "Does it have a little light that tells you when it's on?" >>> "I don't know," >>> "Well, then look on the back of the monitor and find where the power cord >>> goes into it. Can you see that?" >>> "Yes, I think so," >>> "Great. Follow the cord to the plug, and tell me if it's plugged into the >>> wall." >>> "Yes, it is," >>> "When you were behind the monitor, did you notice that there were two >>cables >>> plugged into the back of it, not just one?" "No." >>> >>> "Well, there are. I need you to look back there again and find the other >>> cable." >>> "Okay, here it is," >>> "Follow it for me, and tell me if it's plugged securely into the back of >>> your computer." >>> "I can't reach," >>> "Uh huh. Well, can you see if it is?" >>> "No." >>> "Even if you maybe put your knee on something and lean way over?" "Oh, >>it's >>> not because I don't have the right angle - it's because its dark." >>> >>> "Dark?" >>> "Yes the office light is off, and the only light I have is coming in from >>> the window." >>> "Well, turn on the office light then." >>> "I can't." >>> "No? Why not?" >>> "Because there's a power failure," >>> "A power... A power failure? Aha, Okay, we've got it licked now. Do you >>> still have the boxes and manuals and packing stuff your computer came >in?" >>> "Well, yes, I keep them in the closet." >>> >>> Good. Go get them, and unplug your system and pack it up just like it was >>> when you got it. Then take it back to the store you bought it from." >>> "Really? Is it that bad?" >>> >>> "Yes, I'm afraid it is." >>> "Well, all right then, I suppose. What do I tell them?" >>> "Tell them you're too stupid to own a computer." 2226 From: Larry Hountz - -(©¿©)- Date: Tue Jan 2, 2001 2:37pm Subject: Re: Re: Playstation 2 I thought for the chips... here is some very good feedback.. http://www.zdnet.com/tlkbck/comment/22/0,7056,87627-402464,00.html Larry.. ----- Original Message ----- From: To: Sent: Tuesday, January 02, 2001 12:51 PM Subject: [TSCM-L] Re: Playstation 2 > Anyone have ideas as to what Saddam Hussein intends to use the Sony > Playstation 2 for? > > > > > > HAVE A GREAT DAY !!! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ======================================================== > 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 2227 From: Date: Wed Jan 3, 2001 4:05am Subject: Is Sony's Playstation2 a Military weapon ? Japan thinks the game machine could be used to guide missiles -- sothe coun= try is leveling export controls.By Reuters UPDATED April 16, 2000 8:21 AM PT= TOKYO -- Japan has slapped export controls on Sony Corp.'s new,hugely popul= ar Playstation2 video game because the machine is sosophisticated it could b= e used for military purposes, media saidSunday. The hit home game machine, w= hich includes a digital video disc playerand will eventually offer Internet = access, is Sony's most profitableproduct. The company said it had shipped 1.= 4 million in the monthafter the game's March 4 launch. Sound off here!! Post= your commenton this story. The console and its eight-megabyte memory card = have been designatedas ``general-purpose products related to conventional we= apons´´because they contain components that could be used for militarydevice= s such as missile guidance systems, Kyodo news agency quotedindustry sources= as saying. Playstation2 is the first game console to face export controls u= nderthe Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Control Law, Kyodo said. The law = requires the trade ministry's approval for the export ofrestricted products = worth more than 50,000 yen ($472). Thus, theexport of more than two consoles= would be controlled because each ispriced at 39,800 yen. Sony: Competition = allows no compromise``We have mixed feelings because our efforts to produce = a gameconsole of the highest quality have resulted in legalrestrictions,´´ t= he Asahi Shimbun newspaper quoted an official ofSony Computer Entertainment = Inc. as saying. ``We could not compromise because of the fierce competition = in theindustry,´´ he said. Officials of the trade ministry and Sony could no= t be reached forfurther comment. With U.S. software giant Microsoft Corp. (N= asdaq: MSFT) due to enterthe lucrative video game market next year with its = ownhigh-performance console, tentatively called the X-Box, exportcontrols co= uld hinder Sony's ability to compete, Kyodo quotedindustry sources as saying= . Get free e-mail and voicemai 2228 From: Date: Wed Jan 3, 2001 4:15am Subject: Is Sony's Playstation2 a Military weapon ? Japan thinks the game machine could be used to guide missiles -- so the country is leveling export controls. By Reuters UPDATED April 16, 2000 8:21 AM PT TOKYO -- Japan has slapped export controls on Sony Corp.'s new, hugely popular Playstation2 video game because the machine is so sophisticated it could be used for military purposes, media said Sunday. The hit home game machine, which includes a digital video disc player and will eventually offer Internet access, is Sony's most profitable product. The company said it had shipped 1.4 million in the month after the game's March 4 launch. Sound off here!! Post your comment on this story. The console and its eight-megabyte memory card have been designated as ``general-purpose products related to conventional weapons´´ because they contain components that could be used for military devices such as missile guidance systems, Kyodo news agency quoted industry sources as saying. Playstation2 is the first game console to face export controls under the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Control Law, Kyodo said. The law requires the trade ministry's approval for the export of restricted products worth more than 50,000 yen ($472). Thus, the export of more than two consoles would be controlled because each is priced at 39,800 yen. Sony: Competition allows no compromise ``We have mixed feelings because our efforts to produce a game console of the highest quality have resulted in legal restrictions,´´ the Asahi Shimbun newspaper quoted an official of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. as saying. ``We could not compromise because of the fierce competition in the industry,´´ he said. Officials of the trade ministry and Sony could not be reached for further comment. With U.S. software giant Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) due to enter the lucrative video game market next year with its own high-performance console, tentatively called the X-Box, export controls could hinder Sony's ability to compete, Kyodo quoted industry sources as saying. Get free e-mail and voicemail Try ZDNet eCircles -- your private place on the Web Join ZDNet now! The first version of the PlayStation generated approximately 40 percent of Sony's group-based operating profits. Sony Computer Entertainment Inc, a Sony Corp. subsidiary, has said it aims to ship four million PlayStation2 consoles in Japan and three million each in Europe and the United States in 2000/01. Overseas shipments are due to start later this year. ``These days there are so many items that have technology for civilians that can also be used for military purposes, and of course, PlayStation2 is among these goods,´´ the Asahi Shimbun newspaper quoted military commentator Kensuke Ebata as saying. PlayStation2 could guide a missile Military analysts cited the example of a Tomahawk missile that needs to ``see´´ where it is going until it strikes its target and must process graphic material at high speed to keep to its target. PlayStation2's graphic processing capability is fast enough to enable it to be used in a missile. Japan's government has become increasingly wary of the possibility that products meant for civilian use could be diverted for weapons use. Japanese radar and communications devices for civilian use were discovered in a North Korean submarine sunk by the South Korean military in December 1998, and two Japanese men were arrested in January on suspicion of illegally shipping parts for anti-tank rocket launchers to Iran. The export restrictions are just the latest in a string of problems that have plagued Sony's most profitable product. Sony Computer Entertainment said this month that users could illegally manipulate the machine to copy DVD movies to videotape. Last month it said it had found the game player could be used to watch digital video disk software sold overseas in breach of a worldwide agreement among DVD player makers. HAVE A GREAT DAY !!! 2229 From: Tom Mann Date: Wed Jan 3, 2001 9:51am Subject: Re: Re: Playstation 2 Dear Pat: I was told that the chip in the Play Station will allow Hussein to radically improve his surface to air missile and anti-aircraft gunnery systems in relation to tracking targets. Tom Mann Guardian International Salem, OR 2230 From: Mike Date: Wed Jan 3, 2001 10:07am Subject: Playstation 2 Obviously he intends to modify them for use as computers. Nuff Said- Bootleg [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] 2231 From: Date: Wed Jan 3, 2001 11:26am Subject: Y2K Computer Glitch Hits 7-Eleven Y2K Computer Glitch Hits 7-Eleven By David Koenig AP Business Writer Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2001; 4:36 p.m. EST DALLAS –– A Y2K-type computer bug hit cash registers in 7-Eleven stores this week, causing them to read the new year as 1901 instead of 2001 and inconveniencing customers who wanted to make credit-card purchases. A spokeswoman said the problem was fixed late Tuesday night and most stores were operating normally Wednesday. Officials at the Dallas-based chain of about 5,200 U.S. convenience stores and thousands more around the world thought they had nipped calendar-related computer glitches a year ago when, like many other big corporations, they geared up for an onslaught of Y2K bugs that never came. 7-Eleven said it spent $8.8 million preparing its in-store computer systems for the rollover from 1999 to 2000. "This was all specifically devised for 7-Eleven and was all Y2K-compliant," said Margaret Chabris. "We did some 10,000 tests on it, and it was working fine until Monday." Chabris said about 15 percent of 7-Eleven's sales involve credit cards – not including credit-card ports on the outside gas pumps, which she said were not disrupted. 7-Eleven had 1999 sales of $8.25 billion. Chabris said it wasn't clear whether the company lost any sales because of the outage. For one thing, customers could still pay by cash or check. For another, she said, most of the stores still have devices for manually taking an imprint of a customer's credit card. The chain has a proprietary system that tracks inventory, weather forecasts – to change the product mix during hot or cold spells – and all cash-register sales. The system is critical in helping 7-Eleven manage inventory in stores that have limited shelf space. The 7-Eleven spokeswoman said major hardware and software vendors on the overall system, installed in 1999, included Electronic Data Systems Corp., NCR Corp., and Affiliated Computer Systems of Dallas. An EDS spokesman said the company did not work on the point-of-sale system, where the bug occurred, which 7-Eleven confirmed. Businesses and government agencies braced for service disruptions a year ago because older computers and software were programmed to use only two digits to represent the year. The shortcut saved computer memory by ignoring the 21st century. 2232 From: St. Clair, James Date: Wed Jan 3, 2001 10:14am Subject: RE: Re: Playstation 2 Well, it should be noted that while all of this is theoretically true, there is no magic fix for this. PS2's run on a standard 32-bit processor, but there vector graphics rendering is EXTREMELY fast, on the order of a super computer . The problem is these machines must be networked and reprogrammed to be used any other way but playing GOLF or NASCAR, and that is cantankerous: PS2s were not designed for this, and Saddam may not have the best script kiddies available. Given his historical penchant for charity, he may even be planning on handing them out to kids as a "hearts and minds". He has previously given away free art supplies before the embargo.. Jim -----Original Message----- From: Tom Mann [mailto:guardian@n...] Sent: Wednesday, January 03, 2001 10:51 AM To: patedwards@w... Cc: TSCM-L@eGroups.com Subject: Re: [TSCM-L] Re: Playstation 2 Dear Pat: I was told that the chip in the Play Station will allow Hussein to radically improve his surface to air missile and anti-aircraft gunnery systems in relation to tracking targets. Tom Mann Guardian International Salem, OR ======================================================== 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 2233 From: Psiber Joe Date: Wed Jan 3, 2001 5:06pm Subject: Re: Re: Playstation 2 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Mann" To: Cc: Sent: Wednesday, January 03, 2001 8:51 AM Subject: Re: [TSCM-L] Re: Playstation 2 > Dear Pat: > > I was told that the chip in the Play Station will allow Hussein to > radically improve his surface to air missile and anti-aircraft gunnery > systems in relation to tracking targets. > > Tom Mann > Guardian International > Salem, OR > > I believe this stems from the fact that the PS2 is the first console system with a powerful enough processor to make it worth your while. Somewhere (slashdot?) I believe it was quoted that it takes just 7 - 10 PS2 processors per missle; and at $200/unit wholesale, this is a /bargin/ for a country underneath econonic sanctions. Psiber Joe 2234 From: James M. Atkinson, Comm-Eng Date: Wed Jan 3, 2001 6:19pm Subject: New cameras focus on fuel bandits New cameras focus on fuel bandits http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/dynamic/news/story.html?in_review_id=347661 by David Williams, Motoring Editor Twenty-four surveillance is being launched by police at London filling stations to combat a huge rise in the number of people stealing fuel - following a year of sharp petrol price rises. Up to £2 million worth of fuel is now being stolen from forecourts in the capital every month. Motorists are driving off with up to £60 of fuel at a time, although the average haul in London is £26. The boom in "drive-offs" has doubled since the problem was reported in the summer, when 1,200 garages within the M25 were losing between £750,000 and £1 million every month. Then the British Oil Security Syndicate (Boss) said thousands of drive-offs were occurring every four weeks. Nationally the crisis cost petrol retailers at least £11.2 million last year. New Year figures, however, are expected to show a doubling in drive-offs in the past eight months, and police say the crimewave is nationwide. Now the Met has begun fighting back by installing high-resolution spy cameras linked to a powerful mobile police computer, and arrests have already been made. The computer reads every car number plate entering a forecourt and checks them against lists of known offenders who have previously been reported to police following drive-offs. Police also programmed the computer to issue an alert if it spots vehicles involved in other crimes or with no valid tax disc. In most cases offenders are approached by plain-clothes officers before they drive off. Backed by the oil industry, the operation was launched secretly at 30 south London forecourts and is expected to spread throughout London before going nationwide. Detective Inspector Larry Lawrence said: "The computer works in the blink of an eye and has proved very successful. "We are pleased to be working with Boss to tackle forecourt crime. The figures are quite high but this type of crime is preventable. "We believe the pattern we have found in south London reflects a London-wide problem." Tom Sterling, Boss chief, said: "The habitual drive-off offender is the tip of the iceberg as forecourt crime goes. People who do this normally engage in other crimes too." Earlier this year Boss reported that since 1998 credit card fraud at filling stations across Britain leapt from £12.2 million to £19 million. Drivers claiming to have "forgotten their wallet" and driving off rose to £5 million this year. Police also urged oil firms to install barriers at petrol station forecourts. They feel that with further rises in the cost of petrol, drive-offs will continue to soar. In January 2000 a litre of unleaded cost 72.9p a litre. Now it is around 77.9p. -- ======================================================================= 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) 546-3803 Granite Island Group Fax: (978) 546-9467 127 Eastern Avenue #291 http://www.tscm.com/ Gloucester, MA 01931-8008 jmatk@t... ======================================================================= The First, The Largest, The Most Popular, and The Most Complete TSCM, Technical Security, and Counterintelligence Site on the Internet. ======================================================================= 2235 From: Talisker Date: Thu Jan 4, 2001 0:22pm Subject: Re: New cameras focus on fuel bandits I saw a TV programme on this recently, and know that the number plate reading is working well, however, I really can't see that reading the tax disc is feasible, in the UK the lettering is just over an inch tall and on top off hard to copy colouring making the letter outline difficult to read, add to this that the disc is displayed inside the windscreen at a variety of positions and angles. Also the disc is displayed in a portion of the windscreen outside the coverage of the wipers. Any opinions from the CCTV geeks out there? Oh and the range from camera to windcreen is 10,s of metres Andy http://www.networkintrusion.co.uk Talisker's Network Security Tools List ''' (0 0) ----oOO----(_)---------- | The geek shall | | Inherit the earth | -----------------oOO---- |__|__| || || ooO Ooo talisker@n... The opinions contained within this transmission are entirely my own, and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer. ----- Original Message ----- From: "James M. Atkinson, Comm-Eng" To: "TSCM-L Mailing List" Sent: Thursday, January 04, 2001 12:19 AM Subject: [TSCM-L] New cameras focus on fuel bandits New cameras focus on fuel bandits http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/dynamic/news/story.html?in_review_id=347661 by David Williams, Motoring Editor Twenty-four surveillance is being launched by police at London filling stations to combat a huge rise in the number of people stealing fuel - following a year of sharp petrol price rises. Up to £2 million worth of fuel is now being stolen from forecourts in the capital every month. Motorists are driving off with up to £60 of fuel at a time, although the average haul in London is £26. The boom in "drive-offs" has doubled since the problem was reported in the summer, when 1,200 garages within the M25 were losing between £750,000 and £1 million every month. Then the British Oil Security Syndicate (Boss) said thousands of drive-offs were occurring every four weeks. Nationally the crisis cost petrol retailers at least £11.2 million last year. New Year figures, however, are expected to show a doubling in drive-offs in the past eight months, and police say the crimewave is nationwide. Now the Met has begun fighting back by installing high-resolution spy cameras linked to a powerful mobile police computer, and arrests have already been made. The computer reads every car number plate entering a forecourt and checks them against lists of known offenders who have previously been reported to police following drive-offs. Police also programmed the computer to issue an alert if it spots vehicles involved in other crimes or with no valid tax disc. In most cases offenders are approached by plain-clothes officers before they drive off. Backed by the oil industry, the operation was launched secretly at 30 south London forecourts and is expected to spread throughout London before going nationwide. Detective Inspector Larry Lawrence said: "The computer works in the blink of an eye and has proved very successful. "We are pleased to be working with Boss to tackle forecourt crime. The figures are quite high but this type of crime is preventable. "We believe the pattern we have found in south London reflects a London-wide problem." Tom Sterling, Boss chief, said: "The habitual drive-off offender is the tip of the iceberg as forecourt crime goes. People who do this normally engage in other crimes too." Earlier this year Boss reported that since 1998 credit card fraud at filling stations across Britain leapt from £12.2 million to £19 million. Drivers claiming to have "forgotten their wallet" and driving off rose to £5 million this year. Police also urged oil firms to install barriers at petrol station forecourts. They feel that with further rises in the cost of petrol, drive-offs will continue to soar. In January 2000 a litre of unleaded cost 72.9p a litre. Now it is around 77.9p. -- ======================================================================= 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) 546-3803 Granite Island Group Fax: (978) 546-9467 127 Eastern Avenue #291 http://www.tscm.com/ Gloucester, MA 01931-8008 jmatk@t... ======================================================================= 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 2236 From: Date: Thu Jan 4, 2001 4:39pm Subject: Playstation2 The prices have risen dramatically on Playstation2 systems,from the suggested retail of $250 plus. Auctions at Ebay list $350-$550. At Amazom they are topping out at the $2200 range! That's supply and demand,for you! HAVE A GREAT DAY !!! 2237 From: James M. Atkinson, Comm-Eng Date: Fri Jan 5, 2001 6:34pm Subject: Clinton directive designed to reshape counterintelligence activities [News] Published Friday, January 5, 2001 Clinton directive designed to reshape counterintelligence activities Washington Post WASHINGTON, D.C. -- President Clinton has signed an order establishing a counterintelligence board that will bring together high-ranking FBI, CIA and Defense Department officials in an effort to devise a more effective strategy to combat spying, senior administration officials said Thursday. Dubbed "CI-21," which stands for counterintelligence for the 21st century, the "presidential decision directive" creates a board of directors, chaired by FBI Director Louis Freeh, that is charged with implementing a "pro-active" counterespionage program. The board will hire an executive who will be the federal government's foremost expert on counterintelligence, officials said. "It is a dramatic change," a senior Clinton administration official said. In addition to Freeh, other members of the board will be the CIA deputy director, the deputy secretary of defense and a representative of the attorney general. The operation will be housed at the CIA. The presidential directive is significant, senior Clinton administration officials said, because it restructures the counterintelligence community by formalizing information-sharing without regard to borders or federal agencies. It also reflects a heightened focus on economic espionage and other types of spying, rather than solely emphasizing the protection of government secrets. "We have always looked at spies and tried to figure out who was spying on us and what they were after," a senior administration official said. "Now, we are looking more at what it is we want to protect. We will no longer focus on embassies as the centers of foreign intelligence-gathering activities." The CI-21 concept was developed in the aftermath of recent security lapses that revealed systemic failures in sharing information about spying. While information will be shared and counterespionage strategy coordinated, the CIA will not be permitted to conduct surveillance activities in the United States; its agents will continue to operate abroad. Former FBI counterterrorism chief Bob Blitzer said CI-21 represents a major improvement. "It is a big change because of the deliberate focus" on counterespionage, Blitzer said. "This new structure will bring everyone together in terms of how to assess what is going on abroad, what is going on here, and what the entire intelligence community needs to do to counter past, present and emerging threats." The first task of the board of directors will be to identify American threats and vulnerabilities. And under CI-21, the National Security Council, composed of Cabinet-level secretaries with responsibility for security issues, also will have a new oversight role in counterintelligence. "All of this," a White House official said, "really depends on the willingness of the players to make sure that the directive is carried out and these agencies cooperate." © Copyright 2001 Washington Post. All rights reserved. -- ======================================================================= 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) 546-3803 Granite Island Group Fax: (978) 546-9467 127 Eastern Avenue #291 http://www.tscm.com/ Gloucester, MA 01931-8008 jmatk@t... ======================================================================= The First, The Largest, The Most Popular, and The Most Complete TSCM, Technical Security, and Counterintelligence Site on the Internet. ======================================================================= 2238 From: James M. Atkinson, Comm-Eng Date: Fri Jan 5, 2001 6:37pm Subject: Judge gets video in home privacy case http://www.freep.com/news/locoak/zpriv_20010105.htm Judge gets video in home privacy case January 5, 2001 BY SALLY FARHAT FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER A prosecuting attorney turned in a videotape to an Oak Park judge Thursday depicting a 23-year-old woman taking a shower and using the toilet -- video her stepfather is accused of secretly filming. Oakland County Assistant Prosecutor Kathryn Steiner said that the nine scenes she gave Judge Marvin Frankel during a preliminary examination Thursday are strong enough to convict John Brown, 33, of eavesdropping. She chose not to include video Brown allegedly filmed of the woman in the living room. Defense attorney Scott Weinberg told the judge Thursday that no one has a reasonable expectation of privacy in a living room, whether a family member or a baby-sitter. That's his interpretation of a state eavesdropping statute that says it is illegal to spy on people with cameras or listening devices in places where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy. "This was the defendant's own home," said Weinberg, who also defended a Royal Oak man last year who was convicted of videotaping his daughter's 18-year-old girlfriend as she showered in their home. "The statute has to be reasonable expectation of privacy. The question of fact now becomes, is the bathroom in the clients' own home considered private?" The case was bound over to Oakland County Circuit Court, and that question will be decided by Judge Wendy Potts on Jan. 17. Brown's bond was reduced to $10,000, but he remained in Oakland County Jail. Brown, who is accused of secretly videotaping his wife and stepdaughter, is charged with 10 counts of eavesdropping. He faces up to 2 years in prison and a $2,000 fine on each count, if convicted. The visibly shaken stepdaughter, who found a camera hidden in the shower drain last month, recounted for Frankel how it felt to discover that she had been taped. "He said, 'It was an obsession,' " the stepdaughter said, burying her face in her hands as she referred to Brown. The videotaping started two weeks before the stepdaughter moved into the Oak Park home Brown shared with her mother, the 23-year-old testified. Brown also faces another court date in front of Judge Barry Howard on Jan. 24 for a probation violation relating to an earlier criminal sexual misconduct conviction involving a 9-year-old step-granddaughter. His bond in that case is set at $50,000. -- ======================================================================= 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) 546-3803 Granite Island Group Fax: (978) 546-9467 127 Eastern Avenue #291 http://www.tscm.com/ Gloucester, MA 01931-8008 jmatk@t... ======================================================================= The First, The Largest, The Most Popular, and The Most Complete TSCM, Technical Security, and Counterintelligence Site on the Internet. ======================================================================= 2239 From: Gerard P. Keenan Date: Wed Jan 3, 2001 8:34pm Subject: FL licensing for security/Brad Robinson Sorry for the crosspostings. Can anyone point me in the right direction for licensing laws in Florida for security guard companies? We are licensed as a Guard and Patrol Agency in the state of NY, and are looking into establishing a presence in Florida due to a number of recent inquiries from that state. Is there a reciprocity licensing agreement between NY and FL? Secondly, I know Brad Robinson is on some of these lists. Can you please contact me via private email at your earliest convenience? I lost your contact info when I had my massive computer crash a couple of months ago. Thanks to everyone in advance. Jerry Keenan [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] 2240 From: Gerard P. Keenan Date: Thu Jan 4, 2001 11:22am Subject: FL lic./virus warning Just wanted to say a big "THANKS" to all the replies I received on the Florida Licensing info I requested. You guys (and gals!) are all terrific! I also want to pass out a warning about viruses. The holidays are over, but the danger from viruses is, apparently, far from over. We've all heard about the Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs virus that's been making the rounds. Be very, very careful of this one. It seems to be propagating big time. I've been hit with it eight times in the last 2 weeks -- two of those times were just this morning!! The first one came in today around 0930, and the second one came in about 1110. Luckily, I recognized it before opening it and they have been deleted from my computer. I don't know where they're coming from, but if I received it twice in less than 2 hours, I'm pretty sure it'll pop up again. So I wanted to let everyone know that it's out there and making the rounds today. I also received a 3rd virus in between the two SW&7Ds. It came with an email from another list I belong to. This time there was no warning, but my Norton caught it and got rid of it. As many of you know, I have two email accounts. The Snow White virus came in on my earthlink account. The unknown virus came in on my other one through a local server (suffolk.lib.ny.us). And all before noon! Again, thanks to everyone who responded. Got some really good info from it -- and all very helpful. Jerry K. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] 2241 From: Shawn Hughes Date: Thu Jan 4, 2001 7:33pm Subject: decoding software Hello, I know that this is more a surveillance than a counter - surveillance question, but does anyone have experience with the Code - 3 series of decoding software from Hoka products? I don't have it in the budget ($800+) for it now, but would it be worthwhile to consider over, say a M8000 ? TIA, Shawn 2242 From: Craig Snedden Date: Fri Jan 5, 2001 8:36am Subject: Re: New cameras focus on fuel bandits I can see that a recognition system would be able to pick up the pre-printed portion of the tax disc and the colour (different colours for different validity periods), which may catch out quite a number of defaulters, but in my experience, only an inspection with the "mark one eyeball" will ascertain if the handwritten portion (the vehicles details) has been tampered with or not. It is a common method of alteration for a stolen tax disc to be treated with a substance to fade or remove the pen ink, then fill in the details for the car that it is going to be displayed on. Such alterations are easily spotted by close visual inspection and touching the disc, but I can't see a camera system being able to pick up on these. I'm sure the Government "boffins" will be looking at an RF device (passive or active) embedded in the vehicle which will be validated by some means and if invalid will send out a signal to static speed cameras, police cars etc. This raises questions of civil rights and freedom of movement....... Local authorities in the U.K. have just been given powers to raise revenue from taxing vehicles entering certain areas, commonly city centres, supposedly in a move to combat congestion. The U.K. has just recently adopted the European Convention of Human Rights. Does the imposition of a tax on my freedom of movement on the public highway, when there is no alternative route to my destination, not impose on my Human Rights? I know our cousins in the US have been tackling these sorts of questions for years now. Any comments? Sorry this got a bit off topic, but in a way it's still to do with surveillance..... ;-) Craig ----- Original Message ----- From: "Talisker" To: "TSCM-L Mailing List" ; "James M. Atkinson, Comm-Eng" Sent: Thursday, January 04, 2001 6:22 PM Subject: Re: [TSCM-L] New cameras focus on fuel bandits > I saw a TV programme on this recently, and know that the number plate > reading is working well, however, I really can't see that reading the tax > disc is feasible, in the UK the lettering is just over an inch tall and on > top off hard to copy colouring making the letter outline difficult to read, > add to this that the disc is displayed inside the windscreen at a variety of > positions and angles. Also the disc is displayed in a portion of the > windscreen outside the coverage of the wipers. > > Any opinions from the CCTV geeks out there? Oh and the range from camera to > windcreen is 10,s of metres > > Andy > http://www.networkintrusion.co.uk > Talisker's Network Security Tools List > ''' > (0 0) > ----oOO----(_)---------- > | The geek shall | > | Inherit the earth | > -----------------oOO---- > |__|__| > || || > ooO Ooo > talisker@n... > > The opinions contained within this transmission are entirely my own, and do > not necessarily reflect those of my employer. > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "James M. Atkinson, Comm-Eng" > To: "TSCM-L Mailing List" > Sent: Thursday, January 04, 2001 12:19 AM > Subject: [TSCM-L] New cameras focus on fuel bandits > > > > New cameras focus on fuel bandits > > http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/dynamic/news/story.html?in_review_id=347661 > > by David Williams, > Motoring Editor > > Twenty-four surveillance is being launched by police at London filling > stations to combat a huge rise in the number of people stealing fuel - > following a year of sharp petrol price rises. > > Up to £2 million worth of fuel is now being stolen from forecourts in the > capital every month. Motorists are driving off with up to £60 of fuel at a > time, although the average haul in London is £26. > > The boom in "drive-offs" has doubled since the problem was reported in the > summer, when 1,200 garages within the M25 were losing between £750,000 and > £1 million every month. > > Then the British Oil Security Syndicate (Boss) said thousands of drive-offs > were occurring every four weeks. Nationally the crisis cost petrol retailers > at least £11.2 million last year. > > New Year figures, however, are expected to show a doubling in drive-offs in > the past eight months, and police say the crimewave is nationwide. > > Now the Met has begun fighting back by installing high-resolution spy > cameras linked to a powerful mobile police computer, and arrests have > already been made. The computer reads every car number plate entering a > forecourt and checks them against lists of known offenders who have > previously been reported to police following drive-offs. > > Police also programmed the computer to issue an alert if it spots vehicles > involved in other crimes or with no valid tax disc. > > In most cases offenders are approached by plain-clothes officers before they > drive off. Backed by the oil industry, the operation was launched secretly > at 30 south London forecourts and is expected to spread throughout London > before going nationwide. Detective Inspector Larry Lawrence said: "The > computer works in the blink of an eye and has proved very successful. > > "We are pleased to be working with Boss to tackle forecourt crime. The > figures are quite high but this type of crime is preventable. > > "We believe the pattern we have found in south London reflects a London-wide > problem." > > Tom Sterling, Boss chief, said: "The habitual drive-off offender is the tip > of the iceberg as forecourt crime goes. People who do this normally engage > in other crimes too." Earlier this year Boss reported that since 1998 credit > card fraud at filling stations across Britain leapt from £12.2 million to > £19 million. > > Drivers claiming to have "forgotten their wallet" and driving off rose to £5 > million this year. > > Police also urged oil firms to install barriers at petrol station > forecourts. They feel that with further rises in the cost of petrol, > drive-offs will continue to soar. > > In January 2000 a litre of unleaded cost 72.9p a litre. Now it is around > 77.9p. > > -- > > ======================================================================= > 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) 546-3803 > Granite Island Group Fax: (978) 546-9467 > 127 Eastern Avenue #291 http://www.tscm.com/ > Gloucester, MA 01931-8008 jmatk@t... > ======================================================================= > 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 > > > > > ======================================================== > 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 2243 From: Date: Fri Jan 5, 2001 6:14am Subject: PlayStations Some of you have been commenting on Saddams' PlayStation. Here are some ideas. Reportedly, the PS2's powerful chips could be put to military use, but according to a Sony representative, "If somebody buys and uses PlayStations for military purposes, it is something we cannot control." What will happen once all those PS2s arrive in Baghdad? Here are a few possibilities: 1. Parts and Labor: Iraqi government at standstill while federal employees redeployed to fill out warranty cards. 2. Fitting In: PlayStation 2 now available in camouflage colors. 3. Hollywood Calls: Saddam Hussein offered the title role in next year's highly anticipated sequel, "How the Grinch Stole Detroit's Christmas." 4. Keeping Up With the Jones's: Kuwait stockpiles thousands of Atari 2600s, declares formation of elite SuperPong battalion. 5. Form Follows Function: All Iraqi tanks redesigned to include reset button. 6. Cheat Code: Pressing Triangle plus Square while pressing the Down arrow on the PS2 console annihilates Desert Shield with a roundhouse kick. 7. Fashion Sense: Iraqi armed forces required to dress like fighters in Tekken Tag Tournament. 8. Entertainment Aloft: Iraqi jets now include in-flight DVD movies. 9. Sign Me Up: Kids who didn't get a PS2 start enlisting in the Iraqi military, hoping to score a spare unit. 10. New Game: SCUD Missile Command. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] 2244 From: James M. Atkinson, Comm-Eng Date: Fri Jan 5, 2001 7:21pm Subject: Man Arrested at Wal-Mart, Charged With Video Voyeurism St. Petersburg Times January 04, 2001, Thursday Man Arrested at Wal-Mart, Charged With Video Voyeurism Times Staff Writers PLANT CITY - A man was arrested after he installed a tiny video camera in the toe of his sneaker and then followed women around a store to look up their skirts with the gadget, police said. Daniel W. Searfoss, 42, was charged with voyeurism Sunday and taken to the Hillsborough County jail, investigators said. He was released on $ 500 bail later that day. Two women at a local Wal-Mart complained to managers and police Sunday that Searfoss had been following them around the store, Plant City police Detective Kevin Shultz said. One of the women said she saw a camera on one of Searfoss' sneakers, Shultz said. Searfoss, who told police he was a mechanic, was held by store security while they waited for police to arrive. When authorities got there, they found Searfoss with a sophisticated filming system, police Chief Bill McDaniel said. "He had a camera in his shoe and wires that went up his pants and came out at his waist," McDaniel said. "It's the first time that I know of that someone did such an elaborate job. He had his shoes specially altered for this." The wires were connected to a videocassette recorder carried inside a bag, McDaniel said. Police examined the tapes and saw that other unsuspecting women had also been snooped upon. McDaniel said Plant City enacted the voyeurism law in 1998 because of similar problems at public beaches and restrooms. Voyeurism is the lewd or indecent watching, filming or taping of any person without that person's knowledge or consent. -- ======================================================================= 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) 546-3803 Granite Island Group Fax: (978) 546-9467 127 Eastern Avenue #291 http://www.tscm.com/ Gloucester, MA 01931-8008 jmatk@t... ======================================================================= The First, The Largest, The Most Popular, and The Most Complete TSCM, Technical Security, and Counterintelligence Site on the Internet. ======================================================================= 2245 From: Date: Fri Jan 5, 2001 3:33pm Subject: Clinton orders retooling of counterintelligence Clinton orders retooling of counterintelligence By Steve Holland WASHINGTON, Jan 5 (Reuters) - President Bill Clinton, in his waning days in office, has ordered a retooling of the country's counterintelligence efforts to take account of new espionage threats and protect the private sector, the White House said on Friday. The order will establish a new top government position -- a national counterintelligence executive charged with overseeing activities between the FBI, CIA and other agencies, and making sure they have enough money. White House National Security Council spokesman P.J. Crowley said Clinton signed the order in late December with a view toward addressing a changing espionage environment in which computer hackers can steal government and corporate secrets. "Before, you were worried about foreign intelligence services that might be operational out of embassies here in the United States. Now you have to worry about getting hacked by someone who is trying to glean information that we need to protect," he said. Clinton leaves office on Jan. 20. President-elect George W. Bush's spokesman, Ari Fleischer, declined to comment on the order, which Bush could decide to change after taking office. The national executive job is similar to that of the national drug control policy director, which coordinates anti-drug activities among various agencies and lobbies for funding for the effort on Capitol Hill. Crowley said the executive would work not only within the government but with the private sector "to make sure we understand potential threats to technology and infrastructure." The executive, unlikely to be named before Clinton leaves office, would have no role in investigations. U.S. officials have long worried about the possibility of a terrorist attack on the country's electricity grid or telephone systems. Protecting company research and development secrets has increasingly been viewed as a priority in the government. DEFINE CROWN JEWELS A key goal of the new office would be to identify the most precious items for the protection of U.S. national security, that if stolen or tampered with could be disastrous. "The first element will be understanding what is truly the crown jewel rather than costume jewelry," a senior U.S. intelligence official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. For example it could be the sophisticated W-88 nuclear warhead, a secret policy stating the "real intentions" of the United States in some realm, and disruption of the Middle East peace process, the official said. In the private sector it could be the need to maintain U.S. dominance in the world of information technology, he added. "It's a much broader concept than simply what are hostile intelligence services doing to us?" the official said. "What is so important to us that it must not be damaged?" The government last year drew fire for its handling of Taiwanese-born Los Alamos scientist Wen Ho Lee, who was never charged with spying and was freed from jail in September 2000 after pleading guilty to one count of downloading nuclear weapons design secrets to a non-secure computer. The new office was not created in response to Lee or past espionage cases, but rather to shift from a predominant focus on hostile nations which "in today's world ... is going to miss more than it's going to get," the intelligence official said. "The FBI surveilling the Russian embassy is a good thing, we ought to keep doing it, but to think that that was 98 percent of your defense is crazy," he said. For example in the 1999 case of the Russian diplomat accused of monitoring an eavesdropping device planted in the State Department, the new counterintelligence executive might have checked to see whether the U.S. military or another agency had some interest in feeding him information before arresting him, the official said. The new counterintelligence executive's office would replace the National Counterintelligence Center, which was instituted after the 1994 arrest of a CIA officer, Aldrich Ames, who was later convicted of spying for Moscow. (Additional reporting by Tabassum Zakaria) 16:12 01-05-01 2246 From: Date: Fri Jan 5, 2001 3:32pm Subject: Conference on the Future of European Intelligence to Take Place in CastleOutside Rome, Italy 14-16 February 2001 Conference on the Future of European Intelligence to Take Place in CastleOutside Rome, Italy 14-16 February 2001 WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- A very exclusive gathering of the top European intelligence authorities will take place within a castle on the outskirts of Rome, Italy, from 14 through 16 February 2001. With the support of the Italian government as well as the European Parliament and the European Commission, six Italian educational institutes have organized the first really high-level public conference on "Intelligence in the 21st Century." The purpose of the conference is to offer to a select audience of participants from government, business and academic communities a critical overview of the revolution of intelligence at the beginning of the new century and to discuss the emergence of a new cultural paradigm regarding intelligence and its use in the decision-making process. The Government of Italy itself anticipates a near-term modernization of its intelligence community while also seeking to establish new open relationships with appropriate private sector and non-governmental organizations. The larger European community in turn is contemplating the need for a special European intelligence architecture that uses the Internet and European encryption to create shared capabilities that reduce European dependence upon and vulnerability to non-European intelligence collection capabilities. Confirmed speakers include the most authoritative representatives from various European countries as well as England, the United States, and Canada. The event is organized into half-days covering the new intelligence challenges, economic and information warfare, transnational threats, new methods of intelligence analysis and the open source revolution, business intelligence sources and methods, and the future of intelligence in Italy. A number of exhibits and special meals will enhance the ability of participants to network with senior European intelligence officials and examine new private sector offerings. Due to the intimate nature of the castle and the security arrangements that will characterize this event there are only 120 seats and 15 exhibits available on a first come first served basis. Profile Keywords: Analytic Services, Business Information, C3I Systems, Database and Information Management, Education, Geographic Information, Graphics, Intelligence Support, Mission Planning, Modeling & Simulation, Open Source Intelligence, Research, Space Operations, Surveillance Systems, Training, Workstations SOURCE Open Source Solutions, Inc. 2247 From: A Grudko Date: Fri Jan 5, 2001 10:16am Subject: Re: Sony's Playstation2 a Military weapon ? ----- Original Message ----- > Japan thinks the game machine could be used to guide missiles -- so the > country is leveling export controls. And Elvis is alive and well in Tokyo. Just don't give him a Playstation or he could take over the world...... Sounds like marketing ploy no. 367, "Tell the public they can't have it and everyone will want one", or No. 448, "Make it illegal and the price goes up" Here in SA we have a few shops that sell LCO FM +/-100 Meg room and series phone bugs 'under the counter' for US$ 150 - and as we all know these things cost about $4 in components to build. The nice metal PCB enclosure, the fancy packaging and a 100% profit margin probably push the wholsale price up to a whopping $15! So how can the retailer get away with a 1 000% mark up? Consumer ignorance. First they think these things are actually sophisticated! Second, the retailer implies that the importation/manufacturing/posession of this 'high tech' equipment is ILLEGAL (which in this country it isn't but it's USE contravienes a number of laws). 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), IWWL, PRETrust, IPA, AmChamCom "When you need it done right - first time" 2248 From: A Grudko Date: Sat Jan 6, 2001 7:17am Subject: Re: New cameras focus on fuel bandits ----- Original Message ----- > I really can't see that reading the tax disc is feasible >..... the disc is displayed inside the windscreen at a variety of > positions and angles. Also the disc is displayed in a portion of the > windscreen outside the coverage of the wipers. > Any opinions from the CCTV geeks out there?.... the range from camera to > windcreen is 10,s of metres I don't consider myself an expert (not even a geek) but we've done a lot of covert CCTV observation under a wide range of conditions. There are many factors in play here but few problems are insummountable given enough motivation (usually money). We have a 1200mm focal length Bausch & Lomb reflector lens which will read a number plate at 1500 metres. It hooks up to a Nikon 35mm camera but has a 'C type' adaptor for CCTV cameras. I have not tried to read a tax disk at short range but I think it would work - I once photoed an airport employee's ID from our van at about 30 metres and could read his name, which was in about 12 point typeface, perhaps 4 mm high. I could envisage a camera with pan and tilt controlled by a computer which was programmed to recognise the specific shape of the disk as the target, even controlling focus (which is critical with this type of lens, as is camera 'wobble' with this kind of magnification). Multiple cameras would have to be available per vehicle on the forecourt to ensure the angle of view was optimmum, never mind factors such as dirty windscreens, poor lighting rain (in England? - no!) or reflections. And as you imply, anti- photocopy features (reflections or contrasts) are actualy designed to hinder camera resolution. And if the field of view was wide enough to see both the number plate (bottom front center of the car) and the tax disk (potentially a metre higher and an equal distance left or right) the resolution would have to be increadible and hence the digital drive space huge per frame. Unless someone sits there and pans/zooms manually. Different on the US or German type plates where the annual licence info is on the plate (Big Brother Uncle Sam worked that out long ago. Invalid licence - welcome to Club Fed and maybe have your car confiscated! Check out the tollgates on the Sam Houston Freeway, Tx) Sounds disproportunatly expensive to me. But who knows, Maybe Jack Straw doesn't only exceed the speed limit (the head of the UK's police service was nabbed by their excellent vehicle surveillance system but not prosicuted) but steals petrol and someone is out to nail him ;-) 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), IWWL, PRETrust, IPA, AmChamCom "When you need it done right - first time" 2249 From: James M. Atkinson, Comm-Eng Date: Sat Jan 6, 2001 11:00am Subject: NSA abandons wondrous stuff NSA abandons wondrous stuff http://www.sunspot.net/content/cover/story?section=cover&pagename=story&storyid=1150520223288 Surprises: Astronomers who took over an abandoned spy base find remarkable, expensive and often incomprehensible stuff at every turn. By Laura Sullivan Sun National Staff Originally published Jan 5 2001 "There are things on this site you will never see anywhere else." TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY, N.C. - Along the long, twisting road through the Pisgah National Forest, the first sign that something is out of the ordinary is a line of giant transformers. Then, around the bend, a barbed-wire fence, guard shack and surveillance cameras protect what looks like nothing more than another hill of trees and dense shrubbery. It is anything but. This is the entrance to one of the National Security Agency's former spy stations, a place shrouded in secrets and denials, the source of local lore that seems right out of "X-Files." What is inside that giant geodesic dome that looks like a golf ball? Where do the tunnels snaking beneath the 202-acre site lead? Why are the rugs welded to the floors of the windowless buildings? Few people have been beyond these gates, deep inside the Appalachian Mountains, 50 miles southwest of Asheville. The NSA abandoned the site to the U.S. Forest Service five years ago, leaving behind a deserted minicity in the middle of nowhere. Now, some of the secrets are being revealed. Last year, with the base boarded up and close to demolition, the property was transferred to a group of astronomers in exchange for a piece of land in western North Carolina. Over the past year, they have begun piecing together the site's past. "There are things on this site you will never see anywhere else," said site manager Jim Powers. "I've never had someone come here that wasn't blown away." The astronomers, who formed the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute, were attracted by two 85-foot satellites dishes on the site - some of the largest in the country - which could be repositioned to catch deep-space radio signals and allow them to study the life and death of stars. When the group arrived in January 1999, they expected a basic, albeit large, government facility, but as the weeks passed they realized little about the site was what it appeared. As they began to install their computers, they found hundreds of miles of top-of-the-line cabling running under every floor. They discovered that the self-contained water and sewer treatment plant could handle tens of thousands of gallons of water at a time and the generator could produce 235 kilowatts of energy - powerful enough to light up a small city. In a basement room of one of the larger buildings, they found the entrance to a 1,200-foot tunnel system that connects two of the site's main buildings. Every inch of floor in more than four buildings was covered with two-by-two-foot squares of bleak brown carpet. When the astronomers tried to replace it, they discovered it was welded with tiny metal fibers to the floor. The result, they eventually realized, is that the rugs prevent the buildings from conducting static electricity. Even the regular lighting looks different, covered by sleek metal grids that prevent the light bulbs from giving off static interference. The few windows are bulletproof. But what fascinated the astronomers was the still-operable security system that, among other things, sounds an alarm in the main building any time the front perimeter is crossed. The group can watch on monitors as cars approach from miles away. Inside the site, the agency had taken further measures. One area is in a small, sunken river ravine surrounded by barbed wire and an additional guard post. Steps, with reflective metal paneling to shield the identity of those walking beneath, lead down a small hill and wind their way to two small buildings with conference rooms inside - both of which once emanated "white noise" to prevent electronic eavesdropping. What Powers and several others in the group find remarkable, though, is not just the expansive network of buildings and security, but the extraordinary cost of all they items they have found - items the agency discarded. He said the extensive fiber optic cabling that runs for miles under the floors and through the tunnel system is the most expensive on the market. When a state regulator came out to issue a permit for a massive underground storage tank with a double lining, the astronomers said he told them he wished he had a camera. He wanted to take a picture to show his co-workers because he had never seen a system so sophisticated. And the agency didn't just install one water tank; it installed two. In a basement room, beneath a system that pressurizes wells, is another system just like it. "You see this kind of thing everywhere here," Powers said. "They never have just one of something." Even most of the heavy bolt locks - which every door has - are covered by black boxes locked with padlocks. Despite the site's stark appearance, there are some human - and humorous - vestiges. A bright happy face is painted on the smallest of the four satellite dishes on the site, something one former employee said was done so that they could "smile back at the Russians." Inside the tunnels, too, are chalk drawings of animals and warriors resembling those found in caves thousands of years ago. Aside from the rustling of deer and the wild turkeys that run rampant across the hundreds of vacant parking spaces, everything about the place is now eerily quiet. Paperwork in the guard shack is held in place by a stapler though no one has been inside the small building in years. Security cameras still work and alarms all still sound, though no one is listening. When the agency withdrew in 1995, some of the 300 workers, especially those who grew up locally and got hired on as groundskeepers and mechanics, returned to the nearby towns, though many say they are still forbidden to talk about their work. Most of the others - the security officers, military personnel and cryptologists - left the area for their next Department of Defense post. The site dates back to the early 1960s, when a scaled-down version was carved out to support the space program. It was operated at first by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and scientists used the early satellite dishes to track the flights into outer space and kept the door open for school groups and visitors who wanted to learn more about space missions. But suddenly in 1981, the NSA took over from NASA. Local hikers and hunters who stumbled onto some of the agency's acreage would be suddenly surrounded by armed guards who appeared as if from nowhere to escort them out of the woods. Vans with darkened windows shuttled past the local coffee shops, fueling rumors. The agency's presence was hard on the local employees as well. Don Powell began working on the site in 1967 as a car mechanic and spent the next three decades learning the mechanics of every inch of the satellite dishes for the Defense Department. He also learned to avoid questions about his work and to lie to his neighbors. For 15 years people would approach him and the few other local workers, asking what was out there, what they did and, of course, what is that golf ball? "The kids would always ask, what's in [that] giant dome?" He would tell them it was "filled with chocolate pudding," he said. "I couldn't even tell my wife. I couldn't tell anyone." The 1995 closure appears to have caught the agency by surprise. It had recently cleared several more areas and laid the foundations for additional smaller satellite dishes that were never built. One newly built satellite dish, which one insider says was never turned on, was dismantled and shipped to England. The Forest Service tried unsuccessfully to engineer a land trade for three years, hampered by a site that posed many problems for the few interested parties - from the remote location to the expense of removing satellite dishes embedded 80 feet into the ground. The agency was about to return with a bulldozer when the astronomers group, headed by benefactor J. Donald Cline, a scientist and former computer executive, offered to buy and trade 375 acres along the French Broad River in North Carolina for the spy station. What made the site, shielded from interference in a natural bowl-shaped terrain, so perfect for the NSA made the site perfect for the astronomers as well. They plan to use the satellite dishes to read the characteristics of elements given off by dying stars. "This area is free of light pollution," Powers said, as he stood in the middle of a vast, empty parking lot. "It's also clean in terms of electromagnetic interference like cell phone towers or things that create electromagnetic noise. "And we can be sure there won't be any in the future because the Forest Service owns everything around here. ... It's easy to see why they liked this place." Recently, in one of a dozen large empty rooms in one of four mostly empty office buildings where the group decided to set up shop, four scientists stood around a portable panel of monitors and computers, watching the results of a test appear on a screen. "It's stardust," said the site's technical director, astronomer Charles Osborne. "This stuff is just floating around out there. It's the building blocks of life." In order to use the satellite dishes, they had to spend months trying to slow them down. Both of the 85-foot dishes swing on two axes, an extravagance the astronomers suspect allowed the agency to swing the face around swiftly to catch up with satellites orbiting Earth. The astronomers need the dishes to move no faster than the speed of Earth itself. But there is much on the site that the astronomers don't know what to do with, such as the paper-shredding building up on one hill, the large helicopter pad on top of another, and down in a valley of well-manicured grass, that giant golf ball, similar to those seen at NSA headquarters at Fort Meade. Close up from the outside, the ball is a circle of triangles, no two identical, that feel like Gore-Tex to the touch. When one triangle at the bottom is pushed, several triangles around it gyrate, letting off a low grumbling sound of bending metal echoing throughout the ball. Inside, past a small door less than 4 feet tall, the ball glows white, lighted by the sunlight outside reflecting and bouncing inside from one triangle to another. In its center is a 40-foot satellite dish, cleaner and smoother than any of the others. It looks new, though it has been there for years. There are unusual numbered patterns on the dish's white panels, laid out like a cheat sheet to a jigsaw puzzle. The astronomers believe that the triangles vary in size as a clever way to minimize the effect of interference that comes from patterns. Enclosing the dish under such a surface, they speculate, would protect it from the weather, and prevent anyone else from seeing it or reading the direction it is pointed. For the astronomers, though, this curious dish is somewhat irrelevant. They need dishes with large faces, like the two bigger ones, to read the radio signals of stars millions of light-years from Earth. >From far above on the perfectly level, perfectly painted helicopter pad with a view of miles of mountains and green trees, Powers laughed at the differences between the previous owners and the astronomers, a group short on staff and scraping for funding. He studied the golf ball. "You'll go a long way before you find anything like that around anywhere else," he said. " ... But nothing about this place is what it seems." -- ======================================================================= 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) 546-3803 Granite Island Group Fax: (978) 546-9467 127 Eastern Avenue #291 http://www.tscm.com/ Gloucester, MA 01931-8008 jmatk@t... ======================================================================= The First, The Largest, The Most Popular, and The Most Complete TSCM, Technical Security, and Counterintelligence Site on the Internet. ======================================================================= 2250 From: James M. Atkinson, Comm-Eng Date: Sat Jan 6, 2001 11:09am Subject: Clinton Creates Secrets Panel January 05, 2001 Clinton Creates Secrets Panel http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/bw-wh/2001/jan/05/010500817.html ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Clinton has signed an order creating a national counterintelligence executive to oversee the government's efforts to protect its most vital national security secrets, administration officials said Friday. The new counterintelligence executive will have a four-member board composed of the director of the FBI, the deputy secretary of defense, the deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency and a Justice Department representative. White House spokesman Jake Siewert said Clinton took the action to help adapt U.S. counterintelligence efforts to a post-Cold War era "in which danger could come just as easily from a laptop (computer) and not the traditional cloak-and-dagger spies." "The old system was designed to counter intelligence threats that came from our adversaries in the Cold War," Siewert said. "Now you're in a new era where those threats are not quite as centrally localized, and you need a more integrated system." Siewert said although the incoming Bush administration could reverse Clinton's decision, that looks doubtful since it is strongly supported by the CIA, FBI, Defense Department and other agencies involved in counterintelligence matters. He said national security adviser Sandy Berger had briefed his anticipated successor, Condoleezza Rice. "They can undo it, but this is not a partisan issue," Siewert said. The organization will reside at CIA headquarters and will replace the CIA's National Counterintelligence Center, according to an administration official who discussed the matter in advance of the White House announcement. The center was created in 1994 after the arrest of Aldrich Ames, a longtime CIA officer convicted of spying for the former Soviet Union. Clinton's order was first reported in Friday's editions of The New York Times and The Washington Post. The existing counterintelligence center at CIA focuses on known, suspected or potential intelligence losses. The new organization will take a broader, more forward-looking approach to determining which national secrets are most vital, which are of greatest interest to foreign governments and how U.S. agencies can cooperate to protect them. Siewert said he believed it was unlikely Clinton would name the counterintelligence executive before he leaves office Jan. 20. Prior to the Ames case, which was one of the worst intelligence disasters in CIA history, the FBI and other government agencies had their own counterintelligence operations but there was no central government-wide office in charge of protecting secrets. --- On the Net: the National Counterintelligence Center at http://www.nacic.gov -- ======================================================================= 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) 546-3803 Granite Island Group Fax: (978) 546-9467 127 Eastern Avenue #291 http://www.tscm.com/ Gloucester, MA 01931-8008 jmatk@t... ======================================================================= The First, The Largest, The Most Popular, and The Most Complete TSCM, Technical Security, and Counterintelligence Site on the Internet. ======================================================================= 2251 From: James M. Atkinson, Comm-Eng Date: Sat Jan 6, 2001 11:11am Subject: Interagency Board to Revise Counterintelligence Strategy Interagency Board to Revise Counterintelligence Strategy http://www.iht.com/articles/6496.html David A. Vise Washington Post Service Saturday, January 6, 2001 WASHINGTON President Bill Clinton has signed an order establishing a counterintelligence board that will bring together high-ranking FBI, CIA and Defense Department officials in an effort to devise a more effective strategy to combat spying, according to senior administration officials. . The presidential directive creates a board chaired by the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louis Freeh, that is charged with carrying out a "pro-active" counterespionage program. The board will hire an executive who will be the federal government's foremost expert on counterintelligence, officials said. . "It is a dramatic change," a senior Clinton administration official said. "It is revolutionary in its focus and perspective." . In addition to Mr. Freeh, other members of the board will be the deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency, the deputy secretary of defense and a representative of the attorney general. The operation will be run out of offices at the CIA. The directive is significant, senior Clinton administration officials said, because it restructures the counterintelligence community by formalizing information-sharing without regard to borders or federal agencies. . It also reflects a heightened focus on economic espionage and other types of spying, rather than solely emphasizing the protection of government secrets. . "We have always looked at spies and tried to figure out who was spying on us and what they were after," a senior administration official said. "Now, we are looking more at what it is we want to protect. We will no longer focus on embassies as the centers of foreign intelligence-gathering activities." . The new approach was developed after security lapses that revealed systemic failures in sharing information about spying. The board's first task will be to produce a study identifying threats and vulnerabilities. . Under the concept, the National Security Council also will have a new oversight role in counterintelligence. -- ======================================================================= 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) 546-3803 Granite Island Group Fax: (978) 546-9467 127 Eastern Avenue #291 http://www.tscm.com/ Gloucester, MA 01931-8008 jmatk@t... ======================================================================= The First, The Largest, The Most Popular, and The Most Complete TSCM, Technical Security, and Counterintelligence Site on the Internet. =======================================================================