Google Criticises Swedish Wiretap Plan

The Internet search engine Google has attacked Sweden’s plans to allow police greater wiretapping powers, as being contrary to Western democracy.

Google spokesman Peter Fleischer says he has warned the government that the introduction of the controversial legislation could lead to the company ruling out investing in Sweden.

While telephone taps have long-been permitted in Sweden, under the new plans police in Sweden will be able to place bugging devices in the homes of suspects, and monitor their email with the approval of a court.

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Report: Evidence suggests HP spied on Dell

Posted by Greg Sandoval

update A magazine report published Tuesday indicates that Hewlett-Packard engaged in corporate espionage and spied on at least one of its own executives prior to the company’s controversial probe into a boardroom leak last year.

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Those exquisite revolutionary moments: populism at its vilest

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But you know what? I do not care because as soon as possible I will have switched all my services to either Movistar or Digitel. I do not care if I pay twice as much as in CANTV, because in a few moths I know I will get twice as much service. Also, chavismo will not be able to eavesdrop as easily in my communications if it ever wants to do so. Or does anyone think for a second that Jacqueline Faria or Soccorro Hernandez will bar the DISIP or other Chavez agencies from putting all the snoop devices that they want to install without any court order? I mean, until when for Faria to deny phone services because your name appears in the Tascon list? After all, she used said list in her previous positions.

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U.S. funding Mexico’s wiretaps

By SAM ENRIQUEZ
Los Angeles Times

MEXICO CITY — Mexico is expanding its ability to tap telephone calls and e-mail using money from the U.S. government, a move that underlines how the country’s conservative government is increasingly willing to cooperate with U.S. on law enforcement.

The expansion comes as President Felipe Calderon is pushing to amend Mexico’s constitution to allow officials to tap phones without a judge’s approval in some cases.

Mexican authorities have been able to wiretap most telephone conversations and tap into e-mail for years, but the new $3 million Communications Intercept System being installed by Mexico’s Federal Investigative Agency would expand its reach.

The system will allow authorities to track cellphone users as they travel, according to the contract specifications. It would include extensive storage capacity and allow authorities to identify callers by voice.

 

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Technology theft : Four Indicted Over WiBro Industrial Espionage

EDITORIAL from Korea Herald on May 24
Technology theft

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The two technology thefts were not isolated cases. Instead, industrial espionage has expanded to such an extent that it is now perceived by many to pose a threat not only to the security of the corporations involved, but to the entire nation. That is the reason why the theft of trade secrets for sale to foreign countries should be treated as an act little short of treason.

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A Mighty Number Falls

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Although it is relatively easy to identify huge prime numbers, factoring, or breaking a number down into its prime components, is extremely difficult. RSA encryption, named for the three individuals who devised the technique (Ronald Rivest, Adi Shamir and Leonard Adleman), takes advantage of this. Using the RSA method, information is encrypted using a large composite number, usually 1024 bits in size, created by multiplying together two 150-or-so digit prime numbers. Only someone who knows those two numbers, the “keys”, can read the message. Because there is a vast supply of large prime numbers, it’s easy to come up with unique keys. Information encrypted this way is secure, because no one has ever been able to factor these huge numbers. At least not yet.

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Wiretap scandal grows in Colombia

Defense minister says neither he nor the president knew the national police were listening in on public figures, including officials.

By Chris Kraul, Times Staff Writer
May 16, 2007
BOGOTA, COLOMBIA — President Alvaro Uribe faced a new scandal Tuesday over alleged wiretapping of political opponents and journalists, one day after he ordered the arrest of 19 present and former Colombian officials accused of signing a “devil’s pact” with right-wing paramilitaries.

In a news conference Tuesday, Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos disclosed that the administration had uncovered a broad and systematic practice by the national police of wiretapping prominent public figures, including members of Uribe’s government.

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Fantino refuses to comment on wiretap allegations

Toronto – Ontario’s top cop is refusing to comment on allegations he was involved in spying on the former head of the Toronto Police Services board while he was superintendent.

OPP Commissioner, Julian Fantino was speaking at an even highlighting the forces’ traffic safety program and made it clear he did not want to discuss the wiretap allegations.

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State Police review lists weaknesses in hunt for Phillips

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Communications devices, an official said, presented “a number of significant challenges.” Some of the devices — which, in addition to police radios, had to include cell phones because of terrain problems — were less than secure, allowing “Phillips sympathizers” to monitor police communications and gather information about the manhunt’s procedures and the positioning of troopers, the report says.

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Review Finds Weaknesses in Phillips Manhunt

(Albany, N.Y.) AP — A State Police internal review finds several weaknesses in how the manhunt for Ralph “Bucky” Phillips was conducted last summer.

The Buffalo News reports Friday that the failings ranged from local commanders not being in the field enough overseeing operations to the use of communication equipment that allowed Phillips’ friends to eavesdrop on police.

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