cell phone tapping Archives - Page 6 of 8

Bug Sweep in Preparation for Top-Level Confidential Board Meetings

I just heard that the Teacher’s Union in a major metropolitan city has sent a notice of intent to strike to the school district. I won’t comment on that, but it did remind me of a case took on not too long ago when another company needed a Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM) specialist and specialized TSCM services. The Board of a large corporation was intending to meet to discuss a major change for the organization – there was even talk of a change of ownership. The rumors had workers and management nervous and twitchy. The Board knew that if any information they discussed leaked out, it could be disastrous for the current operations and, if they did change ownership, for the valuation of the company. [...]

Be Proactive so You Don’t Need Cell Phone Spyware Detection Services

We were recently asked here at how to prevent a cell phone from becoming a mobile spy. No one wants to be a victim of a bad guy eavesdropping on their conversations or their life through a cell phone listening device and we can detect it using cellphone forensics. At this time, there isn’t any 100% surefire method to prevent spyware on cell phones. However, there are a few things that would prevent cell phone surveillance: Understand the SIM Card. A SIM card is a microchip about the size of a postage stamp that is usually located adjacent to the batter in a mobile phone. The Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) is used to identify and authenticate the user of the mobile phone. That’s why a [...]

A Mobile Spy Could be in Your Pocket – and a Ping Indicates the Door is Open

Do you know what a ping is? Do you ever remember those movies where one ship or submarine sends out a sonar signal to determine the location of another ship or submarine? They make that ping sort of noise? Well that is similar to a cell phone ping only, in the case of smart phones, it can open up more than just your location. If the phone has GPS or Internet connections, your location can be noted. If a bad guy wants to keep tabs on you, pinging your cell phone can alert him to your location at any moment. The ping is the signal and is also a request for information. When the request is answered, that means there is a connection between the [...]

Odd Noises and Voices Could be Signs of Cell Phone Spyware

Sometimes the bad guys who have installed cell phone spyware on a mobile device fumble and their fumbles could mean you discover their covert actions. For instance, here at , we had a client come in with his Blackberry in his hand and say that something just wasn’t right. His request was for a forensic phone analysis. He realized a couple of times when someone made a comment about something that no one except he and his partner knew about. His partner swore that he hadn’t shared any of the information with anyone, but somehow the information got out. The only explanation in his mind by this point was that there had to be something – or someone – listening in on his phone and [...]

Cell phone spyware best left to the professionals

These days people are having conversations all over the place – even private conversations in open public places. However, there may come a time when you suspect someone has information from a mobile phone conversation that wasn’t made in a public place. There is no cell phone listening device to make that possible, but there is software called spyware or malware that can be installed onto your mobile phone without your knowledge. In a recent article at Forbes, writer Andy Greenberg provides information about detecting spyware on cell phones based on a presentation by former Pentagon contractor Michael Robinson. They make it sound like an easy task to identify spyware on your phone and get rid of it. However, an astute reader will catch that [...]

Technical Surveillance Countermeasures Can Start Outside

You may think that tapping phone lines at your home means someone has to gain access inside the house. While it is possible to install phone tapping devices inside the rooms of your home or office, but you have to know that a bad guy doesn’t even have to get in your house to tap a phone line. A visit to the outside box or the riser could result in the bad guy getting access to your phone line and adding a phone tap device. That’s right. A visit to the box that’s on the outside of your home or office could provide the opportunity for your phone lines to be tampered with and allow your conversations to be overheard. It’s not just the box [...]

Preserving Evidence is Part of Cell Phone Investigations

Cell phone analysis and forensics covers so many different applications that it is difficult to lump it into one particular use. For instance, when a crime is committed, the police authorities are finding that forensic cell phone data recovery can provide vital information. Because they are able to recover cell phone data, the sequence of events can often be outlined in a factual and objective manner. Likewise, in the process of an attorney attempting to get a jury to convict or acquit their client, cell phone records are equally as valuable. The thing about the data on a cell phone is that even when a user thinks he has deleted the evidence, through cell phone deleted data recovery, a forensic expert can retrieve data and [...]

Data is Data to Cell Phone and Computer Forensic Experts

“But I didn’t open anything bad!” That’s what one of our clients said when our computer forensic specialist was trying to explain that she did, indeed, have spyware on her cell phone. The thing is that a link is a link is a link. By that, I mean that the hardware – the cell phone or the computer doesn’t distinguish between good data and bad data or a good link from a bad link. It’s all just information and commands to the machine. And every time anything is accessed online or opened on your phone or computer, such as a website, an e-mail or text message, it is actually a link that someone sends you. When you accept it, you are actually downloading it. That [...]

Who’s Listening? Cell Phone Spying is Here

It might sound like a funny prank to pull on a buddy, but installing cell phone spyware is not a joke – nor is it legal - anywhere in the United States. In fact, the Federal Wiretap Act as part of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (Title All in Investigations) makes it a federal offense punishable by 5 years in a federal prison and the perpetrator could be subject to civil lawsuits as well. If you do an Internet search on cell phone tap, spy, bug, monitor or eavesdrop, you may find hundreds of sites that sell cell phone spyware – and many of them say the equipment is legal. It may be legal in some countries of the world, [...]

It is What It Is in Cell Phone Forensics

Many times, especially in domestic cases, there are three sides to every story: his, hers and the truth. Cell phone forensics allows us to find that third side. Cell phones are just computers. And, as I have stated before, even data you think may have been deleted from a computer is still stored somewhere in the hard drive. Therefore, the same goes for cell phones. Text messages and e-mails are most likely retrievable. And in the case of a domestic case, you can use cell phone records as evidence. Not only the call logs, but the data extracted through cell phone forensics and cell phone analysis. In order to perform cell phone forensics on a cell phone, the phone must be accessible. We are able [...]