Is Your Cell Phone Being Used As A Microphone? Oct 1, 2007 9:52 am 1344 Views You can find most of the following at Texas A&M U's website. ------------------------------------------------- Be Aware! Your cell telephone has three major vulnerabilities 1. Vulnerability to monitoring of your conversations while using the phone. 2. Vulnerability of your phone being turned into a microphone to monitor conversations in the vicinity of your phone while your phone is inactive. 3. Vulnerability to "cloning," or the use of your phone number by others to make calls that are charged to your account. VULNERABILITY TO MONITORING: - All cell telephones are radio transceivers. Your voice is transmitted through the air on radio waves. - Radio waves are not directional -- they disperse in all directions so that anyone with the right kind of radio receiver can listen in. - Although the law provides penalties for the interception of cellular telephone calls, it is easily accomplished and impossible to detect. - Radio hobbyists have web sites where they exchange cell phone numbers of "interesting" targets (YOU). Opportunistic hobbyists sometimes sell their best "finds" (YOU). - Criminal syndicates in several major U.S. metropolitan areas maintain extensive cell phone monitoring operations. - It is easy for an eavesdropper to determine a target's (YOU) cell phone number, because transmissions are going back and forth to the cell site whenever the cell phone has battery power and is able to receive a call. CAR PHONES - For a car phone, this generally happens as soon as the ignition is turned on. - Therefore, the eavesdropper simply waits for the target (YOU) to leave his or her home or office and start the car. - The scanner immediately picks up the initial transmission to the cellular site to register the active system. - The number can be entered automatically into a file of numbers for continuous monitoring. REAL-WORLD EXAMPLE One of the most highly publicized cases of cellular phone monitoring concerned former Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich. A conference call between Gingrich and other Republican leaders was "accidentally" overheard and then taped. The conversation concerned Republican strategy for responding to Speaker Gingrich's pending admission of ethics violations being investigated by the House Ethics Committee and other newspapers. PAGERS - Pagers have similar vulnerabilities. - In 1997, police arrested officials of a small New Jersey company, Breaking News Network, that was monitoring pager messages to New York City leaders, police, fire, and court officials, including messages considered too sensitive to send over the police radio. - They were selling the information to newspaper and television reporters. The offenses carry a penalty of up to five years in prison and fines of $250,000 for each offense.\ VULNERABILITY TO BEING USED AS A MICROPHONE: - A cell telephone can be turned into a microphone and transmitter for the purpose of listening to conversations in the vicinity of the phone. - This is done by transmitting a maintenance command on the control channel to the cell phone. - This command places the cell telephone in the "diagnostic mode." - When this is done, conversations in the immediate area of the telephone can be monitored over the voice channel. - The user doesn't know the telephone is in the diagnostic mode and transmitting all nearby sounds until he or she tries to place a call. - Then, before the cell telephone can be used to place calls, the unit has to be cycled off and then back on again. This threat is the reason why cell telephones are prohibited in areas where sensitive discussions are held! VULNERABILITY TO CLONING - Cell phone thieves don't steal cell phones in the usual sense of breaking into a car and taking the telephone hardware. - Instead, they monitor the radio frequency spectrum and steal the cell phone pair as it is being anonymously registered with a cell site. - Cloning is the process whereby a thief intercepts the electronic serial number (ESN) and mobile identification number (MIN) and programs those numbers into another telephone to make it identical to yours. - Once cloned, the thief can place calls on the reprogrammed telephone as though he were the legitimate subscriber. - Cloning resulted in approximately $650 million dollars worth of fraudulent phone calls in 1996. - Police made 800 arrests that year for this offense. - Each day, more unsuspecting people are being victimized by cell phone thieves. - In one case, more than 1,500 telephone calls were placed in a single day by cell phone thieves using the number of a single unsuspecting owner. - The ESN and MIN can be obtained easily by an ESN reader, which is like a cellular telephone receiver designed to monitor the control channel. - The ESN reader captures the pair as it is being broadcast from a cell telephone to a cell site and stores the information into its memory. What makes this possible is the fact that each time your cell phone is turned on or used, it transmits the pair to the local cellular site and establishes a talk channel. It also transmits the pair when it is relocated from one cell site to another. Cloning occurs most frequently in areas of high cell phone usage -- valet parking lots, airports, shopping malls, concert halls, sports stadiums, and high-congestion traffic areas in metropolitan cities. No one is immune to cloning, but you can take steps to reduce the likelihood of being the next victim. CELL PHONE SECURITY MEASURES: The best defense against these three major vulnerabilities of cell phones is very simple: - Do not use a cell phone. - If you must use a cell phone, you can reduce the risk by following these guidelines: - Because a cell phone can be turned into a microphone without your knowledge, do not carry a cell phone into any area where sensitive discussions are held. - Turn your cell phone on only when you need to place a call. - Turn it off after placing the call. - Ask your friends and associates to page you if they need to talk with you. - You can then return the page by using your cell phone. Do not discuss sensitive information on a cell phone. - When you call someone from your cell phone, consider advising them that you are calling from a cell phone that is vulnerable to monitoring, and that you will be speaking generally and not get into sensitive matters. - Do not leave your cell phone unattended. - If your cell phone is vehicle-mounted, turn it off before permitting valet parking attendants to park the car, even if the telephone automatically locks when the car's ignition is turned off. - Avoid using your cell phone within several miles of the airport, stadium, mall, or other heavy traffic locations. - These are areas where radio hobbyists use scanners for random monitoring. - If they come across an interesting conversation, your number may be marked for regular selective monitoring. - If your cell service company offers personal identification numbers (PIN), consider using one. - Although cell PIN services are cumbersome and require that you input your PIN for every call, they are an effective means of preventing cloning. A $26,000 Cell Phone Bill - A recent CBS 5 ConsumerWatch report by Jeanette Pavini profiles the plights of three consumers in California -- all of whom had their cell phones stolen and were left stuck with a huge bill for unauthorized charges. - The report told the story of San Francisco resident Wendy Nguyen, who was shocked to receive a bill for $26,000 after her cell phone was unknowingly stolen before she left for an overseas vacation. Cingular held her responsible for charges incurred after the phone was taken, up until the time Wendy discovered the theft and called the carrier. - She was able to prove via airline and passport documents that she was out of the country and couldn't possibly have made the unauthorized calls from San Francisco during that time, but Cingular still held Wendy accountable for all charges. - Not only that, they advised Wendy that if she couldn't pay the bill she should consider filing for bankruptcy! Adding Insult to Injury - Eileen Perrera's story revealed what happened after her phone was stolen while she was on vacation. She filed a police report and contacted Sprint immediately, but then received a bill totaling almost $16,000. Sprint claimed to have never received the call from her reporting the stolen cell phone. - Eileen was able to submit proof from landline phone records that she had indeed called Sprint customer service. As her late fees piled up, the situation remained unresolved for months. - Then there's Pamela Woodson's story. As revealed in the CBS 5 ConsumerWatch report, when Pamela's cell phone was stolen she reported it the very next day. - However, by that time her account had already incurred over $1,800 in unauthorized charges. Due to the suspicious nature of the fraudulent charges, she was actually interviewed by the FBI -- and cleared of all responsibility. - Nevertheless, T-Mobile pressed on, insisting she pay the outstanding charges in addition to late fees and interest. - This year, an estimated 600,000 cell phones will be reported lost or stolen. Here are the 10 things you need to know to protect yourself from cell phone theft and fraudulent charges: CELL PHONE SECURITY TIPS 1. Guard your cell phone like you would your wallet. The best way to not get stuck with fraudulent charges is to do what you can to prevent unauthorized calls in the first place. Think twice about what information you store on your device. A stolen cell phone will not only lead to a huge bill, but to identity theft as well. 2. Password-protect your device Check the user guide that came with your phone and start using the” lock" or "password" feature to potentially prevent a thief from making unauthorized calls. There are ways to override passwords, you might be buying yourself some time until you discover the loss and call your provider. 3. Don't be fooled by cell phone insurance. Purchasing cell phone insurance will provide coverage for the device itself, but it won't protect you against charges for unauthorized calls. 4. Call your cell phone provider as soon as you discover the loss. Report your missing device. Be sure to keep meticulous records including the date and time you called your carrier, the name and ID number of the representative to whom you spoke, and what you were told. Also note the state or region of their call center, plus their telephone extension number. Finally, ask for confirmation in writing that your device has been disabled. Some companies can even email this to you. 5. File a police report. This may not help your chances of getting the stolen phone back, but it still provides an official record of the crime. Your carrier may even require the police report number when you phone in the loss. 6. Open an investigation with your carrier if necessary. - If you find that you're not getting an immediate resolution by working directly with your cell phone company, don't waste another minute. Call your carrier and request an investigation, then follow up in writing. Requesting an investigation gives you a better chance of preventing any formal collections action to be taken and should also delay reporting to any of the credit bureaus. - Advise your carrier that you'll be filing a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), your state attorney general's office, and your state's public utility commission (PUC). Your carrier is more likely to pay closer attention to you when they know you're an informed consumer. - 48 percent reported not knowing who to call if their cell phone carrier could not resolve a billing or service problem to their satisfaction. Items 7 through 9 below shed some light. 7. Contact the FCC. The FCC will forward your complaint to your service provider, requiring a response from them within 30 days. You can contact them via their web site or call them directly at (88 225-5322. 8. Contact your state attorney general's office. ??According to ConsumersUnion.org, state attorney general offices will handle complaints about cell phone fraud and contract disputes. - This office has filed lawsuits against wireless companies based on consumer complaints, resulting in refunds to consumers and agreements by some companies to reform certain practices. - Find the contact information for your state attorney general's office 9. Contact your state's PUC. Each state has a government agency, usually called a public utility commission that oversees telephone companies. To locate your state’s PUC online and to file a complaint, visit the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners web site. 10. When all else fails, contact the media. The wireless companies are particularly adverse to negative media attention, so until effective laws are put into place you may have to resort to contacting your local TV station. - In Wendy, Pamela, and Eileen's cases that's just what they did, and their stories all have happy endings. - After many months of persistent determination and follow up, all fraudulent charges were dropped. It seems the wireless industry wants to do the right thing after all -- as long as they're forced to by the media. - But don't be tempted to skip steps 7 through 9. The FCC, state attorney generals offices, and PUCs all need to see how serious a problem this is, so formal complaints DO serve an important purpose. 3 Comments

Just when you thought you were approaching the 100% cynic milestone... Oct 1, 2007 9:14 am Mood: amused, 1135 Views Some coincidences are strange enough to give even the hardened cynics a pause. The following was in the papers today, 1 October, 2007. Message in bottle: Marriage meant to be Mon Oct 1, 4:39 AM ET RACINE, Wis. - Melody Kloska and Matt Behrs take it as a sign they were meant to get married. After tying the knot on a Lake Michigan beach on Aug. 18, they released a bottle containing their wedding vows. A few weeks later, the bottle was found by Fred and Lynnette Dubendorf, of Mears, Mich., who were also married on a beach — exactly 28 years before Kloska and Behrs. "It was meant to be," Kloska said. "This was a sign to me." Kloska, 46, and Behrs, 41, have been together for five years, but with several failed marriages between them, they had doubts about remarrying. They finally did it in a sunrise ceremony near the Wind Point Lighthouse in Wind Point in southern Wisconsin. They invited a few guests, read their own vows and released two balloons. When it was time to throw the bottle sealed with their name, address and wedding vows into the lake, Behrs went to the rock farthest out in the water. He threw it underhand, but the bottle landed back on the sand where Kloska was standing. "After laughing so hard, I tossed it back to him to release it again into the lake," she said. "It landed not too far from where he threw it. My thought was that with our luck, it would wind up in front of the house next-door to the lighthouse." Instead, it floated across Lake Michigan and landed in the path of Lynnette Dubendorf, who was scanning the beach for trash to clean up while she walked her dogs. She spied the clear plastic bottle partially buried in the sand and noticed the note inside. "I opened it and read it and said, `Oh, this is pretty cool, it's somebody's wedding vows,'" she said. "I thought, `Wow, how funny, we were married on the beach, too, and on the same day.'" She initially didn't plan to respond, thinking an answer would only encourage people to toss litter into the lake. "Then I thought, `That's selfish, I really should respond,'" she said. So she wrote Kloska and Behrs to tell them of her discovery. The letter read, "We thought you would want to know where your message in a bottle ended up! We picked it up on the beach between Pentwater and Silver Lake on Sept. 19. An ironic note, we were also married on the beach! Here in Michigan by Pentwater. Even more ironic, it was on August 18, 1979. We wish you both the best of luck in your new lives together." Behrs and Kloska had to read the letter several times to believe it. Kloska was surprised the bottle made it across the lake. "I took it to mean that there's hope yet," she said. 2 Comments

Know any great, english subtitled, korean history Drama? Sep 5, 2007 9:23 am Mood: confused, 1434 Views I don't subscribe to the Korean Channels since I only get to actively watch TV (other than having it on for background noise)very few hours a week. I am looking to buy or rent really good historical Korean dramas with subtitles, but haven't a clue as to what is out there. Does anyone have any suggestions? Also, does anyone know of korean websites for sampling current korean music? 4 Comments

WANTED: Gamjatang Recipes Jun 5, 2007 11:57 am Mood: hungry, 2145 Views Not all Gamjatangs are created equal. I have had some amazing gamjatangs and some dishes just barely qualifying as gamjatang. Has anyone inherited a REALLY GOOD, REALLY AUTHENTIC Gamjatang Recipe and is willing to share the info with the rest of us? 3 Comments

Secrets You Better Tell Your Partner May 30, 2007 11:01 am Mood: bored, 1372 Views David Zinczenko, who wrote 5 Secrets You Should Never Tell Your Partner, also wrote an article on the things you had better tell your partner. 1. I've Got Issues True story. An editor at Men's Health went on a radio show talking about relationships, and a listener phoned in, confused as to why a recent relationship didn't work out. He confessed that he had been in prison for years-but he didn't tell her until they were already months deep into the relationship. An extreme example, of course, but the point is that most of us are hesitant to reveal our quirks (don't eat anything green), our pasts (It took me seven years to graduate), our opinions (The president is a _____), and our issues (I never want kids) that may scare off potential partners. I'm not suggesting putting out a weirdo alert, but somewhere early on-maybe date six or so-it's smart to reveal at least pieces of who you are. Otherwise, you're just wasting your time, because when the truth does come out, your partner will feel mad-and duped. 2. I'm Getting Pursued It's not the easiest thing in the world to tell your partner that a co-worker, or friend, or random barista is making moves on you. After all, you don't want to appear like you're gloating, you don't want to instigate jealousy, and you don't want your partner to be alarmed. If the chase has elevated from innocent flirting to serious pursuit, your partner deserves to know that you're in someone's lusting cross-hairs. Plus, by telling your partner that something screwy is going on, you're actually assuring him or her that nothing is going on. 3. I Like That With 53 percent of people rating their sex lives as a C or worse, there's room for some improvement. Chances are, the problem is that you're not vocal enough. It's not that you don't make enough noise in bed-but you're not vocal enough about what you like in bed. Most of us are more verbal about our sexual likes early in relationships, but once we reach the comfort zone of a relationship, we're a lot less likely to actually communicate with our partners about what we want. The best strategy: Talk about it on a long drive and not right there in the bed, so there's no pressure to immediately perform. If you let the thoughts and ideas simmer, you'll have a better chance of bringing your relationship to a boil. 4. I Need More A big relationship killer: Complacency. We get into our routines-Tuesdays mean Idol, Thursdays mean Grey's, the weekend means it's time to catch up on bills, laundry, and garage-cleaning. The relationships that get as stagnant as pond water need someone to make waves, but we don't tell each other what we want. Half of men and women say that they don't always tell their partners what's bothering them. And the only way to instigate and inspire change is to stop stewing and start flapping. 5 Comments

5 Secrets You Should Keep From Your Partner May 30, 2007 10:58 am Mood: lazy, 1440 Views I found an article on the web entitled "5 Secrets You Should Keep From Your Partner" Posted by David Zinczenko Since any attempt to post the URL will nix this blog posting, I will assume that y'all are smart enough to use search engines to find the original article. The following is an excerpt from the article. 1. You Don't Turn Me on Right Now Granted, there will be days when your partner walks into the room and everything sparkles-moments like these make us count our blessings. But there are going to be other moments when your woman looks less like Cindy Crawford and more like Broderick Crawford, and when your guy is less Hugh Grant than Lou Grant. But when the occasional fashion faux pas or haircut from Edward Scissorshands comes around, swallow your tongue. If you want him or her to wear certain styles, compliment what you like, and ignore what you don't. Eventually, they'll get the message-but without the hurt feelings. 2. I Flirt With Others at Work The stats don't lie: About 40 percent of men and 35 percent of women have lusted after a co-worker-without ever making a move. Even if you have no intention of taking it anywhere, nobody wants to think of their significant others spending 8, 10, 12 hours a day around flirtatious and attractive co-workers, especially when they look, smell and behave at their very best. Want to share sexual secrets? Confess your attraction to Hollywood celebs, not the co-workers in the adjacent cube. 3. I Can't Stand Your Friends Your partner's circle of friends probably come in three different categories: a perfect package, nice enough, and how the hell can the two of you be friends? In that last category, there are all kinds of crazies-maybe she's too controlling, or maybe he's a bad influence. Whatever the case, know your audience. You may not like the friends, but your partner has more history with them than with you. So while they may not rank high on your personal list, keep it to yourself. Boxing out a man's friends is a relationship deal breaker, according to 83 percent of men we surveyed. And 62 percent of women would end a relationship if a guy doesn't get along with her friends. 4. I Still Think About My Ex While it's natural to think about your ex, the Internet has increasingly made exes a bigger threat than ever before. The phenomenon of searching online for one's ex, which the majority of Americans admit to, can really make your partner jealous and fearful-especially since the phenomenon of people reuniting with very old flames has recently exploded (again, because of the Internet). You put your exes in the past; do the same with any conversation about them. 5. I Can't Live Without You Why? Number one, it's not true; you can live without them. And number two, the key to a successful long-term relationship is to ensure that you've got your own life. You can say I love you, I enjoy you, I desire you, I appreciate you. You don't say I can't live without you. A partner should never feel trapped. He or she should be making a choice every day to be with you. And you, with them. 5 Comments

Babel - what's THAT about? May 29, 2007 12:12 pm Mood: contemplative, 1677 Views Saw Babel last night. I think I may understqand a part of what the director was trying to, but failed to convey. Either the movie did a poor job or it was just too deep for me. I'm feeling too lazy to look up and find credible reviews. Can other viewers offer me their interpretations? ... 11 Comments

GiGi - I don't like that movie any more - How types change May 23, 2007 11:38 am Mood: amused, 1148 Views Recently, I walked past my TV while a scene from the musical GiGi was on some show. Recalling that this used to be one of my favorite classic romantic comedy musical, I popped my GiGi DVD into my DVD player. Goodness! Scene after scene, I found myself fast-forwarding in a state of disbelief. "Is this really how this story went?" I asked my self. It was difficult to believe that as a little girl, I used to sit mesmerized in front of my pre-cable TV showing GiGi. Gaston Lachaille, played by Louis Jourdan (not to be confused with the designer shoe label), is a downright annoying, spoiled, not good for much, sniveling boob. I see very few redeeming qualities in the character other than his ability to appreciate the down-to-earth nature of GiGi and her aunt Alicia. It still makes sense that GiGi would find happiness with him, since they had known and liked each other for a long time. However, I could certainly never see myself with the type. I think I would go mad. It is amazing what the years have taught me about myself and my own temperament. Though I don't advise that women wait as long as I did to get married (I was 40 by the time I walked down the aisle), I do recommend that most people, men and women, allow themselves to grow and evolve before settling down. 3 Comments

blocked out of chat - woe is me May 21, 2007 12:09 pm Mood: annoyed, 1050 Views Dang. I just needed to add a couple of sentences to my profile and now I am banned from chatting until KFF officially approves the new version. 2 Comments

There once was a girl - to be nameless Sep 8, 2006 11:23 am Mood: devious, 2597 Views There once was a girl - to be nameless Who made up her stories - just shameless! She blogged her nonsense with no penitence Let's see if she's paranoid or clueless 23 Comments

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