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Mobile Devices Banned From UK Cabinet Meetings Over Surveillance Fears
MightyMartian writes "British securities services fear foreign intelligence agencies have developed the ability to turn mobile devices such as phones and tablets into bugs without the owner's knowledge, allowing them to eavesdrop on confidential meetings. According to the article, UK security services fear China, Russia and Pakistan have figured out a way to turn mobiles into microphones, and have them transmit even when they're off. Ministers in sensitive government departments have been issued with soundproof lead-lined boxes, which they must place their mobiles in when having sensitive conversations."
Do we really have to Max?
The Scowge of Dewocracies.
And what the fuck is Pakistway? Is that near Stalinstan, or Armeniad?
-- Ethanol-fueled
" lead-lined boxes"
well they DO have to keep Supper Man from seeing in
"I don't pitch OpenSUSE Linux to my friends, i let Microsoft do it for me
Is that anywhere near Norstan?
Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
British securities services fear foreign intelligence agencies have developed the ability to turn mobile devices such as phones and tablets into bugs without the owner's knowledge, allowing them to eavesdrop on confidential meetings.
This is positively ancient. Just so happens the elected officials are finally beginning to use the precautions that have been used in the military and other corners of government for quite some time.
Time Bomber the Book coming soon.
But he can't penetrate tupperwear.
Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
The land where editors are actually competent!
They won't let you take phones in there, either, for the same reason. And they haven't for decades now.
Prima: Right, who's paying us?
Secunda: Fotherington-Smythe Plc.
Prima: And what do they want?
Secunda: For HMRC to look the other way on their offshore banking; more unpaid labour via the Work Programme; an overseas meeting to drum up some business; hm, and they want to get into private healthcare work, so perhaps you could force the NHS to put some work out to tender?
Prima: OK, gentlemen, let's do it. Don't forget to ask GCHQ to send them any intercepts which might be of use to them. Tertia, prepare the speech.
Tertia: "Enterprise.. bla bla... hard working people.. bla bla.. austerity... bla bla... " hmm, growth.. nah, don't worry, should be easy to fudge these figures.
Prima: Excellent.
Wait. Maybe we could make an exception for a fully open source, well code reviewed phone?
Oh, it doesn't exist does it.
OK, troll over. Just another opportunity to show that open source does have a unique selling point and it's not being capitalised on.
A blog I run for the wealth
Funny thing about backdoors, they can be used against you. The FBI have had this capability for years. Just google for "roving bug." What could possibly go wrong? Other people who aren't supposed to be using it have figured out how to exploit it? Do tell.
That window in the background looked like a nice laser target to measure sound vibrations in the room...
Lead lined? Are they using gamma particles or x-rays?
What's wrong with iron... a much better shielding material for magnetic and electrical fields.
or just anything conductive... like the bags the cops drop phones into during a search.
I'd be more worried about the likelihood the NSA is listening in after recent revelations
Donte Alistair Anderson Roberts - hi son!
Karma: Chameleon
Per this, I feel comfortable saying cry me a river.
The outrage over foreign spying--in particular Chinese backdoors--on the part of the American intelligence community is really a form of the same thing: it's okay when we do it, but as soon as anyone else does the same thing to us, it's a gross affront to our privacy and the relationship we have with the spying party and possibly an act of war. I realize intelligence agencies are trained to think this way, but is it really so terribly difficult to grasp that if you don't want it done to yourself, it's probably a sign you shouldn't be doing it to others?
After what has been revealed recently, anyone who thinks they are an ally of the USA needs to worry more about the NSA and other criminal organisations than Pakistan. At least they do not tell everyone that they have the divinely given duty to rule over the world. They may think it but, if so, are smart enough not to tell everyone about Pakistani Exceptionalism.
I'll see your Constitution and raise you a Queen.
"Good luck, Mr Wayne!" ;-)
Funny because somebody just thought of this. Ding. Merits a Press Release. Really thought that one out eh? Love ya GB like a brother, likely always will. But y'all ain't what you used to be, yo. Canuckistan and the Oz mostly got it down still. But y'all? you're killin me.
According to the article, UK security services fear China, Russia and Pakistway have also figured out a way to turn mobiles into microphones...
Windows 2000 - from the guys who brought us edlin
Pakistway?
In Murphy We Turst
They've used it on the Russians, Chinese and Pakistani themselves.
I think the boxes could more approriatally called Snowden's Fridge
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
Don't tell me these suckers actually buy into "no spy"?
All the Russians and Chinese really need are a handful moles at the NSA and the get all the GB's secrets essentially for free.
Should be worried about
They should just drop all toys into a Blendtec blender. That'll take care of it.
So, why are we now allowed to fly with toys powered up - is it to allow the NSA to hear the Huns coming?
Funniest thing about backdoors is that almost every mobile device in the world has an ARM chip, designed in Cambridge, UK. That's Cambridge as in MI5 open recruiting ground and MI6 clandestine recruiting ground.
Devices manufactured in China, using a British-designed chip, routed through British Telecom using Huawei equipment... as you said, what could possibly go wrong?
If I were the conspiratorial sort, I might have reason to suspect Cambridge-recruited personnel of working for the other side.
Andrew Oakley - www.aoakley.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWtPPWi6OMQ
Oh, wait, with apple iCrap you can't do that, because Steve Jobs said so.
You don't know where it is? Well, duh. It must be publiek skool edumakasion.
..Where can I buy one?
Maybe it was an illustrative device but you would not need to use lead. The standard practice is to use a Faraday bag or case which could be made of lots of different materials including lead as long as it is electrically connected to the closure. Lead is used for radiation shielding but for electro magnetic shielding a Faraday bag or cage is used...
411 Y0UR 8453 4R3 8310NG 70 U5!! -NSA
We aren't even talking about citizens being the recorders (which would be super-ironic).
When the people in your government don't trust their closest co-workers, there's reason to be concerned about the health of the entire leadership system.
I read the entire "The Telegraph" story. There was no mention of Pakistani spies in Britain, other than in the headline. And the two "spies" in the US, were more like lobbyists. They had donated money to politicians to get favorable opinion of Pakistani side of the Kashmir issue. This is hardly what you would call "spying".
Ugh, if it's transmitting it isn't off. I assume off is used as "powered off" and power is required to transmit. A device cannot be "off" and "transmitting" they're mutually exclusive.
...They already know what you think.
In the "near field", the magnetic fields are dominant over the electric fields. Copper foil is fine for radiated e-field at a distance, not so hot close up. Something with very low coercivity and high permeability is what you want: iron or "mu-metal".
Copper mesh sucks in general, because it's woven, and you have wires that go from one side of the mesh to the other. Sure, copper windowscreen is nice for shielding line frequency, but for RF.. uh-uh.. you want perforated metal with no weaving. Look at your microwave oven window. (note well, though.. microwave ovens aren't all that hot at shielding)
Infinity Bug anyone, this is indeed ancient tech. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinity_transmitter
For years the GCHQ and NSA where happy to let UK political leaders chat away. Where was the skilled UK tech insight into been secure from Russia, the press, other motivated foreigners or groups? The same understanding of the secure UK telco networks could be seen and sold by any US/NATO contractor.
Only now does the UK gov understand what 'their' junk Enigma like cell network encryption can really be used for. The UK security staff willing, knowingly and over generations offered their countries political leadership junk encryption and told them its 'safe' to use it.
Now the reality of having some of your skilled UK tech more in touch with the NSA, NATO and other groups in the USA sets in. Who are your trusted security staff really working for and who are they promoting internally over the years? Two spy bosses? One in the US? One for contractors in the US? One in the UK? Would they do a modern MI5 and work for Russia too? China? Cash from the press? Cash from just about anyone or group? Some other faith?
All that UK policy about political issues, commercial deals, crime, oil, gas, weapons sales is not ending up in a safe in the Soviet Union - its been used in near real time thanks to sloppy UK staff.
Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
Presumably they want a Faraday cage. This doesn't need to be lead, does it? Maybe they are worried the phones are radioactive...
I rather stay a virgin than have a dick up my ass. Having a dick up your ass hurts like hell! Only a retard would call something like that hot sex!
The fact that the Slashbot editors couldn't even catch something like "Pakistway" instead of "Pakistan" is bad enough.
But the fact that they haven't corrected the typo after this long is an absolutely sickening example of lazy assed, shoddy, don't-give-a-shit attitudes. Shame on Dyce.
I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
"Ministers in sensitive government departments have been issued with soundproof lead-lined boxes, which they must place their mobiles in when having sensitive conversations."
Have they considered taking the battery out of their phone?
The solution is just that simple. I mean, is a government agent seriously going to take apart their lead-lined box to see what's inside it? You have rest assured that anyone buying a sound-proof lead-lined box is doing it to avoid being overheard, which is an excellent reason to put a bug in every one of them.
What do they have in their mobiles? Radioactivity? Why use lead-lined boxes, not copper-lined ones? Must be another royal screw-up on part of beaurocrats: if it has radio- in it's name, then use lead to reduce radio-activity.
Because this news is about as fresh as that, a wireless phone should not ever be in the vicinity of any meeting, ever.
The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
"Ministers in sensitive government departments have been issued with soundproof lead-lined boxes" Excellent! Ministers need to ensure that they're still holding their electronic devices when they go into the lead-lined boxes. When you're in a box, no-one can hear you (allegedly) shout "PLEB!"
As a Brit, I feel that this would solve a great many problems simultaneously. No sneaky air-holes for these a*-holes either. There, I feel much better now...
On y va, qui mal y pense!
*pedant mode on*
It's a good thing Elton John sang and performed on stage as well as he took dicks in his ass! Otherwise, we wouldn't have such hits as "Benny and the Jets," "Daniel," and "Tiny Dancer."
*pedant mode off*
The emotion you're lacking is embarrassment. You should be cringing that you even took the time to write that. Go get yourself some shame. It's a useful emotion and keeps you from looking like a dickhead in front of everyone.
Well, I suppose they finally found a way to get rid of people playing Angry Birds while in the government.
"Ministers in sensitive government departments have been issued with soundproof lead-lined boxes..." You had me nearly hopeful there but no, its only the bloody phones that are locked in the soundproof lead-lined boxes.
This charade, of successive governments declaring their concern/anger/whatever about "security" is beginning to turn in on itself. I watched this video again just last week, which features a chap from Scotland Yard bragging about the ease with which they turned the reporter's mobile phone into a location/communications tracking and monitoring device. The UK seems to take some pride in being a world leader in surveillance and espionage. If the reported supply of chemicals to countries like Syria for use as weapons (to cite just one example) is any indication, it would be fairly safe to assume this expertise and technology is also on sale to anyone willing to meet the price. I guess it's time we stopped being distracted by dramatic headlines long enough to figure out why the member countries which created ECHELON/PRISM are now pushing this dumb "OMG, foreign governments use spies!" narrative quite so forcefully.