Tag Archive for Michigan State Police

| May 1, 2012
Comments Off

Anti-Malware Best Practices

What are anti-malware “Best Practices”?

  • Install a reputable A/V package before putting your computer online for the first time. must include 2-way firewall
  • AdobeSet Microsoft (MSFT) updates to automatic
  • Make sure your A/V package receives regular updates
  • Check for Adobe (ADBE) updates at least once a week
  • Disable autorun feature for USB devices
  • Never accept “click here to get a program you need”
  • Dump all email unless you know the sender
  • Test your computer security with a resource such as Steve Gibson‘s Shields Up!
  • Spam emailSend spam to Spamcop, Knujon; ask your ISP what it is doing about spam.
  • Abuse from a website or domain – send an email to abuse@….. – ask the site administrator what they are doing about this…”
  • Malware / Spyware / Virus – Upload samples of anything found to your AV provider – Demand accountability from the anti-malware provider; “what are you doing about this, am I covered…”
  • Filtered DNSUse a filtered DNS service -  OpenDNS – it is a free home use service (Registration required), stops most phishing and for corporate infosecs you can set what users can gain access to, e.g. social networking sites, ad-networks…. Another free service is ScrubIt. According to their website, they block out any pornographic, phishing, and many other potentially harmful sites.
  • Use Google (GOOG) “Safe Browsing“- Despite some negativity, this will cut off some  drive by downloads & web-based infections
  • Report bad stuff on the web – tell law enforcement, tell the Feds; The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C) or the Michigan State Police, Michigan Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force or send to Host Exploit.
Related articles
Category: Malware, Security | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
| May 28, 2011
Comments Off

Michigan Troopers Downloading Phone Data Without Warrants?

MichganThink about this while you are driving around this Memorial Day weekend. – The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan claims that for several years now Michigan State Police have been using portable devices that allow them to secretly extract personal information from cell phones. In an a article on Help Net Security the ACLU says that the troopers have used the devices on cell phones of people pulled over for minor traffic infractions as well as people suspected of a crime.

Michigan State PoliceThe article says most of the devices used are from CelleBrite and can extract a great number of data from most cell phones, including contacts, text messages, deleted text messages, call history, pictures, audio and video recordings, memory file dumps and more. GeekOSystems says the Cellebrite UFED Physical Pro Scanner (cut-sheet), were tested by the U.S Department of Justice. The DOJ reported the device was capable of pulling all photos and video from an Apple (AAPL) iPhone in under a minute and a half. Cellebrite says their devices also can extract, “existing, hidden, and deleted phone data, including call history, text messages, contacts, images, and geotags.” It can also extract your highly incriminating ringtones. These devices can also get around password protection, and work on over 3,000 cellphone models according to the web-site.

Cellebrite UFED Physical Pro ScannerThe ACLU is concerned that the MSP is using these devices to conduct warrantless searches without consent or a search warrant in violation of the 4th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Help Net Security reports that the ACLU of Michigan as been requesting information about MSP’s use of these devices for nearly three years by filing Freedom of Information Act requests to the Michigan State Police. The ACLU wants the troopers to reveal the data it collected, but it had no luck so far. The article indicates that the MSP is stonewalling the ACLU’s Freedom of Information (FOIA) requests resulting in possible court action.

ACLUFollowing those accusations, the Michigan State Police posted their side of the story in an official statement published on its website according to another Help Net Security article. The MSP says it has, “fulfilled at least one ACLU FOIA request on this issue …” The web-posting also claims that devices that the MSP has in its possession can’t extract data without the officer actually having the owner’s mobile device in his hand and they claim the scanners are properly used, “The DEDs (data extraction devices) are not being used to extract citizens’ personal information during routine traffic stops,” it explains. “The MSP only uses the DEDs if a search warrant is obtained or if the person possessing the mobile device gives consent.”

rb-

Wonder why the government keeps trying make talking on a cell phone while driving a primary offense? Could it be so the government has an excuse to stop people and collect their personal data? The last sentence from the MSP is particularly chilling since people are strongly encouraged to cooperate with the police even when they know they did nothing criminal. Warrantless searches violate the protection against unreasonable search and seizure guaranteed by the 4th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Secure motoring in Michigan!

What do you think?

Are smartphones losing their appeal becasue of all teh privacy holes?

Does anyone care about provacy anymore?

Has a cop ever picked up your smartphone?

Related articles
Category: Legal, Mobile | Tags: , , , , ,
 

Switch to our mobile site