Tag Archive for Spying

| June 16, 2015
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Michigan Cell-Phone Spying Legislation Stalled

Michigan Cell-Phone Spying Legislation StalledA warrantless cell-phone spying bill recently introduced in the Michigan House has stalled – for now. MLive is reporting that House Bill 4006 has been pulled from the legislative agenda a second time. The bill would require cell phone companies to disclose call location information when requested by a law enforcement officer. The bill would grant legal immunity to cell phone companies for making the disclosures.

Michigan Cell-Phone Spying Legislation StalledIn a flash of rationality, Gideon D’Assandro, a spokesperson for the Republican majority, said new questions about jurisdiction and proposed immunity for wireless providers have popped up. D’Assandro told MLive, “… There are still questions.”

The legislation, sponsored by Republican Rep. Kurt Heise of Plymouth Township, has prompted push back from some conservative lawmakers and other privacy proponents in the state Legislature after advancing out of committee. “It’s been a heated discussion, a passionate discussion, just about the civil liberty issues that are all wrapped up in this,” said Rep. Cindy Gamrat, R-Plainwell. “My concern is … we’re setting precedent authorizing government to access our technology devices, such as phones or computers or GPS in cars. Where do you end up drawing the line?”

Cell-phone spyingState Rep. Todd Courser, R-Lapeer, said he understands the value that location information could provide in some emergencies. However, made clear this week that he could not vote for the bill in its current form. He told MLive, “I think we also need to make sure we’re giving people the constitutional protections that are supposed to be afforded by our founding fathers.”

In typical goobermental double-speak, Republican Heise told MLive that allowing warrantless access to private citizens’ phones could actually strengthen civil liberty protections. Heise told MLive said he does not necessarily think that a 48-hour notification for cell phone owners is warranted.

SpyOf course, law enforcement groups and Verizon Communications indicated support for the proposal. Of course they do, they get even more access to citizens’ private information. MLive states that as now written, the snooping does not require a warrant. All a police officer needs to access a private citizen’s phone records, is to have a note signed by a supervisor.

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Well, maybe they don’t need to bother with any legislation to spy on us. Recent reports are that the goobermint has new ways to collect our personal data without a warrant. Stingray? FBI Spy planes? So much for the Constitution.

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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| March 5, 2015
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Michigan Phone Spying Stalled

Michigan Phone Spying StalledWarrantless cell-phone spying legislation has stalled in the Michigan House. MLive reports that House Bill 4006 has been pulled from the agenda for the second time in as many weeks. In a flash of rationality, Gideon D’Assandro, a spokesperson for the Republican majority, said new questions about jurisdiction and proposed immunity for wireless providers have popped up. D’Assandro told MLive, “… There’s still questions.”

privacy proponentsThe legislation, sponsored by Republican Rep. Kurt Heise of Plymouth Township, has prompted push back from some conservative lawmakers and privacy proponents in the state Legislature after advancing out of committee last month. “It’s been a heated discussion, a passionate discussion, just about the civil liberty issues that are all wrapped up in this,” said Rep. Cindy Gamrat, R-Plainwell.

My concern is … we’re setting precedent authorizing government to access our technology devices, such as phones or computers or GPS in cars. Where do you end up drawing the line?

State Rep. Todd Courser, R-Lapeer, said he understands the value that location information could offer in some emergencies but made clear that he could not vote for the bill in its current form. He told MLive,

I think we also need to make sure we’re giving people the constitutional protections that are supposed to be afforded by our founding fathers.

In typical goobermental double-speak, Heise, the sponsor of the bill to legalize NSA-style phone snooping in Michigan told MLive that allowing warrantless access to private citizens’ phones could actually strengthen civil liberty protections. Heise even told MLive he does not think that notifications for cell phone owners who the State of Michigan snooped is necessary.

I am not a crook

Warrant-less access to private citizens phones could actually strengthen civil liberty protections

Of course, law enforcement groups and Verizon (VZ) indicated support for the proposal to gain even more access to citizens’ private information. As now written, the snooping does not require a warrant. All a police officer needs to access a private citizen’s phone records, is to have a note signed by a supervisor.

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Get hold of your House Rep (contact info here) and tell them to keep NSA-style warrant-less phone spying out of Michigan and vote this bill down.

Stop the slide down the slippery slope, despite what the Koch Bros. and ALEC want.

Of course, the cops can just call their friends at Homeland Security and get the data and end-run the Constitution.

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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| February 12, 2015
Comments Off on 25% of Employees Access Past Employers Work Docs

25% of Employees Access Past Employers Work Docs

25% of Employees Access Past Employers Work Doc'sMore than 25% of file-sharing service users report still having access to work documents from their previous employer, according to a “Rogue Cloud in Business” survey of 2,000 U.S. adults by Harris Interactive for Egnyte, an enterprise file-sharing platform provider.

uncontrolled file-sharingAccording to FierceITSecurity, the survey highlights the security risks uncontrolled file-sharing practices pose to the work place from these practices are obvious. An Egnyte presser claims The survey results illustrate a major exposure for today’s businesses when it comes to the transfer and storage of data through unapproved and insecure cloud-only file-sharing services.

The new survey uncovers deep issues around the rogue usage of consumer-based cloud services and illustrates the need for IT to deploy a secure enterprise-grade solution that meets the file-sharing needs of employees while protecting sensitive business data from the risks associated with insecure file sharing through the cloud

The survey found that:

  • easy to take sensitive business documents51% agree that collaborating on file-sharing services (such as Dropbox and YouSendIt) is secure for work documents;
  • 46% agree that it would be easy to take sensitive business documents to another employer;
  • 41% agree that they could easily transfer business-sensitive data outside the company using a file-sharing service;
  • 38% have used file-sharing services have transferred sensitive files on an unapproved file-sharing service to someone else at least once; 10% have done it 6 or more times;
  • 31% agree that they would share large documents that are too big for email through a file-sharing service without checking with their IT departments;
  • 27% of file-share service users report still having access to documents from that previous employer.

mobile users are willing to bypass IT policiesAnother report from Workshare paints a grimmer picture for those of us tasked with protecting a firm’s intellectual property. The report titled “Workforce Mobilization” shows the true extent to which mobile users are willing to bypass IT policies and use unsanctioned applications to share large files and collaborate on documents outside of the office.

  • 72% of workers are using free file-sharing services without authorization from their IT departments.
  • 62% of knowledge workers use their personal devices for work.
  • 69% of these workers also use free file sharing services to collaborate and access shared documents.
  • At companies with fewer than 500 employees only 24% of employees using authorized file sharing solutions.

Robert Hamilton, director of information risk management at Symantec (SYMC) in Mountain View, CA also told FierceCIO a continued threat to the company’s data comes from employees who feel like they live in a “finder’s keepers” environment.

Not encouraging

The results of the survey report, entitled “What’s Yours Is Mine,” were not encouraging to IT security professionals and IT management. According to the Symantec survey of employees:

  • "finder's keepers" environment68% of their company doesn’t take proper steps to protect sensitive work information;
  • 56% do not believe it is a crime to use a competitor’s trade secrets;
  • 40% download work files to personal devices;
  • 40% plan to use old company information in a new job role.

Symantec’s Hamilton told FierceCIO:

Employees are taking increasing amounts of data outside the company, and most people do not believe using corporate data for themselves is wrong … The attitude is that ownership lies with the person that created it, not with the company that employs them.

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All three of these firms sell products they claim that can stop a firm’s intellectual property from leaking out through public file-sharing services. But before you engage any firm, some basic steps should be taken.

  1. Develop a technology acceptable use policy.
  2. Include public file-sharing services in the AUP.
  3. Incorporate the AUP in the staff handbook, and make sure staff sign it before they are given network access.
  4. Train staff on the risks associated with using public file sharing services for sharing corporate documents. Risks include HIPAA violations, PII release, Malware, PCI-DSS violations, and Government “Snooping.” Only then –
  5. Engage a service provider to implement an enterprise-approved alternative to the free file-sharing services.
What's Your is Mine

Symantec Infographic

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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