A German security expert, Karsten Nohl, has collaborated with researchers to expose the security flaws with GSM technology that is widely used by cell phone companies across the world. Not only have they exposed the flaws, they have created and posted on the web a code book containing instructions on how to get past standard GSM encryption that is being utilized on over 3 billion mobile phones to keep conversations secure from eavesdropping. GSM technology is used by several cell phone carriers in the U.S., with the largest being AT&T and T-Mobile. Verizon and Sprint users have nothing to fear since they use a more secure CDMA technology.

Nohl said the purpose was to push companies to improve security. The collaborative effort put the information online through file-sharing sites.

“The message is to have better security, not we want to break you,” he said of the move. “The goal is better security. If we created more demand for more security, if any of the network operators could use this as a marketing feature … that would be the best possible outcome.”

Nohl states that “carriers should now do the security patch that is overdue 15 years by upgrading to a new encryption function. I suspect they will only do so if customer demand is significant. Hopefully the customers will make it clear to their provider that they want 21st century security for their phone calls.”

So.. what do you think of Mr. Nohl’s approach to bringing this information to light? Do you think he is justified in releasing this code breaking information across the web to the masses or do you think there is a more structured approach that he could have taken. Regardless, it appears that he has gotten the attention of the cell phone carriers and they are probably falling all over themselves to upgrade their technology…which is probably a win for the consumer in the long run.

We recently came across an article that reported how an unsuspecting elderly couple was bilked of some hard earned money and thought we could probably use their story to help educate others.

Apparently, the Columbus Ohio couple was pulling into the driveway at their home and an unmarked gold Ford Taurus immediately followed and parked behind them. A man got out of the Taurus and quickly flashed what appeared to be a badge and identified himself as a detective to the elderly couple. He stated that he needed to look for someone in their home. After going inside, the “detective” asked the 79 year old man if he had any money. He stated that he needed to check the serial numbers. The elderly man complied with the request but refused to go downtown when asked. The “detective” ended up leaving (of course with the money) and has yet to be apprehended by police officials. Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of $2000 to anyone that can provide information by December 23 that will lead to an arrest and indictment of the robber. If this rings a bell to you, you can call anonymously at 614-461-8477 or text a tip to 274637, keyword CMH.

Of course, the sole purpose of this article is not to help you become $2000 richer by helping the authorities capture the unscrupulous character mentioned above (Have at it though!). We want to bring this story to light so that we can provide you with tips and information so that you know what to do if you encounter upon a similar situation.

• ASK FOR ID - First and foremost, if anyone portrays themselves to be a detective or police officer and they are not wearing a uniform or exiting a clearly marked police car, you will want to ask for appropriate ID. The ID should not be a standard issue driver’s license (anyone has one of those). It should be a photo ID that represents the law enforcement entity in which they are employed.
• ASK FOR THE BADGE - They should have a badge (no exceptions). The badge should look and feel real, have proper inscriptions and not resemble something that Woody would wear in Toy Story.
• Call 911 - If you are suspicious about the person approaching you and question their legitimacy you should call 911. The dispatcher that you reach should be able to confirm the validity of that person and send a back-up officer if you are still uncomfortable. Also, if you are driving and are pulled over by an unmarked police car, you should call 911 as well. Tell the dispatcher you are being followed by a suspicious car that is indicating you should pull over. Let them know you don’t believe it’s an officer and you’d like confirmation. If it is an officer, the police dispatcher will be able to tell you what kind of car you’re driving and then confirm that you have an officer behind you. Generally they will also send an on-duty officer in a marked vehicle out to meet you.
• REQUEST A SUPERVISOR - If you are unhappy with your order or service at McDonald’s you can do this. The same is true with law enforcement. If you question the validity or actions of the person pulling you over or knocking on your door, you can request that they call in their shift supervisor to help moderate or validate the situation. It is not an uncommon request.

We hope this article is helpful to our readers at SmartSecurityPeople.com. If you have additional tips and information that you would like to share, please feel free to do so below in the comment section.

It is not uncommon for SmartSecurityPeople.com to discuss social networks and all of the potential pitfalls associated with them. We usually gear our articles toward helping readers learn about putting filters on the information they are disclosing so they don’t fall prey to identity theft or burglary. However, we recently came across a story that shows how the addictive nature of social networking actually worked in favor of someone that recently had their house burglarized.

Apparently, a burglar was in the midst of his crime spree and happened to see a computer located in the bedroom that he was ransacking. Most burglars would have exclaimed “jackpot!” and added the computer to their stolen pile of goods. However, this one exclaimed “Totally Awesome!” and quickly logged into their Facebook account to see what everyone was up to. The question that comes to our mind is did this robber update their Facebook status to something along the lines of  “…Robbing a House…”? If he was a fan of Twitter, we wonder what his tweets would have looked like:

• Just broke in the upstairs window
• Here is a twitpic of the tree I scaled
• Whew.. no alarm and no dogs!
• Lots of cool jewelry in the bedroom
• Hey look a new computer from @bestbuy
• Hmmm.. Does it have internet?
• Might as well check my Facebook…

As the story reads, the end result is that this burglar stole a couple of diamond rings and forgot to log out of their Facebook account before leaving the house. The police were able to quickly track this person down because he lived in the same neighborhood as the victim. He is currently in custody and faces one to ten years of prison for the theft. The good news for him though… Facebook just recently opened it’s membership to the entire U.S. prison population!

Sometime between September 2nd and 3rd of 2009 an art collection featuring the works of famed artist Andy Warhol was stolen from the West Los Angeles home of businessman Richard Weisman . The stolen artwork consisted of ten 40″ by 40″ portraits created by Andy Warhol between 1977-1979. The portraits are all depicting famous athletes from over the years (Muhammad Ali, Chris Evert, Tom Seaver, Jack Nicklaus, OJ Simpson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Pele, Willie Shoemaker, Dorothy Hamill, Rod Gilbert). Included in the collection is also a painting of Richard Weisman that appears to be painted in a Warhol-like style. Click Here to see photos of the stolen paintings.

Richard Weisman is offering a million dollar reward for information leading to the recovery of the artwork.  Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the LAPD’s Art Theft Unit at 213-485-2524. Please be sure to tell them that SmartSecurityPeople.com sent you!

This event is still relatively new so we are sure as time evolves, more information will be made available. However, the skeptics among us are very quick to wonder if Mr.Weisman has this artwork insured and if so, how eager he really is at trying to locate these portraits. Sometimes cash in the bank goes a lot further than artwork on the wall.

Good luck to our readers at SmartSecurityPeople.com. We hope that one of you stumbles across this collection and is able to collect on the million dollar reward!

The Federal Trade Commission recently passed a law that will make it harder for telemarketers to pry their way into your homes via your telephone. At least that is the intention of the new regulations being put forth by the FTC. The legislation gives the FTC and state attorneys general law enforcement tools to combat telemarketing fraud, gives consumers added privacy protections and defenses against unscrupulous telemarketers, and help consumers tell the difference between fraudulent and legitimate telemarketing.

Beginning September 1, 2009, prerecorded commercial telemarketing calls to consumers - commonly known as robocalls - will be prohibited, unless the telemarketer has obtained permission in writing from consumers who want to receive such calls. (And it is hard to imagine that many consumers will actually be authorizing telemarketers to intrude upon their family time). After September 1, sellers and telemarketers who transmit prerecorded messages to consumers who have not agreed in writing to accept such messages will face penalties of up to $16,000 per call. Consumers will not directly benefit from these fines as it will help to fund the FTC’s continued upkeep and management of the regulations.
One significant amendment to the Telemarketing Sales Rule prohibits calling consumers who have put their phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry. Another change covers the solicitation of charitable contributions by for-profit telemarketers.(The National Do Not Call Registry provisions do not apply to for-profit telefunders; rather, for-profit telefunders must keep their own Do Not Call lists and honor call recipients’ requests not to be called.)

Other key provisions:

• require disclosures of specific information
• prohibit misrepresentations Calls that Deliver Purely “Informational” Prerecorded Messages
• limit when telemarketers may call consumers
• require transmission of Caller ID information
• prohibit abandoned outbound calls, subject to a safe harbor
• prohibit unauthorized billing
• set payment restrictions for the sale of certain goods and services
• require that specific business records be kept for two years

If you encounter any telemarketers that are not following the regulations provided by the FTC, please don’t hesitate to contact the FTC directly and file a report at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).

Hope our readers at SmartSecurityPeople.com find this information useful.

According to police, a man was robbed in the Shadyside(the name alone should probably make you cautious) district of Pittsburgh and relieved of his wallet, cell phone, and ATM Pin number. The thieves held him up by gunpoint, which was later found to be a BB gun, and threatened him to hand over all his stuff and then instructed the victim to “get out of here”.

The victim quickly reported the crime to the police and utilizing the GPS feature of his Apple iPhone, he was able track the path of the robbers after the armed robbery incident. It appears that the robbers spared no time to head to a Wal-Mart and spend the victim’s money in his bank account. After their shopping spree, they stopped by an Eat-n-Park restaurant to grab a bite to eat. Obviously all their festivities from earlier in the day had caused them to build up quite an appetite.

Utilizing the GPS tracking, the robbers were quickly detained by local authorities at a BP station as they were trying to put gas in their 2004 gray Dodge Caravan (sounds more like a family mobile than a get-away car!).

The good news about this article is that the thieves were apprehended and the victim is safe and sound and his property is back in his possession. What is really amazing about this story is the victim’s use of current technology to aid police in the capture of the robbers. How ingenious to use your cell phone’s GPS capability for tracking purposes after it has been stolen.

So.. what the writers of SmartSecurityPeople.com are wondering… If you are ever robbed of your wallet, cash, purse, etc.. would you volunteer to give your phone to the thieves as well if you knew it could be potentially used to track them down? Our initial response is no way, we would use the phone to call for help. However, given the positive outcome of the story above.. we are not sure. What would you do?

Reports recently leaked from the Federal Bureau of Investigation citing an incident that occurred today at the White House. Apparently an April Fool’s virus only known as the “joker” has taken over all intellectual property contained within the confines of the presidential residence. NBC’s White House Chief Correspondent, Chuck Todd, uncovered the information and brought the story to light early this morning. Mr. Todd states, “I really have never encountered a virus as complicated as the “joker”. I feel really honored to be the first person to bring this story to the people of our nation. Most of my correspondence is rather dull and for the first time I really feel like I am providing a service to all my dedicated followers by blowing the lid on the “joker” virus”. Mr. Todd then begin to ramble on about his latest press conference with President Obama and asked if the reporters from SmartSecurityPeople.com saw him ask his question on national television. To which we replied, yes but only because American Idol was bumped out of it’s time slot and our TIVO thought it was recording the sultry voice of Lil Rounds. Finding that Mr. Todd was no longer able to focus on the “joker” virus topic, we quickly moved our inquiry onto Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.

Robert Gibbs was a welcome relief after our jaunt with Chuck Todd. Mr. Gibbs was much more on task and prepared for our every question. We asked him about the recent virus attack on the White House and he quickly acknowledged it by stating,”we are aware of the virus and every precaution necessary is being taken to keep it at bey”. Mr. Gibbs continued to state that containment of the virus has been quite challenging because it has managed to find a way to infect the majority of the White House campus and it’s staffers. We at SmartSecurityPeople.com were quite shocked that Mr. Gibbs was answering our questions so freely and without reservation. For once we felt like we were getting an honest answer to an honest question. Much unlike the press briefings that we experience on a regular basis. With this great feeling of open dialogue and unfiltered communication we decided to delve further into our virus inquiry and see what additional information we could get from Mr. Gibbs. We asked Mr. Gibbs what type of technology or security approaches they were taking to attack the virus. He quickly responded by stating that no technology has been implemented to rid the White House of the virus. He said that science was on their side with this virus and that he anticipates it to be fully eradicated within the next 10 days. Being quite puzzled we asked how science would be playing a role with the elimination of the “joker” virus? Mr. Gibbs then looked at us and made a face that we have never seen before (at least not on public television). Mr. Gibbs then exclaimed, “Young Men, I have absolutely nothing to report on the alleged “joker” virus. At this time we can not confirm or deny it’s existence. However, if you would like to continue our conversation about the Rhino-virus infecting the nasal cavities of our staff, I will be more than glad to direct you to our chief of medicine”. With that he gives us a nod of the head, briskly turned around and exited down a winding hallway.  Apparently, as new reporters, it WAS our fault and probably a rookie mistake since we did not make mention of the type of virus we were asking about from the beginning.

Eager to cover this story on the “joker” virus, we continued on our quest to find the truth regarding its whereabouts and the havoc it was causing at the White House. At this point we were desperate. We were walking the halls of the White House aimlessly looking for a source. Well… not so aimlessly, since we don’t have official press passes, we were taking the 9:00am White House tour given by an intern. She was doing a fine job and really did not seem to mind when we would stop people along the halls to inquire about the “joker” virus. Our tour was coming to an end as we were heading down a long stretch of hall and we could see the climax of our tour right in front of us. There it was.. the Oval Office. As we neared the Oval Office, we could not believe our eyes when we saw President Barack Obama. There he was… “the man” leaving the Oval Office. If anyone would know about the “joker” virus, surely it would be him. We quickly but without drawing attention to ourselves speed up the pace of our tour group and moved them in the direction of the president. When we reached the point of being within earshot of the president we quickly interjected and said “Mr. President..Mr. President… Can we have a question please?” Surprisingly Barack Obama obliged and said not a problem but make it quick fellas because I am on my way to meet the Secretary of State for an important briefing on Mexico. Not wanting to waste his time we quickly asked him about his knowledge of the “joker” virus and the impact it is having on the White House. President Obama quickly replied and said, “oh yes, that virus has been wrecking havoc for a couple of weeks now. I even got caught up with it a few days ago. I didn’t know what type of virus it was but it is certainly no laughing matter and dubbing it the “joker” virus seems to be making light of a serious situation. I have been taking an antibiotic ever since and I am only recently starting to feel like myself again.” Barack then shuttled off to his next meeting. We quickly knew that the president was not talking about the same virus that we were referring to but then again maybe Chuck Todd as NBC’s White House Chief Correspondent had led us astray from the beginning. I guess we will never know the real story about the “joker” virus.

Happy April Fool’s Day to our readers at SmartSecurityPeople.com.

If you are like the majority of American automobile owners, you probably have enough change in your car to cover the purchase of a small Reese Cup Blizzard at Dairy Queen, a 2 liter of soda at the gas station, or a double cheese burger from McDonald’s. The question on my mind though, what do you feel is an appropriate amount of change to be hoarding in your car? Wondering what this has to do with security? I really didn’t think it had anything to do with security until I read an article from Becoming Debt Free 2009.

The article tells of how an unsuspecting person took their car to the local car wash and upon leaving found that someone had stolen all her change. Well almost all of it, they left the pennies.  See.. even crooks don’t find pennies of value in a depressed economy. Why do we still produce them?.. off-topic.. my apologies. The woman states that she lost about $7 in change.

Ok.. back to my question.. How much change do you think is appropriate to keep in your car?

Your answer could have a direct impact on whether your car becomes the next target for someone trying to get some quick cash. It is hard to imagine that someone would break into your car just for your loose change but we have to remember that we are in a depressed economy and experiencing tough times and people are more likely to do things(unlawful) that they would not normally do. So..if you have a surplus of change in the cup holder next to your gearshift, it is quite possible that may be just enough enticement for someone to break your window and make a quick grab and go.

Using a common research study in an unprecedented way, Geography Professors at UCLA have pinpointed Osama’s whereabouts. They state that he is located in the city of Parachinar in Kurram, Pakistan. Now before you get excited and think that this means the end of Osama Bin Laden, you have to first understand the basis of the research methodology utilized to make this great “discovery”.

Professors Thomas Gillespie & John Agnew, relying upon scientific theories to track the migration and distribution patterns of animals coupled with satellite imagery believe that their hypothesis regarding Bin Ladens location to be substantiated and backed by science. Using distance decay theory to predict movement from his last know location in Afghanistan to possible other locations, they were led to Parachinar through an extensive process of elimination. They have even narrowed it down to the type of building that he would be more than likely to be using for hiding. They predicted that the building would have less than three rooms(he prefers a small group of body guards) and tree coverage to limit aerial views (you know.. avoiding spy satellites and drone planes). Using this criteria, there are only three buildings in Parachinar that qualify.

So what now.. send in the reinforcements right? Well..uh.. no. The CIA has been consulted and an official states that he has not seen the report drafted by the Professors but he would recommend that anyone “take it with a huge grain of salt”.

Given that the U.S. lost track of Osama Bin Laden during the winter following the September 11th attacks when he left his safe haven of Tora Bora, you would think that Intelligence Agencies would take more interest in the research findings of these two Geography Professors. But without additional substantiation, I guess their hypothesis will stand alone as just a theory. Unless of course, the Professors want to take a sabbatical and make a quick trip to Pakistan…???

Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has gone through a number of branding changes since inception of it’s first franchise in 1952. However the one thing that has maintained consistency through the years is Colonel Harland Sander’s secret recipe. He formulated the recipe in 1940. The recipe lays out the exact mixture of eleven herbs and spices that is used to coat KFC’s Original Recipe chicken. It is written in pencil on a yellowed piece of paper and bears the signature of Harland Sanders.

The recipe has maintained top secret status in the company and only two top executives (KFC won’t release their names or titles) have access to the recipe at any given time. The security and safety measures of keeping the original recipe intact and out of harms way has been paramount. The ingredients are produced and blended by multiple suppliers and each organization only knows a part of the entire contents.

The recipe has been in an undisclosed location for the past 5 months while the vault that housed the holy grail of chicken recipes was upgraded to included the latest and greatest technologies. The recipe was recently returned to KFC’s headquarters in a lockbox handcuffed to the wrist of a security consultant.  Once the recipe was placed in the new electronic vault and the door shut, the president of KFC, Roger Eaton,  gave a sigh of relief and stated “mission accomplished.” Eaton stated that the process was nerve wracking and that he did not want to be known as the president who lost the recipe.

As for the security of the new vault that is protecting the priceless recipe… The vault is now secured by motion detectors and surveillance cameras that allow a guard to monitor the status of the vault at all times.  Thick concrete blocks encapsulate the vault and a backup generator is wired in to keep the security system powered at all times. Given all the measures that have been taken, it surely appears that the Colonel’s secret recipe will indeed remain just that.. a secret!

Company Facts:

• KFC had 15,580 locations worldwide at the end of 2008, including 5,253 in the U.S.
• The franchise is hoping to combat sluggish sales by rolling out a new value meal and grilled chicken product in early April.
• KFC is owned by YUM! Brands. In addition to KFC, the company also owns A&W All-American Food, Taco Bell, Long John Silver, and Pizza Hut.