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From: Linea Recta on 26 May 2010 14:30
"Linea Recta" <mccm.vos(a)abc.invalid> schreef in bericht
news:4bf6d115$0$22933$e4fe514c(a)news.xs4all.nl...
>I wonder, is there some clip on the market for blinding the webcam on a
>laptop? Never seen anything of the sort though and I don't have time to
>make one myself.
> On the desktop I have a Logitech webcam which is equipped with a sort of
> spectacle which moves over the lens when the cam is not in use. This
> ensures prevention of spying.




Come to think of it: how about the mic? Microphone does not have an
indicator led, so it can easily be misused by spies...



--
regards,

|\ /|
| \/ |@rk
\../
\/os

From: BillW50 on 27 May 2010 07:24
In news:4bfd68cc$0$22934$e4fe514c(a)news.xs4all.nl,
Linea Recta typed on Wed, 26 May 2010 20:30:33 +0200:
> "Linea Recta" <mccm.vos(a)abc.invalid> schreef in bericht
> news:4bf6d115$0$22933$e4fe514c(a)news.xs4all.nl...
>> I wonder, is there some clip on the market for blinding the webcam
>> on a laptop? Never seen anything of the sort though and I don't have
>> time to make one myself.
>> On the desktop I have a Logitech webcam which is equipped with a
>> sort of spectacle which moves over the lens when the cam is not in
>> use. This ensures prevention of spying.
>
> Come to think of it: how about the mic? Microphone does not have an
> indicator led, so it can easily be misused by spies...

Yes indeed. And the next time you are using the flash player in your
browser, right click on it and check your privacy settings. It might
have the mic and the webcam set to allow. If so, Adobe can see and hear
you whenever they want too.

Most cell phones the phone companies have the same ability. Whether you
are on a call or not. So they can listen in anytime they want too. Law
enforcement uses this little trick to listen in on the bad guys.
Supposedly they can listen in even if the phone is off. The only way
around this is to pull the battery out.

--
Bill
Gateway M465e ('06 era) - Windows XP SP3


From: John Doue on 27 May 2010 08:46
On 5/27/2010 2:24 PM, BillW50 wrote:
> In news:4bfd68cc$0$22934$e4fe514c(a)news.xs4all.nl,
> Linea Recta typed on Wed, 26 May 2010 20:30:33 +0200:
>> "Linea Recta"<mccm.vos(a)abc.invalid> schreef in bericht
>> news:4bf6d115$0$22933$e4fe514c(a)news.xs4all.nl...
>>> I wonder, is there some clip on the market for blinding the webcam
>>> on a laptop? Never seen anything of the sort though and I don't have
>>> time to make one myself.
>>> On the desktop I have a Logitech webcam which is equipped with a
>>> sort of spectacle which moves over the lens when the cam is not in
>>> use. This ensures prevention of spying.
>>
>> Come to think of it: how about the mic? Microphone does not have an
>> indicator led, so it can easily be misused by spies...
>
> Yes indeed. And the next time you are using the flash player in your
> browser, right click on it and check your privacy settings. It might
> have the mic and the webcam set to allow. If so, Adobe can see and hear
> you whenever they want too.
>
> Most cell phones the phone companies have the same ability. Whether you
> are on a call or not. So they can listen in anytime they want too. Law
> enforcement uses this little trick to listen in on the bad guys.
> Supposedly they can listen in even if the phone is off. The only way
> around this is to pull the battery out.
>

Hi Bill, I guess that with VoIP, it must be even worse ... Personally, I
do not worry too much about this, but in a sensitive business
environment, this should be kept in mind.

Even with the battery out, ... think how custom officer scan passports
in some countries. Denmark for instance ... I was surprised some time
ago to realize lots of people did not stop to show their passport ...
until I realized they were automatically scanned because of an embedded
chip in the passport.

Unbeknownst to the user, a SIM card could be scanned the same way if the
scanner is close enough.
--
John Doue
From: BillW50 on 27 May 2010 12:42
In news:htlpiv$nl3$1(a)speranza.aioe.org,
John Doue typed on Thu, 27 May 2010 15:46:26 +0300:
> On 5/27/2010 2:24 PM, BillW50 wrote:
>> In news:4bfd68cc$0$22934$e4fe514c(a)news.xs4all.nl,
>> Linea Recta typed on Wed, 26 May 2010 20:30:33 +0200:
>>> "Linea Recta"<mccm.vos(a)abc.invalid> schreef in bericht
>>> news:4bf6d115$0$22933$e4fe514c(a)news.xs4all.nl...
>>>> I wonder, is there some clip on the market for blinding the webcam
>>>> on a laptop? Never seen anything of the sort though and I don't
>>>> have time to make one myself.
>>>> On the desktop I have a Logitech webcam which is equipped with a
>>>> sort of spectacle which moves over the lens when the cam is not in
>>>> use. This ensures prevention of spying.
>>>
>>> Come to think of it: how about the mic? Microphone does not have an
>>> indicator led, so it can easily be misused by spies...
>>
>> Yes indeed. And the next time you are using the flash player in your
>> browser, right click on it and check your privacy settings. It might
>> have the mic and the webcam set to allow. If so, Adobe can see and
>> hear you whenever they want too.
>>
>> Most cell phones the phone companies have the same ability. Whether
>> you are on a call or not. So they can listen in anytime they want
>> too. Law enforcement uses this little trick to listen in on the bad
>> guys. Supposedly they can listen in even if the phone is off. The
>> only way around this is to pull the battery out.
>>
>
> Hi Bill, I guess that with VoIP, it must be even worse ...
> Personally, I do not worry too much about this, but in a sensitive
> business environment, this should be kept in mind.
>
> Even with the battery out, ... think how custom officer scan passports
> in some countries. Denmark for instance ... I was surprised some time
> ago to realize lots of people did not stop to show their passport ...
> until I realized they were automatically scanned because of an
> embedded chip in the passport.
>
> Unbeknownst to the user, a SIM card could be scanned the same way if
> the scanner is close enough.

Yes it is probably true of VoIP. And how those chips work without power
is the reading device puts out a radio signal and the chip converts this
into a power source to operate the chip. So that is how they work. So
far cell phones can't be operated in this way yet without having a
battery too.

The reason Adobe gave for having the ability to control your mic and
webcam was for marketing purposes. For example if they hear a dog
barking in the background, they can use that to popup dog advertisements
on your browser. AFAIK, they haven't used this technology yet. But the
ability is still there anyway.

And I too don't freak out about all of this. I guess it is because I am
probably too boring to be under surveillance anyway. And I really don't
do anything exciting that I don't want others to know about. But it is
somewhat disturbing how fast our privacy seems to be disappearing.

--
Bill
Gateway M465e ('06 era) - Windows XP SP3


From: Linea Recta on 28 May 2010 08:34
"BillW50" <BillW50(a)aol.kom> schreef in bericht
news:htlkpp$j5q$1(a)news.eternal-september.org...
> In news:4bfd68cc$0$22934$e4fe514c(a)news.xs4all.nl,
> Linea Recta typed on Wed, 26 May 2010 20:30:33 +0200:
>> "Linea Recta" <mccm.vos(a)abc.invalid> schreef in bericht
>> news:4bf6d115$0$22933$e4fe514c(a)news.xs4all.nl...
>>> I wonder, is there some clip on the market for blinding the webcam
>>> on a laptop? Never seen anything of the sort though and I don't have
>>> time to make one myself.
>>> On the desktop I have a Logitech webcam which is equipped with a
>>> sort of spectacle which moves over the lens when the cam is not in
>>> use. This ensures prevention of spying.
>>
>> Come to think of it: how about the mic? Microphone does not have an
>> indicator led, so it can easily be misused by spies...
>
> Yes indeed. And the next time you are using the flash player in your
> browser, right click on it and check your privacy settings. It might have
> the mic and the webcam set to allow. If so, Adobe can see and hear you
> whenever they want too.


These issues could be addressed quite simply if manufacturers provide their
hardware with a little (inexpensive) slider switch enabling/disabling the
camera/microphone. This way users know for sure he's in control himself.



>
> Most cell phones the phone companies have the same ability. Whether you
> are on a call or not. So they can listen in anytime they want too. Law
> enforcement uses this little trick to listen in on the bad guys.
> Supposedly they can listen in even if the phone is off. The only way
> around this is to pull the battery out.


I've never owned a mobile phone but I guess the same solution as above could
be applied.


--
regards,

|\ /|
| \/ |@rk
\../
\/os

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