Bulletin Board #28
#1. From # 2 son (who else)
Where is God?
In a certain suburban neighborhood, there were two brothers, 8 and10 years old, who were exceedingly mischievous. Whatever went wrong in the neighborhood, it turned out they had a hand in it. Their parents were at their wits' end trying to control them. Hearing about a priest nearby who worked with delinquent boys, the mother suggested to the father that they ask the priest to talk with the boys. The father replied, "Sure, do that before I punish them!"
The mother went to the priest and made her request. He agreed, but said he wanted to see the younger boy first and alone. So the mother sent him to the priest. The priest sat the boy down across a huge, impressive desk he sat behind. For about five minutes they just sat and stared at each other. Finally, the priest pointed his forefinger at the boy and asked, "Where is God?"
The boy looked under the desk, in the corners of the room, all around, but said nothing.
Again, louder, the priest pointed at the boy and asked, "Where is God?"
Again the boy looked all around but said nothing. A third time, in a louder, firmer voice, the priest leaned far across the desk and put his forefinger almost to the boy's nose, and asked, "Where is God?"
The boy panicked and ran all the way home. Finding his older brother, he dragged him upstairs to their room and into the closet, where they usually plotted their mischief. He finally said, "We are in BIIIIG trouble."
The older boy asked, "What do you mean, BIG trouble?"
His brother replied, "God is missing and they think we did it."
# 2 From: TOMB621@aol.com
To: dbugman@amug.org
Subject: Export Licensing
I think I posted this earlier, but to be safe, here it is again.
BTW- I had a lengthy conversation with a Dept of Commerce Rep on licensing
TSCM gear for use outside the US. She confirmed your information- there is a
crackdown- I think she called it "on Electronic Counter-Surveillance
Equipment". Anyway she said that the part of the procedure that takes
longest is the "request for classification", which is part of the license
application. It takes many weeks, maybe months, for that part to get action.
If you classify the stuff yourself, in the application, and in accordance
with the reg (i.e.- use their numbers and description), you can cut out a lot
of the time, and get a license in "maybe 10 days". There is an emergency
(walk through) procedure, but they rarely let people use it. You have to try
to justify an emergency situation, and she wouldn't even tell me the criteria
(the message was "don't even try, you'll be wasting your time").
Trying to travel outside the US at this time with gear and no license would
not be a wise move! Thanks for the heads up.
Tom
# 3 From: Kelleypi@aol.com
Date: Mon, 9 Jun 1997 13:56:13 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: BB#25 items
Tim, Don't see the problem. Every thing you said was on the button. Your views always seem objective to me and handled with the utmost tact. There are some real nuts out there and they should be identified. Not to the point that we knock everyone who does not share our point of view. But the real crazies and those who will sell smoke to make a dollar need to be identified.
Although trained and experienced in TSCM, I do not currently perform these services, thus I am in not in competition with any of the TSCM folks. I hope this allows me to be objective in my comments. To people who want info on TSCM, I say ask those who have extensive training and experience and have nothing to gain by blowing their own horn. And get references before you
hire anyone. Keep up the good work. Jack
# 4 From: "Mike Andrews" [mjandrews@worldnet.att.net]
Date: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 06:36:56 -0400
Hello Tim,
Some comments and my 2 cents worth.
Best Regards,
Mike Andrews
Steve Wilson wrote:
By the way we are now officially a licensed provider of Tektronix, Advantest, and Rohde & Schwarz Spectrum Analyzers, TDR's, OTDR's, O-Scopes etc for TSCM perposes (finally got the final contracts today - can you beleive this took 16 months!?).
I favor the Anritsu OTDR (MW9070B1). It has a dynamic range of better than 40 db (SNR=1) and a variety of pulse-widths that facilitate the examination of near-end stuff as well as optical features that are farther than 80 miles away as the photon flies. It comes with built in analysis algorithms that can automatically determine the correct range to the "end of fiber" and set other
parameters accordingly. It is dual wavelength (1310 nM and 1550 nM) and comes with the ability to overlay traces for comparison. It's associated PC based software package allows up to 8 traces to be overlayed as well as summed (valuable when looking for new changes - they stand out like a red flag in front of a speeding bull). I checked out the Tektronix units and wasn't too impressed.
On the positive side of the coin - Tektronix is the American company that represents Rohde & Schwarz. R&S is the premier manufacturer of SIGINT and ELINT equipment for the international community (read that as "anyone with a big enough check book"). They can furnish a complete SIGINT equipped van that would make NSA jealous. I also believe (but can't confirm) that R&S is fully capable of supplying the much sought after TEMPEST monitoring
equipment.
All in all - Tektronix isn't the best choice for OTDRs. (They are not the worst, either.) The worst (in my opinion) is Laser Precision followed closely by EXFO. The best units are (again, in my opinion), Anritsu followed closely by Hewlett Packard. Tektronix is smack in the middle.
Oh, by the way - I run a laboratory (on behalf of a large telecommunications company) that evaluates fiber-optic test equipment. I can gather test results to support my opinions if the need arises. (Not bragging, here. Just CYA)
I hope Mr. Wilson doesn't take this personally, because it isn't. His past correspondence reveals that he is intelligent and no doubt knows his business. I would hire him in a New York minute if I didn't already take care of my own TSCM needs.
# 5 From: DJFerguson@swri.edu
Date: Wed, 11 Jun 97 8:39:14 CDT
Subject: overseas travel
Tim:
I have considerable experience traveling overseas and getting equipment in and out of the country. In many cases it more difficult upon returning from a trip.
Unfortunately, documentation is the name of the game. A lot of problems can be solved if you use the services of a customs broker to prepare the proper papers before you arrive at the point of departure.
Plan on an additional day in New York or Los Angeles just to process your equipment.
All of the "Schedule B" number can be found on the internet @
http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/schedb97.html.
Good Luck to anyone headed that way. Don Ferguson
# 6 Date: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 21:29:40 -0400
From: "Kevin D. Murray" [murray@spy.busters.com]
Subject: PROOF that the gene pool needs more chlorine.
Normally we only pass along IAPSC specific news, security and marketing
tips... but the pickings have been a little thin of late, and aviation
security is important....
Kevin
murray@spybusters.com
Darwin Award Winner for 1997 Announced!
You all know about the Darwin Awards - It's an annual "honor" given to the person who did the gene pool the biggest service by killing themselves in the most extraordinarily ridiculous way.
The 1995 winner was the fellow who was killed by a Coke machine which toppled over on top of him as he was attempting to tip a free soda out of it. In 1996 the winner was an airforce
sergeant who attached a JATO unit (Jet Assisted Take Off) to his car and crashed into a cliff several hundred feet above the roadbed. And now, the 1997 winner: Larry (Name changed to protect the common sense challenged) of Los Angeles--one of the few Darwin winners to survive his award-winning accomplishment.
Larry's boyhood dream was to fly. When he graduated from high school, he joined the Air Force in hopes of becoming a pilot. Unfortunately, poor eyesight disqualified him. When he was finally discharged, he had to satisfy himself with watching jets fly over his backyard. But one day, Larry had an idea. He went to the local Army-Navy surplus store and purchased 45 weather balloons and several tanks of helium. The weather balloons, when fully inflated, would each measure more than four feet across.
Back home, Larry securely strapped the balloons to his sturdy lawn chair. He anchored the chair to the bumper of his jeep and inflated the balloons with the helium. He climbed on for a test while it was still only a few feet above the ground.
Satisfied it would work, Larry packed several sandwiches and a six-pack of Miller Lite, loaded his pellet gun--figuring he could pop a few balloons when it was time to descend--and went back to the floating lawn chair. He tied himself in along with his pellet gun and provisions. Larry's plan was to lazily float up to a height of about 30 feet above his back yard after severing the anchor and in a few hours come back down. Things didn't quite work out that way.
When he cut the cord anchoring the lawn chair to his jeep, he didn't float lazily up to 30 or so feet. Instead he streaked into the LA sky as if shot from a cannon. He didn't level off at 30 feet, nor did he level off at 100 feet. After climbing and climbing, he leveled off at 11,000 feet. At that height he couldn't risk shooting any of the balloons, lest he unbalance the load and really find himself in trouble. So he stayed there, drifting, cold and frightened, for more than 14 hours. Then he really got in trouble.
He found himself drifting into the the primary approach corridor of Los Angeles International Airport.
A United Airlines pilot first spotted Larry. He radioed the tower and described passing a guy in a lawn chair with a gun. Radar confirmed the existence of an object floating 11,000 feet above the airport. LAX emergency procedures swung into full alert and a helicopter was dispatched to investigate. LAX is right on the ocean. Night was falling and the offshore breeze began to blow. It carried Larry out to sea with the helicopter in hot pursuit.
Several miles out, the helicopter caught up with Larry. Once the crew determined that Larry was not dangerous, they attempted to close in for a rescue but the draft from the blades would push Larry away whenever they neared.
Finally, the helicopter ascended to a position several hundred feet above Larry and lowered a rescue line. Lary snagged the line and was hauled back to shore. The difficult maneuver was flawlessly executed by the helicopter crew.
As soon as Larry was hauled to earth, he was arrested by waiting members of the LAPD for violating LAX airspace.
As he was led away in handcuffs, a reporter dispatched to cover the daring rescue asked why he had done it. Larrry stopped, turned and replied nonchalantly, "A man can't just sit around."
# 7 Date: Fri, 13 Jun 1997 18:10:17 -0700
From: Jean-Pierre Forest [jpforest@uniserve.com]
Subject: RF Transmitter
Hello Mr. Tim Johnson;
I got reffered to you by Trace Carpenter, I work in British Columbia, Canada and a device transmitting at 399MHz was found during a sweep of an office. It was disguised in a Levinton AC plug splitter with no ground plug, ie. older model splitter which converted one outlet to
three. Anyhow, the investigation is not over so I can't really go into details, However I was wondering if you might know who manufactures/distributes them in the U.S or Canada.
Thanks for your help.
Blue Skies
J.P.
J. P., was the device an RF or a carrier current transmitter?
I'm not familiar with it, but I'm posting this in the event someone out there might know. If you respond, please CC dbugman@amug.org as well as Jean-Pierre Forest
# 8 From: "Dye, Michael C" [mcdye@svl.ems.lmco.com]
Subject: FW: Tone Decoder and Scanner Monitor for Windows 95/NT
Date: Mon, 16 Jun 1997 19:15:00 -0700
This was passed to me as a Ham Radio interest, but it could certainly
have Tech Security interests as well. Thought I'd pass it along.
From: GLENN_BOOZER@hp-santaclara-om4.om.hp.com
To: mara@juno.ccc.amdahl.com
Subject: Tone Decoder and Scanner Monitor for Windows 95/NT
Date: Monday, June 16, 1997 14:01PM
Item Subject: cc:Mail Text
This looks interesting.
http://www.steaksandwich.com/
WinTone v2.0
Tone Decoder and Scanner Monitor for Windows 95/NT
WinTone can decode tones via your systems sound card. Just plug your
scanner or radio into the microphone or line-in jack on your sound card,
and you are ready to go. Over 7 different tonesets are supported,
including
DTMF, CCIR, ZVEI and CTCSS. WinTone also functions as a "Scanner
Monitor"
that records activity to a WAV file, but only when squelch is broken.
Glenn Boozer (408) 343-5265 -KF6GHC-
Hewlett Packard (408) 343-6526 (fax)
Home Products Division
Glenn_Boozer@hp.com
o o o o o o
^|\ ^|^ v|^ v|v |/v |X| \| |
/\ >\ /< >\ /< >\ /< >\
o> o o o o o o o
\ x <\> <)> |\
/< >\ /< >\ /< >\ >> L
Mr. Ascii does the Macarena.
# 9 Date: Tue, 17 Jun 1997 15:24:58 -0700
From: "Michael R. Anderson" [mrande@teleport.com]
Subject: LE Discounts and Free Software
Hi Tim,
This just went out over the wire and I wanted to share it with you. Pass it on to any of your LE buddies or other interested parties. As you know, I always like to be the one giving good stuff to law enforcement folks.
Also, you might want to contact Patrick Donaldson at 503-460-0595. He is looking for someone to do electronic counter measures work. I talked to him yesterday and immediately thought of you.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Forensic Software Helps Deal With Computer Crimes
NTI offers new forensic tools and training to aid law enforcement
agencies, government agencies and corporations in dealing with
computer crimes
GRESHAM, Ore., June 17 /PRNewswire/ -- New Technologies, Inc. (NTI), the world leader in forensic computer science training and software, today announced its support of law enforcement in the investigation of child pornography and other computer related crimes. NTI was founded in 1996 by Michael R. Anderson, Joseph Enders, Charles Guzis and Eric Thompson to develop state-of-the art forensic software tools for use in computer crime investigations and corporate security reviews. The founders are among the world's leading experts in the field of forensic computer science.
"We created NTI to assist corporations and government agencies in dealing with computer security issues and internal corporate investigations," stated NTI co-founder and President Michael R. Anderson. "However, our depth of technical expertise allows us to continue our support of law enforcement agencies with software and training. Unfortunately most law enforcement agencies are under funded regarding technology crime investigations. I am glad that we can help."
NTI has developed a condensed three day course which deals with computer evidence issues from a hands-on perspective. The course is well suited for corporate security specialists and law enforcement computer crime investigators. To help deal with limited law enforcement budgets NTI is offering a 20% training discount to law enforcement agencies. It is also offering a 50% discount on its state-of-the art forensic tool kit to individuals who have completed approved forensic law enforcement training courses, e.g., IACIS, Search, NWCCI, FLETC. NTI will also continue to support corporations and government.
NTI has developed a new forensic tool called IPFILTER which is designed to deal with computer crimes tied to child pornography and other potential crimes associated with the Internet. According to Anderson, "Computer investigations involving the Internet create technical and jurisdictional problems for law enforcement agencies. We created this new software tool to help in these investigations and will be making it available free of charge. It should also assist corporations in identifying misuses of the Internet." IPFILTER will be available for free download from NTI's web site after July 1, 1997. NTI will also offer free one day law enforcement training sessions in the use of the IPFILTER and related techniques.
New Technologies Inc. (NTI) is the world leader in computer evidence training, consulting and software. NTI has also developed world class security tools.
For information contact:
Mike Anderson
NTI
2075 Northeast Division
Gresham, OR 97030-5812
Phone: 503-661-6912
Internet Web Site: www.secure-data.com
Sorry I wasn't able to get anything out in a morte timely fashion, but this has been one of those quarters in which I've been doing training as well as TSCM examinations and going on vacation. If I had been triplets, I would have had three days off over the past two months and even more of the same is upcoming when I return.
I'll be leaving a very irate and upset wife tomorrow night, headed for Hong Kong. She and our neighbor had made a committment earlier to help a neighbor after major surgery; his kidney and part of the bladder was removed on the 18th and he's doing well. In fact, they're all sitting outside talking even as I'm typing.
I should be back the evening of the 5th of July, so don't fret if you don't hear anything from the Bulletin Board during that poeriod. Go ahead and send in your inquiries, responses and comments so I can get a good one out when I do get back.
Take care and we'll communicate when I return.
Tim Johnson
ps--I'll be checking e-mail periodically tomorrow and will answer anything I get up to about 6 PM Pacific time.