Tim,
Your answer and concerns about the IR are right on. We have been doing some work here using IR illuminators and cameras around estates. Unless you can place the vehicle in the exact spot that you want and you have your illuminator in the exact place, angle and distance that you need, you won't have very much success. There are a lot of variables that need to be considered. The question as posed did not give enough to provide an intelligent answer. The answer is yes, but..........

Talk soon.

Harry

X-Sender: jmatk@tiac.net
Date: Sat, 1 Nov 1997 22:25:02 -0400
From: "James M. Atkinson, Comm-Eng"

Subject: Re: IR through glass

When using IR the agent should use a polarizer both on the emitter, and on the camera (Hoya or Schott). This will cut both the glare and the blooming.

A popular product is the Xenon beam type lantern, with a #25 gel over the lantern, and a BW IR-CCD based camera with an auto iris.

The Sony VX-1000 also works well, but requires the removal of an internal hot mirror.

-jma

Greg,
You appear to be doing what we do in our applications. We normally don't use them in hand held applications. We use night vision for that. Your range will be your biggest problem. I think that 100-125 yards is really optomistic out of most units. Anyone that is promising a 4ft spot at 100 yards may be smoking something that they shouldn't be. IR's are not know for their ability to be focused very much. We're using large IR illuminators (cost wise $1400.00 each) and not getting much of anything out at that range. A lot will depend on what the subject is or may be. If you are pointed at a large treed or grassy area, we have found that these seem to absorb the light much more so than a commercial area and your range will be greatly decreased. At no time do we try to range as far as you seem to be working. All I can say is try it before you buy it. You may not be as impressed with the product as the manufacturer generally is. Get it on a 30 day money back guarantee if your not satisfied.

Let me know if I can do anything else for you. And please let Tim and I know how you make out. If you are successful with this range I would very much like to know about it, in as much detail as you would be comfortable with.

Harry Hann

What I was thinking , I have seen IR in spot, medium range and flood available. Some 110 volts and some 12v. I was thinking on some of these late nights I could use a spot or medium along with 12v recorder and 12v cctv and get a good ID. van window is tinted, factory tint, approx. 35% any suggestions?

From: fkerr@juno.com (Fred C. Kerr)

Just last week the Department of Medicine had a Halloween party. Within the department were a husband and wife doctor team, both of whom were gastroenterologists. The husband came to the party wearing a scrubs shirt and lab coat, and BDU pants and combat boots. His wife came to the party wearing a BDU shirt and scrubs pants. Both had stethoscopes around their necks.

Can you figure out what they were dressed as?

An upper and lower GI!

Tim,

You are always giving us a laugh so I thought I would return the favor. I saw this and realy liked it. Hope you haven't already seen it but here it is anyway:

The CIA was seeking candidates for the position of field agent. On the day in question they had three applicants to interview. Each applicant was instructed to bring his wife with him to the interview. Before the interview the applicant and his wife were instructed to wait in a small room which was connected to the interview room by a door. When the applicant's turn came, he was directed to leave his wife in the room and go through the door to the adjoining room for his interview.

The first candidate was a recent college graduate, in his early twenties. He enters the room and takes a seat. A Colt 45 Automatic pistol is lying on the desk.

Interviewer: As you know the CIA is responsible for the security of our nation. This job you are seeking can be difficult and requires unquestioned loyalty and obedience to orders.

Applicant: I won't have any problem with that. I have just completed four hard years of college and I can do anything.

I: Good! Pick up the pistol which is on the desk between us, go into the next room and shoot your wife.

A: No Way!! I love my wife. We have only been married for a few months and she is most important thing in the world to me. I cannot do that.

I: Interview terminated, next applicant.

The next applicant enters the room and sits down. He is a man of about thirty with some experience in law enforcement.

I: As you know the CIA is responsible for the security of our nation. This job you are seeking can be difficult and requires unquestioned loyalty and obedience to orders.

A: That isn't a problem. In my years as a police officer I have learned the value of following orders. I can, and will, do so.

I: Good! Pick up the pistol which is on the desk between us, go into the next room and shoot your wife.

A: You've got to be kidding! I couldn't possibly do that! She is the mother of my children. I love my wife and children. You must be out of your mind!

I: Interview terminated, next applicant.

The final applicant enters the room. He is a retired OSI Agent about forty five, a little gray around the temples, with more than a few miles on him.

I: As you know the CIA is responsible for the security of our nation. This job you are seeking can be difficult and requires unquestioned loyalty and obedience to orders.

A: I can do that!

I: Good! Pick up the pistol which is on the desk between us, go into the next room and shoot your wife.

The applicant picks up the pistol, goes into the next room and two rapid shots are heard. Following a few moments of silence, all hell breaks loose in the room. The sounds of screaming, furniture being destroyed and glass being broken is heard. Finally, the room grows quiet, the door opens and the applicant reenters. His clothing is torn and he is scratched and bloody. It is obvious that he has been in a violent confrontation. He sits down at the desk.

I: My God man! What happened?

A: Some idiot put blanks in that pistol and I had to strangle her!

Have a good day,

Trueman

X-Sender: mrande@mail.teleport.com
Mime-Version: 1.0
Date: Sun, 02 Nov 1997 23:46:11 -0800
To: dbugman@dbugman.com
From: "Michael R. Anderson" (by way of "Michael R. Anderson" )
Subject: Computer Evidence and Security Assessment Training

Based on your interest in the past concerning our efforts, I wanted to provide you with updated information. I hope this information is of value to you or your associates. Don't hesitate to contact me directly if you have questions. Also, don't hesitate to share this information with interested parties. I believe that we are the only commercial source of forensic training for large corporations and non-law enforcement government agencies. We are well suited for this because several of us in NTI have been involved in government forensic computer science training and software tool development for years.

Our training load has increased regarding the Three Day Forensic Training course. We are proud that we provide forensic tools and training to Arthur Andersen, Coopers & Lybrand and Ernst and Young. We are also talking with other national accounting firms about how NTI might help them. In addition, we continue to train computer specialists from Fortune 500 companies and government agencies, e.g. last month we trained folks from Sandia National Labs and the State Department. In the past we have also trained folks from US government Intelligence agencies and we continue to develop and provide tools to the intelligence community for the review of computer media in classified government facilities. Our training courses were designed and built around our automated forensic tools which deal with todays huge hard disk drives and 32 bit FAT operating systems.

Three Day Forensic Course

We have decided to open a few more of our Three Day Courses to private sector and public sector computer specialists. These slots will also be made available to law enforcement computer specialists and discounted rates. For a while, it looked like we were going to limit the training to our contract Big 6 accounting firm client(s) but demand is high and the need is great. As a result we have increased the size of our training lab to accommodate a few more students. Currently, training slots in our Oregon training facility are available for our Three Day (hands on) Forensic Training Course. This course has consistently received very high marks from Fortune 500, law enforcement and government participants. The course dates are as follows:

November 18-20
December 9-11
January 13-15

If you have an interest in these courses, please contact Jodee Bray in our offices at 503-661-6912. Our complete forensic suite of software and a copy of Ken Rosenblatts book entitled, High Technology Crime is included in the price of tuition. We even throw in lunch to eliminate wasted time away from the class room. These slots will fill quickly and we can not project as to whether or not more classes will be open to the public after these dates.

One Day Forensic Course

Also, we will be conducting a One Day Forensic Training Session in Austin Texas on February 10th for Government Technology Conferences (affiliated with Government Technology Magazine). If you have an interest in this one day lecture course please contact Gretel Mc Cloud at 916-363-5000 (ext 313). She can also be reached via e-mail at gmacleod@govtech.net. Some software will also be provided in conjunction with this training but we will not be providing the full forensic suite of software. This course will provide an ideal overview to computer evidence processing issues. The primary audience will be law enforcement.

One Day Internet Investigations Course

We have been working on a One Day Internet Investigations course in conjunction with the University of New Haven. This course may also be offered at other universities in Utah, Virginia and California and will be geared primarily for our law enforcement friends. The course will also be offered to the Search Group and the National White Collar Crime Center. They already distribute the software to law enforcement agencies. The centerpiece of this course will be our IPFILTER program which has been donated to the law enforcement community to help in the investigation of child pornography. Law Enforcement downloads of this software from our web site have been at a high level and we have been told that numerous criminal cases have been made as a result of this software. If you are interested in this one day course, please advise and we will direct you to the location of the nearest training facility.

One Day Security Risk Assessment Course

Over half of those that attend our forensic training courses have an interest in computer risks. Computer forensics involves the preservation and processing of computer evidence. However, it also involves the exploitation of computer security weaknesses in the discovery of computer evidence. This aspect of computer forensics has evolved into our creation of a One Day Course that deals just with the identification and documentation of computer security risks. State-of-the-art forensic software is included in the price of tuition. One of the programs, TextSearch Plus, has been evaluated by one of the larger US government intelligence agencies for use security exit reviews of computer media from classified government facilities. This is a new course and it precedes our Three Day Forensic Training Courses. The tentative dates for the training are:

November 17
December 8
January 12

I hope you find this information to be helpful. We will continue to strive for perfection in the development of forensic tools and training. You will be advised of our progress unless you advise me otherwise.

Regards,

Mike