Fake TV - Burglar Deterrent
March 27, 2015 | Security
Most burglars are only interested in a place when it’s obvious that there is nobody home.
If you’re going on holiday, this build makes it look like there’s always someone home watching TV, without you having to actually run your TV the whole time.
There are products out there that are designed for this same purpose, but they can get expensive. This build from Instructables user JonBush would probably cost you much less to build and it’s far more customisable.
Using an AT Tiny 85 and some NeoPixels, the device flashes lights towards …
Police Given Personal Information Without Search Warrants
March 26, 2015 | Security
Officers obtaining personal data from range of organisations by citing clauses in legislation.
Broad swathes of people's personal data are being sought regularly by police from airlines, banks, electricity companies, internet providers and phone companies without search warrants by officers citing clauses in the Privacy Act.
Senior lawyers and the Privacy Commissioner have told the Herald of concerns over the practice which sees the companies voluntarily give the information to police.
Instead of seeking a legal order, police have a…
Process Serving - Stories On The Job (US)
February 23, 2015 | Security
Kill the messenger -- or at least wave a shotgun, let loose your pit bulls, throw eggs or give chase in a golf cart.
That`s the attitude process servers expect from the people to whom they deliver news, in the form of legal documents, that they are being sued or sought for questioning as witnesses in civil actions.
`You get all types of strange situations,` said Jim Hegarty, a retired sheriff`s lieutenant turned private investigator, who is a dean of process servers in Palm Beach County and has even written a guidebook about it. `But…
PC Security, GCSB-Style: 7 Tips From The Spymasters
January 28, 2015 | Security
With the recent revelations that the GCSB may have been involved in spying on NZ residents to working alongside the US National Spy Agency ('NSA'), computer privacy has taken on all the cloak-and-dagger intrigue of a John le Carré novel.
Wasn't it just a few years ago that your biggest computer-privacy concern was making sure your employer didn't find the college photo of you sucking on a beer bong on your Facebook page? That seems cute now.
If you’re like most users, you take your privacy seriously. We've pored over the NSA's securi…
Anonymous To Avenge Charlie Hebdo Attacks by Shutting Down Jihadist Websites
January 12, 2015 | Security
Hacker group Anonymous have released a video condemning the Paris attacks, saying 'freedom of expression has suffered an inhuman assault'.
Hacker group Anonymous have released a video and a statement via Twitter condemning the attacks on Charlie Hebdo, in which 12 people, including eight journalists, were murdered.
The video description says that it is "a message for al-Qaeda, the Islamic State and other terrorists", and was uploaded to the group's Belgian account.
In the clip, a figure wearing the group's symbolic Guy Fawkes mask i…
Islamic State Mints Coins
November 14, 2014 | Security
After seizing oil refineries to fund its self-declared caliphate, Islamic State militants will mint their own money.
The group plans to issue gold, silver and copper coins, according to a statement released by its Beit al Mal, or treasury, and posted on websites used by jihadist movements. The currency aims to replace the existing “tyrannic monetary system” that has contributed to poverty, it said.
As Islamic State conquered territory from the Syrian city of Aleppo to the outskirts of Baghdad, it has sought to entrench its strict int…
Could a Hitman be Hired in NZ?
November 7, 2014 | Security
A contract killing is a form of murder, in which one party hires another party to kill a target individual or group of people. It involves an illegal agreement between two or more parties in which one party agrees to kill the target in exchange for some form of payment, monetary or otherwise. Either party may be a person, group, or an organization.
Throughout history, contract killing has been associated with organized crime and with vendettas. For example, in recent United States history, the gang Murder, Inc. committed hundreds of …
http://everytown.org
Over 74 Shootings In Last 20 Months
August 27, 2014 | Security
Since the December 2012 shooting in Newtown, CT, there have been at least 74 school shootings in the USA.
This is one of the main findings included in a recent report by Everytown, a gun control advocacy group.
The latest school violence-related incident took place August 19, 2014, when police reported that two South Pasadena, High School students (Pasadena, CA) plotted to kill three staffers and as many students as possible in a mass shooting plot.
The report’s other main findings were:
In the first six weeks of 2014 alone, there…
40 Tourist Scams To Watch Out For
August 7, 2014 | Security
There are plenty of ways that thieves and scammers take advantage of unsuspecting travellers.
Some the more common ploys can be avoided if tourists are vigilant, and maintain a good level of self-security.
For one thing, tourists should always be wary of anything offered for "free," and of special deals that seem too good to be true.
The following scams, categorised by type and locality, provides a solid basis of knowledge on what to watch out for when you're abroad.
Check out these common tactics before your next trip, so you won'…
Scary iPhone Facts: Your iPhone is Tracking you
June 30, 2014 | Security
Your iPhone gathers a lot more location data than you may have thought.
It’s a setting called “Frequent Locations”; as you go about your daily routine, your iPhone makes note of where you are and how long you’re there. When it starts detecting patterns, it marks the spot as one such “frequent location.”
You might be interested in:
Secure your Android in case it gets stolen or lost.
Is your mobile phone being monitored?
It assumes workplace location based on where you are during the day and your house address based on where you are …