A gadget is a toy or a means of obtaining information?
A gadget is a toy or a means of obtaining information?
The article examines the problem of information retrieval using the nomenclature of dual-use technical means that are common on the domestic market. The author illustrates in detail the development of this direction of devices for covert information extraction.
On the other hand, it is not at all necessary that such devices can become a tool in dishonest hands. But the author believes that familiarizing specialists of various levels, as well as representatives of small and medium businesses with such devices will allow them to visualize the reality of threats and take the necessary measures.
“It is characteristic that no one directly puts forward evil goals, evil always hides behind good, always steals from good.”
N.A. Berdyaev
According to the existing classification, the objects of threats, in accordance with priorities, are: human life and health, information in various physical forms of its manifestation, means and results of the production process, as well as other material assets and property.
On the other hand, a set of threats may be a consequence of:
• physical and technical actions of people with criminal inclinations or deviant behavior — anthropogenic threats of criminal and non-criminal nature;
• occurrence of emergency situations from technical means and technological processes — anthropogenic threats;
• occurrence of destructive factors accompanying natural phenomena and cataclysms — natural and spontaneous threats.
It is well known that the protection of business processes, including those related to the creation of innovative projects, requires management personnel to have the deepest possible vision of problems affecting two interrelated issues:
• What resources (assets) and with what priorities need to be protected?
• What factors that provoke this or that threat are most real?
One of the areas of anthropogenic threats that exist in many countries with a market economy and innovative processes, and, accordingly, in our country, is the so-called “industrial espionage”, that is, the covert acquisition of confidential commercial information using technical means, in particular those designed to create artificial channels for information leakage.
In literary sources, which are filled with the Internet, you can find information about similar technologies for obtaining other people's secrets. Without diminishing the usefulness of this information, it should be noted that data on technical means that a potential «hunter for other people's secrets», let's call him «Intruder», can use, as a rule, are based on generalized information published in already classic open literary sources released in the late 20th — early 21st centuries. Such secrecy of information resources is quite understandable, since, at present, specific information about the functional and technical capabilities of the equipment used for covert information extraction is practically not available to law-abiding citizens. This fact is primarily associated with fairly strict legal norms governing the circulation and use of such devices, which have received the general name of special technical means (STS). However, as the analysis of official reports and expert publications shows, this threat continues to exist to this day and is relevant for business entities.
The reality of an attacker receiving the information he needs is a probabilistic process, depending, in particular, on a combination of factors:
• the probability of an attacker getting the STS “into his own hands”;
• the probability of an attacker using a STS to covertly obtain information in the right place and at a specific time.
The second factor in the classification given above depends on the specific conditions of the protected object and is not the topic of this article.
To assess the possibility of an attacker acquiring a STS, we will consider a classification that reflects the sources of the appearance of specific technical means in this segment of the STS market.
1. STS, which were developed and manufactured at specialized state or non-state enterprises that have the legal right to produce and sell such products, exclusively for legally defined state bodies. It is unlikely that this type of equipment will fall into the wrong hands.
2. STS, which were developed and manufactured outside the legal framework and industrial conditions, as a rule, alone or by a small group of specialists. Despite criminal liability for such offenses, statistics show that there is demand for these products, however, for business entities related to small and medium businesses, the increased risk associated with the search for and acquisition of these products does not justify the results obtained, although in special cases the risk may be justified.
3. Technical means of covert monitoring of the situation in premises and computing equipment, developed and manufactured in industrial conditions and supplied, as a rule, through online stores from neighboring countries, as well as countries of Southeast Asia and China. These devices are positioned on the security systems market as means for entertainment, as well as for ensuring the safety of people, information and property. At the same time, such devices can be successfully used for covert acquisition of telecommunications, speech and visual information.
An analysis of publications and expert opinions shows that these devices, in some cases, can be classified as STS, with the corresponding legal sanctions. At the same time, the volume of offers on the virtual Internet market is quite extensive, which indicates a demand for these products. Considering the specifics of the supply of these products, as a rule, with an electronic order, through online stores and impersonal mailing directly from the manufacturer or foreign supplier, the probability of its appearance in the hands of an intruder is quite high.
4. Technical means that are not functionally intended for covert information gathering and are freely sold on the market under certain conditions can be used for covert video and audio surveillance. That is, these devices can be classified as dual-use technical means. Since these devices do not fall under the classification of STS in terms of their functional purpose and design, and are also officially sold in the retail network, their appearance in the hands of an intruder is most likely.
Nowadays, the concept of “gadget” has appeared in everyday life.
Let's turn to the dictionary: a gadget (English gadget — accessory) is a technical device (including digital technologies) with increased functionality. Portability is an attribute of most gadgets. The most famous are fountain pens with a set of electronic services (a ballpoint pen as a telephone, camera, etc.), radios with additional functions, laptops, watches, bracelets, e-books, night lights with sound effects, emotion detectors, universal players for presentations, etc. Today, any digital device can be considered a gadget.
Based on this definition, the bulk of technical means considered in points 3 and 4 of the above classification can be classified as gadgets.
Given this fact, it seems interesting to consider the capabilities of gadgets that, in the hands of intruders, can become a tool that provides covert access to information. At the same time, we will leave the moral, ethical and legal factors of the illegal use of these devices against individuals and property on the conscience of the intruders.
The sources of information for the proposed review were websites of both virtual and online stores with address details, advertising and information materials of manufacturing companies and well-known suppliers, as well as other similar sources. The author deliberately does not provide links to sources of information both for ethical reasons and in order to prevent unintentional advertising.
Gadgets as a means of eavesdropping
Speech information (speech) is the main communication channel between people. Speech information can be present in the air during direct communication, or in the form of electrical and electromagnetic signals, when talking over telephone channels.
For those who like to eavesdrop, you can find a whole range of small-sized devices on the vast expanses of the Internet. Among them are a sound amplifier with a sensitive microphone of two modifications SP-1 and SP-2.
The SP-1 and SP-2 devices are a single-piece design that includes a microphone with a narrow directional pattern and a low-noise adjustable low-frequency amplifier with a gain of up to 50 dB (316 times) and 70 dB (3160 times), respectively. The device provides the ability to listen to and record a signal on an external device. It is quite compact and can be attached to a belt or clothing using special clips.
Suppliers position the device as a means of:
• listening to TV and radio at low volume so as not to disturb other residents, especially sleeping children;
• hardware support for students during lectures;
• for entertainment.
The cost of the device is about $ 100.
Another tool for lovers of other people's secrets is presented on the market at a price of about 6,000 rubles. For this money, suppliers offer a small-sized «gadget» model CVKA-G109. According to the supplier, this tool allows listening to conversations through wooden walls, doors, windows, sheet metal and other similar building structures, up to 15-20 cm thick.
The autonomous device, 36 mm in diameter and 43 mm in length, has a vibroacoustic converter and an adjustable amplifier with the ability to connect headphones, a recording device and a computer.
Among the dual-use devices belonging to group 4 of the classifier, a number of digital voice recorders can be distinguished. A feature of this group of gadgets is, along with small dimensions, a fairly high sensitivity and directivity of the microphone path, allowing you to record speech signals with a low sound pressure level, which is equivalent to reducing the sound insulation of the room where the negotiations are taking place. As an example, let's consider two models offered on the market.
Voice recorder Olympus DW-360
A specific feature of this voice recorder model is the presence of a two-position switch for the directional pattern and sensitivity of the built-in microphone. At the same time, in the «narrow pattern» mode, the voice recorder allows you to effectively record speech at a distance of up to 6 m.
Another example of a dual-purpose device, actively sold in retail outlets, is the voice recorder «EXPLAY VR-A50».
This model allows you to record speech at a distance of up to 10 m, using a built-in or external microphone, has overall dimensions of 100 x 31 x 7.6 mm, and an affordable price of about 2,000 rubles. One battery charge lasts up to 10 hours, which is many times less than the time it takes to completely fill the internal memory of the recorder. In addition, the device is equipped with a special adapter for connecting the recorder to a subscriber telephone line, allowing you to record audio conversations.
In conclusion of this section, we will note another model of the Edic-mini Tiny A31 voice recorder, which can be classified as a dual-purpose device. The voice recorder has a high microphone sensitivity and allows continuous audio recording, up to 30 hours on a single battery charge. As noted by domestic manufacturers, this is the smallest voice recorder on earth, which is confirmed by the Guinness Book of Records. At the same time, the price of this gadget is 5 times higher than that of the previous model.
Gadgets as a means of peeping
Peeping, or visual-optical reconnaissance, as well as eavesdropping, are historically the oldest types of covert information gathering that have not lost their relevance at the present time. Naturally, the market offers overly curious representatives of the human race a whole range of different devices.
A multifunctional device that has appeared on the market, consisting of a ballpoint pen, a 2 GB flash drive and a built-in miniature video camera, should be classified as a dual-use technical device (although there are facts of recognition of this gadget by the relevant structures as a STS).
The video camera, which has a well-camouflaged lens, allows you to record in MPEG4 format (352?288 15fps) for 5 hours. You can turn it on and off with just one button on the remote control. The built-in battery of the camera is charged via a USB port. Downloading video files to a computer is also done in the same way. This device is offered at a price of less than $ 50.
A visitor to your office with a car alarm key fob in his hand will probably not arouse anyone's suspicions. But be vigilant!
The Keychain Car Key Security Spy Camera device, which has appeared on the market and looks like a keychain from a car security system, allows you to secretly document video information with a resolution of 640×480 pixels and take photos with a resolution of 1280×960 pixels, as well as record sound. The memory capacity of the device is ? 2 and 4 GB.
A similar keychain camera can be freely purchased in online stores for several thousand rubles.
Mobile phone devices with a built-in video camera have become widespread. But sometimes you really want to see further away, or closer. Especially for those who want to, a number of companies produce removable small-sized telephoto lenses for mobile devices. Installing a telephoto lens allows you to take photos and videos with 6 or 8x optical zoom.
Additionally, for the convenience of shooting distant objects with high magnification, small-sized tripods are produced.
Such gadgets turn common mobile devices into a fairly effective means of documenting distant objects and other «interesting» objects that does not attract unnecessary attention.
An illustration of such an assumption can be frames of an object taken from one point, at different focal lengths of the lens of this gadget. As the saying goes: «Not caught, not a thief.» If a person with a camera is walking around your office, then the security guards may ask what is in the memory of this device. If there is nothing incriminating there, in their opinion, then this does not mean that the person did not photograph anything. Perhaps he has a new 14.2-megapixel Samsung ST80 camera, which allows you not only to photograph «interesting objects», but also to send the results of photography by e-mail, thanks to the built-in Wi-Fi.
Unfortunately, according to information from suppliers, this device does not have optical image stabilization, which leads to some blurring of fast-moving or darkened scenes. When shooting in good lighting, the photos turn out good.
Dual-use technical means do not ignore entertainment gadgets. WowWee, a recognized leader in the development of entertainment robots, has introduced another new product, the Wi-Fi video robot WowWee Spyball.
This compact device, which fits in the palm of your hand, has the shape of a ball with large electrically controlled wheels. Moving along the surface, in accordance with a pre-loaded program, or in accordance with the operator's commands, in real time via the Wi-Fi channel, the device goes to a specified observation point, stops, extends a camera hidden under a protective cover and switches to shooting mode. The built-in retractable video camera and Wi-Fi module allow you to receive and transmit video and photo information over significant distances.
This device is positioned as an entertaining «spy robot» for home use. At the same time, why not try to launch a similar «bun on wheels», for example, into the ventilation boxes of neighboring companies, to see what competitors are doing. The estimated price of the robot is about $ 169.
Keylogger? a means of protection or …
Returning to the problem of «dual-use» devices, it is worth noting the appearance in online stores of so-called «hardware keyloggers» (Keylogger). This device is a small-sized adapter between the keyboard and USB or PS/2 inputs of a personal computer. Having a built-in flash memory of up to 4 MB, the device allows you to record all information coming from the keyboard. In addition, some models allow you to record and archive time intervals of recorded information. According to sellers, the «hardware keylogger» is not detected by software, since it is «physically» outside their range. Naturally, suppliers announce this device exclusively for noble purposes:
• Monitoring children using PCs and the Internet;
• Assessing the quality of work of company employees during working hours;
• Monitoring unauthorized access to your PC;
• Counteracting insiders:
• Storing important documents in case of data loss on a hard drive.
The cost of such devices is no more than 10 thousand rubles.
In conclusion, I would like to note that the examples given in the article do not reflect the entire range of dual-use technical means that are common on the domestic market, but only illustrate the development of this area of devices for covert information extraction.
On the other hand, it is not at all necessary that such devices can become a tool in dishonest hands, however, the author believes that familiarizing specialists of various levels, and representatives of small and medium businesses in particular, with such devices will allow them to visualize the reality of threats and take the necessary measures.
Be vigilant!
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N.V. Maltsev,
Head of the Information Security Laboratory of the Russian State Social University
Journal «Peace and Security» №3-2011