Exclusive: Is My Office Bugged?
October 16, 2017 | Security
We frequently perform Technical Surveillance Counter Measure (TSCM) sweeps to detect electronic eavesdropping devices, or “bugs” for our clients in New Zealand or around the world.Electronic eavesdropping and hidden camera usage is on the rise around the world. You may be wondering if it's time to get a hidden camera detector or perhaps, conduct your own "investigation," but the reality is it takes the work of private investigator services to really discover whether you're dealing with a potentially "bugged office" or not.Hiring a pro...
Armed Mystery Man Walked Through Melbourne Days After Six People Died In a Massacre
March 22, 2017 | Security
This armed man was seen in Bourke St mall five days after a massacre in the central Melbourne street that killed six people. A man dressed in commando gear and carrying a semi-automatic gun was able to stroll unchecked through central Melbourne in the days following the massacre that killed six people in the Australian city. The troubling security breach - which occurred when Victorians were told authorities were on high alert to ensure the safety of Melbourne's CBD - is now subject to a full police investigation. Police were only...
All Blacks Spygate Scandal: Hansen Calls Charge 'Bizarre'
February 8, 2017 | Security
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen described as "bizarre" the arrest of a security consultant employed by his team in the infamous "Spygate" case. New South Wales police said that a 51-year-old had been arrested on a "public mischief" charge following the discovery of a listening device in the team's InterContinental Hotel in Sydney's Double Bay before the All Blacks' record-breaking 42-8 Bledisloe Cup thrashing of the Wallabies last August. In a statement released by New Zealand Rugby, Hansen said: "Frankly, the charge seems bizarre an...
35 Personal Safety Tips
February 1, 2017 | Security
The following list of personal security tips may help secure you in your daily life. These tips are just the ‘tip’ of the iceberg, so add your own to the list… Always be alert and aware of your surroundings and of the people around you. Make casual eye contact with people when walking. Do not be easily distracted by your ‘smart phone’ (e.g. ‘texting’). Keep your head up. Whenever possible, buddy-up to walk out into dark parking lots. Always inform family or friends if you are traveling, and give them itinerary dates and locations yo...
Bug Sweep, Bug Detection, and TSCM
February 1, 2017 | Security
What is bug sweeping and TSCM? Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM), or bug sweeps, uncover illegal surveillance devices, unknown technical surveillance devices, and identify security weaknesses. Today, almost anyone can easily and cheaply acquire surveillance devices and use them to invade your privacy. While there are a lot of surveillance countermeasure service providers, it is essential to use a trained, qualified investigator. Their use of electronic surveillance detection can give you confidence that your privacy is pro...
Have you been 'PWNED'?
October 25, 2016 | Security
Have you been 'PWNED'? Site reveals if your email address was among the millions leaked in recent hacks such as VTech, Adobe and Ashley Madison. Pwned is play on the word 'owned' and refers to being taken advantage of The 'Have I Been Pwned' site securely stores lists of email addresses leaked during recent security breaches at major companies Typing an email into the site reveals which, if any, breach affects you It also reveals if your email address has been 'pasted' onto other websites that could make it vulnerable to hackers In r...
Hackers Open Door To Career Opportunities
September 20, 2016 | Security
By the time you've been hacked, it's too late. That's the cruel lesson of cybersecurity. Keeping networks safe requires vigilance, common sense, and very likely some advice from experts. Peter Bailey, the general manager of Wellington-based Aura InfoSec, says there are an estimated million vacancies in information security around the world, so it's a career where there are opportunities for those with the right skill sets and aptitude. Technical ability is an obvious prerequisite, but people skills are important as well. As hacker tur...
Testing Continues On All Blacks' Bug
September 11, 2016 | Security
Forensics tests are still being carried out on the listening device hidden in the room used by the All Blacks to plan their Rugby Championship destruction of the Wallabies in Sydney. The bug was discovered in the meeting room at the Intercontinental hotel in Double Bay four weeks ago. The spying nasty was discovered during a routine security check of the room in the lead up to the All Blacks' August 20 48-2 win over the Wallabies. In a statement provided to the Herald on Sunday, New South Wales police said: "The device continues to be...
Expert: Only A Matter Of Time Before Terrorism Reaches New Zealand
August 30, 2016 | Security
Radical Islam will come to New Zealand "soon enough" and New Zealand should prepare for its arrival, a terrorism expert has warned. Professor Greg Barton of Deakin University, one of Australia's leading scholars on terrorism and violent extremism, said it was inevitable that Islamic State recruitment would reach New Zealand. The organisation was spreading rapidly throughout the world through social networks and was causing serious problems in Australia. "It hasn't had a big impact in New Zealand thus far but it has had a big impact in...
Daniel Toresen On The All Blacks' Bugging Mystery
August 22, 2016 | Security
As the hunt begins to identify who bugged the All Blacks, security experts have described the outrageous operation as expensive and sophisticated - but expected the culprits to be quickly found. Daniel Toresen from Auckland private investigations firm The Investigators described the find as "rare, extreme and serious". He believed it would have been carried out with someone with specialist knowledge on covert operations. Listening devices were easy to find online, but Toresen said expertise was needed to install and operate them prope...