Cell hacking

[Local Talent]

I knew that some fed agencies could turn your phone into a remote mike/recording device (they go to your cell carrier), but apparently anyone with a few $$$ and access to your phone for just a few minutes (time for a software download) also can...
http://www.flexispy.com/

This video: http://www.wimp.com/cellphonehacking/ explains the use and counter-measures. I can see it go both ways, like most technologies.
Never let anyone near your (or, more difficult, your client's) cell, take the battery out during confidential meetings, and look for suspicious behavior.

[Local Talent]

More of the same: http://www.wimp.com/phonetapping/

And also see: http://www.e-stealth.com/About-Us_ep_7.html or http://www.thespyphone.com/.

Come to think of it, I placed this in the wrong subforum and it's probably more appropriate for "General EP Shop Talk" (staff feel free to move this thread). First of, software is hardly gear, and then since one needs consent before using this stuff, it's not something we're likely to use much ourselves.

Useful for client education (stalking & industrial espionnage) and CS purposes, I think.

[SonnyPI]

The bottom line is almost any communication through a device can be intercepted. There is little real privacy. Anything one submits to a website can be around forever just waiting to be mined. Caution is the key. Consider everything that you post or submit online.

Although I use all the current means of communications like most of us. When it is at all possible; especially when the topic is questionable or needs to be as secure as humanly possible I follow the method used in my boyhood neighborhood of Brooklyn. Meet face to face and if the need is there include some type of white noise.

Remember "Having a little healthy paranoia about your principals safety is common for the best bodyguards"

Cordially, Sonny

[caprotection]

has anybody used this program? and can you only use it on those certain phones?

[Local Talent]

Never used it myself and not planning to (but you never know). Looked into it to know about potential vulnerabilities for myself or clients.

From the FlexiSPY site: "FlexiSPY products are only available for Series 60, Blackberry, iPhone and Windows mobile devices." And they give a full list there: http://utilities.flexispy.com/checkphones.jsp.
The Spy Phone lists those: http://www.thespyphone.com/faq.html.

So yes, besides the fact that the target phone must have net access, obviously, it must also be compatible with a given company's software.

ETA: I don't want anybody to get the idea that I'm endorsing either the method or any company. This all just came up during research.