spies
Latest
Recommended Reading: Behind the wheel of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV
Recommended Reading highlights the week's best writing on technology and more.
Recommended Reading: The CIA-owned company that helped it spy on the world
The intelligence coup of the century Greg Miller, The Washington Post This in-depth report tells the story of Crypto AG, a Switzerland-based company that achieved success for its code-making machines during World War II. The company eventually became a popular manufacturer of encryption machines for countries around the world in the decades that followed. Governments trusted that communications between diplomats, military and spies were being kept secret. What those nations didn't know was that Crypto AG as actually owned by the CIA -- originally in partnership with West German intelligence. What's more, the access allowed the two countries to to rig the tech so they could easily crack any code.
US says China is aggressively recruiting spies on LinkedIn
Forget trying to recruit spies in clandestine meetings -- apparently, you just have to go to a job website. US National Counterintelligence and Security Center chief William Evanina told Reuters that Chinese intelligence agencies were conducting a "super aggressive" spy recruiting campaign through LinkedIn. China has reportedly been using fake accounts to flood government and business workers with recruiting messages in hopes they'll divulge secrets. Germany and the UK have warned about similar practices before, but this is the first time the US government has talked about the problem in earnest.
LED signs could soon hide secret messages
From free decoder rings hidden in our cereal and Enigma machines used during world war two to the end-to-end encryption of iMessage, the sending and receiving of secret messages has always been a part of our daily lives. Thanks to technology, apps and services that offer end-to-end encryption are now commonplace. But what if you want to share a piece of information with an individual or group in a public area?
WikiLeaks CIA cache: Fool me once
This week's poorly conceived distraction from Trump and Putin sittin' in a tree was brought to us by WikiLeaks, which dumped 8,761 documents of the CIA's hacking arsenal online for all to see. The leak factory didn't even bother trying to play coy -- it actually made the "Vault 7" password an anti-CIA JFK quote about destroying the agency. Hilarity ensued. Well, if you think it's funny when the press parrots WikiLeaks' misleading claims wrapped in PR spin.
US catches spies shipping military tech to Russia
We got some good things out of the Cold War, like James Bond and John le Carré, but overall it was a pretty miserable period in history. That's why it's so disappointing to see Russia trying to bring us back to those dark with its latest attempt at ham-fisted espionage. The Department of Justice has announced that an American and two Russians have been arrested on suspicion of running a scheme to swipe military technology. According to a statement, the trio posed as a US electronics startup in order to buy integrated circuits for weapons.
ICYMI: Wannabe spies can make iPhone screens invisible
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A phone repair store owner in Turkey is trying to copyright his invention that syncs a pair of eyeglasses to the screen of an iPhone. When the glasses are worn, the screen can be viewed perfectly. But to anyone without the glasses, the screen will only look white. However, buyer beware. The stories about this man's invention detail his claim that he's inserted a chip into the eyeglasses to view the screen, but it may be that he just removed the polarized filter built into the phone, then pointed polarized 3D glasses at it.
NSA and GCHQ employees may be undermining the agencies' work to hack Tor
It's no secret that US and British spy agencies are trying to crack the Tor network, but new information suggests that the agencies' floundering efforts may be sabotaged from within. For the uninitiated, Tor is a web browser that anonymizes a person's identity, location and browsing activity using various technologies -- it's also a known gateway to the so-called "dark-web" that hosts sites like the Silk Road. Naturally, spy organizations see it as a threat, but the Tor Project's Andrew Lewman says some of the agencies' employees are undermining their own hacking efforts. "There are plenty of people in both organizations who can anonymously leak data to us and say, maybe you should look ere, maybe you should fix this," he told the BBC in a recent interview. "And they have."
Invisible, Inc update comes in from the cold
Klei Entertainment's turn-based espionage game Invisible, Inc remains in alpha testing, but to whet players' appetites, the developer has cobbled together the above trailer to demonstrate the additions found in the game's latest update. Highlights of the update include a new 360-degree field of vision for agents, stronger guards and the addition of "augments." These special upgrades enhance an agent's abilities beyond normal human levels, but each occupies a permanent space in a player's augment cache, forcing tough decisions about which skills are most crucial for a virtual spy. On the other hand, this update also adds a tutorial to Invisible, Inc, which should make the spy game a bit less confusing. Full details on the update can be found on the Klei forums. Or, if you're totally sold on Invisible, Inc, you can join the game's ongoing alpha test by forking over $20. For that money, you'll be granted alpha access, the game's soundtrack and two copies of the final version of Invisible, Inc. [Image: Klei Entertainment]
Storyboard: Profession discussion - the Spy
Long-time readers will remember that back around the end of this column's first year, I wrote a series of columns about character archetypes. It was a series I'm quite proud of as a whole, and one that I've wanted to follow up for a while, but I had to wait until I had an idea that fit. That was when I started thinking about how that series talked entirely about who a character is rather than what he or she actually does. In reality, the two can be miles apart. Take my first choice of profession, the spy. A spy might believe that she's doing something for the greater good. She might see this simply as part of her duty and a necessary task. She might be doing this because she's fundamentally amoral, she might be hoping to find the answer to a puzzle she's long agonized about, or she might even be doing this because she just really wants to know secrets. But today I'm not going to talk about that. You want to make a spy; let's talk about what goes into that.
The Summoner's Guidebook: Time as a resource in Dominion
I feel that time is the least understood concept in all of gaming. People in World of Warcraft or other MMORPGs talk about how they "farmed something for free" all the time. Obviously, this is a fallacy, as a gamer's time is worth something. In League of Legends, time is a very important factor. I'm not talking about the time you have to play the game, although we could talk about it on a macro scale and do time-to-IP graphs for their silliness value. Instead, I'm talking about the actual time in-game that you spend accomplishing goals in a given match. In Summoner's Rift, the goal for the first 10 or 15 minutes is to get as much gold and XP as possible. If you can directly deny the enemy time by harassing him out of lane, you're taking away his time, which effectively takes away his gold and XP. As the game progresses, time is still traded for gold, but it's also traded for the other team's time (via teamfights). If your team manages to win a teamfight, the enemy cannot affect the battlefield and your team is free to take objectives. This week, we're going to talk about time in Dominion. While time is a fairly complicated thing in SR, it is even more complex in Dominion. There are many different things to do with it, and there are no easy decisions about how to spend it. If you're interested in learning more about how to better make those choices, read on!
Man on vacation confused for a Russian spy, almost restarts cold war
Threats of Russian espionage can come from the unlikeliest of sources, as Jim Mimlitz, owner of Navionics Research, a small integrator firm, knows only too well. Curran Gardner Public Water District, just outside of Springfield, Illinois, employed Mimlitz's firm to set up its Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system (SCADA), and the spy games began when Mimlitz went on vacation in Russia. While there, he logged into the SCADA system to check some data, then logged off and went back to enjoying Red Square and the finest vodka mother Russia has to offer. However, five months later a Curran Gardner water pump fails, and an IT contractor eyeballing the logs spots the Russian-based IP address. Fearing stolen credentials, he passes the info up the chain of command to the Environmental Protection Agency (as it governs the water district) without bothering to contact Mimlitz, whose name was in the logs next to the IP address. The EPA then passed along the paranoia to a joint state and federal terrorism intelligence center, which issued a report stating that SCADA had been hacked. Oh boy. A media frenzy followed bringing all the brouhaha to Mimlitz's attention. After speaking with the FBI, the massive oversight was identified, papers were shuffled, and everyone went about their day. So, next time you delete all your company's e-mail, or restart the wrong server, remember: at least you didn't almost start World War III. Tap the source link for the full story. [Image courtesy Northackton]
Exoconcept EXO all-electric jet ski: perfect for lake recon, your next indie action film
Part jet ski, part electric water scooter, 100 percent awesome. That's the Exoconcept Exo -- a new sea-born vehicle for stealth missions and the occasional run-in with Mr. Living Vicariously. The craft comes in a few flavors with shells made of high-end carbon fiber or ABS plastic, and engines ranging from 3.5-7kWh. Capable of cruising the open waters at a max speed of 15-27 knots (17-31 mph), it doesn't really rival the thrust of some of its non-electric cousins, but it's certainly fast and quiet enough for some reconnoitering or good old fashioned family fun. With four racks of Li Fe PO4 high capacity batteries, the motor powers a water jet turbine drive system to cut through waves without any sound pollution. Unfortunately, zipping around on electric power doesn't come cheap -- at €7,290 (or $9,939), it'll probably only appeal to those who also own the lake needed to enjoy it on. But hey, at least you've got until Q1 2012 to save up!
EVE Evolved: Outlaws of EVE
EVE Online's Community Manager CCP Wrangler once said that "EVE isn't designed to just look like a cold, dark and harsh world; it's designed to be a cold, dark and harsh world." That sentiment sums up the core philosophy behind the game, which permits such nefarious gameplay styles as thief, smuggler, scam-artist, pirate and market manipulator. Underhanded deals go on every day in EVE, with bounty hunters hired to ruin someone's day and spies tearing corporations apart from within. Many are drawn to EVE because it's one of the few MMOs that allows players to embrace their darker side. The opportunity to be a real villain in a sandbox universe can be intoxicating. Perhaps more intoxicating is the notion that the presence of tangible villains affords players a rare opportunity to play the role of hero. For every pirate gang lurking at a stargate in low security space, there's an anti-pirate squad somewhere planning an attack. For every thief ready to empty their corporation's hangers, there's a security specialist weeding out spies. The true outlaws of EVE are people who have earned their infamy through acts of ruthlessness in their chosen field. Over the years, we've interviewed and examined some of EVE's most notorious outlaws. In this article, I look back at four of EVE's most wanted, how they earned their infamy, and what they're doing today.
EVE Online spymaster The Mittani to present at GDC 2010
EVE Online developer CCP Games typically has a presence at major industry events like the upcoming Game Developers Conference, but the session that's caught our attention so far isn't a presentation from the devs -- it's actually from a member of the EVE community. That GDC 2010 speaker is Alexander Gianturco -- better known to most EVE Online players as Goonswarm's spymaster, The Mittani. Others may know the infamous player as the "Sins of the Solar Spymaster" EVE columnist at Ten Ton Hammer. Gianturco will give a lecture at GDC 2010 titled "Uniquely Ruthless: The Espionage Metagame of EVE Online" that will give an insider's perspective on the political machinations possible in the game's sandbox of New Eden. His talk will hit on topics like the disbanding of the Band of Brothers alliance, how the espionage metagame has changed over time, and of course the myriad aspects of EVE's sandbox that allow players to even engage in such pursuits. The session description for Uniquely Ruthless: The Espionage Metagame of EVE Online states that Gianturco's presentation should be of general interest to anyone with a love of spies and their stories.
Star Wars: The Old Republic releases more intel on the Imperial Agent
One of the frequently-voiced concerns about Star Wars: The Old Republic is the possibility that the non-Force classes will wind up becoming almost irrelevant. Who's going to pay attention to being a spy when you can wield an energy sword and fling lightning, right? As a matter of fact, the Imperial Agent would like very much if no one ever notices they exist. They're quite happy to stand in the background and never be observed, because as the latest developer's entry explains, that's precisely what the Agent does best. They exist in the shadow, the man of many faces and a hundred names, a presence whose influence is strongest when it isn't evident at all. Star Wars: The Old Republic faces the difficult task of making the Sith -- traditionally the villains of the franchise -- into a playable and likable faction rather than monolithic evil. As the developer entry points out, the Imperial Agent is a major part of that, of giving the chance to look at someone who is quite possibly a proud citizen of the Empire and happy to serve in keeping the peace and bring down the Republic. It's also a look at the parts between the lines of the films, the spies and intel operators whose role was important but whose faces were rarely seen. But you might decide not to look at the full discussion of the class anyway -- and as we've mentioned, really, that's what the agent would want.
The challenges and rewards of espionage in EVE Online
Goonswarm spymaster The Mittani took a different approach with his latest EVE Online column at Ten Ton Hammer, and conducted an interview with a corporate saboteur titled "The Most Dangerous Agent". While it should be stated that most players in EVE do not engage in espionage, it's a career path of sorts that any player could potentially engage in, provided they have the combination of intelligence, social skills, and dedication needed to succeed. It's that aspect of dedication which often goes unmentioned -- the challenge of maintaining long-term duplicity. The Mittani's interview with a player anonymously referred to as "Darwin's Accelerator" explains how a player with destructive aims greater than simply engaging a few enemy ships at a time can use intel to devastating effect, wiping out entire fleets. Maintaining a persona that fits in with the target organization and thus won't arouse suspicion, however, can be difficult if the infiltrator genuinely dislikes the members that comprise the corporation or alliance.
Major EVE Online alliance CVA disbanded: espionage or hack?
Major EVE Online roleplaying alliance Curatores Veritatis Alliance (CVA) disbanded today, possibly the result of a traitor within their ranks, leaving a power vacuum in the Providence region they once held. It's possible for high-level directors of an alliance to disband the organization, and this is exactly what happened today to Curatores Veritatis Alliance. CVA was an alliance loyal to the game's NPC faction the Amarr Empire and had a long history of enforcing rule in lawless space and resisting rival player organizations of Minmatar freedom fighters -- notably Ushra'Khan -- who they branded as terrorists. In short, CVA has played a significant role in the player-driven setting of EVE Online. At this point, speculation as to how CVA was disbanded is rampant. The concept of a mole using high-level access to destroy an alliance from within is not unprecedented in the game, although some players are asserting an account hack took place. EVE pilot "BULLETPROOF 50CENT" of the corporation Traceless Representatives of Anonymous Players (TRAP) has claimed credit for the disintegration of CVA. He stated: "I am known as bullet, just a small, relatively unknown member of a covert organization, created by and dedicated to the taking down of what we saw as the single largest evil in EVE -- CVA."
Earthrise developers seeking community input on alts
Earthrise is an indy-developed science fiction MMO on the way from Masthead Studios in Bulgaria. The developers have stated that Earthrise will be a sandbox game, with a large part of the player experience based on what guilds try to accomplish in the post-apocalyptic setting of Enterra. Given this emphasis on player-driven content, Masthead Studios has been running a Community Consensus over the past few weeks where the devs seek input from Earthrise fans on various aspects of the game's design. Today Masthead Studios wants to hear what the community thinks about alts. In most MMOs having extra character slots is expected, but alt play in a sandbox game where players will engage in espionage could get out of hand. Would the ability to easily for any player to create a cell of spy alts unbalance the game, or should there be a tight limit on character slots per account?
Latest lore update for The Old Republic chronicles shadowy Imperial spies
A few of us on the Massively team are fans of the Lance Henriksen-narrated lore updates for Star Wars: The Old Republic that explain the MMO's timeline in video. The guy was Bishop, after all! So far these videos have given us a good idea of the game's backstory and have dropped some clues as to what we may see in the title. One of the more recent episodes was Return of the Mandalorians which focused on the independent warrior nomads who rose to challenge even the Jedi. While they aren't evil, war is their way of life and they thirst for conquest. According to the latest timeline update, "The Empire Changes Strategy", the Mandalorians had some help along the way from the Imperial spies who orchestrated their ascent to power. Henriksen narrates a tale of Imperial intelligence operatives pulling strings from the shadows for their Sith masters, and of the rise and fall of Mandalore himself. We think this continuation of the Star Wars: The Old Republic story is worth a look, and you can find it on the game's official site.
