Digital Lipstick on the Collar

There is a question that has crossed the mind recently of anyone who has sent a cellphone text message while cheating on a spouse: What was I thinking?

Text messages are the new lipstick on the collar, the mislaid credit card bill. Instantaneous and seemingly casual, they can be confirmation of a clandestine affair, a record of the not-so-discreet who sometimes forget that everything digital leaves a footprint.

This became painfully obvious a week ago when a woman who claims to have had an affair with Tiger Woods told a celebrity publication that he had sent her flirty text messages, some of which were published. It follows on the heels of politicians who ran afoul of text I.Q., including a former Detroit mayor who went to prison after his steamy text messages to an aide were revealed, and Senator John Ensign of Nevada, whose affair with a former employee was confirmed by an incriminating text message.

Unlike earlier eras when a dalliance might be suspected but not confirmed, nowadays text messages provide proof. Divorce lawyers say they have seen an increase in cases in the past year where a wronged spouse has offered text messages to show that a partner has strayed. The American Bar Association began offering seminars this fall for marital attorneys on how to use electronic evidence — text messages, browsing history and social networks — in proving a case.

Full NYT Story HERE:

It’s always fascinating to see just where Digital Forensics seems to be headed these days. Of course with the laws out there like the one that allows you to sue the “lover” of your partner , I can foresee a whole new cottage industry of cell phone and PDA forensics to determine “if” indeed they were cheating. This too will also spill over into actual testimony by CHFI’s going into court to testify as to the naughty texts that someone has sent back and forth without having to get a federal court order to get the records from AT&T.

Of course there is the trouble of obtaining the cell phone to run a forensic on.. But, sure, I can see wives taking those phones and saying “Oops! It must have gotten lost!” only to turn it over to the local digital forensics huggy bear huh? Maybe… Maybe in fact, these phones will be part of court orders to turn over to the CHFI as discovery huh? Who really knows.

Surely though, it will be a boon to those PDA/Cell trojan makers out there that claim to be able to monitor all the traffic say on an iPhone and report back to you… So far these technologies can work, but I have not heard of too many being used in cases. Would this not also too make the user/implanter of the trojan in fact a criminal by backdooring the phone in the first place?

One wonders…

On another note, isn’t it comforting to know that all of your conversations digitally, are being collected and saved by AT&T etc for varying amounts of time? The voice I am sure is being audited and logged by the NARUS systems in the MAE’s out there, but also too all your digital surfing, texts, etc is being captured.. Who’da thunk it? Heh, if you were sitting there nodding your head, then you just aren’t aware of your surroundings kids. All of this stuff is no private unless you have some damn fine one time pad crypto! You are after all, transmitting all of this through federally mandated “critical infrastructure” you know. All of which is monitored now thanks to the patriot act and the Bush administrations machinations with regard to CALEA and those pesky “secret” wireless warrant taps.

But I digress…

Yes, now you can be caught not only by the government, but also your wives and significant others too. In any case, I foresee perhaps having paying clients for this kind of work in the near future…

Of course, if one were smart,one would buy a burn phone…. But, that’s just me… HINT HINT TIGER!

CoB

TSA & DHS, Trust US With YOUR Data!

Washington (CNN) — Five Transportation Security Administration employees have been placed on administrative leave after a sensitive airport security manual was posted on the Internet, the agency announced Wednesday.

The TSA said the version of the manual that ended up online was several editions old and did not expose the agency’s current airport screening protocols. And Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told a Senate committee Wednesday that, “The security of the traveling public has never been put at risk.”

The manual outlined screening procedures for law enforcement officers, diplomats, prisoners, federal air marshals and others.

Full Story:

Well, I have been saying this kind of thing for some time.. Meh, they made a boo boo… Or, shall we see more? Check the link below for an answer to that one…

I was inspired last night and did some Googling with key words including SSI (Sensitive Security Information) Sure enough, within the DHS/TSA domains you can still get hold of more SSI documents.

TSA & DHS FAIL

These are the people in charge of our safety… Makes you feel all warm and safe huh?

CoB