The Consultant Was a Spy

Heathfield was also pitching a software program he claimed to have developed, called FutureMap. He described it to sources and in writing as a program that would reside on a company’s internal computer network. Users could plug in variables such as election results and technological breakthroughs to see how events might affect their businesses and future strategies. A screen capture of FutureMap shows a timeline tracking events over the course of many years in a variety of categories, including “Energy and Environment” and “Medicine & Biogenetics.”

Sources who met with Heathfield about FutureMap now believe the software could have been used to steal corporate information and send it back to Russian intelligence officials without the companies’ knowledge. . . . . . Sources were unnerved by how sophisticated and polished Heathfield’s pitch was. If not for the FBI’s intervention, one source speculated, Heathfield could have made a successful sale, installed the software, and started sending information home. “If he had a few more customers and better marketing, he could have really pulled off something tremendous.” . . . .

Full article here:

Back when I was a road warrior for IBM, many people who knew me (friends and family) actually half thought that I was not an IBM employee, but some kind of spook. I have to admit that due to the nature of what I was doing I couldn’t really talk about exactly what I was doing, but I could tell them I was here or there etc.. Unlike real spooks. In the case of Heathfield, well, he turned out to be a real spook and gee, look at that, he was a self branded “consultant” whod’a thunk it huh?

The fact is that the CIA often uses NOC agents in the role of consultants or reps for “front companies” or even legit companies as a cover for their NOC (Non Operational Cover) identities or “legends” They go into places under the guise of business like an Oil company that may in fact be the target of their collection activities. It’s an old trick and it always will be the case, there is nothing new here save that this guy was in fact perhaps peddling software that was pre-pwn3d and could tunnel the “clients” data out to mother Russia. A rather nifty idea really but again, nothing new.

So, won’t you now look on the new consultant as not only perhaps a Bob (oblique Office Space reference) but also maybe the next corporate spy?

THIS is what should happen but I am sure will not. You see, the vetting process for employing people oftentimes is too weak if at all in place at companies. All too many times people do not check references nor do they do the criminal background checks on new hires or prospectives. Never mind the fact that most of the time its easy enough to get onto a corporate facility with faked credentials or none at all and gain access to data, terminals, hardware etc. Hell, just how many places have a separate vlan or drop for internet access for visiting consultants or perspective clients?

Put it this way.. Can anyone just plug in and get a DHCP address on your network? If they can, well game over man.. Even more so if you have a weak AP system for wireless (can you saw WEP?) So that “consultant” whether or not they are meant to be there or have just socially engineered their way into the building may already be on your network and tunneling out gigs of data as you read this…

So one of them turned out to be a real bona fide Russian illegal WOOO HOOO! Worry about all the others out there from ever other land as well as corporate entity looking to steal your shit.

Pay attention! So can the DHL Guy, the I.T. Guy, The Mail Man, The Temp, The Plumber, Janitor, etc etc etc…

CoB