brickhousesecurity

With last week’s Supreme Court ruling on GPS tracking by police , privacy in the digital age is getting more and more attention. The next issue the justices might have to tackle is whether or not it’s constitutional to use other forms of surveillance — including mobile body scanning technology, which the New York Police Department is set to begin testing this year. The scanners work by reading a body’s ‘heat signature,” which doesn’t pass through solid metal objects (such as guns or knives... Read Full Story

On January 23rd, the Supreme Court handed down a unanimous decision that went out of its way to avoid addressing key law enforcement and digital privacy issues — at least for now. On its face, the decision outlaws GPS tracking without a warrant and scores a victory for privacy advocates under the Fourth Amendment. But the ruling is so limited in scope that it fails to set a usable precedent and doesn’t come close to qualifying as a watershed moment in digital privacy law. The Court ruled (in... Read Full Story

On January 23rd, the Supreme Court handed down a ruling that will serve as the foundation for future digital surveillance cases. In an unusual unanimous decision, the Court ruled (in U.S. v. Jones) that police must obtain a search warrant to place a GPS tracking device on a suspect’s vehicle. In this case, the FBI and the District of Columbia affixed a hidden GPS tracker to a vehicle operated by suspected drug dealer Antoine Jones in a public parking lot. The device recorded and transmitted... Read Full Story

As more adults become web-savvy and learn how to spot suspicious websites, hackers are turning their attention to children. Impulsive and prone to falling for the hackers’ traps, kids make perfect malware targets, providing an easy gateway to their parent’s computers, and potentially, access to their personal and financial information. “Games like these require clicking, and children don’t think much about what they are clicking on,” said Ondrej Vlcek, CTO of Avast Software. “This makes... Read Full Story

Photo courtesy of SelectaDNA. A new experimental anti-theft tool is forcing criminals to show their true colors.  As perps flee the scene of a crime, a technology called SelectDNA sprays them with an invisible substance that can be detected up to 6 months later under ultraviolet light. Think of it as a nightclub hand stamp for bad guys. It works like this: According to Selectamark, the UK-based company behind the technology, the SelectaDNA dispenser is installed over the exits of a store... Read Full Story

Baby Jesus safe in his manger at Saint Ambrose Church New York, NY, Dec. 1, 2011 — Jesus saves, but who’s saving Jesus? Beleaguered communities and religious institutions across the country have reason to rejoice as BrickHouse Security , a premier supplier of security solutions, announced that it will resurrect its popular “Saving Jesus” program this holiday season. Nothing crushes the holiday spirit faster than a nativity scene that’s been robbed of its feature attraction... Read Full Story

Lockheed Martin is about to start ground-testing the next generation of GPS Satellites. When the new birds launch in a couple of years, they’re likely to bring much joy to millions of users who’ve become increasingly dependent on their GPS tracking devices and vehicle navigation systems.  The $5.5 billion project is poised to upgrade every aspect of the Global Positioning System, promising improved accuracy, reliability and resistance to signal-jamming. Currently, most GPS trackers are... Read Full Story

If you’re planning on going on vacation this holiday season you’re more than likely to book your flight tickets online. Well, criminals and hackers think the same way, which is why this year they’re targeting your flight confirmation e-mails. Their plan of attack is to send you fake flight confirmation e-mails with virus attachments designed to look like your tickets. Once you open one of these attachments it’s most likely too late. The keylogger spyware has already installed itself on your... Read Full Story

Lately we’ve been hearing a lot about people being mugged for their smartphones or simply getting them snatched mid-conversation with Uncle Jack. These pricey phones can cost over $500 without a contract, so they make perfect targets for thieves. However, phone snatching isn’t as widespread around the world as it is in the United States. For example, in Australia a stolen phone is about as useful as a PDA or the equivalent of an iPod Touch. Each phone has its own unique serial number, and... Read Full Story

Ever wish you could be James Bond? Now’s your chance. The UK’s Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) is recruiting. If accepted by GCHQ, you’ll get to work closely with the legendary spy agencies, MI5 and MI6. Before you know it, you’ll be beta-testing all the coolest new surveillance tools , ordering your vodka martinis shaken, not stirred, and cruising from adventure to adventure as you save the world one day at a time. Code-cracking skills have always been a requirement for top... Read Full Story