Digital Device Security & Forensics ...

It is Important to Examine Cell Phones Carefully
The security professional and sworn law enforcement officers need to be careful that they examine cell phones to make sure that they are really working phones. This can be done by X-ray and careful examination. What appears to be a normal cell phone could be a stun gun.

There are examples of such stun gun cell phones on eBay for as little as twenty dollars plus shipping and handling [1].

There are also cell phone cases that hold both a phone and a cylindrical pepper spray gun [2].

There are also four shot zip guns that are concealed in what appears to be a cell phone. Here is a video that demonstrates it [3].

There are so many good people that follow the rules and comply with security, that it is possible to become complacent about X-raying electronic devices and asking people to see their cell phones. However; it is very important to see that a cell phone could be a four shot zip gun, a stun gun, or have a place to hold a pepper spray gun.

There are also many toy cell phones that sell for a dollar online and can be given to children so that they don't take their parents' cell phone. These could be opened up and used to hide narcotics.

That is why it is also important to also check the children's toy phones. The idea of creating a hiding place in what appears to be a commonly used object is not new. This has been around for hundreds of years and such deceptive devices are sometimes known as concealments. The Spy Museum in Washington D.C has many examples of such items.

Security professionals of all types need to go to security conferences, read magazines, look at mail order merchandise catalogs, and peruse online auction sites. They need to be aware of the new concealed devices that are available to the public and know how they might be misused in secure areas.

Lastly, it is also important to belong to professional organizations such as the IACSP or ASIS International because they have monthly meetings and luncheons where people can talk about some of the latest security concerns going on. One former law enforcement officer who works as a paramedic says that he saw a person in a restaurant pretending to get phone calls while actually taking pictures of nearby customers who were waving driving licenses and credit cards to waiters for payment.

Capturing a person's driver's license and credit card information could be used for theft of goods or identity theft for terrorists. In any case, it is important to read, be alert, and network with others.
References

1. URL Accessed 1/30/2014 CELL-PHONE-STUN-TASER-GUN

2. URL Accessed 1/30/2014 IPHONE Pepper-Spray Case

3. URL Accessed 1/30/2014 FOUR SHOT ZIP GUNS
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