IT Baseline Protection Manual - The Information Warfare Site

Threats Catalogue Deliberate Acts Remarks
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T 5.95 Bugging of indoor conversations over mobile
phones
Mobile phones can be used to record or listen to conversations unnoticed. In
the simplest case, a mobile phone can be switched on, connected to an
interested third party and inconspicuously placed in a room, for example
where a meeting is being held. However, as the phone has only a limited
battery life and the microphone is not designed for room surveillance, such an
attempt at bugging is of only limited effect.
Through skilful selection of features and combining these with additional
frills, it is possible to put a mobile phone into talk mode without this being
indicated by a ringing tone or other means. For example, there is one type of
phone in which the mobile phone's display can be switched off by entering a
particular key combination even though a call is actually connected to the
device.
However, specially manipulated mobile phones can also be used for this
purpose. With these phones, it is not evident from looking at the phone that it
is switched on. Here the mobile phone is used as a bugging device which can
be activated from anywhere in the world over the telephone network, without
this being detectable from the phone itself. Devices in which this special
function is implemented using additional circuits are known. This
manipulation is relatively easy to detect through visual inspection after taking
the device apart or using special investigation methods. Operation of such
devices is illegal in Germany.
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IT-Baseline Protection Manual: Oktober 2000
Inconspicuous switching
on
Utilisation of features
Manipulated mobile
phones