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GPS tracking device found on an activist's car

people.torproject.org

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Re: GPS tracking device found on an activist's car

#31

Post by spiritplumber »

simcop2387 wrote: post #18

Based on the way it's laid out and all the unpopulated headers I'm almost wondering if this is a GSM dev board that someone makes that's paired with a GPS daughter card they make. It doesn't look quite as purpose built for a tracking application as I would expect, if it was i'd expect it to be far more compact and have very few test points and headers for the controller. In fact I'd expect they'd probably use a small…

I've seen some work done by federal subcontractors on what amount to black boxes for tugboats and barges, and it's about of this quality actually - shiny metal boxes, good machining, then you open them up and the inside is a mess, green wire everywhere, etc.

If you know you got the contract anyway and know that aren't dealing with technical people anywhere in the customer chain, you don't have to worry much about quality, it just has to barely work.

I was working for the competition at the time, and like to think that the black boxes we made were better than that, although the first couple of revisions were also a mess... at least ours got better!

Re: GPS tracking device found on an activist's car

#32

Post by TrevorJ »

bhayden wrote: post #22
kevin_thibedeau wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This has already happened in the US. Pretty galling that the FBI requested one to be returned: http://www.wired.com/2011/11/gps-tracker-times-two/ http://www.wired.com/2010/10/fbi-tracking-device/ Would be interesting if they could lift any prints from the tape on this newest one and publish them. I can't imagine it's easy to apply duct tape with gloves on.

You can replace "requested" with "threatened everything short of violence"

It's not like they don't know where it is, you'd think they could just go get it themselves.

Re: GPS tracking device found on an activist's car

#33

Post by TrevorJ »

JshWright wrote: post #20
JoeAltmaier wrote: post #6

Uh, any smart phone? Many/most of us are being tracked.

All the more evidence that this was some sort of "PI" or other private party, not a government agency (on top of the very amateurish construction from hacked together parts).

I thought the same thing.

Re: GPS tracking device found on an activist's car

#34

Post by lotharbot »

pmccall777 wrote: post #15

They missed a golden opportunity to attach the device to a politician, high ranking official, or executive's car.

Or more simply, just throw it in the back of a passing pickup truck (like in "Short Circuit", when Number 5 realizes he's being tracked by a beacon in his vehicle. Unfortunately I can't find the clip on youtube.)

Re: GPS tracking device found on an activist's car

#35

Post by gnu8 »

Sanddancer wrote: post #26
gnu8 wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The vendor obscures the chips because they sell these devices to agencies for thousands of dollars on government purchase orders. It wouldn't do for the customer to discover they could build these things for less than $100 in parts that anyone can order from anywhere.

Wouldn't surprise me if this was a one-off job. All those joints were hand-soldered, which is something you don't do unless you're the tiniest of tiny vendors, and someone who really didn't want to get people looking at it would have used something other than tape to wrap it up.

Government surveillance equipment is low volume and high margin, so hand assembly makes sense. The tape also makes sense as a way of disguising the device. A shiny plastic box wouldn't look like it belongs on the car, but most cars have wiring harnesses covered with black tape.

Re: GPS tracking device found on an activist's car

#40

Post by jonmrodriguez »

jonmrodriguez wrote: post #10
tomkinstinch wrote: post #4

Very few companies produce GPS chips. Most devices that include GPS capability do not bother to reinvent the wheel, but instead elect to integrate an existing GPS processing chip. It's unlikely the GPS module is integrated with the processor core of this thing. Since it is likely separate, it would be fun to probe the PCB with a logic analyzer to see if there are any exposed serial (or possibly I2C, SPI) traces relay…

Aw man I loved your comment right up to the point where you gave people a suggestion on how to make better surveillance tech :(

Seriously. It's extremely important that we as engineers be ethical about what we build. If you are enabling a surveillance state, I think many people would consider that to be harmful to public welfare.
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