Use of Cell Phones for Active Monitoring in HUMINT Operations

Use of Cell Phones for Active
Monitoring in HUMINT Operations

Krishna Mungur
SCC

Security Memorandum

April 30, 2009

Use of Cell Phones for Active
Monitoring in HUMINT Operations

Company Information 3

Call Interception 3

SMS Monitoring 3

Remote Interception 4

Location Tracking 4

Web Reporting 5

Compatible Phones 5

Installation 6

Call Interception

The software promises to allow listening in to an “active call”, in a feature known as “Call Interception”. When the “target phone” receives a phone call, the phone also rings on the “monitor phone”, allowing the “observer” to listen in on the conversation while it is in progress.

SMS Monitoring

SMS text messages can be instantly read, call logs retrieved and Emails downloaded. The Flexispy software on the “target phone” sends a copy of every incoming and outgoing communication to the Flexispy servers, which then echo the messages to the web account. The messages are NOT broadcast to the “monitor” phone.

Remote Interception

The Flexispy Pro features a “remote interception” feature, which allows the user to “listen in to the phone surroundings” regardless of whether the user is on a phone call or not. The software broadcasts the audio picked up by the target phone’s built-in microphone, which can be monitored in real-time by the “observer” using the “monitor phone”.

Location Tracking

The PRO-X edition also delivers secret GPS tracking of the target phone’s location. If the “target” phone supports GPS broadcasting, then the longitude and latitude GPS coordinates are reported as well, and the physical location of the “target” phone is displayed on a map. If the “target” phone does not support GPS tracking, then the location can still be approximated, by reporting the “CELL ID” of the phone.

Web Reporting

The web reporting tool provides reporting on different “call events”, such as incoming calls, outgoing calls, SMS messages, e-mail, and location data. The columns can be sorted. Flexispy also includes an “Advanced Search Option” to help locate specific data about the “target” phone. The search capability can filter dates, phone numbers, and other options, as well as including specific keywords from SMS or e-mail messages. The results can be viewed, and even exported into CSV, RTF, or XML format.

Compatible Phones

The Flexispy software is not universally functional. It depends on the operating system of the phone, but the Blackberry, Windows Mobile and Symbian operating systems are supported.

Installation

Installation is intended to be from the web browser of the “target” phone, by accessing the website http://www.djp.cc and the ID key assigned by Vervdata is required. After the download is finished, the application will automatically install. After the software is installed, the phone will need to be restarted. After installing Flexispy and restarting the phone, the software needs to be activated, by entering the Flexispy setting screen. To access this screen, a code provided by Vervdata is needed, which is accomplished by dialing *#900900900 (the default access Flexispy ID key), pressing the green “call” (or “talk”) button”, and waiting for at least three seconds. Then the Flexispy ID key can be entered and the software activated. To access the software in the future, use the assigned Flexispy ID key (which replaces the default access Flexispy ID key). Some minor configuration is required, such as setting the reporting frequency, and clicking the “start collecting” button. The software can be transferred to another phone, by deactivating the software from the initial “target” phone, making the Flexispy ID key available for installation to another “target” phone.