From: Harvey Newstrom (mail@HarveyNewstrom.com)
Date: Mon Apr 29 2002 - 11:07:27 MDT
On Monday, April 29, 2002, at 04:58 am, Edmund Grech wrote:
>> Is it legal to eaves drop data in America/UK ?
>>
>> Just curious,
>>
>> Woody
>
> As Mike points out it isn't apparently illegal to tap someones phone who
> isn't in your country, it is presumably only diplomatically impolite if
> you
> get caught. In any case since Echelon is a joint American British
> program if
> it is technically illegal it doesn't matter because the government
> supports
> it and publicly denies its existance.
It IS illegal to eavesdrop in American and Europe. What is lacking is
the jurisdiction to prosecute another government for spying on your
citizens. The countries simply do not push the issue too far because
both sides of the Atlantic are doing it. This in no way makes it legal
under any country's law or under international law.
> Besides, Echelon's primary purpose is not so much to eaves drop on
> British
> American communication though it does, but rather on other countries
> networks. It's the piece of kit responsible for recording your phone
> conversation if you mention the words bomb or assasination on a libian
> payphone, or any other for that matter.
Echelon eavesdrops on every conversation, and records every word you
say. It then searches for keywords. It is not limited to public
payphones.
> I don't know if it extends to internet datqa - email etc but if it
> doesn't
> you can be certain something else does. Addmittedly I have to agree with
> Mike that it is passive by comparison to acts of all out Hack attacks,
> but
> we have long experience in treading that fine line very well - so we get
> away with it.
The Internet spying software is called Carnivore. It is not passive.
ISPs in America were forced by executive order to make special changes
and cooperate to enable this spying. Companies that were not compatible
or cooperative with the government were threatened with being shutdown.
Carnivore also includes viruses and trojan horses to deliver spyware
onto systems under surveillance to enhance its capabilities. The system
does not passively listen to public unencrypted messages sent over the
Internet.
-- Harvey Newstrom, CISSP <www.HarveyNewstrom.com> Principal Security Consultant <www.Newstaff.com>
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