6 ms·

At this point, we might as well just go back to landlines and fax machines.

saganus 12y ago
Aren't those even easier to wiretap? I believe (maybe I'm wrong here) that the word wiretap comes precisely because people could literally "tap" into the wire and listen everything. Or did I miss the sarcasm?
- khuey 12y ago
  The old technologies required more effort (somebody had to go physically tap the wire).
  - ars 12y ago
    You can't tap a cell phone call remotely either - you have to be pretty close to the cell phone. So it's not that different, a bit easier, yes. But you still have to physically go there.
    - mszyndel 12y ago
      So little you know... ;)
    - jdbernard 12y ago
      Not if you have access to the carrier's internal network...
      - ars 12y ago
        If you have access to the internal network you don't need SIM card keys which is the subject here.
  - saganus 12y ago
    When I re-read the parent's post I thought to myself "of course he is being sarcastic!" But then I saw your post and it made me think. And I believe you are onto something here. I mean, sure, probably tapping one phone is much easier physically, just connect the wires and you're done. However the point you bring is game-changer. In ye' olden days spooks were interested in certain persons only, but now it seems that we are all fair game, and so the "easy" way of wiretapping becomes incredibly hard when you want to spy on everyone. It's basically an scalability problem then. Never saw it that way.
    - saraid216 12y ago
      I, too, look forward to the day when we live in a world just like the ending of Transcendence.
    - avn2109 12y ago
      Somebody told me that post-Snowden, the NSA started processing some high-value internal paperwork with fancy typewriters to prevent signals intelligence attacks. Apparently the typewriters have little signatures embedded in each letter that are unique per typewriter operator.
      - mszyndel 12y ago
        Every typewriter has a unique signature as has every other polygraphic machine (fax, printer, copier). This was a case always, after Media burglary (in the '70!) FBI was collecting Xerox copier printouts to identify where the burglars reproduced the stolen files.
    - MichaelGG 12y ago
      Except more and more, calls are going over VoIP, which is essentially never encrypted. Even calls from one landline to another, even to a neighbor, might end up on VoIP. And in any given call, there are probably multiple resellers. Each with full capability to intercept, redirect, modify, etc. any call. And tech support is often given access to capture any call, as a troubleshooting measure. Even companies like AT&T, who you'd think with exorbitant prices would always pay for proper direct connections, actually try to find the cheapest bidder in any way possible. For some destinations, they might a list that's 20+ resellers deep. In short, tapping major connectivity points is probably enough to capture a lot of calls even if you place them from a landline. (Not to mention there's no real security mindset in telecom at all.)
  - Swannie 12y ago
    Maybe true in pre to early 1980s. With SS7, widely deployed in Europe and then the rest of the world, probing (tapping) was quite straight forward when the SP complied with local lawful intercept regulations. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS7_probe http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS7_probe
wil421 12y ago
More like private curriers with type written notes.
- arca_vorago 12y ago
  As long as the machines used to type the notes is in a SCIF.

Aren't those even easier to wiretap? I believe (maybe I'm wrong here) that the word wiretap comes precisely because people could literally "tap" into the wire and listen everything. Or did I miss the sarcasm?

khuey 12y ago
The old technologies required more effort (somebody had to go physically tap the wire).
- ars 12y ago
  You can't tap a cell phone call remotely either - you have to be pretty close to the cell phone. So it's not that different, a bit easier, yes. But you still have to physically go there.
  - mszyndel 12y ago
    So little you know... ;)
  - jdbernard 12y ago
    Not if you have access to the carrier's internal network...
    - ars 12y ago
      If you have access to the internal network you don't need SIM card keys which is the subject here.
- saganus 12y ago
  When I re-read the parent's post I thought to myself "of course he is being sarcastic!" But then I saw your post and it made me think. And I believe you are onto something here. I mean, sure, probably tapping one phone is much easier physically, just connect the wires and you're done. However the point you bring is game-changer. In ye' olden days spooks were interested in certain persons only, but now it seems that we are all fair game, and so the "easy" way of wiretapping becomes incredibly hard when you want to spy on everyone. It's basically an scalability problem then. Never saw it that way.
  - saraid216 12y ago
    I, too, look forward to the day when we live in a world just like the ending of Transcendence.
  - avn2109 12y ago
    Somebody told me that post-Snowden, the NSA started processing some high-value internal paperwork with fancy typewriters to prevent signals intelligence attacks. Apparently the typewriters have little signatures embedded in each letter that are unique per typewriter operator.
    - mszyndel 12y ago
      Every typewriter has a unique signature as has every other polygraphic machine (fax, printer, copier). This was a case always, after Media burglary (in the '70!) FBI was collecting Xerox copier printouts to identify where the burglars reproduced the stolen files.
  - MichaelGG 12y ago
    Except more and more, calls are going over VoIP, which is essentially never encrypted. Even calls from one landline to another, even to a neighbor, might end up on VoIP. And in any given call, there are probably multiple resellers. Each with full capability to intercept, redirect, modify, etc. any call. And tech support is often given access to capture any call, as a troubleshooting measure. Even companies like AT&T, who you'd think with exorbitant prices would always pay for proper direct connections, actually try to find the cheapest bidder in any way possible. For some destinations, they might a list that's 20+ resellers deep. In short, tapping major connectivity points is probably enough to capture a lot of calls even if you place them from a landline. (Not to mention there's no real security mindset in telecom at all.)
- Swannie 12y ago
  Maybe true in pre to early 1980s. With SS7, widely deployed in Europe and then the rest of the world, probing (tapping) was quite straight forward when the SP complied with local lawful intercept regulations. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS7_probe http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS7_probe

wil421 12y ago

More like private curriers with type written notes.

arca_vorago 12y ago
As long as the machines used to type the notes is in a SCIF.