NYT: Phone Network Is Vulnerable, Report Finds (fwd)

Wed Aug 7 02:19:55 UTC 2002

At 06:53 PM 8/6/2002 -0400, David Lesher wrote:

>Unnamed Administration sources reported that Martin Hannigan said:
> >
> >
> >
> > If you get the report, I'd be interested, but they'd have to encase the 
> entire
> > country, poles, manholes, generators, central offices, etc into concrete
> > and steel to make it secure. With enough knowledge, it's easy, and the
> > terrorists aren't all stupid. Mostly.
>
>All Ridge has to do is classify every cable map, LERG, CLLI list,
>and telco office guide in the country. Paint all the telco trucks
>black, to go with the helicopters. And/or, federalize the whole
>beast, like the railroads during WWI.

Right. Which is basically impossible. I think redundancy with improved
security is where they will be best served. There will be no total secureness.

>Remember when the FBI Wiretap Act/GAK folks wanted most/all telco
>employees to get clearances? This should make that look trivial.
>Is "system admin" anyone with root access? We better serial-number
>all Linux downloads.

They're off that kick. For now.

Regards,

--
Martin Hannigan                    hannigan at fugawi.net