What's the best way to wiretap a network?

Wed Jan 21 08:24:48 UTC 2004

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

On 2004-01-20, at 22.19, Steven M. Bellovin wrote:

>
> In message <400D9745.76839304 at greendragon.com>, William Allen Simpson 
> writes:
>>
>> Eriks Rugelis wrote:
>>>
>>> On the other hand, if your environment consists of a large number 
>>> (100's) of
>>> potential tapping points, then you will quickly determine that 
>>> in-line taps
>>> have very poor scaling properties.
>>>         a) They are not rack-dense
>>>         b) They require external power warts
>>>         c) They are not cheap (in the range of US$500 each)
>>>         d) Often when you have that many potential tapping points, 
>>> you are
>>> likely to be processing a larger number of warrants in a year.  An 
>>> in-line
>>> tap arrangement will require a body to physically install the 
>>> recording
>>> equipment and cables to the trace-ports on the tap.  You may also 
>>> need to
>>> make room for more than one set of recording gear at each site.
>>>
>> This is a feature, not a bug.  Law enforcement is required to pay --
>> up front -- all costs of tapping.  No pay, no play.
>
> Right, at least in the U.S.  See section 4(e) of
> http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18/2518.html

 From the initial discussions in Sweden around the new electronic 
communications act, it seems as if the operators are obliged to provide 
tapping free of charge. If this turns out to be the case, I guess it is 
pretty much the same all over Europe as the law is supposed to be based 
on a EU framework.

- - kurtis -

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: PGP 8.0.3

iQA/AwUBQA43VaarNKXTPFCVEQLymQCgtgsN2rvN5zZ2lsbBTvi9VNnXYS8AoJyL
8z7bI+SOn3g4aGAb2lh6S2jk
=XUQj
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----