<http://news.com.com/2102-1034_3-5173320.html?tag=st.util.print> CNET News Cable taps into wiretap law By Ben Charny Staff Writer, CNET News.com http://news.com.com/2100-1034-5173320.html Story last modified March 16, 2004, 11:00 AM PST Cable operators are starting to comply with federal law that has long required telecommunications carriers to help police conduct electronic surveillance. The cable companies are not required to do so yet, but they see the writing on the wall. According to one source, Time Warner Cable is the first cable operator to begin trying to comply with the federal wiretap law. Vernon Irvin, executive vice president at security vendor VeriSign, said during a recent interview that his company had signed a deal with a "major cable operator" in the United States to help it follow the Communications Assistance For Law Enforcement Act (CALEA). Irvin, however, did assert that other cable companies are sure to follow. That's because the FBI has made public a far-reaching proposal to require all broadband Internet providers--including cable modem and digital subscriber line (DSL) companies--to restructure their networks to support easy wiretapping by police. "The cable guys arenmt waiting," Irvin said. The FBI's proposal would, for the first time, force cable providers that sell broadband to come under the jurisdiction of 1994's CALEA, which further defined the already-existing statutory obligations of telecom carriers to help police conduct electronic surveillance. Telephone companies that use their networks to sell broadband have already been following CALEA rules. Because the eavesdropping proposal has the support of the Bush administration, the Federal Communications Commission is expected to take it very seriously. Last month, FCC Chairman Michael Powell stressed that "law enforcement access to IP-enabled communications is essential" and that police must have "access to communications infrastructure they need to protect our nation." Irvin said that details of the VeriSign deal will be announced next week. -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah@ibuc.com> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'