"How about a pseudo random "conversation" generator appliance for the person trying to mask their speech. If it closely models the vocal tract, language and language characteristics of the speaker it might be extremely difficult to remove as background noise." There are plenty of CDs of conversations out there. Moreover, it would be easy to simply record a fairly banal conversation oneself was having. Then put it on a CD player that has repeat mode. Of course, I'm willing to believe this can still be chopped through with the appropriate eavesdropping gear. But the point is that with about $10 bucks of investment, you now force eavesdroppers to deploy $1000s (or more) of gear and people. Adds a kind of reverse DC-bias to the situation, no? Now, only the determined will be going after you, not someone merely fishing for levers to be used against you. Now, they have to send a truck....' -TD

From: Steve Schear <s.schear@comcast.net> To: sunder <sunder@sunder.net> CC: cypherpunks@minder.net Subject: Re: Gentlemen reading mail part II Date: Mon, 01 Mar 2004 22:11:42 -0800

At 07:42 AM 3/1/2004, sunder wrote:

...

...

Interesting. I guess my basic question is, is there a subset of counter-surveillance actions that can be taken that, while not ensuring secure communications, forces eavesdropping parties to take 'radical' measures in order to obtain the desired information? In other words, if they have to deploy a black-bag operation every few weeks, then that makes the odds of them being 'outed' sooner rather than later much greater. It might even deter survelliance except "when it really counts". But then again, if the walls really have ears, then there's not much that can be done. Perhaps Koffi Annan was completely aware of this but counted on normal diplomatic protocol to prevent embarrasing and public exposures...(and that may be all that's really needed at the UN after all...)

How about a pseudo random "conversation" generator appliance for the person trying to mask their speech. If it closely models the vocal tract, language and language characteristics of the speaker it might be extremely difficult to remove as background noise.

steve

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