>Does anyone here have any thoughts as to whether Clipper enables traf fic >analysis or tracing more easy than it normally is under Switching Sys tem >7? SS7 uses out-of-band signalling. The clipper LEAF is an in-band signal. Therefore a tap for clipper yields two kinds of information, content and identities. Tapping an SS7 signalling network is more expensive and more difficult to justify. More expensive because it runs packet-switched, more difficult because it's not the conversation of any particular party except the phone company. Also, it probably goes via a different physical path. And at least some SS7 trunks are encrypted with DES.