IP: Beyond Carnivore: FBI Eyes Packet Taps (fwd)

[mikecabot at fastcircle.com]

The info in the Interactive Week article is basically the same info 
from the National Journal article previously posted here, which leads 
me to suspect that Baker is simply repeating the same rumor to 
everyone who'll write about it.

But..... it is interesting that they say "router manufacturers" here. 

I believe that what Baker "heard" was simply the FBI going out to 
people like Cisco and some of the larger network providers and people 
responsible for provisioning NAPs and saying "we want you to 
implement the additions to IPSEC that the IETF refused to implement".

(For background, the FBI, DOJ, DoD -- the "usual suspects" -- had 
presented a series of recommendations to the IETF last year that 
would create "packet accounting" features in IPSEC protocols and 
future IP protocols.... they were rejected by the IETF, which stated 
at the time that the idea of creating built-in exploits to a protocol 
designed for security was counterintuitive. See http://www.ietf.org 
for more info.)

Now, it is entirely possible that given the public pressure arising 
from the 9-11 attacks, individual manufacturers (read" "Cisco") might 
bow to such pressure, and build-in some of these features into future 
products AND into future software builds for existing products.

So, I think this is what Baker "heard" -- not that the FBI has any 
such system in place or would have one anytime soon... rather, that 
the FBI will re-present these proposals one-on-one with Cisco and a 
few <major> network providers, and in effect, get the impact of their 
previously-rejected proposals implemented to cover maybe as much as 
80% or more of the traffic in the domestic US. And besides access to 
the majority of USA packet traffic, they would have access to some 
part of international traffic too... it's beyong the scope of this 
email, but keep in mind that many non-USA NAPs are really connected 
to one another VIA the USA..... in effect, bug the USA NAPs, and you 
get access to almost all the traffic from Pacific Rim countries like 
Japan, Australia, etc. and you get access to small parts of Western 
Europe also, not to mention parts of Africa and the Middle East that 
uplink via satellite instead of a wired connection.

An enterprising reporter might make an interesting article out of 
trying to track down exactly what parts of the IETF proposal the FBI 
wants (Declan?) and someone could post copies of the draft proposal 
as first released at ietf.org (JYA?). But I digress :)


> Original Message from Sun, 21 Oct 2001 14:14:50  0200 (MET DST):> 
> 
> 
> -- Eugen* Leitl leitl
> ______________________________________________________________
> ICBMTO: N48 04'14.8'' E11 36'41.2'' http://www.lrz.de/~ui22204
> 57F9CFD3: ED90 0433 EB74 E4A9 537F CFF5 86E7 629B 57F9 CFD3
> 
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Sun, 21 Oct 2001 06:07:48 -0400
> From: David Farber 
> Reply-To: farber at cis.upenn.edu
> To: ip-sub-1 at majordomo.pobox.com
> Subject: IP: Beyond Carnivore: FBI Eyes Packet Taps
> 
> 
> >
> >From: Monty Solomon 
> >Subject: Beyond Carnivore: FBI Eyes Packet Taps
> >
> >
> >October 18, 2001
> >Beyond Carnivore: FBI Eyes Packet Taps
> >By  Max Smetannikov
> >
> >Expect the FBI to expand its Internet wiretapping program, says a
> >source familiar with the plan.
> >
> >Stewart Baker, a partner with law firm Steptoe & Johnson, is a 
former
> >general counsel to the National Security Agency. He says the FBI 
has
> >spent the last two years developing a new surveillance architecture
> >that would concentrate Internet traffic in several key locations
> >where all packets, not just e-mail, could be wiretapped. It is now
> >planning to begin implementing this architecture using the powers 
it
> >has under existing wiretapping laws.
> >
> >http://www.interactiveweek.com/article/0,3658,s%3D605%26a%
253D16678,00.asp
> 
> 
> For archives see:
> http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
> 
> 
> 
> 

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