Gentlemen reading mail part II

[sunder]

Tyler Durden 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...)

Sure there is.  Plenty.  You feed'em barium and see how they react - or if 
they somehow tip their hand by acting on the information fed to them.  In 
this case, that would have been unlikely useful as these are pros.

For example, one way to piss them off is to attempt to sing when you have 
zero singing skills, and do it for hours on end, purposely off key, abusing 
whatever instrument is available...  Or playing something very 
annoying/disturbing over and over again...

Large doses of Aphex Twin or Beavis and Butthead, dogs barking, etc.  Ditto 
on unimportant phone and cell conversations, especially while driving in 
your car, or for even more phone fun, call yourself from the cell phone and 
let the minutes add up and playing some of the above, or better yet, put 
the cell phone and phone handset together and let the sweet digital 
feedback built up.  Whatever you're paying in cellphone minutes is far less 
than what they're wasting on surveillance, that's for sure.

Or, instead of having fun with them, you go about your business pretending 
to be on the side of those bugging you, then do whatever it is you need to 
do anyway and surprise them at the last moment.  This involves typing one 
memo on your desk computer in the office, and delivering a totally 
different - perhaps handwritten at the last moment before it's actually 
needed, then make lots of public noise loudly about being hampered, etc.

(This is likely what he did to avoid being found in the woods with his 
wrists slashed...)


[Hmmm, I really should have substituted that "you" with the more English 
"one" in order to clarify that I don't mean the nym known as Tyler Durden, 
of course...  but that would be a bit too British for my taste.]  :)