email Crypto- third party

[Richard Clayton]

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In article <37A591C6.2F4BB7E0@algroup.co.uk>, Ben Laurie
<ben@algroup.co.uk> writes

>Richard Clayton wrote:
>> it is possible to intercept fax calls, but it would take a fairly
>> skilled operation to do it. Compared with email, there are significant
>> technical hurdles to jump (or am I just showing my familiarity with some
>> technologies and ignorance of others ?)
>
>I don't see why it would be any harder than ordinary phone interception.

Hmm... well a web search found just one supplier:

        http://w972.com/spy/spy250.htm

which contrasts quite markedly with the large number of people selling
simple phone tapping equipment. I note Michael Bacon's comments on the
ease of production ... but in practice these things are not entirely
off-the-shelf. Indeed, w972 distinguishes some of their kit (including
this fax interception machine) as being "for law enforcement only".

This suggests to me that the average gumshoe up a telegraph pole in a
takeover battle (the exact reference to the UK consumer electronics
industry that I have in mind escapes me) is unlikely to immediately have
this capability to hand.

                          =================

There is a story circulating in the ISP community (which certainly
sounds believable enough to me for it to be true) that a police force
recently approached an ISP with an IOCA interception warrant. Having
recovered from the shock of discovering that the number they had in mind
to tap actually corresponded to several thousand physical lines they
went "quiet" for several days. They then returned to the ISP for some
assistance in dealing with the countermeasures that were in use.

Apparently the criminal mastermind was using a new form of strong
encryption to protect their traffic. The police had identified it as a
complex protocol called "V90".

- -- 
richard                       writing to inform and not as company policy
        only 25 MPs still need adopting:  http://www.stand.org.uk/
"Assembly of Japanese bicycle require great peace of mind" quoted in ZAMM

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