Cost of traffic data access?

[Peter Fairbrother]

Sorry, previous incomplete version sent by accident

Ian Batten wrote:
> 
> On 13 Aug 2010, at 19:40, Peter Fairbrother wrote:
> 
>> If the Police want to get traffic to and from a server/IP address, how 
>> much does it cost them? I know the ISPs charge, but can anyone say how 
>> much?
>>
>>
>> For a more specific example, suppose they want a month's traffic data 
>> to and from a TOR node - quite a lot of data, size, time, IP addresses 
>> - but only one IP to watch. How much?
> 
> What do you mean by "traffic data" in this context?    

Packet sizes, times, source and destination IPs.

> What logs would an ISP hold such that TOR traffic would be recorded in any form?

Logs of the above data - aren't ISPs required to record it for all
users, and keep it for 6 months/two years/whatever?

I thought they were anyway, isn't it some EU law?

In any case, if the ISP didn't keep logs of the above data, the person 
demanding the data could require them to collect and keep it, see RIPA 
s.22(4)(a).


> Isn't this straight interception?

No, there is no content involved, and therefore no interception.

It comes under s.22(4) of Chapter 2 of Part 1 of RIPA, "Acquisition and 
disclosure of communications data", and lots of people can demand the data.

Offhand I can't remember exactly who is on the list, it's in one of the 
SIs somewhere, but for the Police it's something like a Chief Inspector, 
and various equivalents in other forces/agencies.

They keep changing it, but it's the same list of people that at one time 
(in)famously included the egg marketing board inspectors.



-- Peter Fairbrother