[71603] in North American Network Operators' Group
Re: [Fwd: [IP] Feds: VoIP a potential haven for terrorists]
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Christopher L. Morrow)
Fri Jun 18 18:39:22 2004
Date: Fri, 18 Jun 2004 22:36:07 +0000 (GMT)
From: "Christopher L. Morrow" <christopher.morrow@mci.com>
In-reply-to: <02d701c4557c$ab720ae0$6401a8c0@stephen>
To: Stephen Sprunk <stephen@sprunk.org>
Cc: Daniel Golding <dgolding@burtongroup.com>,
Scott Weeks <surfer@mauigateway.com>,
North American Noise and Off-topic Gripes <nanog@merit.edu>
Errors-To: owner-nanog-outgoing@merit.edu
On Fri, 18 Jun 2004, Stephen Sprunk wrote:
>
> Tapping a SONET or Ethernet link isn't tough, and real-time decoding of
> packets up to OC12 speeds was doable on COTS PCs several years ago. One US
> telco built such software specifically to comply with CALEA when the FBI
> inevitably woke up; it could reassemble selected RTP streams (in real time)
> and even play them on a POTS line running to an FBI monitoring post. I'd
> assume that OC48/GE isn't much of a stretch today and that OC192/10GE is
> feasible with the FBI's funding levels. It'd certainly be easier to tap the
> customer's access line, but typical DSL/Cable gear may not have such
> provisions...
The real trouble with this scenario is the required truck roll and outage
on the link toward the customer... This gets expensive if you have to roll
to 10-20/month all over your domestic network. Today that is accomplished
on the phone side with builtin 'stuff' on the phone switches (as I recall
being told by some phone people) without a truck roll and without much
hassle. :(
Figuring out the difference between all the forms of 'VOIP' communications
will be a headache for the govies and lawyers... just look at the minor
inconveniences of CARNIVORE, eh?
>
> One thing is very clear, however; if the industry doesn't come up with a
> working solution first, we will certainly have something unworkable shoved
> down our throats by Congress, the FCC, and the FBI.
>
Sure, but to date we are still awaiting good/complete requirements from
the gov't so it's a little tough to determine what is 'required' in a
solution such that data can be tapped and then appear in court in some
form which is unimpeachable.
-Chris
