* Telcos’ spooky ties
* Space war FUD, debunked
* Chicago spycams doing the trick? (background here)
* New U.S. nukes on tap
* Kenya press raids eyeballed
* The mathematics of guerilla war
* Howard Stern vs. Osama
* Yes, we should worry about Iran’s nukes, but they ain’t here yet
* Coasties’ budget blues: cutters out half the time
(Big ups: YK, LANL: TRS, Smart Cameras)
UPDATE 03/07/06 9:50 AM: “From a technical standpoint, Shorrock [author of ‘Telcos’ spooky ties’], is mixing apples and oranges,” says one knowledgeable reader.
In his first para he references “huge databases of communications records”, and then how NSA “sifts through this data for key words and phrases that could indicate communication to or from suspected terrorists”.
The problem with this is that the “communications records” are nothing more than ‘number x’ called ‘number y’, from ‘time x’ to ‘time y’ (and some form of geolocational data for mobile services so that they know how to bill). There are no “words and phrases” for anyone to sift through. He insinuates that the telecoms have big databases with the actual audio recordings, when this is so obviously not true. First, it would be illegal for them to do so, and second imagine the inconceivable amounts of storage capacity that that would require.
Shorrock is either truly ignorant of the difference between these apples and oranges (which doesn’t give me much confidence for any other details in his article), or he is trying to sell a scare message with a bait and switch tactic.
The point is that you have a monster database of number X called number Y at time Z, and then you link that to other databases. The whole point of databases is that you can link them together to extract interesting data.
re: Telcos’ spooky ties
The article pretty clearly states that “…If the reports in the Times and other newspapers are true, these companies have allowed the NSA to intercept thousands of telephone calls, fax messages and e-mails…” *and* “Some companies, according to the same reports, have given the NSA a direct hookup to their huge databases of communications records.” Combining the two “The NSA … sifts through this data for key words and phrases that could indicate communication to or from suspected terrorists or terrorist sympathizers and then tracks those individuals and their ever-widening circle of associates. “
Thus as as far as the author is concerned NSA has access to both the conversations — which they recorded and can mine for information and communications records provided by the telcos that would show who else has spoken with individuals in the suspicious conversation. Recordings and records are indeed apples and oranges, but the article is clear in its belief that NSA has had access to both. I do not see anything in the article to suggest an improper comparison in this regard.
I cannot like the fact that information used is so fragmentary. “Some companies”, and “If reports are true” are not the strongest ways to begin an article purporting to show sinister government activity. Might as well have written, “Everyone knows the government is listening [and reading blogs]. Here are some of the ways it could be done.”