Inside DCSNet, the FBI's Nationwide Eavesdropping Network

This article (Inside DCSNet, the FBI's Nationwide Eavesdropping Network) reminds me of a simple implementation of the Russian SORM system. Typically, if one looks up SORM, you find information about the KGB/FSB's ability to monitor email traffic. Russia had made it a requirement that any phone switch connected to the public telephone network had to support the ability to retrieve audio (through a silent monitoring facility). The operator at the central station would request a particular subscriber line be monitored, the remote command would go to the switch, and the audio would be sent back via X.25. As this was several years ago, it stands to reason this would be a newer incarnation of this. Most carrier grade switches have the ability to silent monitor (In the Harris 20/20, this was just a destination in a Collect & Route to monitor the particular circuit with NO notification to the parties). The ability to pull the audio through a VoIP trunk back to a central office (SIP phone, etc) would be almost trivial nowadays. This is an understandable need of law enforcement as it does need to perform legal taps. As long as the warrants are legally obtained, this is fine. When a National Security Letter is used on a non-national security case because the case is at a dead-end, that is the rub.

Just in case anyone is wondering, SORM is not, nor was it ever meant to be, secret. The ability of the Harris 20/20 to do silent monitoring is in the documentation. Anyone that believes their conversations cannot be monitored is quite naive so "caller beware". I actually think this is a good thing as it gets rid of stupid criminals. People that use unsecured lines to conduct illegal activities belong in jail simply for being stupid--besides their crime. My belief is that the people that truly have something to hide are using simply-acquired technologies to secure their communications. Yes, systems like SORM and the the FBI' system (as well as the NSA's Echelon) will catch terrorists, but not the ones we really need to worry about. Now, I invite you to go back to your evening :)