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The Register ; Internet and Law ; Broadband ;
Original URL:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/08/05/fcc_approves_voip_wiretaps/

Easy VoIP Wiretaps Coming Soon

By Thomas C Greene (thomas.greene at theregister.co.uk)
Published Thursday 5th August 2004 14:21 GMT
Virtually everything done via TCP/IP, with the (for now) exception of
instant messaging, is on its way to becoming wiretap-friendly, thanks to a
tentative 5-0 decision by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on
Wednesday.

Thanks to relentless lobbying and fear-mongering by law enforcement outfits
and the companies that sell surveillance equipment to them, all broadband
communications, including VoIP, will have to be modified to allow the Feds
to patch in easily and immediately, in order to comply with the 1994
Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Act (CALEA).

VoIP schemes that work only between computers will not be affected. Only
so-called 'managed' services - those that allow VoIP and PSTN to
communicate - will have to comply. Instant messaging is also exempt,
although the Feds lobbied ruthlessly for its inclusion, and will no doubt
continue until the government finally gives it to them.

Encrypted VoIP is available, but only through pricey services geared
towards corporate clients. It is possible that the FCC action might result
in the development of inexpensive encryption solutions for more basic VoIP
services, perhaps via TLS (Transport Layer Security), though it is
difficult to imagine extending encryption to calls where VoIP and PSTN are
communicating.

Other regulatory disputes involving VoIP were not considered in Wednesday's
vote. Additionally, 'push to talk' walkie-talkie mobile phone services are
equally affected by the CALEA, the FCC has decided. It does not appear that
broadband and VoIP providers will receive assistance with the costs of
implementing CALEA compliance, unless Congress decides to come to their
rescue.

The public comment period for VoIP CALEA compliance is still open, but with
such a strong bias visible in Wednesday's preliminary vote, it is highly
unlikely that anything can alter the FCC's direction. Final approval is all
but certain.

Thomas C Greene is the author of Computer Security for the Home and Small
Office (http://basicsec.org), a comprehensive guide to system hardening,
malware protection, online anonymity, encryption, and data hygiene for
Windows and Linux.

I have always regarded email and any other traffic over the internet as insecure communications, now the government is getting the capability to do what many hackers have been able to do for a long time! Invasion of privacy is an ugly thing, but the 'net has long been the media of choice for communications between terrorists. Due primarily to the ability to compose an email,and send it from an internet cafe, or a library, and by the time the authorities can decend upon the sending location, the sender is long gone. Instructions or code phrases can be worked into websites, and there is a certain anonymity to all that goes on. This is a two-edged sword, and we must tread carefully to find the balance between our freedom as Americans, and taking away the free communications of our enemies.

i always assumed that if the gov wanted to listen or look into any conversation i was having, they'd do so -- legally or not. the info couldn't be used in court, but so what? info is info.

What DMV said! it's just the the government is laying out the rules for monitoring the neweer technology, the hackers, phreaks and yes, even your employer can and in may cases HAVE been monitoring what you do on your computer for quite awhile! How can they get away with that you ask? Your time is theirs, they are paying you while you are at work, and you are probably using their computer, so they feel they have a right to know what you're doing with company resources on company time. Hackers and Phreaks do the same things for reasons ranging from an unhealthy curiousity, to identity theft. Try hooking your computer up with a good firewall like Zone Defence! it'll tell you every time someone trys to hack into your system! You'll be in for a nasty shock!