The State of Surveillance
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The State of Surveillance Christopher Soghoian Center for Cybersecurity Research Indiana University
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The State of Surveillance. Christopher Soghoian Center for Cybersecurity Research Indiana University. The state of surveillance (law enforcement). Wiretaps in the US. Real-time interception of communications content. Includes Voice communications Text messages / IM - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of The State of Surveillance
The State of Surveillance
Christopher SoghoianCenter for Cybersecurity Research
Indiana University
The state of surveillance(law enforcement)
Wiretaps in the US
• Real-time interception of communications content.
• Includes– Voice communications– Text messages / IM– Network traffic (think: tcpdump)
• To get one, law enforcement must get a “super warrant”: probable cause +
The use of real-time, content intercepts (“wiretaps”) in the US continues to grow each year
'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'090
500
1000
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Intercept orders granted between 1987 and 2009
Total intercepts authorized Federal intercepts authorized
Drugs are bad
(If you value your privacy)
'99 '00 '01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06 '07 '08 '090
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Major offense specified in intercept order:Narcotics vs all other crimes
Narcotics All other crimes
If you are going to break the law, and don’t want to be wiretapped, stick with something safer…
Like murder, bribery, or extortion
Major offense specified in intercept orders (2009)
Arson, explosives, and weapons 18Bribery 2Extortion (includes usury and loan-sharking) 3Gambling 35Homicide and assault 82Larceny and theft 35Narcotics 2,046Robbery and burglary 9Racketeering 61Other or unspecified 85 Total 2376
Phone surveillance increases each year, while other forms all decline
(due to more intercepts by states,not the federal government)
'97 '98 '99 '00 '01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06 '07 '08 '090
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Types of intercept orders(1997 - 2009)
Total Phone Intercept Orders Federal Phone Intercept OrdersTotal Electronic Intercept Orders Federal Electronic Intercept OrdersTotal Combined Intercept Orders Federal Combined Intercept Orders
In 2009, 95% of all intercept orders were for a portable device
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Location of authorized intercept orders(2000 - 2009)
Personal residence Business Portable device
Electronic intercept orders used to be significant in number…..
'97 '98 '99 '00 '01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06 '07 '08 '090
100
200
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Electronic and Combined Intercept Orders(1997 - 2009)
Total Electronic Intercept Orders Federal Electronic Intercept OrdersTotal Combined Intercept Orders Federal Combined Intercept Orders
But have plunged over the past few years….
To less than 5 per year.
'04 '05 '06 '07 '08 '090
5
10
15
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Electronic Intercept Orders(2004 - 2009)
Total Electronic Intercept Orders Federal Electronic Intercept Orders
What happened?
Network Wiretaps?
• Law enforcement agencies are simply not performing real-time data network intercepts of communications content.
• These stats do not cover FISA / intel agencies, who almost certainly are.
• Law enforcement are instead relying on access to stored communications (cheaper, easier, etc).
• Why tap your ISP in real-time when your email provider will readily give up the files later?
