<nettime> echelon keyword inadequacies

["scotartt" <scot@systemx.autonomous.org>]

while I wholeheartedly agree with the aim of jam echelon day; i must query
the use of the keywords, in a single block, as below, as a method for
achieving this. 

firstly to 'jam echelon' you should at least pay attention to the fact
that UKUSA has five member nations; only one is interested particularly in
right-wing patriot terrorists and branch dravidians. this keyword
selection is simply a valorisation of a certain brand of politics as being
the major perceived threat of the 'world government' that UKUSA so
obviously serves.  the keyword list does not pay much attention to the
global situation;  focussing instead as ever almost exclusively on
american domestic interests as opposed to their foreign allies &
adventures. 

it pays no attention to the geophysical aspects of the various echelon
stations around the globe. for example stations in the asia pacific might
be more sensitive to indonesian military traffic and chinese triad
activity as much as any iran-contra scandal. why would the americans looks
for contra-drugs-for-arms conspiracies in radio traffic over s.e. asia
when such signals would more easily be found in virginia anyway? even the
nsa does not have limitless resources -- or i would at least hope it would
not stupidly squander them so recklessly. 

remember echelon is global. isn't what's being reacted against?

these keywords are naive and inadequate. intelligence systems do not
operate in such idiotic isolation. intercepts are often targeted, e.g. 
phone calls in an area, email from a person monitored, perhaps because an
attack is suspected, or a target identified. general signals analysis
would also be carried about -- to determine nominal levels of different
signals -- pattern analysis of signals deviations would be monitored and
categorised as well as _pattern analysis of communication content_.
keyword filters? hah! 

targets might be monitored for changes in signals patterns; which give
valuable intelligence in its own right quite apart from the value of the
actual content. to illustrate, if a person suddenly starts sending many
encrypted messages one day to highly unusual addresses, this might be
important information which can be acted upon immediately, before the
contents of the messages are decrypted. if all was being done was simple
keyword seaching, such intelligence would be long lost before its
importance was ever known. 

simple keyword scanning isn't enough, and i'll bet that operators of
dictionary will simply be able to filter out en-masse that large block of
similar keywords together as below. 

as much as sending nonsense messages with keywords attached, people could
do as the following: 

completely disrupt your usual online habits/patterns, if possible.

open a hotmail account. on the day, suddenly send it dozens of small,
encyrpted messages.

find email addresses, telephone numbers, inside defence establishments and
government departments. send a mixture of clear text and encrypted (don't
use your own key) information. eg.

"to: worker@nuclear.facility
from: george b. boring
subject:  i am the unassuming little man

in the funny cardigan with the bow tie. we spoke last week at the bar
after your disappointment. attached is the information about our products
that you seek. we assure you complete satisfaction in all our operations.
" 

attach an encrypted picture of an atom bomb plan, or something like that. 
in fact, attach an triply encrypted copy of another encryption key. send
another message some hours later, with the instruction "use the key I sent
you to encode our futher communications". 


make up fake plans to seize executive power in jakarta by military coup
and install a junta. email it to every single indonesian military email
address you can lay your hands on. 

encypt sensitive commerical information from your workplace and email it
to your friends. (if you don't wish to damage your employer you can always
use a totally bogus key, you coward). 

ring your friends and talk about the type of security responses you expect
from the authorities for the different operations and your agreed
responses (when to escalate, when to back down, and so forth). mention the
healthy profit you derived from the whitegoods supplied thru "our contact
in Mexico City", and remind your leiutenants that they will have an
excellent selection of arms available because of it. Detail some. 

write love letters that purport to be from the CMDR US SEVENTH FLEET to
his bondage mistress in Honululu. use freemail accounts for that one;
include a plausible explanation. 

try phoning known government extension numbers and make indiscrete
inquiries about things they might be interested in. 

have an email discussion on naval ship movements from your home port with
chinese journalists. amke sure you keep a detailed account of the numbers
on their bow. extra brownies for looing up in a jane's for the ship names. 
discuss their operational capabilities and potential deployment
assignments (this information is often publically available). 

and so on!
happy jamming,


----- Original Message -----
> From: Wired News (http://www.wired.com/)
>
>                updated 3:00 a.m.  9.Oct.99.PDT
>
> Hackers Ascend Upper 'Echelon'
> by James Glave
>
> 3:00 a.m.  6.Oct.99.PDT
> Mossad. Bomb. Davidian. MI5.
> If the hunch of a loose-knit group of cyber-activists is correct, the
above
> words will trip the keyword recognition filter on a global spy system
partly
> managed by the US National Security Agency.
>
> The near-mythical worldwide computer spy network reportedly scans all
email,
> packet traffic, telephone conversations -- and more -- around the world,
in
> an effort to ferret out potential terrorist or enemy communications.

[ ...]

> On 21 October, Thompson, along with Doug McIntosh, a reporter for the
> federation's news service, and members of the hacktivism mailing list
> community, invite anyone concerned about the system to append a list of
> intriguing words to their emails.
>
> Specifically, they suggest the following keywords:
>
> FBI CIA NSA IRS ATF BATF DOD WACO RUBY RIDGE OKC OKLAHOMA CITY MILITIA
GUN
> HANDGUN MILGOV ASSAULT RIFLE TERRORISM BOMB DRUG HORIUCHI KORESH DAVIDIAN
> KAHL POSSE COMITATUS RANDY WEAVER VICKIE WEAVER SPECIAL FORCES LINDA
> THOMPSON SPECIAL OPERATIONS GROUP SOG SOF DELTA FORCE CONSTITUTION BILL
OF
> RIGHTS WHITEWATER POM PARK ON METER ARKANSIDE IRAN CONTRAS OLIVER NORTH
> VINCE FOSTER PROMIS MOSSAD NASA MI5 ONI CID AK47 M16 C4 MALCOLM X
REVOLUTION
> CHEROKEE HILLARY BILL CLINTON GORE GEORGE BUSH WACKENHUT TERRORIST TASK
> FORCE 160 SPECIAL OPS 12TH GROUP 5TH GROUP SF

[ ... ]

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