Listening Tests in Brussels
April 2004. Brussels: Listening test on the ADSL network
Excerpt from the Belgian daily "La Dernière Heure", dated 14 April 2004
It would be installed as early as next weekend for a test ... definitive?
Brussels
: The fight against terrorism, pedophilia, mafia networks .. everything must be a fight of every moment. This is the reason why Belgium has equipped itself, in recent times, with various laws, notably relating to telephone tapping, allowing an effective fight against different types of crime. One of the concretizations of this law will be the placement next weekend of a bug on Belgacom's ADSL network. Everyone knows the explosion of electronic communications and their growing use by major crime. But it should be known that despite the numerous advances in this field the authorities still had many difficulties in controlling what was happening on the Internet.
"Cross-checking had to be done, via the data of one and the other, and one had to count on the carelessness of the offenders insofar as what was found in the latter's computer remained, in the final analysis, decisive,"
explains a specialist.
With the system as planned on Belgacom's network it will henceforth be possible to set up genuine listening services as we know them for mobile telephony. Concretely the CTIF (the central technical interception system, under the aegis of the Ministry of the Interior), will have a Nice-track installed on Belgacom's fiber-optic lines. It is a small box that will be connected to a central exchange and that will allow the authorities, where appropriate, to obtain in record time copies of all the information carried on an ADSL line (broadband internet) of such and such an individual. E-mails, sites, downloads, nothing will escape these indiscreet ears.
Which, incidentally, will not fail to set some teeth on edge. For if at the base the principle is the same as with telephone tapping, the system this time takes on greater scope. It will be a device that will make it possible at any moment to listen to any user of an ADSL line.
In plain terms, unlike telephone tapping the listening device will be permanent, even if it is not activated.
Enough to worry the numerous Internet service providers who could legitimately fear for the confidentiality of their transactions: banks, various sellers. The fact remains that the matter seems perfectly legal. If the police, the Interior and Belgacom refused to comment we were on the other hand reminded of the laudable objectives of this type of installation-of which, moreover, no one has any doubt: fight against terrorism, fight against pedophilia...
We are also reminded that any tapping can only be ordered by an investigating judge, and only in certain precise and moreover extremely serious cases.
At the present time it is only a test, which will potentially concern all the ADSL lines in the Brussels region insofar as a single device is enough to listen to all the lines. Once the process is installed in the night from Sunday to next Monday the CTIF experts will listen to themselves in order to verify the feasibility of the formula.
But, as no one wanted to tell us more- curious all the same for a legal procedure, but oh well, let's not nitpick- we were unable to find out how the evaluation of the device will be carried out, nor how long it would last.
Benoit Gilson
It would be installed as early as next weekend for a test ... definitive?
Brussels
: The fight against terrorism, pedophilia, mafia networks .. everything must be a fight of every moment. This is the reason why Belgium has equipped itself, in recent times, with various laws, notably relating to telephone tapping, allowing an effective fight against different types of crime. One of the concretizations of this law will be the placement next weekend of a bug on Belgacom's ADSL network. Everyone knows the explosion of electronic communications and their growing use by major crime. But it should be known that despite the numerous advances in this field the authorities still had many difficulties in controlling what was happening on the Internet.
"Cross-checking had to be done, via the data of one and the other, and one had to count on the carelessness of the offenders insofar as what was found in the latter's computer remained, in the final analysis, decisive,"
explains a specialist.
With the system as planned on Belgacom's network it will henceforth be possible to set up genuine listening services as we know them for mobile telephony. Concretely the CTIF (the central technical interception system, under the aegis of the Ministry of the Interior), will have a Nice-track installed on Belgacom's fiber-optic lines. It is a small box that will be connected to a central exchange and that will allow the authorities, where appropriate, to obtain in record time copies of all the information carried on an ADSL line (broadband internet) of such and such an individual. E-mails, sites, downloads, nothing will escape these indiscreet ears.
Which, incidentally, will not fail to set some teeth on edge. For if at the base the principle is the same as with telephone tapping, the system this time takes on greater scope. It will be a device that will make it possible at any moment to listen to any user of an ADSL line.
In plain terms, unlike telephone tapping the listening device will be permanent, even if it is not activated.
Enough to worry the numerous Internet service providers who could legitimately fear for the confidentiality of their transactions: banks, various sellers. The fact remains that the matter seems perfectly legal. If the police, the Interior and Belgacom refused to comment we were on the other hand reminded of the laudable objectives of this type of installation-of which, moreover, no one has any doubt: fight against terrorism, fight against pedophilia...
We are also reminded that any tapping can only be ordered by an investigating judge, and only in certain precise and moreover extremely serious cases.
At the present time it is only a test, which will potentially concern all the ADSL lines in the Brussels region insofar as a single device is enough to listen to all the lines. Once the process is installed in the night from Sunday to next Monday the CTIF experts will listen to themselves in order to verify the feasibility of the formula.
But, as no one wanted to tell us more- curious all the same for a legal procedure, but oh well, let's not nitpick- we were unable to find out how the evaluation of the device will be carried out, nor how long it would last.
Benoit Gilson
La dernière heure: 15 April 2004
It would be installed as early as next weekend for a test ... definitive?
Brussels
: The fight against terrorism, pedophilia, mafia networks .. everything must be a fight of every moment. This is the reason why Belgium has equipped itself, in recent times, with various laws, notably relating to telephone tapping, allowing an effective fight against different types of crime. One of the concretizations of this law will be the placement next weekend of a bug on Belgacom's ADSL network. Everyone knows the explosion of electronic communications and their growing use by major crime. But it should be known that despite the numerous advances in this field the authorities still had many difficulties in controlling what was happening on the Internet.
"Cross-checking had to be done, via the data of one and the other, and one had to count on the carelessness of the offenders insofar as what was found in the latter's computer remained, in the final analysis, decisive,"
explains a specialist.
With the system as planned on Belgacom's network it will henceforth be possible to set up genuine listening services as we know them for mobile telephony. Concretely the CTIF (the central technical interception system, under the aegis of the Ministry of the Interior), will have a Nice-track installed on Belgacom's fiber-optic lines. It is a small box that will be connected to a central exchange and that will allow the authorities, where appropriate, to obtain in record time copies of all the information carried on an ADSL line (broadband internet) of such and such an individual. E-mails, sites, downloads, nothing will escape these indiscreet ears.
Which, incidentally, will not fail to set some teeth on edge. For if at the base the principle is the same as with telephone tapping, the system this time takes on greater scope. It will be a device that will make it possible at any moment to listen to any user of an ADSL line.
In plain terms, unlike telephone tapping the listening device will be permanent, even if it is not activated.
Enough to worry the numerous Internet service providers who could legitimately fear for the confidentiality of their transactions: banks, various sellers. The fact remains that the matter seems perfectly legal. If the police, the Interior and Belgacom refused to comment we were on the other hand reminded of the laudable objectives of this type of installation-of which, moreover, no one has any doubt: fight against terrorism, fight against pedophilia...
We are also reminded that any tapping can only be ordered by an investigating judge, and only in certain precise and moreover extremely serious cases.
At the present time it is only a test, which will potentially concern all the ADSL lines in the Brussels region insofar as a single device is enough to listen to all the lines. Once the process is installed in the night from Sunday to next Monday the CTIF experts will listen to themselves in order to verify the feasibility of the formula.
But, as no one wanted to tell us more- curious all the same for a legal procedure, but oh well, let's not nitpick- we were unable to find out how the evaluation of the device will be carried out, nor how long it would last.
Benoit Gilson
If the tests are
crowned with success,
all the
providers
will be concerned
Brussels
: The federal police confirmed, yesterday, our information according to which it will carry out tests this weekend aimed at tapping Belgacom's ADSL Internet (high speed). A box (Nice-tracks) will be installed for this purpose on the telephone operator's fiber optics.
At first the police officers will listen to themselves in order to validate the technology which will ultimately make it possible to
be able to tap any ADSL line.
The police moreover recalled, as we explained yesterday, that tapping, whether telephone or Internet, is strictly regulated in Belgium and can only take place on the order of an investigating judge and for certain extremely serious grounds.
Finally, still according to the federal police, once the technology is validated- which, according to the specialists consulted, should be a foregone conclusion-, it will be imposed, as the new law on telephone tapping obliges them to do, on all access providers in Belgium and not only on Belgacom.
B. GH
If the tests are
crowned with success,
all the
providers
will be concerned
Brussels
: The federal police confirmed, yesterday, our information according to which it will carry out tests this weekend aimed at tapping Belgacom's ADSL Internet (high speed). A box (Nice-tracks) will be installed for this purpose on the telephone operator's fiber optics.
At first the police officers will listen to themselves in order to validate the technology which will ultimately make it possible to
be able to tap any ADSL line.
The police moreover recalled, as we explained yesterday, that tapping, whether telephone or Internet, is strictly regulated in Belgium and can only take place on the order of an investigating judge and for certain extremely serious grounds.
Finally, still according to the federal police, once the technology is validated- which, according to the specialists consulted, should be a foregone conclusion-, it will be imposed, as the new law on telephone tapping obliges them to do, on all access providers in Belgium and not only on Belgacom.
B. GH
La dernière heure: 16 April 2004
If the tests are
crowned with success,
all the
providers
will be concerned
Brussels
: The federal police confirmed, yesterday, our information according to which it will carry out tests this weekend aimed at tapping Belgacom's ADSL Internet (high speed). A box (Nice-tracks) will be installed for this purpose on the telephone operator's fiber optics.
At first the police officers will listen to themselves in order to validate the technology which will ultimately make it possible to
be able to tap any ADSL line.
The police moreover recalled, as we explained yesterday, that tapping, whether telephone or Internet, is strictly regulated in Belgium and can only take place on the order of an investigating judge and for certain extremely serious grounds.
Finally, still according to the federal police, once the technology is validated- which, according to the specialists consulted, should be a foregone conclusion-, it will be imposed, as the new law on telephone tapping obliges them to do, on all access providers in Belgium and not only on Belgacom.
B. GH
There is a logic in setting up tests intended to tap Internet sites and intercept exchanges by electronic messaging. Without tapping, how can one fight banditry, drug trafficking, pedophilia and terrorism. But let one simply imagine the coupling of such a technique with the French Faure bill, prescribing the loss of confidentiality of electronic mail. Surveillance could then extend on a planetary scale, with a text-recognition system. That being so, international terrorist networks have long known the fragility of communications via the net. They are also perfectly aware of modern encryption techniques, making it possible to hide messages in ... ordinary images. Finally there will remain the old age-old trick, to trigger an operation remotely, of placing an ad in a newspaper saying something like:
Looking for a collector's car of such make, such year....
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