IP: Israeli compromise of U.S. telecommunications?

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2001 10:41:33 -0500
> From: Ronald L. Rivest <rivest () mit edu>
> To: cryptography () wasabisystems com
> Subject: Israeli compromise of U.S. telecommunications?
>
>
> I found the following four-part report by Carl Cameron rather shocking:
>
> Part 1: <http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,40684,00.html>
> Part 2: <http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,40747,00.html>
> Part 3: <http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,40824,00.html>
> Part 4: <http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,40981,00.html>
>
> Why should we be freely giving to Israeli corporations
> information (call records, CALEA information) that requires
> court orders to obtain in this country?  Such information
> is obviously sensitive, and the well-motivated efforts to
> strengthen and protect our national infrastructure should
> reasonably include mandating that such information not be
> routinely handled by any foreign entities...
>
> A more recent story indicates that the compromise was
> probably severe; criminals were escaping detection
> because of the compromise:
>
> <http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2001/12/18/224826.shtml>
>
> This vindicates concerns many of us have expressed
> over the years about creating single points of failure
> in wiretapping systems (e.g. the vulnerability of key
> escrow, etc.).  Of course, in this case the vulnerability
> was intentionally created, it seems, by giving critical
> capabilities to foreign entities...
>
>
> Ronald L. Rivest
> Room 324, 200 Technology Square, Cambridge MA 02139
> Tel 617-253-5880, Fax 617-258-9738, Email <rivest () mit edu>

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