Re: $400 million network upgrade for the Pentagon

[David Lesher <wb8foz () nrk com>]

Unnamed Administration sources reported that Daniel Golding said:
> Well, what's a "peering point"? Most traffic does not traverse public
> peering points, domestically. So, in order to look at enough traffic to make
> it worthwhile, the .gov would have to optically tap all the private peering
> x-connects between major carriers. That is a major endevour, and would
> surely be eventually discovered (probably sooner, rather than later). And,
> of course, the equipment needed to actually look at that data, at line rate,
> would be difficult to conceal.
>
> There are also numerous rules against doing this sort of thing domestically.


a) I commented on the Pentagon zone-of-control issue, and don't
feel competent to speak on most aspects of backbone sniffing. 
Ask folks who run backbones and peering points.

b) That said: 

        There WERE also numerous rules against doing....

Spend some time reading about both the so-called Patriot Act
<http://www.aclu.org/congress/l110101a.html> and Ashcroft policy
of late. See EPIC, EFF, and ACLU's pages on same, for starters.

When the best-protected personal data you have is your Blockbuster
account, and your public library & medical records are open to any
knuckle-dragger WITHOUT a warrant....

...and protesting same can make you too an enemy-combatant; detained
without charge in a brig...

You may wish to review your thinking.


This is way OT for NANOG. If you want to come back on topic; what's
your own NOC's SOP for when the G-men knock on the door at midnight
waving paper & steel? 



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