flash lambda 5.04 / December 9, 1999

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+ At the end of this flash bulletin, a reader's note regarding Jam Echelon Day and keywords.

+ See also The PentiumIII PSN Fiasco Special Report (in French):

ECHELON UPDATE

From Interception Capabilities 2000,

On Dec. 3 the Electronic Privacy Information Center asked a US federal court to order the release of " controversial " documents detained by the NSA concerning " potential government surveillance of American citizens". (Thee lawsuit.pdf)

Fortunatly, "NSA Says It Will Not Spy on Americans" Reuters reported on Dec. 6. "The National Security Agency, which uses spy satellites and foreign listening posts to monitor threats to U.S. security, denied on Monday that it intended to begin spying on Americans at home."

Newsweek (Dec. 13) said the NSA was drafting a memorandum of understanding to clarify ways in which it could help the FBI track terrorists and criminals in the United States.

"Under Executive Order, NSA is authorized to provide technical assistance to law enforcement," a statement from the agency said. "Any assistance NSA provides is performed in accordance with federal law and regulations."

HELIOS!1B LAUNCHED

In the following AFP wire, you'll find nothing about the electronic eavesdropping capabilities of the French Hélios1B satellite, launched by Ariane5 on Dec. 3. Nobody really knows, since the French Defense ministry used the "official" work of Hélios - taking pictures - as a public relation smokescreen (ref. lambda 5.03).

Jam WTO Happy Days

FBI Special Agent Gary Harter launched an email alert late November regarding risks of cyber warfare surrounding WTO's Seattle Summit. Special Agent Harter, as we learned in his signature, works for the FBI Washington Field Office (Falls Church, Va. 22043), as a NVRA ANSIR Coordinator. His phone number is not fake, the lambda checked.

--- fwd ---

 

ANSIR Email - Threat to World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial

Meeting in Seattle, Washington, 11/29/99 through 12/3/99.

 

National Security Division, Washington, D.C.

 

... The FBI has received credible information that some elements within the protest community are planning to disrupt the conference. The FBI assesses the potential threat of violence, to include criminal acts of civil disturbance, as low to medium for the Seattle area during the time frame of the WTO Meeting. In particular, environmental or animal rights extremists or anarchist-induced violence should be considered a possibility during the meeting.

 

There are also strong indications that computer-based attacks on WTO-related web sites, as well as key corporate and financial sites, will take place to coincide with the opening of the WTO meeting. Cyber-protests are likely to generate Denial of Service attacks, disruptions or alterations of web pages, and "virtual sit-ins."

 

--- end fwd ---

EU/US DATA PROTECTION FEUD

The Article 29 Working Party (1), a group of European Privacy Commissioners established by the EU Data Protection Directive, has issued their opinion (2) on the latest draft of the Safe Harbor principles. The expert group found the Safe Harbor principles unsatisfactory in comparison to the current data protection laws in the EU. (From EPIC, .pdf)

Report abstracts:

 

... The Working Party notes that some progress has been made but deplores that most of the comments made in its previous position papers do not seem to be addressed in the latest version of the US documents. The Working Party therefore confirms its general concerns.

 

With a view to a possible finding of adequacy, and considering the particular impact that such positive finding would have as a reference point for other third countries, the Working Party considers that the "Safe Harbor" should offer legal security not only to the US organisations but also to the EU interested parties (data controllers wishing to transfer data to the US, data subjects whose data would be transferred, data protection authorities). Since its Opinion 1/99, the Working Party has constantly held the view that, in terms of substantive content, "any acceptable set of "Safe Harbor" principles must, as a minimum requirement, include all the principles set out in the OECD Privacy Guidelines" (adopted amongst others by the United States and recently re-endorsed at the OECD Ottawa Conference in October 1998). ...

--- ---

A READER'S NOTE

>Jerome,

>

>You might be interested to know that I originally put together the

>list that the 'Jam Echelon' group nicked without asking permission

>for their protests.

>

>http://www.dis.org/erehwon/spookwords.html

>

>I did put a few extra keywords with no intelligence value figuring

>this would happen to watermark the list and to track its propagation.

>Some of the words that none of them caught and were used are...

>

>'Bubba the Love Sponge'

>'Chicago Posse'

>'l0ck'

>'Wackendude'

>'redheads'

>'FLAME'

>

>To name just a few...

>

>But also worth noting is the fact that in over a year of tracking hits

>with over 19,000 unique hits to the site, and a couple hundred mails,

>Only 3 people have caught on that the list is very

>intelligence-community slanted and the three replying were wondering

>why the NSA/UKUSA community would want to hear about themselves. :)

>

>So basically in my eyes, The whole 'Jam Echelon' protest using my

>words and work propagated one helluva meme, and had me laughing for

>more than a couple of days.

>

>I'll talk further, if you have any other questions.

>

>Cheers!

>

>William Knowles

>erehwon@dis.org

>

>

>==

>Some day, on the corporate balance sheet, there will be

>an entry which reads, "Information"; for in most cases

>the information is more valuable than the hardware which

>processes it. -- Adm. Grace Murray Hopper, USN Ret.

>==

>http://www.dis.org/erehwon/