As we head into the Fall season, the rule of “Buyer Beware” applies in ISS the same as in any industry. Law enforcement agencies and others are already well into the budgeting process for 2017, including for items that cover surveillance, national security and compliance with lawful intercept rules. Here are six dubious practices to be on guard against: Selling on Price … [Read more...]
Like Apple, Microsoft’s Privacy Ploy Masks Deeper Motive: Tax Avoidance
In mid-July, Microsoft won a landmark case thwarting a U.S. Department of Justice suit requesting access to a drug lord's emails stored in an Irish database. The decision was widely hailed as a victory for privacy interests, but as today's news about Apple shows, there is a seamier side to this story. U.S. tech giants' offshore operations may be less motivated by privacy … [Read more...]
Off the Rails: Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Surveillance
When the United Kingdom added “intrusive” surveillance technologies to the Wassenaar Arrangement list of “weapons” in late 2013, analysts speculated whether the handwriting was on the wall for some ISS vendors. If adopted by member nations of the Arrangement, the rules would place stricter export licensing requirements not only on lawful malware but also on Zero Days, IMSI … [Read more...]
Microsoft Court Victory Scores Big for Crime and Terrorism
A New York drug trafficking ring is celebrating today, following what media headlines portray as a surprise Microsoft Court Victory over the U.S. government. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York yesterday reversed an earlier federal court decision that had ordered Microsoft to turn over emails possibly implicating individuals in drug racketeering. The … [Read more...]
Do Media Share Responsibility for Orlando Terrorist Attack?
In the months leading up to the Orlando terrorist attack, does anyone recall a positive news article or analysis on lawful intercept or any aspect of the surveillance industry? It’s doubtful. Not only after the Edward Snowden NSA revelations, but well before, national and tech trade press embraced a hostile attitude toward intelligence support systems (ISS). Among today’s media … [Read more...]