My OperaBig brother
Wednesday, October 7, 2009 4:26:45 PM
I am reading on the news today that from 2001 to 2008 all the Web traffic passing through three major italian Internet providers has been recorded. It means all the URL visisted, all the usernames and passwords, all the other sensitive personal data. Nobody knows how many data have been archived, what the providers did with the data and then if and when the data have been destroyed after January 2008 when the authorities ordered the providers to stop.
The good news is probably the encrypted connections couldn't be sniffed (not sure of it, I suspect common encryption like HTTPS can be decrypted with the right tools.).
The bad news is, given that is was the Internet provider sniffing the connection, using an anonymous proxy was useless.
So at any given day somebody can call and blackmail you using those data.
The good news is probably the encrypted connections couldn't be sniffed (not sure of it, I suspect common encryption like HTTPS can be decrypted with the right tools.).
The bad news is, given that is was the Internet provider sniffing the connection, using an anonymous proxy was useless.
So at any given day somebody can call and blackmail you using those data.
Shaunak DeShaunak # Sunday, October 11, 2009 5:11:02 AM
A recent survey by the TRAI revealed that most people [86% of the respondents] were under under the impression that mobile phones were 'un-tappable' and an alarming 70 something percent beleived that SMSes, once deleted were gone forever. Which couldn't be further from the truth. Because every text message you store is cached and archived for long durations on your provider's server.
Lorenzo CelsiLorenzoCelsi # Sunday, October 11, 2009 7:15:19 AM
The problem here is the providers are officially asked by the authorities to spy people, in order to prosecute criminals and terrorists. But once you start sniffing communication it is like running downhill and after a while you don't know any more who is spying who and why.
On a side note, some years ago there was the "Echelon" scandal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echelon_%28signals_intelligence%29
Basically the USA installed huge systems around the world to listen to a broad range of communication in foreign countries, even allies. It was said the resulting information was used both for military/political reasons and for industrial unfair competition.