Schneier on Security

Clive Robinson • May 7, 2015 12:23 AM

@ rgaff,

Wait, let me get this straight. The NSA purposefully keeps cell phone security weak so that they can spy on everyone…

Historical note it was not the NSA or even GCHQ that started the “technical surveillance measures” on phones. It was actually the UK’s mainland security service you might know as MI5 through their “secret squirrels” in what was back then the General Post Office (GPO) at their research center initially at Dollis Hill north London and later Martlsham Heath Essex.

The GPO was later split into two organisations the Royal Mail (post parcels and related retail and financial) and British Telecommunications now simply called BT who were not so long ago Bruces’ employer.

The reason that it was MI5 / GPO that had the push on this was to do with WWII and the cold war. Many Russian and other Eastern Europeans ended up in the UK during WWII, however the raving lunatic Stalin had a policy of executing them when they returned to Russia / Eastern Europe, so many stayed in the UK. Whilst few if any were initialy spies, it did not take long for some with families back home to get turned or for others to be “replaced” by spies.

Back in the late 40’s and well into the 60’s most IC agencies had no technical ability above that already developed by the likes of the Mafia, such as harmonic / infinity bugs, that only worked on analogue POTS lines.

Due to the work of Tommy Flowers and one or two others on valve / tube electronics it became clear that the future of the telephone system was going to be digital. In the 1960’s the work of the likes of Ken Gravit gave rise to what became known as System X.

The likes of Tony Sale over at MI5 who had close liason with those who were responsible for System X design realised that MI5’s well established POTS technical surveillance measures would be lost in the digital system unless the “fix went in quick”.

Back then the GPO were seen as “world class” and thus pretty much got their way when setting standards, this enabled MI5 to get the fix in under the cover of “emergency safety” requirments.

These “safety requirmnts” as a consiquence ended up in all international and as far as I’m aware all national standards for digital phone services and have just been carried forwards into the mobile phone specifications today and are unlikely to ever be removed. Because they are just to dam usefull not just for surveillance but engineering and safety.

The US’s claim to fame on the “safety” front was requiring GPS to be put in all mobiles for “911” calls. They knew that any mobile phone manufacturer in the far east would just put GPS in all phone cores to keep inventory costs down, which is why you think you can turn GPS off in your phone but the network operator can turn it back on again with just the push of a button.

So if you want to blaim anybody, blaim MI5 and Peter Wright and his assistant Tony Sale. But remember “they did it because of the Russian’s” amongst other countries spies operating in the UK.

Clive Robinson • May 9, 2015 9:10 PM

@ rgaff,

I love your rants, they make me happy.

That’s kind of you. I used to also make a few people smile with occasional jokes and observations but I managed to shock the Moderator one day, so I’ve had to stop 🙁 @Wael can provide a link if your interested.

@ Peter,

You mustn’t have piloted a flight or maneuvered a sub, neither have I, where in adverse situations, human control is advised to become second fodder to computer aids. Possible to land a flight in fog without computer guides? Highly doubt it.

Whilst I’ve not “piloted” a jet aircraft I have navigated in light aircraft and gliders.

A little aviation history for you, upto, during and for a time after world war two, there were no purpose built radio navigation aids for civilian flights. The “air / flight crew” in larger aircraft included the pilot, copilot, flight engineer, radio operator and navigator. It was the latters job to tell the two pilots where to fly. The first comercial jets were built with windows or domes in the top of the cockpit or just behind it where the navigator could take “star sights” with a “bubble sextent” to get either a position fix or a running fix. You would also see “loop antennas” on some non jet aircraft that the radio operator used to get aproximate bearings on comercial radio stations and early maritime radio navigation beacons. As aero radio navigation aids came into use it was initialy the radio operator who was responsible for using them and providing the navigator with the information. This was because they were often used via the main radio system not standalone equipment and even when they were they were unreliable and thus the radio operator would have to fix them in flight. As the reliability of the systems in aircraft improved the various air agencies under preasure of commercial airlines allowed the flight crew to be reduced in numbers and with improved auto pilots effectivly made even the pilots surplus to requirments for most of the flight.

So aircraft have definatly been landed in fog without the use of “computers guides”. But as I know from a little while ago even “computer guides” won’t stop pilots flying into buildings in fog, as the unfortunate pilot who flew his helicopter into a building crane in Vaxhaul South London proved.

If you move forward to todays radio navigation equipment used in aircraft and larger commercial ships, it is very unlike the personal GPS and smart phones people carry around. Firstly the equipment is certified and usually installed and maintained by certified personnel, secondly it’s build quality both in terms of hardware and software is a lot lot higher. Thirdly they are usually built as redundant systems with additional backup systems, thus don’t suffer from flat batteries and other frequent maladies of personal GPS and Smart Phones. And in the case of ships the crew are trained to navigate without them even in fog as standard as any ships master or mate will tell you. Further even those who take leisure certificates in sailing above “competent crew” such as the day skipper cert are required to show proficiency in the use of charts and navigation without the use of electronic aids.

As for submarines I’ve not been required to navigate any, however they don’t use GPS when submerged and from what I’ve been told inertial systems using laser gyros are more than sufficient for the task as they also are for military aircraft including larger drones.

However I do know that submerged submarines just like boats/ships in thick fog, when fitted with reasonable depth finding equipment can quite happily navigate by the soundings given on charts and a set of tide tables and a reliable clock. I’ve done it myself even in very small craft when finding wrecks etc for diving/fishing.