Patrick Barnard
Group Managing Editor, TMCnet

August 2009

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Is Wiretapping Really an Effective Way to Combat Terrorism?

NICE Systems today announced that it has won a "mega security contract" from a government agency, the first phase of which is expected to generate more than $55 million over the next two to three years. The government agency will be implementing NICE's NiceTrack technology, which is used for "lawful intercept," which is the PC way of saying "wiretapping." I have followed the Clinton wiretapping law since it was first passed in 1994, all the way through to the May 2007 deadline for all telecoms companies to comply with CALEA (the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act) -- as well as the subsequent expansion of the law to include all broadband internet communications. In fact I even wrote a bunch of articles about SS8 Networks and other vendors offering CALEA compliance solutions in 2006 and 2007 for TMCnet. I don't pretend to be an expert on the subject, but I probably know a little more about it than the average person. But there's one thing about the law that I still don't get (and I know I'm not alone): Are terrorists or anyone else engaged in illegal activity actually going to say what it is that they're going to do over the telephone - or say anything that even hints at it? I mean, from what I understand, terrorists are far more likely to use some alternative form of communication that is "un-tappable" if they're planning some major event. Heck, they could even do it right over the phone simply by substituting common words or phrases in English that, when re-interpreted, could have a completely different meaning - a "code" if you will - such as "I'm going grocery shopping today at 12:34 p.m.