[ Thanks to Chris
Pallack for this link. ]
“When one really thinks about it, the main reason for
computer security is data privacy. People protect their systems so
that unwanted people can’t see data they’re not authorized to see.
Well, what if there was no way to protect your privacy because all
incoming and outgoing data was being viewed by a third party.
This is the potential power that the FBI wields.”
“Carnivore is a sealed box that the FBI installs at an ISP. The
box filters packets, looking for emails of suspected criminals.
Once emails from suspects are found, they are saved for decryption
and analysis. The FBI claims that Carnivore is meant for nothing
more than tapping the email of suspected criminals. Also built into
Carnivore is a remote-access capability that allows FBI agents to
check on the progress of the Carnivore system.”
“While it does need a court order to be used, ISPs dislike the
idea of Carnivore because they have no way to ensure protection
from Carnivore for their law-abiding customers. Also, ISPs feel
that if Carnivore’s only true purpose is to look for email
addressed to or from a suspect, then there is no need for Carnivore
because the ISP can do that for the FBI easily enough.”