The Ultimate Net Monitoring Tool (NSA / AT&T internet tap)

[Sgent]

The Ultimate Net Monitoring Tool

By Robert Poe

<snip>

"Anything that comes through (an internet protocol network), we can record," says Steve Bannerman, marketing vice president of Narus, a Mountain View, California, company. "We can reconstruct all of their e-mails along with attachments, see what web pages they clicked on, we can reconstruct their (voice over internet protocol) calls."

<snip>

Internet companies can install the analyzers at every entrance and exit point of their networks, at their "cores" or centers, or both. The analyzers communicate with centralized "logic servers" running specialized applications. The combination can keep track of, analyze and record nearly every form of internet communication, whether e-mail, instant message, video streams or VOIP phone calls that cross the network.

<snip>

Narus has little control over how its products are used after they're sold. For example, although its lawful-intercept application has a sophisticated system for making sure the surveillance complies with the terms of a warrant, it's up to the operator whether to type those terms into the system, says Bannerman.

That legal eavesdropping application was launched in February 2005, well after whistle-blower Klein allegedly learned that AT&T was installing Narus boxes in secure, NSA-controlled rooms in switching centers around the country. But that doesn't mean the government couldn't write its own code to do the dirty work. Narus even offers software-development kits to customers.

Wired News

[cdsilv]

1. Huh. Checked out Narus, I went to high school & college....

with steve bannerman.

Small world.

[Stalwart]

2. Narus in Europe

This http://tinyurl.com/lwfhh reveals how the Narus product is used in Europe where "a new EU directive mandates that all communications traffic data must be collected for a period between 6 and 24 months"

It is called "Lawful Intercept"

The complete solution is being offered by a partnership of Narus, Terdata and Capgemini

This describes the opportunity to "Move Beyond the Minimum"

"No business likes to invest without returns, and the Capgemini solution delivers far more than simple compliance. IP communications in a central repository presents a wealth of marketing opportunities. The system enables customer behavior to be far better understood, including the analysis of metrics on both voice and Internet use. As such, operators gain an appreciation of site preferences as well as the capacity to create offers dedicated to customer communities, building segment profiling."