Documents Show Link Between AT&T and Agency in Eavesdropping Case

New York Times, SAN FRANCISCO, April 12 — Mark Klein was a veteran AT&T technician in 2002 when he began to see what he thought were suspicious connections between that telecommunications giant and the National Security Agency.

But he kept quiet about it until news broke late last year that President Bush had approved an N.S.A. program to eavesdrop without court warrants on Americans suspected of ties to Al Qaeda.

Now Mr. Klein and a few company documents he saved have emerged as key elements in a class-action lawsuit filed against AT&T on Jan. 31 by a civil liberties group, the Electronic Frontier Foundation. The suit accuses the company of helping the security agency invade its customers' privacy.

Mr. Klein's account and the documents provide new details about how the agency works with the private sector in intercepting communications for intelligence purposes.

Specifically, the equipment used was the Narus ST-6400, a machine that was capable of monitoring over 622 Mbits/second in real time in May, 2000, and capturing anything that hits its' semantic (i.e. the meaning of the content) triggers. The latest generation is called NarusInsight, capable of monitoring 10 billion bits of data per second. [Click here for the "must read," complete explanation of the machine and the company that manufactures it. Thanks to Daily Kos.]

Excerpt from a recent Narus press release:

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — February 23, 2006 — Narus, Inc. today announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Carahsoft Technology Corp., a government-focused information technology provider. Under this agreement, Narus’ ultra-high performance IP security, monitoring and traffic classification solutions are available to government agencies on the GSA schedule through Carahsoft.

What's important here? Beyond the vacuum effect the NSA has created on all electronic traffic with the Narus machine...Carahsoft's technological partners.

Carahsoft Technology Corporation's Intelligence Solutions include the following:

piXlogic has created pioneering software that automatically analyzes and searches images and video based on their visual content. These products provide unparalleled visual search capabilities. Using this software as a foundation, piXlogic is creating compelling solutions to automate processes that can only be done manually today.

CallMiner is a leading developer of solutions that assist businesses in the analysis of recorded calls. CallMiner’s advanced suite of applications enables managers and executives to conduct ad-hoc queries and analyses of agent and customer interactions, while providing insight into what customers are saying and how agents are responding.

Anonymizer is the leading provider of Internet privacy and security solutions for government agencies. The company provides safe and secure Web experiences to over two million global Internet users. Its Web site is home to the world’s most popular Internet privacy service, Anonymous Surfing, which defends users from the most prevalent Internet privacy and security threats, from online tracking to malicious code, identity theft and e-mail spammers.

Agent Logic is the developer of the Enterprise Agent Server™ (EAS), the software that transforms the way organizations detect and respond to data changes across their information systems. This software intelligently detects and automatically responds to information events across existing legacy assets, databases, communication systems and enterprise applications.

Radiance is the first to optimize the flow of large-file, mission-critical digital assets via a set of patent-pending “Digital Logistics” algorithms. The Radiance TrueDelivery System is solving grand-scale Managed Delivery challenges for the leaders of the industries and sectors with the largest, most mission-critical digital assets and the most complex, collaborative, global workflows.

Language Weaver uses a new, statistical/cryptographic approach to the automatic translation of human languages. In contrast to current commercial machine translation systems, the statistical translation system uses techniques that automatically learn how texts can be translated from one language into another.

MetaPass' security software allows employees to access all enterprise systems without the need to type and remember passwords. As the only universal single sign-on software on the market, MetaPass instantly increases security, decreases helpdesk costs, eliminates user frustration, and helps with regulatory compliance.

NovoDynamics , an Advanced Image Discovery Company, is a leading supplier of unique software products for converting Middle Eastern language printed documents into computerized text. NovoDynamics’ scientists leveraged decades of experience in data mining, pattern recognition, and image processing to create breakthrough products that can accurately extract text from “real world” documents.

Endeca helps Government organizations like NASA, the National Cancer Institute, the Library of Congress, and Federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies to integrate, discover, navigate and analyze data to solve the problems associated with information overload. Endeca's award-winning solutions combine next-generation search capabilities with Guided Navigation, an information retrieval breakthrough that presents results and refinement options to help users find content most relevant to their unique needs.

Thetus develops knowledge discovery software solutions designed to keep pace with the exponential growth of high-value non-text data. Thetus Publisher provides a comprehensive discovery infrastructure that enables organizations to derive maximum value from data collected by satellites, sensors, and other devices. Organizations from a broad range of industries, including security, intelligence, energy, and life sciences rely on Thetus solutions to search, discover, and exploit their vital information assets.

Another of Narus's partners is Pen-Link, LTD. From the Narus website:

Over the past 20 years, Pen-Link Ltd. has developed two core software products for telecommunications intelligence collection, recording, monitoring, analysis, and reporting: Pen-Link 8 and LINCOLN 2. Together, these two software technologies provide a complete system solution for any electronic surveillance (wire line, wireless, satellite, ISP or VoIP). Pen-Link clients include the State Department, Department of Homeland Security, US Marshals, US Secret Service, and hundreds of state and local law enforcement agencies.

You will be glad to know that the LINCOLN 2 intercept workstation is available in a "'lunchbox' system, with all of the core components in one case. Monitoring and analytical workstations are notebook computers. Portable LINCOLN Systems offer the greatest degree of mobility; they are designed to be quickly and easily deployed from site to site on a regular basis." Pen-Link, Ltd. announced on February 13th of this year a "global marketing, distribution and support agreement" with SS8 Networks, "the leading provider of Lawful Intercept solutions for telecommunications service providers," who produce Xcipio Lawful Intercept Products.

At present, it seems, that the federal government has the capacity to view and scrutinize everything that is transmitted electronically. Whether sent from Terroist bin Killin, or Jessica Simpleton. This piqued my curiosity and I went online to the GSA Schedule which lists all federal contractors. After a very brief search the following two products stood out. I'm sure if you spent more time searching, the results would be horrifying.

Vision Database Systems RapIDTracking

SuperCom Magna™- National Population Registry

Remember Total Information Awareness? Well, apparently, it is NOT dead.