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TrapWire - surveillance system used in UK

Hypnotised | 14.08.2012 21:54 | Policing | Technology | Terror War

trying for the final time to get this information on indymedia

The most recent release of Strafor emails from wikileaks has included hitherto unknown information regarding a global surveillance system created in the USA and used at London-based sites such as 10 Downing Street and the Stock Exchange. The system seems to employ algorithms which take into account facial recognition software, social networking behaviour, voiceprints and more traditional profiling. Exact details on how it works are sparse but it's known to be used by numerous police forces across the USA as well as Scotland yard.

Wikileaks is down due to an unprecedented DDoS attack which began shortly after the release of the emails mentioning TrapWire. Mirrors of the emails can be seen at  http://www.cryptocomb.org/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=88:stratfor-emails-discussing-qtrapwireq&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

"Abraxas has done work already pro-bono as good will. TrapWire may be the most
successful invention on the GWOT since 9-11. I knew these hacks when
they were GS-12's at the CIA. God Bless America. Now they have EVERY
major HVT in CONUS, the UK, Canada, Vegas, Los Angeles, NYC as clients." - Fred Burton.

TrapWire's parent company Cubic (now frantically trying to distance themselves from the scandal) have fingers in many other pies - see  http://wiki.echelon2.org/wiki/Cubic_Corporation and  http://darkernet.wordpress.com/2012/08/14/trapwire-the-barclays-connection-uk-aussie-army-training-questions-asked-of-uk-pm-aussie-senate/ for their involvement in everything from 'persona management' (= online sock puppetry) through to Oyster cards.

Any UK citizens who think their rights under the Data Protection Act regarding sensitive information may have been breached by TrapWire, and I am particularly thinking of anyone who may have arrested at any London-based political protest over the last five or six years, may complain to TrapWire by following the guidelines at  http://www.trapwire.com/SafeHarbor.pdf

TrapWire Inc.
1875 Campus Commons Drive – Suite 301
Reston, VA 20191
Attn: Legal Department/Safe Harbor

See  https://twitter.com/#!/search/realtime/%23trapwire for news at it breaks about this story, links to articles etc. (now cue the spam floods if this piece even makes it through...)

Hypnotised

Comments

Hide the following 8 comments

Why complain?

14.08.2012 22:22

What do you think might be achieved by complaining to Trapwire? And how do you think "anyone who may have arrested at any London-based political protest over the last five or six years" could be linked to Trapwire?

One article describes it thus:

In essence, TrapWire is a kind of intelligent database. Publicly available trademark documents show that it is designed to store information about suspected terrorists at locations where there is critical infrastructure or other potential targets. Security staff at sites where TrapWire is installed can input detailed text reports based on “suspicious activity” they have seen involving vehicles or people. According to the trademark documents, such activity could include “photographing, measuring and signaling.” The software can also be used in conjunction with equipment like video surveillance cameras, with clips logged, saved, and attached alongside the text reports.

Do you think this is an accurate summary of Trapwire? If not, what do you think it is, and where can we find the information that backs up your idea of what it is?

ftp


...

14.08.2012 22:53

My suggestion that people complain is a disingenous ploy to keep the TrapWire details online. Complaining won't do a bit of good, obviously. Deliberately generating false positives is probably a better tactical reponse. As one blogger pointed out, we can all kiss goodbye to any idea of anonymity: victory now lies in maintaining ambiguity.

I don't think Ryan Gallagher's slate article is particularly accurate and it underplays the software, although I wouldn't be so paranoid as to suggest it is deliberate misinformation. From the twitter account of‏ @not_me (Justin Ferguson, who has done a lot of work to figure out TrapWire) in response to the piece:

"it apparently has either facial recognition capabilities or similar; its not 100% clear-- you can give it a couple photos and... track backwards; #trapwire owns #aerodyne who does 'optical signature recognition' research, so my guess is that its best termed as 'facial recognition+'"

The emails were only released a few days ago and researchers have been trying to glean nuggets of information, while having to contend with the attack on wikileaks and track down mirrors. "And how do you think "anyone who may have arrested at any London-based political protest over the last five or six years" could be linked to Trapwire?" - because we know that Scotland Yard use it and it is in place at many high-profile London locations.

If it was even efficient in predicting attacks the vile invasion of privacy and waste of public money wouldn't be so galling. Fred Burton blamed the FBI for dropping the ball on that neo-Nazi twat who shot up a Sikh temple in a tweet: if his much-vaunted system worked it wouldn't have happened, end of story. Guys like Burton are more of an enemy of the USA and capitalism than Bin Laden could ever be: their insane greed has set the stage for revolution and civil war.

Hypnotised


Big brother, his partners, and their virtual spawn are herding you.

15.08.2012 07:11

Thanks for persevering with the information. Sure, many people are familiar with "big brother" ideas of surveillance states, but real names and current events should follow assertions of " No...really, it is time to wake up!"
The idea that people with nothing to hide have nothing to fear needs to be debunked. Also, folks should know when they become targets of corporate power plays. Just as 'lethal force' organisations manipulate mass human perceptions, so too corporations reduce humans to data objects, and render us to bouyancy fodder.
Worth reminding people that corporate 'agents' are possibly worse than self righteous law enforcers... under certain conditions.

number 6


Yawn

15.08.2012 07:24

Another "scary database" not worth worrying about. Much like the PNC, these sorts of projects always fail miserably due to the human factor. The data collection staff are all lowest paid public sector workers. It's going to be full of inconsequential noise, inaccuracies and plain idiocy.

Also, just to add, any "intelligence" will be an expert system. There is no scary artificial intelligence or heuristic system which will identify criminals. They are folklore. The technology isn't there yet and won't be for 30-40 years.

Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+ are far more worrying pieces of technology as the user builds their own security profile publically and provides several orders of magnitude more information than any surveillance will collect.

anox


@ anox

15.08.2012 10:03

Evidence suggests that Google may already have a deal with TrapWire -  http://www.technewsworld.com/story/75889.html - and of course social networking profiling is part of the system.

You're not wrong about the human factor errors, although in TrapWire operatives' case it seems due to ingrained prejudice rather than low pay - see the unwittingly hilarious failure in racial profiling heuristics revealed at  http://wikileaks.cabledrum.net/gifiles/docs/94325_re-alpha-trapwire-says-libyans-.html in which they assume Andreas Breivik was Libyan :rolls eyes:

Hypnotised


Wake up, don't sleep.

15.08.2012 10:06

"Also, just to add, any "intelligence" will be an expert system. There is no scary artificial intelligence or heuristic system which will identify criminals. They are folklore. The technology isn't there yet and won't be for 30-40 years."

Anybody that understands how computers work and how the systems are built will agree with this analysis.

However, this hints at why the system is even more worthy of attention and concern. It isn't a question of the systems effectiveness, its a question of the faith put into it by those that use it. TrapWire is a system, a system that builds history using data that it collects. That history will certainly lead to presumption of guilt and will certainly lead to misidentification of innocent people all within the confines of something that by its existance, will associate guilt. Your presense on this system, in and of itself, can load guilt onto you.

Imagine it. Some poor sod goes before the court and is charged with some spurious offence backed up by images and text gathered by this system. The judge says to the defendent "what have you got to say for yourself?". The defendent says "I aint done nuffink geezer". At this point the prosecution start to waffle on in computer speak about complexity of alogorithms, complex software design and how this software is the result of years of expert design by counter terrorism experts working in the field of counter terrorism. This system is safe your honour, because there is no way for it to be subjective.

Injustice 1 - justice 0.

Now imagine how this can be presented to the press after the guy is trotted off to prison? Imagine all the opportunities for those working in the computer industries and all the economic deals that can be done as a result.

This system can pay its way.

The guy in prison can't! Which is the whole point.

TrapWire is "of concern".

It is an unworthy and unwelcome appendage to our freedoms.

Hal


CyberWar in nigh !

15.08.2012 19:52

Tech tools for Activists
 http://london.indymedia.org/system/file_upload/2010/10/12/281/2010_10_10_hacktionlab_guide_laid_out.pdf

Surveillance Bug Frequencies
 http://cryptome.org/bug-mhz.htm

PROMA UK Radio Scanning Frequencies
 http://cryptome.org/0001/proma.htm

UK Warfighting Strategy for 2018
 http://cryptome.org/uk-war-2018.zip

UK Police Guide to Computer/Electronic Evidence
 http://cryptome.org/acpo-guide.htm

UK data retention
 http://cryptome.org/2012/06/uk-data-spy.pdf

blair-nhs-it
 http://wlstorage.net/file/blair-nhs-it.pdf

london-riot-police-2009
 http://wlstorage.net/file/london-territorial-support-group-2009.jpg

uk-netcu
 http://wlstorage.net/file/uk-netcu.pdf

tetra
 http://wlstorage.net/file/tetra.rar

uk-mod-jsp-440-2001
 http://wlstorage.net/file/uk-mod-jsp-440-2001.pdf

us-uk-top-secret-sap-mou-2005
 http://wlstorage.net/file/us-uk-top-secret-sap-mou-2005.pdf

MoD Military Knowledge
 http://cryptome.org/mod-mk.pdf
 http://cryptome.org/mod-mk2.pdf

d-notice
 http://cryptome.org/da-notice.htm

James Casbolt
 http://exopolitics.blogs.com/files/james-casbolt-mi6-buried.alive.pdf

INSIGHT - CT/CYBER - cyber and internet governance issues - EU105
 http://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/167291_-alpha-insight-ct-cyber-cyber-and-internet-governance-issues.html
 http://wikileaks.org/gifiles/attach/13/13943_GSC-CyberBulletin-4-October-2011.pdf

Re: hacker questions
 http://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/1549513_re-hacker-questions-.html

Fwd: Re: US 'to view major cyber attacks as acts of war'
 http://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/1661172_fwd-re-us-to-view-major-cyber-attacks-as-acts-of-war-.html

Internet Governance and the Domain Name System
 http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42351.pdf

cyberwar
 http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL33532.pdf

monitoring use of the SIPRNet
 http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2011_hr/infoshare-qfr.pdf

Who Watches the Watchmen?
 http://www.fas.org/sgp/eprint/ross.pdf

Smart Meter Data: Privacy and Cybersecurity, February 3, 2012
 http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42338.pdf

Spectrum Policy in the Age of Broadband
 http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40674.pdf

The Federal Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program
 http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL33586.pdf

Communications Security Monitoring
 http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/army/ar380-53.pdf

Federal Laws Relating to Cybersecurity
 http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R42114.pdf

Governmental Tracking of Cell Phones and Vehicles
 http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/intel/R42109.pdf

Commercial Wireless LAN Devices and Systems
 http://cryptome.org/dodi/dodi-8420-01.pdf

Text and Multimedia Messaging
 http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL34632.pdf

Promoting Global Internet Freedom: Policy and Technology
 http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R41837.pdf

DHS - Media Monitoring: Analyst’s Desktop Binder
 http://cryptocomb.org/DHS%20Analyst-Desktop-Binder.pdf

DHS - Safeguarding Sensitive Information
 http://cryptocomb.org/DHS-Safeguarding-Sensitive-FOUO-Information.pdf

Anon Project Mayhem DHS Report
 http://cryptocomb.org/Project-Mayhem-DHS.pdf

PROTECTING SENSITIVE COMPARTMENTED INFORMATION WITHIN INFORMATION SYSTEMS - (SCIF Manual)
 http://cryptocomb.org/Protecting-SCI-Within-is-Manual-2004-FOUO.pdf

DHS Training Documents/Presentations regarding surveillance practices/procedures
 http://cryptocomb.org/DHS-training-materials-csoghoian-foia.zip

INTELLIGENCE SUPPORT TO URBAN OPERATIONS
 http://cryptocomb.org/FM_2-91.4_Intelligence_Support_to_Urban_Operations_(FOUO)_(Jan_2008).pdf

Building your presence with Facebook Pages: A guide for Military Organizations
 http://cryptocomb.org/FacebookGuideMilitaryOrgs.pdf

Homeland Security and Intelligence: Next Steps in Evolving the Mission
 http://cryptocomb.org/Next_Steps_in_Evolving_the_Mission.pdf

DoD Handling Dissent/Protest by Service Members
 http://cryptome.org/dodi/dodi-1325-06.pdf

Computer (In)security:Infiltrating Open Systems
 http://cryptome.org/compinsec.htm

DARPA RFP for Cyber Insider Threat
 http://cryptome.org/dodi/cinder.pdf

us-dhs-leftwing-extremist-cyber-threat
 http://wlstorage.net/file/us-dhs-leftwing-extremist-cyber-threat.pdf

FBI files on The Anarchist Cookbook, 1971-1999
 http://www.governmentattic.org/4docs/FBI-AnarchistsCookbook_1971-1999.pdf

DoD Handling Dissent/Protest by Service Members
 http://cryptome.org/dodi/dodi-1325-06.pdf

NSA Overview of Cloud Computing
 http://cryptome.org/2012/01/nsa-cloud.pdf

Security and Privacy in Public Cloud Computing
 http://cryptome.org/0003/SP-800-144.pdf

DHS Updates Social Media Spying Targets
 http://cryptome.org/2012/01/dhs-sm-spy-a.pdf

DHS Joint Cybersecurity Services Pilot
 http://cryptome.org/2012/01/0080.pdf

NSA Review of Information for the Public
 http://cryptome.org/2012/01/0072.pdf

FBI Social Media and Open Sources Spying
 http://cryptome.org/2012/01/0065.pdf

British Bases in Cyprus and Signals Intelligence
 http://cryptome.org/2012/01/0060.pdf

Internet Trust Next Generation
 http://cryptome.org/2012/01/0042.pdf

PGP Spying
 http://cryptome.org/2012/01/0013.pdf

285 Pages of DHS Media Monitoring Docs
 http://epic.org/foia/epic-v-dhs-media-monitoring/EPIC-FOIA-DHS-Media-Monitoring-12-2012.pdf

Navy Critical Infrastructure Program
 http://cryptome.org/dodi/secnav-3501-1c.pdf

Air Force COMINT Solicitation
 http://cryptome.org/0006/af-comint-sol.pdf

Militarizing Civil Agencies for Peace of Mind
 http://cryptome.org/0005/gsa-1122.zip

Raytheon Cybersecurity Technology
 http://cryptome.org/0005/raytheon-cysec.zip

Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems
 http://cryptome.org/raytheon-iis.pdf

Critical Infrastructure Needs Cybersecurity
 http://cryptome.org/0005/gao-11-865t.pdf

Marine Full Spectrum Cyberspace Operations
 http://cryptome.org/dodi/usmc-cyber.zip

DoD Strategy for Operating in Cyberspace
 http://cryptome.org/0005/dod-cyberspace.zip

FBI Computer Patheticism
 http://cryptome.org/nara/fbi/fbi-04-0204.pdf

Smart Grid Cybersecurity Weaknesses
 http://cryptome.org/0003/gao-11-117.zip
 http://cryptome.org/0003/nistir-7628.zip
 http://cryptome.org/0002/doe100510-2.pdf
 http://cryptome.org/0002/doe100510.pdf
 http://cryptome.org/2012/01/gao-12-507t.pdf
 http://www.e-publishing.af.mil/shared/media/epubs/AFDD3-12.pdf

NSA And Computer Development
 http://cryptome.org/0002/nsa-computers.pdf

Global Free Flow of Information on the Internet
 http://cryptome.org/0002/doc092910.pdf

DARPA RFP for Cyber Insider Threat
 http://cryptome.org/dodi/cinder.pdf

China Military and Security Developments 2010
 http://cryptome.org/dodi/cmpr-2010.zip

False Blogs and Military Information Strategy
 http://cryptome.org/dodi/jsou-06-5.pdf

Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) at NSA
 http://cryptome.org/nsa-elint.zip

Field Manual 2.0 Intelligence
 http://cryptome.org/dodi/fm-2-0-intel.zip

Covert Blogs as Military Information Operations
 http://cryptome.org/covert-blogs.zip

Soviet Capabilities in Electronic Warfare
 http://cryptome.org/soviet-ew.zip
 http://cryptome.org/jya/rusigint.htm

How the FBI Surveils the Net
 http://cryptome.org/fbi-cgvop.zip

FBI Quietly Forms 'Net-Surveillance' Unit
 http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57439734-83/fbi-quietly-forms-secretive-net-surveillance-unit/

NSA to intercept TETRA police networks
 http://cryptome.org/nsa-tetra.htm

CIA Head Forsees Better Hackers
 http://cryptome.org/jya/cia-hackers.htm

WarFighter Information
 http://cryptome.org/jya/win-ndx.htm

Hackers Are Out to Get You
 http://cryptome.org/jya/mirror.txt

Computer (In)security:Infiltrating Open Systems
 http://cryptome.org/compinsec.htm

U.S. Air Force Massive Cloud Traffic Auditing and Online Data Mining Presentation
 http://info.publicintelligence.net/USAF-CloudAudit.pdf

DARPA High-Assurance Cyber Military Systems
 http://cryptome.org/2012/03/darpa-hacms.pdf

DoD Strategy for Operating in Cyberspace
 http://cryptome.org/0005/dod-cyberspace.zip

Marine Full Spectrum Cyberspace Operations
 http://cryptome.org/dodi/usmc-cyber.zip

Cyber Warfare, Exploitation & Information Dominance (CWEID) Lab Overview
 http://info.publicintelligence.net/cyberwarfarebrief.pdf

Intelink-U
 http://publicintelligence.net/open-source-information-system/

Leftwing Extremists Likely to Increase Use of Cyber Attacks
 http://publicintelligence.net/leftwing-extremists/

Cybersecurity: Continued Federal Efforts Are Needed to Protect Critical Systems and Information
 http://info.publicintelligence.net/gao-09-835t.pdf

Cyber Security Volume I Number 10
 http://info.publicintelligence.net/HSM-CyberSecurityMonitor_Volume_I_Number10_dated_September2008.pdf

DHS Cyber Threat to the U.S.
 http://info.publicintelligence.net/Bamford_ICSJWG_Fall_2009.pdf

Establishment of a Subordinate Unified U.S. Cyber Command
 http://info.publicintelligence.net/OSD05914.pdf

Information Operations, Electronic Warfare, and Cyberwar
 http://info.publicintelligence.net/RL31787.pdf

U.S. Army Network Operations (NETOPS) Manual
 http://info.publicintelligence.net/USArmy-NetOps.pdf

CyberWar Exercise CyberStorm
 http://www.cryptocomb.org/CyberWar-Exercise-CyberStorm.pdf

Massive Expansion of NSA Menwith Hill Spy Base
 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/mar/01/menwith-hill-eavesdropping-base-expansion

nsa-spybases-expansions
 http://wlstorage.net/file/nsa-spybases-expansions-fy2008.pdf

us-nro-ground-sations
 http://wlstorage.net/file/us-nro-ground-sation-admissions-2008.pdf

sat-guide
 http://wlstorage.net/file/sat-guide.pdf

INTERFERENCE WITH DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITES
 http://cables.mrkva.eu/cable.php?id=16988

CHINA'S ANGST OVER U.S. SATELLITE INTERCEPTION
 http://cables.mrkva.eu/cable.php?id=142532

Snooping on Space Pictures
 http://www.fas.org/irp/cia/product/sovssp64.pdf

Satellite Surveillance: Domestic Issues
 http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/intel/RL34421.pdf

Defense Science Board Task Force on Satellite Reconnaissance
 http://www.dod.mil/pubs/foi/Science_and_Technology/DSB/930.pdf

Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) at NSA
 http://cryptome.org/nsa-elint.zip

NSA And Computer Development
 http://cryptome.org/0002/nsa-computers.pdf

Soviet Capabilities in Electronic Warfare
 http://cryptome.org/soviet-ew.zip
 http://cryptome.org/jya/rusigint.htm

British Bases in Cyprus and Signals Intelligence
 http://cryptome.org/2012/01/0060.pdf

NSA to intercept TETRA police networks
 http://cryptome.org/nsa-tetra.htm

Sat Wars: When the Enemy Has Our Eyes
 http://cryptome.org/mckinlca.zip

Eyeballing Spy Satellites
 http://cryptome.org/eyeball/satspy/satspy-eyeball.htm

NSA spy guide
 http://cryptome.org/isp-spy/nsa-spy.pdf

Science of Cyber-Security
 http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/dod/jason/cyber.pdf

Information Warfare-Defense
 http://www.dod.mil/pubs/foi/Science_and_Technology/DSB/834.pdf

Information Architecture for the Battlefield
 http://www.dod.mil/pubs/foi/Science_and_Technology/DSB/724.pdf

Command Control and Communications Problems
 http://www.dod.mil/pubs/foi/Science_and_Technology/WSEG/503.pdf

maintaining information security in a warfighting environment
 http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/dod/jason/classpol.pdf

cognition and in brain-computer interfaces
 http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/dod/jason/human.pdf

High Performance Human-Computer Interfaces
 http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/dod/jason/interfaces.pdf

cyber-defense strategy
 http://timemilitary.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/d20110714cyber.pdf

EFF_Know_Your_Rights
 https://www.eff.org/files/EFF_Know_Your_Rights_2011.pdf

conputer viruses & worms
 http://www.m86security.com/documents/pdfs/security_labs/m86_web_exploits_report.pdf

Reducing Systemic Cybersecurity Risk
 http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/57/44/46889922.pdf

Cybersecurity
 http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/Cybersecurity.pdf

Police State Gadgets and the Technology of Enslavement
 http://www.corbettreport.com/police-state-gadgets-and-the-technology-of-enslavement/

Recording Everything: Digital Storage as an Enabler of Authoritarian Governments
 http://www.brookings.edu/%7E/media/Files/rc/papers/2011/1214_digital_storage_villasenor/1214_digital_storage_villasenor.pdf

financial super computers
 http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/bispartners/foresight/docs/computer-trading/11-1223-dr4-global-financial-markets-systems-perspective.pdf

Electromagnetic Pulse and American Security
 http://www.afpc.org/files/february2012.pdf

'blueprint for a secure cyber future'
 http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/nppd/blueprint-for-a-secure-cyber-future.pdf

Assessment of Anonymous Threat to Control Systems
 http://info.publicintelligence.net/NCCIC-AnonymousICS.pdf

cyber-threat-summary
 http://wlstorage.net/file/cyber-threat-summary.pdf

ARGENTINA: FUGITIVE HACKER RETURNS TO ARGENTINA AND THREATENS TO TELL ALL
 http://cables.mrkva.eu/cable.php?id=190671

exploitation-of-chinese-internet-2007
 http://wlstorage.net/file/exploitation-of-chinese-internet-2007.pdf

fbi---ellectronic-surveillance-of-public-voip
 http://wlstorage.net/file/fbi---ellectronic-surveillance-of-public-voip-telephone-traffic.pdf

IP numbers
 http://cyberwar.nl/d/20110812_defense-tech_cyberspace_wGeoIP.csv.gz

Surveilance
 http://xqz3u5drneuzhaeo.onion/users/heidenwut2/books/SpyAndCounterSpy/index.html

Virtual Reality -1993
 http://www.nsa.gov/public_info/_files/cryptologic_quarterly/Virtual_Reality.pdf

Inference and Cover Stories -1993
 http://www.nsa.gov/public_info/_files/cryptologic_quarterly/Inference_and_Cover_Stories.pdf

Error Messages: The Importance of Good Design -1992
 http://www.nsa.gov/public_info/_files/cryptologic_quarterly/Error_Messages.pdf

k.


@ k

16.08.2012 00:40

Some great educational links there, thank you. LOL @ James Casbolt though bless him.

Hypnotised