Web Update

Jane Affleck

Here are a few more websites, focusing chiefly on the issue of electronic privacy which is currently being debated both in the U.S. and Europe. Thanks to those who have sent comments, and thanks for contributions to: Terry Hanstock, Ian Tresman and Tony Hollick. Comments and contributions are welcome: I can be contacted on

Electronic Privacy and Cryptography

Electronic Privacy Information Centre http://www.epic.org/

‘EPIC is a public interest research centre in Washington DC, established in 1994 to focus public attention on emerging civil liberties issues and to protect privacy, the First Amendment and Constitutional values’.

Site includes latest news on electronic privacy issues; former secrets (previously classified government documents obtained by EPIC under FOIA); On-line guides to: legislation on privacy and cyber-liberties, practical privacy tools (how to get PGP and other encryption programmes, anonymous remailers, and surfing the internet anonymously); and privacy resources (links to websites on free speech, privacy etc). EPIC Policy Archives; computer security (hackers, information warfare, laws); cryptography policy (who holds the keys to on-line privacy, clipper chip, key escrow, export controls etc); free speech (on the internet, liability, censorship, and successful challenge to the U.S. Communications Decency Act); freedom of information (how to use FOIA and other laws to obtain information on government activities); Privacy; EPIC’s on-line bi-weekly newsletter covering privacy and civil liberties (can look at recent issue and back issues, http://www.epic.org/alert/).

Site contains much information on the on-going debate and legislation in U.S. and Europe concerning encryption systems. The FBI and law enforcement agencies support encryption controls, high-tech companies and internet and civil liberties groups oppose. In the U.S. debate centres on the SAFE Bill (Security and Freedom through Encryption [HR 695]), and attempts by U.S. intelligence to incorporate amendments that would ensure access to encrypted data by means of some form of ‘key escrow’ system whereby electronic keys are deposited with a third party or agency (so-called Trusted Third Party), but could be obtained when required e.g. by the FBI. An amendment to this effect has recently been rejected by a House of Representatives Committee.

In Europe, a recent (October 1997) European Commission report takes a more enlightened approach and challenges some of the more contentious points raised by the U.S. Bill: ‘Restricting the use of encryption could well prevent law-abiing companies and citizens from protecting themselves against criminal attacks’ the report warns, and regarding the requirement that ‘back doors’ be placed in encryption technology to allow law enforcement access to coded messages: ‘if at all required (key recovery) should be limited to what is absolutely necessary.’ (website below).

Cyber-rights and Cyber-liberties (U.K.) http://www.leeds.ac.uk/law/pgs/yaman/yaman.htm

‘A non-profit civil liberties organisation founded January 1997; main purpose to promote free speech and privacy on the internet and raise public awareness of these important issues.’ Founded by Yaman Akdeniz, a PhD researcher at Leeds Univ Centre for Criminal Justice Studies.

Excellent site with extensive coverage of current issues relating to internet privacy, e.g. encryption etc, with focus on UK. Site includes critiques of first report on UK encryption policy (DTI White Paper of June 1996) and follow-up public consultation paper in March 1997 ‘Licencing of Trusted Third Parties for the Provision of Encryption Services.’ Akdeniz states that the true goal of the government is to control and restrict encryption, and this is apparent when the key recovery aspects of the proposal are examined.

Site also includes: Internet privacy and encryption (link to recent EC report – see below); Internet law related news; regulation of child pornography on the Internet; UK police ban on newsgroups; Cyber-rights and Cyber-liberties (UK) bimonthly newsletter; links to related websites and web journals. Also articles by Akdeniz on cryptography and liberty, UK government policy on encryption, policing the internet, developments in U.S. and U.K. defamation law concerning the Internet etc.

Internet Privacy Coalition http://www.privacy.org/ipc/

‘Mission of the IPC is to promote privacy and security on the internet through widespread public availability of strong encryption and the relaxation of export controls on cryptography.’ Menu includes; News; Golden Key Campaign (promoting the right to communicate privately); crypto resources (includes relevant U.S. legislation on cryptography).

Center for Democracy and Technology http://www.cdt.org/

‘CDT is a non-profit public interest organisation based in Washington DC. CDT’s mission is to develop and advocate public policies that advance constitutional civil liberties and democratic values in new computer and communications technologies.’

A lot of info on the U.S. debate on electronic privacy and the FBI’s attempts to have greater surveillance powers with regard to wireraps and digital/computer communications, e.g. via key recovery. Issues include: cryptography; civil liberties; free speech; privacy; Congress and the Net; counter terrorism; International issues; publications; digital telephony issues including text of Digital Telephony Statute. (http://www.cdt. org/digi_tele/).

In 1994, the U.S. Congress enacted the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), also known as Digital Telephony legislation. The Statute paves the way for greater electronic surveillance by law enforcement agencies, but also contains important public oversight and accountability provisions and specific new privacy protections. CDT intend to monitor the implementation of the DT Statute and believe the FBI is trying to use the legislation to expand its surveillance capabilities, and that Congressional attention is required to strengthen privacy protections.

FBI Director, Louis Freeh, gave testimony before a Senate Judiciary Committee (June 97), emphasising the ‘dangers’ posed by new computer and communications technologies, in an effort to justify government control and regulation. In his testimony, Freeh listed 3 FBI priorities as: funding to implement CALEA, encryption legislation to create a key-recovery infrastructure allowing guaranteed government access to private keys, and expanded authority for ‘roving wiretaps’.

European Cryptography Resources http://www.modeemi.cs.tut.fi/~avs/eu-crypto.html

Large collection of European cryptography-related links (not all in English). Recommendations, drafts and papers on crypto politics, legal issues, and relevant articles on crypto, key escrow, etc. Official bodies, associations, societies, companies, concerning cryptography. Cryptographic research, research papers, technology, FAQs. Use of crypto in different European countries – papers, articles. Links to non-European resources and relevant usenet newsgroups.

Crypto Log http://www.enter.net/~chronos/cryptolog.html

The Internet Guide to Cryptography: ‘goal is to cover everything on the net that deals directly with cryptography’. Crypto Log is a collection of annotated pointers to Internet resources that relate directly to cryptography, including maths, coputer science, software, networks and Internet security, privacy, key escrow, voice encryption and public policy. (Appears to have been last updated March 1996)

Cryptography, PGP and your Privacy http://world.std.com/~franl/crypto.html

Links to resources on cryptography: on-line documents; links to on-line cryptographic services; cryptographic software utilities and companies selling cryptographic software and hardware; U.S. cryptography policy; Digicrime, Inc (‘a full-service criminal computer hacking organisation’); Cypherpunks, NSA and other info sources.

Data Protection Registrar http://www.open.gov.uk/dpr/dprhome.htm

Includes U.K. Data Protection Act, duties of the Registrar, copy of public register of data users (http://www.dpr.gov.uk/). Can search register of data users, which includes purpose for which data held, business activities, description of personal data (data subject, data class, etc. Difficult to interpret search results if unfamiliar with register. Also annual reports; new data protection law; Data Protection guidelines; guide to developing data protection codes of practice for datamatching; response of DPR to public consultation paper Licensing of TTPs for the provision of encryption services; privacy enhancing technologies; Registrar’s response to ID card proposals.

Specialist papers: European Union Data Protection Directive and its implementation.

International PGP Homepage http://www.ifi.uio.no/pgp/

Info about PGP, FAQs, PGP versions, downloadable PGP, bugs, etc. Can download international (i.e. for people outside the U.S.) PGP freeware. Latest version is PGP 5.0

Unofficial TEMPEST Information Page http://www.eskimo.com/~joelm/tempest.html

Extensive info on TEMPEST (U.S. government codeword relating to specific standards for limiting electromagnetic emanations from electronic equipment. EMR given out by computer monitors and other devices can be intercepted from a remote location). Includes general info, online sources, patents, NSA, monitoring devices, sources for DIY shielding, U.S. government and military info sources.

Cypherpunks ftp://ftp.csua.berkeley.edu/pub/cypherpunks/Home.html

Articles and papers on cryptography, ‘crypto-tools’, remailers. Links.

Signal Magazine http://www.us.net/signal/

Signal is a monthly magazine covering electronics, computers, communications, intelligence, imaging and information systems. Published by the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association for comms., electronics, intelligence and information systems professionals. Looks at the impact of technology on high-security (mainly defense-related) comms. systems.

Electronic Frontier Foundation http://www.eff.org/

Excellent website covering free speech, privacy, intellectual property, censorship, civil liberties, legal issues. Also covers the encryption debate at:

http://www.eff.org/pub/Privacy/ITAR_export/HTML/hot.html

Privacy International http://www.privacy.org/pi/

PI’s excellent website covers a wide range of privacy-related issues, with UK and European orientation. Phone-tapping and encryption at: http://www.privacy.org/pi/activities/tapping/

European Union

EC report (Oct. 97) on encryption: ‘Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, The Council, The Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Ensuring Security and Trust in Electronic Communication’ (COM(97)503).

http://www.ispo.cec.be/eif/policy/97503toc.html
‘Towards a European Framework for Digital Signatures and Encryption.’ Report’s introduction discusses the need for secure electronic communications and further sections cover digital signatures (electronic signatures based on ‘public key cryptography’), key recovery, key escrow, legal problems, regulatory considerations, encryption, and policy actions at Community level.
European Parliament and Council Directive on Protection of Individuals with regard to Processing of Personal Data and on Free Movement of such Data. (95/46/EC)

http://www2.echo.lu/legal/en/dataprot/directiv/directiv.html
EU member states must put the Directive (above) into national law not later than October 24 1998. In the U.K. this will be done by a new Data Protection Act, giving rise to concerns that its requirements could seriously impede investigative reporting unless exemptions for such activities are incorporated into the final Act. This is because of provisions in the Directive giving subjects the right to information held about them on electronic or certain manual systems.

Military and Intelligence

Intelligence on the Web http://www.fas.org/irp/intelwww.html

‘This metapage is the most comprehensive guide to intelligence-related resources on the web.’ An accurate description – a few examples will suffice: Metapages includes Crimenet connection; netsurfer focus on cryptography and privacy (lots of links); virtual world of spies and intelligence. Links to resource directories: human intelligence and covert ops – CIA; signals intelligence and comms. security – NSA: economic intelligence; information warfare. Material on Gulf War, counter-terrorism page, OLIN (on-line intelligence project). History: origins of intelligence services; Secret History of the U.S. 1962-1996 (history of U.S. intervention in Central America and Caribbean, at http://w3.one.net/~conspira/Welcome. html)

Virtual World of Spies and Intelligence http://www.dreamscape.com/frankvad/covert.html

Massive resource, e.g. crime archives; conspiracies, spies and spy-shops, personal security, electronic warfare, info warfare; security and privacy; computer security; internet crime, security and privacy; censorship.

Kim Consulting http://www.kimsoft.com/kim-spy.htm

Another huge resource on defense, intelligence and related issues with many links, including current topics on intelligence, ‘Cyberwar’, mind control, defence and intelligence agencies, spying, databases and archives.

Infomanage http://www.infomanage.com/

Many subject categories, including politics, intelligence, legal, conflict resolution. E.g. under intelligence: secrecy and government; intelligence community; information warfare; recent spy cases; U.S. intelligence budget; foreign intelligence operations; government. and non-government. intelligence organisations; intelligence-related journals; secrets/conspiracies e.g. TWA flight 800, Gulf War Syndrome, Whitewater, plutonium experiments; newsgroup links.

War, Peace and Security Guide http://www.cfcsc.dnd.ca:80/links/index.html

Info Resource Centre, Canadian Forces College.
Menu includes: armed forces of the world (listed under country), contemporary conflicts (e.g. Northern Ireland), international organisations (EU, NATO, UN etc), peace and disarmament.

Secret Kingdom http://www.cc.umist.ac.uk/sk/index.html

‘An initiation into the very real world of some of the more secretive government and military organisations in the UK.’ e.g. MI5, MI6, GCHQ, SAS, SBS, others. Basic stuff but all we have at the moment; and links e.g. to Mossad, Seals, Green Berets, Special Forces and counter-terrorism site.

Unofficial NSA Page http://www.fas.org/irp/nsa

Menu includes: history, facilities, operations, organisation and functions, budget and personnel, plus many links to related resources.

CIABASE http://webcom.com/%7Epinknoiz/covert/ciabasesearch.html

‘CIABASE is a computer database on the CIA that provides an easy-to-use historical resource for policy-makers, academicians, journalists and students.’ Produced by ex-CIA Ralph McGehee, site provides one twentieth of full db, which can be ordered (for $199).

Institute for the Advanced Study of Information Warfare http://www.psycom.net/iwar.1.html

‘Information Warfare (I-War, IW, C4I or Cyberwar), has recently become of increasing importance to the military and intelligence community and the business world. The purpose of IASIW is to facilitate an understanding of info warfare with reference to both civilian and military life.’
Includes many article on I-war and info from defence and intelligence agencies. Includes Van Eck monitoring (monitoring computer activity from a distance by detecting low level electronic emissions, military use of Van Eck: TEMPEST); docs on CIA’s use of MW radiation to alter cerebral functioning (www.seas.gwu.edu/nsarchive/radiation/dir/mstreet/interim/ intret/txt); U.S. Code – provides legal basis for use of I-war techniques; links to electronic archives of IASIW.

Milnet http://www.onestep.com/milnet/

Intelligence Agencies; military info; terrorism; conflicts, plus other links

Mind Control

Mind Control Forum http://www.mk.net/~mcf/

A lot of info on mind control, including archives, news, resources, victims.

MW Harrassment and Mind Control Experimentation http://www.webcom.com/~pinknoiz/coldwar/microwave.html

Report by Julianne McKinney December 1992, with detailed reports on harassment/mind control techniques.

Neurophone http://www.xyz.net/~nohaarp/neuro.htm

Invented by Dr Patrick Flanagan, a scientist, the neurophone is an electronic instrument that can programme suggestions through contact with the skin. ‘When he attempted to patent the device, the government demanded he prove that it worked. When he did, the NSA confiscated the neurophone.’ Info on the neurophone, how it works, electronic telepathy and how to order.

Biohazards of ELFs http://www.xyz.net/~nohaarp/bio-elf.htm

By Nick Begich. Use of ELFs in mind control weapons. Di-cusses low-level EMR as a weapon for altering/manipulating human brain function and effects on health, and how to design a device that shields against low-level radiation in ELF range.

Organisations and Campaigns

Amnesty International (UK) http://www.oneworld.org/amnesty/
http://www.amnesty.org.uk/

News, action, about Amnesty, library (AI publications, reports, etc).

Index on Censorship http://www.oneworld.org/index_oc/index.html

‘Bi-monthly magazine for free speech……through interviews, reportage, banned literature and polemic, Index shows how free speech affects the political issues of the moment.’ Menu includes latest news, netwatch, back issues, Index index (country by country update of free speech issues), features.

Committee to Protect Journalists http://www.cpj.org/

Founded 1981, CPJ defends the right of journalists around the world to report news without fear of reprisal. Menu includes news alerts, journalists imprisoned and killed, annual report, database (a searchable updated record of press freedom violations in more than 100 countries since Jan. ’95, e.g. physical attacks, threats, detentions, murders, criminal prosecutions).

Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility http://snyside.sunnyside.com/home/

‘CPSR is a public-interest alliance of computer scientists and others concerned about the impact of computer technology on society, and works to influence decisions regarding the development and use of computers.’ Includes current topics e.g. Encryption News, Millennium Problem, also ethics, privacy and civil liberties. Links listed under subject, e.g. computer security, FOI,
government, institutions.

Corporate Watch http://www.oneworld.org/cw/

‘Corporate Watch is a non-profit organisation dedicated to examining the corporate world from an environmental and ethical perspective…..CW intends to research and expose the crimes and hypocricies of those corporations that refuse to act in a responsible manner…’
CW has access to extensive company database produced by Ethical Consumer Research Association.
Menu includes: about CW; CW magazine (bimonthly, with campaign info and company expose’s); arms conversion, land-mines; Nirex; genetic engineering; oil industry; rainforest destruction; research and info Service.

Campaign Against the Arms Trade http://www.gn.apc.org/caat/

CAAT is a broad coalition of groups and individuals committed to ending the international arms trade and the UK’s role as one of the world’s leading arms exporters.
Menu includes: about CAAT; about the arms trade; arms export news; current campaigns; info services; international links.

Menwith Hill http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Dave_Lesley/mhil.htm

Site of Yorkshire CND. Includes short history, other NSA-related bases in UK, campaign to close it, contacts and links.

Investigative Reporters and Editors http://www.ire.org/

‘IRE is a grassroots non-profit organisation dedicated to improving the quality of investigative reporting…..formed 1975 with intent of creating a networking tool and forum…’ Includes Resource Centre with abstracts of over 12,000 investigative reporting stories, a database library and other facilities. Free to members, non-members pay user fee.

Misc

Julian White’s British Politics Page http://www.keele.ac.uk/depts/po/table/brit/brit.htm

Topics include: main British politics page, with many links: political parties, government departments, local councils, electoral data, some campaigns and pressure groups.

European Court of Human Rights http://www.dhcour.coe.fr/

General info, pending cases, judgements (including full text of recent judgements), basic texts.

Hansard http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm/cmhansrd.htm

This is the correct Hansard address. In an earlier guide the address was incorrect.