Wireless Telephone Privacy

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0><script> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-47423994-1', 'fortunecity.ws'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script> <center> <br> <div> <script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="http://ad.broadcaststation.net/ads/show_ad.php?width=728&height=90"></script> </div> </center> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#CCFF99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="04078671esnimw.gif"> <div> <B>The Personal Communications Library</B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#333399" FACE="Times New Roman" ><B>     |     </B></FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#333399" FACE="Times New Roman" ><A HREF="home.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Personal Communications Library"><U><B>HOME</B></U></A></FONT></div> <div> <A HREF="frs.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Family Radio Service (FRS)"><U>Family Radio Service (FRS)</U></A>   |   <A HREF="pmr_446.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Private Mobile Radio (PMR 446)"><U>Private Mobile Radio (PMR 446)</U></A>   |   <A HREF="murs.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="MultiUse Radio Service (MURS)"><U>Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS)</U></A>   |   <A HREF="pr_ww.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal Radio World Wide"><U>Personal Radio - World Wide</U></A>   |   <B>Wireless Telephone Privacy</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#336699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="041c83b3.gif"> <bR> <div> <A HREF="wireless_privacy_m.htm#cellphone" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="Wireless Telephone Privacy"><U>Cellular Telephones</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="wireless_privacy_m.htm#cordless" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="Wireless Telephone Privacy"><U>Cordless Telephones</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="wireless_privacy_m.htm#hybrids" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="Wireless Telephone Privacy"><U>Hybrid Systems</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <A HREF="wireless_privacy_m.htm#guide_to_privacy_ratings_" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="Wireless Telephone Privacy"><U><I>Guide to Privacy Ratings</I></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#CCFF99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I><B>Wireless Telephone Privacy</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="cellphone"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Cellular Telephones (aka: Car Phone, Cellphone, Mobile Phone)</B></div> <bR> <div> <U>MTS & IMTS</U>:</div> <div>    <U>M</U>obile <U>T</U>elephone <U>S</U>ervice and <U>I</U>mproved <U>M</U>obile <U>T</U>elephone <U>S</U>ervice are pre-cellular systems still used in some parts of the U.S. and Canada.  Both systems use analog FM to connect a mobile radio user to the telephone network.  The channels used are few in number and are very well known.</div> <div> Privacy Level: Zero</div> <bR> <div> <I>Analog Cellular Telephone Service</I> - <U>AMPS</U>:</div> <div>   This type of cellular service is popular and widely available.  In some areas of North America it is the only type of cellular service available.  A pair of analog FM frequencies are used to carry a conversation.  Eavesdropping with an inexpensive radio scanner is very easy.  With the use of computer controlled radio receivers and freely available software, a single cellular user can be easily and <U>consistently</U> monitored.  This is the equivalent of a wiretap for a cellular telephone.</div> <div> Privacy Level: Low-</div> <bR> <div> <I>Digital Cellular Telephone Service</I> - <U>TDMA</U> (IS–136):</div> <div>   <U>T</U>ime <U>D</U>ivision <U>M</U>ultiple <U>A</U>ccess divides a single cellular (30 kHz wide) channel into three time slots, with each cellular phone user assigned a specific time slot for their transmission. This provides triple the capacity of analog AMPS systems -- where perviously only one user could use a single channel, now three users can share a single channel.  Systems are currently in place that allow up to six users to share a single channel.  Future TDMA systems may allow as many as 40 (!) users to share a single channel.  Eavesdropping would require sophisticated equipment and extensive technical knowledge.  </div> <div> [Providers of TDMA service are common in North America.]</div> <div> Privacy Level: High</div> <bR> <div> <I>Digital Cellular Telephone Service</I> - <U>iDEN</U>:</div> <div>   Pioneered by Motorola, iDEN uses TDMA technology along with a very high level of data compression.  Unlike standard TDMA, iDEN divides a (30 kHz) channel into six time slots, providing for up to six users per channel.  Eavesdropping would require sophisticated equipment and extensive technical knowledge.  Using iDEN, your conversations are marginally more private than they would be with standard TDMA service.</div> <div> [Systems using iDEN: Nextel in the U.S. and Cleartel-MIKE in Canada.]</div> <div> Privacy Level: High</div> <bR> <div> <I>Digital Cellular Telephone Service</I> - <U>CDMA</U>:</div> <div>   <U>C</U>ode <U>D</U>ivision <U>M</U>ultiple <U>A</U>ccess is a wireless technology pioneered and patented by <A HREF="http://www.qualcomm.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.qualcomm.com/"><U>Qualcom</U></A>.  Voice transmissions are broadcast using a spread spectrum signal.  These spread spectrum signals are more resistant to interference and eavesdropping than a standard digitized signal.  Using CDMA, your conversations are marginally more private than they would be with TDMA or iDEN systems.</div> <div> [Providers of CDMA service are common in North America.]</div> <div> Privacy Level: High</div> <bR> <div> <I>Digital Cellular Telephone Service</I> - <U>GSM</U>:</div> <div>    <U>G</U>lobal <U>S</U>ystem for <U>M</U>obile <U>C</U>ommunications is an open standards system which utilizes encryption and TDMA technology.  Although relatively uncommon in North America, it is the standard across Europe.  According to the GSM Association, "...GSM remains the most secure public wireless standard in the world."  This is a reasonable claim.  Although the encryption used is not "military strength", decrypting it is probably beyond the means of all but large government organizations.  Using GSM, your conversations are somewhat more private than they would be with TDMA, iDEN, or CDMA systems.</div> <div> [For a list of GSM service providers in North America check with the <A HREF="http://www.gsm-pcs.org/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.gsm-pcs.org/"><U>North American GSM Alliance</U></A>.]</div> <div> Privacy Level: High+</div> <bR> <div> - - -</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="cordless"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><B>Cordless Telephones (with a base unit hooked directly to home phone line)</B></div> <div> <U>Standard (analog) Cordless Telephones</U>:</div> <div>    Conversations can be easily and clearly monitored by a scanner, or even another telephone. The handset side of the conversation can also be heard on some baby monitors. </div> <div>    Your touch-tones can also be monitored; for instance if you call your bank and dial in your account number to get your balance, you may have just given an eavesdropper enough info to withdraw money from your account.</div> <div> Privacy Level: Zero</div> <div> Privacy Level of "Voice-Scramble" Models: Zero+</div> <div> <A HREF="analog.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cordless Telephones"><U><IMG SRC="08c38130.gif" border=0 width="56" height="19" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <U>Digital Cordless Telephones</U>:</div> <div>    Your conversations are private, to an extent. They cannot be monitored on a conventional scanner.  However it may be possible for a technically competent person to use one digital phone to monitor another digital phone of the same make and model.</div> <div> Privacy Level: Moderate</div> <div> <A HREF="digital.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Digital Cordless Telephones"><U><IMG SRC="08c38130.gif" border=0 width="56" height="19" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <U>Digital Spread Spectrum Cordless Telephones</U>:</div> <div>    The type of digital spread spectrum available in the USA is an FCC "approved for civilian use" variety.  It doesn't use military strength security and wouldn't give your local spy agency much trouble.  Nevertheless, it is difficult (and expensive) to intercept and decode. Decoding would, at the least, involve detecting all of the frequencies used and the pseudo-random pattern in which your conversation is being "spread" across them.</div> <div> Privacy Level: Moderate+</div> <div> <A HREF="dss.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Spread Spectrum Cordless Telephones"><U><IMG SRC="08c38130.gif" border=0 width="56" height="19" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <div> - - -</div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="hybrids"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Hybrid Cordless Telephone Systems</B><B>:</B></div> <bR> <div> <U>Panasonic GigaRange "Extreme" Cordless Telephones</U>:</div> <div>    This line of cordless telephones is unusual in that it uses two frequency bands and a mix of digital spread spectrum and analog radio transmissions.  The base unit of these cordless telephones broadcasts using digital spread spectrum in the 2400MHz (2.4 <U>Giga</U>hertz) band.  The handset broadcasts using an analog mode in the 900Mhz range.  This means that only the handset side of the conversation can be easily monitored.  The whole conversation (which is broadcast from the base unit) can not be easily monitored.  These phones, utilizing dual-band operation and spread spectrum technology, have amongst the best range and best sound quality of any cordless telephone available.</div> <div> Privacy Level:<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#BF0000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>Low+    <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#BF0000" FACE="Arial" >[Handset: Zero+  and  Base: Moderate+]</FONT></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.panasonic.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.panasonic.com/"><U><IMG SRC="08c38130.gif" border=0 width="56" height="19" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <U>EnGenius 900Mhz Cordless Telephone System</U>:</div> <div>    This is a digital spread spectrum cordless telephone system with two unusual features: (1) you can add up to 36 separate handsets, all linked to a single base unit and phone line, and (2) each handset can do double-duty as a full-duplex spread spectrum 2-way radio, communicating <U>securely</U> with any of the other handsets linked to the system.  Additionally, this phone operates at up to 600mW - 800mW, which translates into a working range of at least a mile.</div> <div> Privacy Level: Moderate+</div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.panasonic.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.panasonic.com/"><U><IMG SRC="08c38130.gif" border=0 width="56" height="19" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <div> - - -</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="guide_to_privacy_ratings_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><B><U>Guide to Privacy Ratings</U></B><B>: </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Zero</B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B> = Monitoring is very easy using readily available equipment and requires little skill.</B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>Low</B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B> = Monitoring is possible using readily available equipment, but requires a small amount of technical knowledge/skill</B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>Moderate</B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B> = Monitoring is possible, but unlikely.  It would require tech knowledge/skill and expensive equipment not readily available.</B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#BF0000" FACE="Arial" ><B>High</B></FONT><B> = Monitoring may be possible, but is </B><B><U>very</U></B><B> unlikely.  It would require significant tech knowledge and hard to obtain or custom made (expensive) equipment.</B></div> </td> </tr></table></body>