From: Ben <samman@CS.YALE.EDU>
Date: Thu, 2 Feb 95 23:01:25 PST
To: Gary Jeffers <CCGARY@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu>
Subject: Re: The FIREWALL CHIP. U're phone always offhook?
In-Reply-To: <199502022357.SAA28764@bb.hks.net>
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91.950203015859.20431A-100000@jaguar.zoo.cs.yale.edu>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


On Thu, 2 Feb 1995, Gary Jeffers wrote:

> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> 
>          THE FIREWALL CHIP!  U'RE PHONE ALWAYS OFFHOOK?
> 
>    We have potential bugging devices in all our houses - The telephone!
> Of course, when it is onhook, the microphone does not transmit... or
> does it? Would the phone have to be rewired to render it always
> "offhook" or would it be an operation at the central phone company?
> If the present models would have to be rewired, then how about future
> models? Much function is done thru chips & so could many of the models
> on the current market be remote programmable? See the latest issue of
> Mondo 2000.

Use an encrypted cordless phone.  When its not in use, take the battery 
out of the phone.  As long as the model you own doens't have a speaker 
phone you're cool.

If you start thinking that all phones that you buy have other hidden 
mikes in them, then I start wondering about paranoia.

Ben.