From: "Robert A. Rosenberg" <hal9001@panix.com>
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 1995 17:31:10 +0800
To: Joel McNamara <joelm@eskimo.com>
Subject: Re: Internet wiretap?
Message-ID: <v02140a04ad0bef0837f0@[165.254.158.214]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 20:09 12/29/95, Joel McNamara wrote:

>This tidbit was posted a few hours ago on c|net (12/29 4:00 PST).
>
>        Thanks to a wiretap on the Internet, three people have been arrested
>for illegally
>        selling and manufacturing cellular phone equipment and electronic
>devices over the Internet,
>        according to Secret Service agent Brian Gimlett. This is the first
>time the Secret Service and the
>        Drug Enforcement Administration were allowed to wiretap via the
>Internet, says Gimlett.
>
>The rest of the story talks about an exchange of e-mail discussing the sale
>of various nasty
>cellular accessories.  There is no information on exactly what "wiretap"
>means or any other
>technical details.  Interesting to note the DEA was in on it.

It is not that hard to "tap" a user's account if you are the SMTP server
(you just put a Bcc on all outgoing mail and add an extra account to all
incoming mail's Envelope). A few lines in the Sendmail parms would do this
very simply.