Police Computer Hacking

[motorhomer]

I read 2 things in a magazine today, which to me seem alarming.

The first is that the police now have the power to hack into anyone's computer without a court order. They do apparently need chief constable sign off, though.

To me this is almost as bad as saying they can break into your house without a court order - so much for personal privacy.

The second is that ISP's are now required by law to keep records of all e-mail's sent by everyone for a period of 12 months. I understand it is the details of the emails, not necessarily the content. (thin end of the wedge though). They can then be forced to disclose the records to the authorities.

I find these two together a major inroad into our personal freedom, privacy and space. Both are allegedly to help track criminals and terrorists. But it just feels like 1984 has well and truly arrived!

It leads me to think about using encryption for all my mail.

Or am I too sensitive?

 

[dazzer]

Encrypt it all you like....do you think it will make the slightest bit of difference to a government like ours??

You can bet they have the keys to every single encryption program ever written and will use it as and when they see fit.

 

[ShiftZZ]

They will be able to crack 128 bit encryption, I suspect that 4096-bit high strength encryption algorithm is a little too strong!!

Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) is the one that needs looking at, it allows Local Councills to access your data....

 

[GJH]

RIPA has several sections and only restricted powers are available to local councils. They can not access your data, only records of accounts for things like tracking people who are traders pretending to be private sellers. At least that's the way it was when I looked after RIPA for a local authority. If anyone can show me it has changed in the last 3 years I'll hold my hands up.

As with anything else, mistakes can be made but, having been through two inspections I can confidently say that if they are they will be picked up and bounced on.

What really needs changing is the Human Rights Act. RIPA is only there because the HRA was badly written - which means that unless RIPA is followed then perfectly proper investigations will breach the HRA.

The question of ISPs and phone companies keeping content records is not something that local councils (who can't get that data) want and not something that most other law enforcement agencies want. It's just another example of the stupidity of a government which thinks anything can be solved by creating a database.

Graham

 

[ShiftZZ]

Poole Borough Council has admitted using the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA), designed to regulate snooping by police and other bodies, to check the usual address of a three-year-old child applying for a primary school place.

Source.
Local council uses snooping laws to spy on three-year-old • The Register


More than half of town halls admit using anti-terror laws to spy on families suspected of putting their rubbish out on the wrong day.

Their tactics include putting secret cameras in tin cans, on lamp posts and even in the homes of 'friendly' local snitches.

The local authorities admitted that one of their main aims was to catch householders who put their bins out early.
dustbins

Many councils have been spying on residents and fining them if they put rubbish out on the wrong day

The shocking way in which the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act - an anti-terror law - is being used was revealed through freedom of information requests made by the Daily Mail.

Link Removed

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[American Dream]

I read 2 things in a magazine today, which to me seem alarming.



It leads me to think about using encryption for all my mail.

Or am I too sensitive?

There was an article a few months ago about the US Governmental bodies scanning emails for anti-espionage purposes from militant factions.

However smaller bodies might just see the challenge as prohibitive and look for the "softer" targets.

They can decrypt virtually anything and those they can't, they will eventually if deemed fit to do so.

I wonder if it's possible to encrypt an encrypted doc.?

 

[Braunston]

Hi,

I think as the world is changing or has changed and no longer can a possible enemy be detected by the country that they live in, therefore I feel we will need ever increasing controls to investigate/snoop on what people are doing,

While i can sympathize with the main sentiment of this thread I personally don't think we as a nation have any choice than to move forward in this manner, and i think that goes for what ever political party is in power

Hope that makes sense.

 

[madbluemad]

Hi
I have a brother who is a policeman. He does nothing other than to investigate computer cime. This invovles fraud, terrorism, crimes involving chidren, drug trafficking and general criminal activities. He travels the world during the course of his work, training other countries police forces and setting up international networks of criminal computer databases.

Whilst I agree with the basis of this thread I would rather that he did it than not. The world is a changing place and the way in which we live is changing. The vast majority of criminal activity is carried out using the web. How often do you hear about computer crime nowdays. Its every day. It has to be stopped one way or another.

Cheers

Jim

 

[moandick]

I try hard to live a totally clean, legal and honest life - I try not to have any skeletons in the closet, I don't pinch pencils from work, I declare my taxes when I should and I do have a TV licence even though I am a full-timer.
A saint or a sinner?
A bit of both really, especially as I have to bend a few rules in order to live the life that I have chosen to live.
BUT it does mean that I don't give a hoot who wants to inspect my emails, my telephone calls, my bank account or whatever.
I have nothing to hide and provided the 'Authorities' have a reasonable reason for doing it - and EVERYBODY gets the same treatment, I care not one jot about people inspecting my personal life.
And if just one terrorist cell or suspect is identified or caught through those checks - then good on them - bring then on.
I want to go back to the life where a door key was almost unheard of, where a promise meant a promise and where good manners were as normal as breathing fresh air.
And if that means Big brother watching over me - then so be it!

 

[roadtraveller]

I think I go along with the last two replies, if youv'e nothing toi hide, why worry, and so long as everyone is treated the same, then it should be fine.

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[Bulletguy]

I have nothing to hide and provided the 'Authorities' have a reasonable reason for doing it......

But you 'don't give a hoot who inspects your emails, phone calls, bank account, or personal life'???

Seems 'reasonable' to me.

I'm an 'authority' so what is your current Bank balance?

 

[Bulletguy]

I read 2 things in a magazine today, which to me seem alarming.

The first is that the police now have the power to hack into anyone's computer without a court order. They do apparently need chief constable sign off, though.

To me this is almost as bad as saying they can break into your house without a court order - so much for personal privacy.

The second is that ISP's are now required by law to keep records of all e-mail's sent by everyone for a period of 12 months. I understand it is the details of the emails, not necessarily the content. (thin end of the wedge though). They can then be forced to disclose the records to the authorities.

I find these two together a major inroad into our personal freedom, privacy and space. Both are allegedly to help track criminals and terrorists. But it just feels like 1984 has well and truly arrived!

It leads me to think about using encryption for all my mail.

Or am I too sensitive?

Welcome to the Police State of the UK.

 

[ginge61]

russia comes to mind we are a third world country well seems like it

 

[moandick]

Current account: £3,450.46 as of 9.30 am today.

I told you and everybody else - I have nothing to hide.

On Monday - I went on-line to re-new the Road Fund Licence on my RV.

My wife is dis-abled and is entitled to a 'free' road fund licence so up until this week I have had to actually go to a proper Post Office and present these credentials in order to obtain the Disc.

On Monday I completed all the necessary on-line form filling and within 10 minutes the Authorities had checked my MOT details, my Insurances details and the Disabled details and had given permission to issue the disc - which I received in the post this morning.

Now if that is a POLICE state - then bring it on - and get all of these untaxed, uninsured and unMOT'ed vehicles off the road.

 

[American Dream]

Current account: £3,450.46 as of 9.30 am today.

155,588.36 Russian Rubles then......

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[Xoxoc]

Current account: £3,450.46 as of 9.30 am today..

...or half a tank of diesel for the RV

 

[moandick]

Nah, It's only 95p per litre down here in Cornwall so I reckon that makes it a couple of tanks at least.

 

[Gonewiththewind]

Congratulations "Moandick", When all the post offices are closed because everything is on line and pensions are paid direct to ones bank account. we will know who to blame.
I did my bit to keep them open by demanded that my pension be paid over the counter
We all have our crosses to bear.

 

[moandick]

Yep, I agree with that BUT on the other hand I support my local Post Office with a couple of hundred £s per month in postage on the BPG - by using Recorded or Special delivery - when I could use just ordinary 2nd class.

And anyway the reason I did it on line was because I found that the necessary form was just under a year out of date By the time I had written to the Dep of Pensions etc I would have been out of date on the Road Fund Licence - and I really did not want to see my RV crushed!

 

[Jim]

The problem here is with the law.

Not the law that allows the authorities to snoop on many aspects of our private lives, they have always done that. But the laws that ensure we have a right to know that they are doing it. Ignorance is bliss

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[Sweet Chariot]

I saw the words RIPA and it grabbed my attention having just retired from the post of RIPA. Controller for my Force for the past 10 years and also as a Trainer on the subject.

RIPA was introduced to ensure Public Authorities did not infringe our Human Rights. Most Police Officers will tell you that as far as they are concerned it is a massive block to detecting and preventing crime. Having worked with and without it I totally agree.

Forget the more serious crimes around computor access basic Police work is being frustrated by this legislation requiring officers to obtain time consuming authorities for basic detective work.:Sad:

 

[GJH]

Poole Borough Council has admitted using the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA), designed to regulate snooping by police and other bodies, to check the usual address of a three-year-old child applying for a primary school place.

Source.
Local council uses snooping laws to spy on three-year-old • The Register


More than half of town halls admit using anti-terror laws to spy on families suspected of putting their rubbish out on the wrong day.

Their tactics include putting secret cameras in tin cans, on lamp posts and even in the homes of 'friendly' local snitches.

The local authorities admitted that one of their main aims was to catch householders who put their bins out early.
dustbins

Many councils have been spying on residents and fining them if they put rubbish out on the wrong day

The shocking way in which the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act - an anti-terror law - is being used was revealed through freedom of information requests made by the Daily Mail.

Link Removed

These are perfectly legal uses of powers given to LAs by RIPA if RIPA is used properly. If not they will be bounced by the inspectors.

Graham

 

[geoff1947]

I agree with you MOANDICK!! would we know if someone from the government hacked into our PC's to have a look They'd be very disappointed with mine.