Technology. "Echelon".
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(C) Mikhail Sverdlov
(C) newspaper "World of Hobbies"
(C) Secret versions N10/2002
Computer system "Echelon"
Not long ago, an outbreak broke out in Europe
scandal: it became known that the American
the special services control all communications
thieves and correspondence - any exchange of information
tion - not only between ordinary citizens
us, but also between the leaders of rocy-
gift This was made possible thanks to
computer system "Echelon".
Today the Echelon system includes
several ground tracking stations, about
processing and forwarding of received information.
Thus, it is known about the Yakima stations under
Seattle in the USA, Sabana Seca in Puerto Rico
ko, "Skibsbyleirin" in Denmark, "Shyga Gro-
ve" and "Mehbut Hill" in the UK,
"Bad Aibling" in Germany, "Walhopai" in
New Zealand, Leitrim in Canada and
"Mucaba" in Japan. It is also assumed
what's inthe system includes another system
tracking in Denmark, one in Cyprus and one -
in Australia. All they control is practice
virtually all satellite, digital channels
communications, automatically analyzing information
tion and passing it on to “customers” who
can be located anywhere on the planet.
In an extremely simplified form "Echelon"
It works something like this: Is-
The source of information is the Internet,
email, telephone, fax, telephone
lex. Messages transmitted through these routes
we are scanned by super-powerful computers -
we, the so-called "dictionaries" Eshelo-
on", by keywords, expressions,
voice timbre (for example, from 100 mil-
lions of intercepted messages is selected -
Xia 10 thousand). These keywords and expressions
The entries are constantly updated. The principle
similar to the one used by uhtephe-
tobckue nouckobuku, but unlike them
"Echelon" works in real time and
already in the process of, say, telephone
conversation, decides whether this is interesting to him or
no.
"Echelon" speaks many languages,
familiar with professional slang (eg
example, drug dealers or opy-
live) and special vocabulary, knows
nicknames or nicknames of major political
figures from leading countries of the world. Besides,
according to experts, the NSAlearned how to
to receive a “voice print”, which, according to
in their opinion, is as unique as the signature
finger chat. According to memory
computer voice sample can be quickly
identify any voice in a stream
sounds. In other words, if "Echelon"
once registered the voice of someone
person, then can track him later
conversation from any telephone in
world.
As for the Internet, then, according to
According to experts, the NSA received from
Microsoft, Netscape and other companies
manufacturers of computer programs for
Internet, keys or so-called
"bookmarks" allowing those interested
persons to identify everything, even anonymous
new messages. At the same time, "Echelon" is able to
Ben track almost all information
material flow (traffic) in the world.
At the second stage of the message, selected
new scanning computers from all over
world, fall into the block of information accumulation
mation. There they are recorded and sorted
by topic (for example, military affairs, missiles,
scientific and nuclear technologies, terrorism,
politics, weapons, drugs, smuggling and
so on) and are sent for further
analysis.
Then specially designed for
eachprogram topics analyze semi-
valuable information on given topics. From,
say, 10 selected at the first stage
thousand messages only 100-200 remain
really important.
The fourth stage, after which ma-
TV series, as a rule, end up on the table
major officials in the US administration,
the expert assessment of cooperation is already being renewed.
kov of the relevant departments of the NSA at headquarters
intelligence agency apartment in Fort Meade on each
home from 100-200 messages received.
Doubtful cases remain in the memory
NSA computers, and since this memory
almost endless, then more and more
people (and, therefore, the ruler-
structures, firms, companies, con-
tsepnov, and so on) in the world fall into
Echelon's field of view.
Experts say the system
able to analyze and remember up to
3 billion messages per day. According to them
opinion, in the NSA services employed in "Eshelo-
no", up to 30 thousand employees work
to the whole world - mathematicians, programmers,
linguists, cryptologists. Sometimes most
Most of them have no idea what they are
are engaged. It was like this, for example
British media reported, with a group of 40
British Telecom employees.
As it turned out, these people were not relatedrequests to the NSA or the British pa-
dielectronic reconnaissance, but, nevertheless,
no, they intercepted everything - from the
salt mail to personal congratulations
birthday.
"Echelon" today is interested in everything - from
terrorism to the latest industrial technologies
Nology. However, still, despite
changed conditions (collapse of the USSR and Warsaw Department,
the end of the Cold War and so on),
one of the main tasks of "Echelon" oc-
there is surveillance of some states
stvami. Now they include mainly
nom, "rogue countries" - China and Russia, a
also noctcobetckoe space.
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