Silk Road forums
Discussion => Security => Topic started by: Thunderweed on April 15, 2012, 11:46 pm
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My friend's a local re-seller and he has been wondering if it would be necessary to get a separate pre-paid phone for all his business-related stuff. I didn't think it was necessary since the police need probable cause to get into his phone and unless he gets caught red handed he should be okay. I also said that if the police gets a tip from a few people that's not probable cause.
Am I correct? This is the US btw.
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i don't know where you live, but in the county I live in the cops lie, cheat and steal to make up probable cause. The best thing is to not use a phone at all, though it seems like everyone wants to text in orders these days. I have a code worked out with the few local people I deal with. If they text me and it isn't in my code (hasn't happened yet) I will just play stupid. I also have a very complicated access code on my phone as well as software that will wipe it to factory settings with a remote text command. I figure if anything happens the thing will be wiped clean way before our local guys can figure out how to get into it.
I also know from lawyers in my family that cell companies routinely keep records of your activity (calls, texts, etc) on record for three months. So even if you keep your phone clean and regularly delete stuff they can get to it. A common tactic here is to hold the phone "for evidence" until the three months has passed then give it back to you, that way if there was anything in the records that could prove you are innocent it is erased, and if there is something in there that makes their case they can access it before it is wiped by the telco.
HTH
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Never use anything tied to your identity, so yes.
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Prepaid phones only.
No texting.
Switch phones every few weeks, and dispose of the old one well.
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Good man,
Most people suggest buying prepaid SIM chips but Radium has the sense to realise this wouldn't protect you from LE as they are able to trace a phone's unique IMEI number. Your options are to buy cheap prepay phones and discard them at regular intervals or to buy a Smartphone such as one of the Android Galaxy series and use a voice/SMS encryption application so that even if LE do monitor his calls/texts they won't know what was said.
Ideally you should advice using regular phones at all. If you need a secure VOIP application to speak to people I would recommend using Jitsi in conjunction with Phil Zimmerman (the inventor of PGP's) latest application Zfone. This app encrypts your conversation through a process known as elliptical curve cryptography which to cut a long story short is extremely secure.
V.
Prepaid phones only.
No texting.
Switch phones every few weeks, and dispose of the old one well.
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NO TEXTING NO MATTER WHAT!
text messages get transmitted in plain text over the open airwaves of the cell company's network control system. No warrant is needed to use them as evidence as they're publicly viewable by anyone with the equipment to do so and legally not considered private.
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That one careless SMS your buddy sent you seven months ago? It's sitting in an archive somewhere, just waiting for the wrong person to read it. Your Google search history and Facebook comments? Your grandkids' grandkids will get to read through those.
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Had to explanin to a friend like he was 3 years old why he should not be using his own phone.
1) If you are nicked with your own phone and its registered to you its very hard to say its not yours.
2) All texts and calls received will be printed out and used against you.
If you have a prepay even if they catch you in possession of it you could say you found it, just bought it etc. But yeah texting not a good idea. Have experience of police who stole a phone, and text customers from it.
Security lock code is also a must.
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Get a burner Android phone and only use TextSecure the encrypted text app to send and receive messages. Even then never obviously talk about drugs or anything.
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Also they if they have your number and you are not aware of this, they can "track" the phone to find out safe houses etc.
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NO TEXTING NO MATTER WHAT!
text messages get transmitted in plain text over the open airwaves of the cell company's network control system. No warrant is needed to use them as evidence as they're publicly viewable by anyone with the equipment to do so and legally not considered private.
+1 I cannot stress the same enough. ACLU acquired this info 2 years ago: http://www.aclu.org/cell-phone-location-tracking-request-response-cell-phone-company-data-retention-chart
If law enforcement is so inclined as to find out, then the "details" of your text messages are conveniently kept by AT&T for "post paid 5 - 7 years;" it does not retain the text message content. Verizon holds onto your text message detail for "1 rolling year" and your actual text content for "3 - 5 days." In case you were wondering, the "details" are like text "call" history which generally includes the date, time, sender's phone number and receiver's phone number. T-Mobile does not retain the message content, but hangs onto your text details for "pre-paid: 2 years; post-paid: 5 years." Sprint and Nextel hold text detail for "18 months" depending upon the device. Virgin Mobile which is owned by Sprint keeps text detail for "60 - 90 days" and the text message content for "90 days {search warrant required with "text of text" request}." Wow, at least one had the decency to mention a warrant is required.
Verizon keeps your IP session information for 1 year but your browsing history "IP desitination information" for 90 days. While T-Mobile and Virgin Mobile store neither, both Nextel and Sprint store IP addresses and browsing history for 60 days. AT&T IP session and destination info is "only retained on non-public IPS for 72 hours. If public IP, not retained."
Picture retention is a bit iffy for some as in "contact provider," according to the handy DOJ chart for law enforcement. However T-Mobile stores pictures "online and are retained until deleted or service is canceled." You can see even more data retention information on the August 2010 chart, but it's unknown if mobile phone providers have changed any of this information since the DOJ's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section compiled this "secret memo" for cops.
Source: http://blogs.computerworld.com/19016/how_long_does_your_mobile_phone_provider_store_data_for_law_enforcement_access
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Excellent info with lots of detail, thanks
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In the USA "Homeland Security" requires cell phone providers to hold all texts and emails for a minimum of 2 years. So just know every word you send is somewhere potentially forever.
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If your worried about tracking a phone you can not remove the battery (iphone), just wrap it in tinfoil. Try it, wrap it up and then try to call it......won't work. Good party trick. Yes, I am a nerd.
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String and an old baked beans can... just make sure it hasn't been tapped. Watch out for any additional strings tied onto the line.
Most dealers even slightly concerned about security will not even respond to text messages from my XP and will never send them. Texting is for kids who are afraid to talk on the phone...
On a side note I found a phone at the bar last night, no pin and I've gotta say... there's some photos on there that I'm sure were only intended for one special individual ;)
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My friend's a local re-seller and he has been wondering if it would be necessary to get a separate pre-paid phone for all his business-related stuff. I didn't think it was necessary since the police need probable cause to get into his phone and unless he gets caught red handed he should be okay. I also said that if the police gets a tip from a few people that's not probable cause.
Am I correct? This is the US btw.
If he ever does get caught, it would be very easy to link any previous transactions to the case as well. Get a new phone every once in a while (not just the SIM, but a whole new phone) and you'll have it much easier in case you ever get caught.
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String and an old baked beans can... just make sure it hasn't been tapped. Watch out for any additional strings tied onto the line.
Most dealers even slightly concerned about security will not even respond to text messages from my XP and will never send them. Texting is for kids who are afraid to talk on the phone...
Its funny, my IRL dealer acts like he's paranoid about security but says I can't call him, only text. And delete my texts after I've read them.
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Can anyone recommend a cheap pre-paid texting phone that one can fill-up/buy new ones with cash at a store?