-Caveat Lector-
FYI only!
Bard
10th Amendment
"I consider the foundation of the Constitution as laid on this ground:
That all powers not delegated to the United States, by the
Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the
States or to the people' (10th Amendment). To take a single step
beyond the boundaries thus specifically drawn around the powers of
Congress, is to take possession of a boundless field of power, no
longer susceptible to any definition."
-- Thomas Jefferson in a letter
to George Washington, 15 February, 1791
We don't need a 3rd party; we need a 2nd Party.
The DNC and the GOP defined:
Two wings of the same bird of prey,
The National Socialist DemocRatic Republican Party.
-----Original Message-----
From: mcdonalds [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Sunday, October 31, 1999 11:33 AM
To: Larry Becraft
Subject: RE: Being tracked by government perverts
RE: Being tracked by government perverts
I've received a half-dozen or more copies of a message entitled "U.S.
Government Perverts Now Watching Law Abiding Citizens On World Wide Web."
The message warns that when "certain individuals" log on to the Internet
their connection is being routed through a "suspicious" location in Fairfax,
Virginia. The implication is that everyone who has expressed anti-government
sentiments over the Internet is now having their Internet activities
monitored by the FBI from the location in Fairfax, VA.
This revelation first came to "light" when the message's author downloaded a
program called Trace Route which visually depicts the sometimes circuitous
routing your link follows when connected to the Net. Trace Route is intended
as a diagnostic tool for use by network administrators.
Typically, your link will travel through numerous, seemingly unrelated hubs
and intermediate connections. Trace Route gives the user a fairly detailed
"visual" log of each stop along the way to a final intended location. The
program shows the "Internet Protocol" or IP address (example:
204.62.131.129); the "Node Name" or DNS address (example: www.hotwired.com);
and, the name of the Network Owner through which each link is routed.
The domain name system (DNS) is a global network of servers that translate
familiar host names like www.hotwired.com into numerical IP (Internet
Protocol) addresses, like 204.62.131.129, which computers on the Net use to
communicate with each other. Without DNS, we'd all be memorizing long
numbers instead of intuitive URLs or email addresses.
The writer aptly observes that Fairfax, Virginia just happens to be "where
the FBI [has] offices... including information on cyber terrorism!" The
writer goes on to state that (in his opinion, it appears) "the FBI has set
up [an] Internet monitoring computer system for the purpose of watching U.S.
Citizens as they conduct their PRIVATE business affairs on the Internet."
The claim is that "not 'ALL' U.S. citizens" are being monitored but that
"[a]pparently ONLY THOSE who the government doesn't like are being watched
and/or tracked."
The writer makes particular note of the fact that this mysterious stop-over
in Fairfax has an additional identifying number, "22031."
The conclusion is that when "anti-government type individuals" run the Trace
Route program they'll most likely discover that their Internet connection
has also been routed through this mysterious Fairfax, Virginia link.
Readers are therefore urged (in the message) to download Trace Route to find
out for themselves whether or not they are being "watched by the government
perverts."
It is my conclusion that, in this instance, the assertion is unfounded.
Let's digress here for a moment, however.
What do you suppose would be perhaps one of the VERY BEST ways to "ferret
out" a targeted "class" of people? The answer is, get those individuals to
identify themselves by responding to well thought out messages which seem to
be for their own benefit but are in reality decoys designed to draw them in.
The message might ask these individuals to respond in some particular
fashion -- such as visiting a particular web site or downloading a
particular program that will (allegedly) "protect" them from the "enemy."
Unbeknownst to the respondent, the site might actually collect information
about their visit, or the program they download might really be a "Trojan
Horse" that provides external access to their files.
Most web surfers already know that such programs exist. And, any time you
are connected to the Internet there is a certain level of this type of
vulnerability. While there is ongoing debate as to how deep this
vulnerability actually runs for dial-up connections, one thing is certain
and indisputable: There are programs which can be loaded onto your machine
which will transmit information collected from your machine to another
remote computer. The ubiquitous "cookies" are minor examples of this
ability. A program called "Back Orifice" was developed by members of the
Internet "underground" for the specific purpose of demonstrating this
vulnerability. Another program called "Dirt" was designed specifically to be
loaded onto a target's machine so that information can be extracted from it.
The "Trojan Horse" portion of the program is a file only 20kb in size; can
be hidden within and installed from another program installation; and gives
the remote operator complete control over the subject's computer.
The problem faced by those who would use these programs is in figuring out a
way to get them loaded onto an unsuspecting target's equipment without their
knowledge.
O.K., lets get back to the problem of the alleged tracking by government
perverts. So, now I naturally wanted to know if I being routed through
Fairfax, Virginia, 22031! After all, my Fight the Fingerprint web site does
sport the slogan "we stand firmly opposed to all government sanctioned
biometrics and social security number identification schemes!" Was it
possible that I too am being routed through Fairfax? (Of course, if they
really wanted to know what we're up to they could just simply sign up for my
ScanThisNews newsletter.)
As instructed, I dutifully visited the Trace Route web page to download my
own free 30-day evaluation copy. (Stop here just a moment. If there is a
purpose to this writing it is to get people to think when responding to
"warning" messages and alerts! Who knows what this program, which I'm about
to download and install on my computer, is really capable of doing? And why
am I willing to download it and install it on my machine at all?)
Well, what the heck. The site had some pretty reputable references, and
since I'm sort of a chance taker anyway I decided to go ahead and get myself
a free sample!
Alas, once at the Trace Route site I found that I could not simply download
and run the program because I use Netscape for browsing. The problem is that
Netscape only allows a "sterilized" version of Java applications called
"applets" to run on your machine. Netscape's Java adaptation differs from
Microsoft Explorer's in that it does not allow full-blown Java
"applications" TO ACCESS YOUR HARD DRIVE!!! Trace Route's web page explains
it this way:
: "There are two types of Java programs. One is called a Java
: applet and the other is called a Java application. The most
: important distinction between these two is the security
: restrictions imposed upon Java applets. Applets are run in
: a security 'sandbox' that prevents them from running other
: programs, accessing your disk drive or memory, etc. Due to
: the security restrictions of applets, VisualRoute was written
: as a Java application."
Therefore, Netscape users must first download Microsoft's Java interface
called "Virtual Machine" before they can run Trace Route. This Microsoft
product, the site informs, allows Netscape to "overcome" its inherent
limitations (protections?) How convenient. And here I am about to install
this program so that I can find out if I'm being monitored!!! Get the
point!!!
Being the loyal investigator that I am, I cast caution to the wind and
downloaded "Virtual Machine" anyway. However, when I TRIED to install
Microsoft's Java-enabling Virtual Machine (yuck!) I encountered an
irreconcilable error which (thank goodness) caused the installation to fail.
Consequently, I was unable to run Trace Route from my hard drive.
Not to despair. There's still a way to run Trace Route without ever
loading it on your machine, or loading Microsoft's scrapware. Just
go to Trace Route's online version of the program located here:
http://visualroute.datametrics.com/
Indeed, I too discovered that I had in fact been routed through Fairfax,
Virginia! It was beginning to look like the preverts were hot on my trail.
However, instead of the "22031" extension, I noticed that my link was routed
through an address with a "22033" extension. And, instead of the
207.76.37.73 DNS that the writer had received, my rout was through a
198.242.57.4 IP address.
Suddenly, some of the suspicion started to dissipate. It was then that I
realized the Trace Route program is developed and market by a company called
Datametrics Systems, whose business address is 12150 East Monument Drive,
Suite 300, Fairfax, Virginia 22033. Aha! 22033 is a code... A ZIP code! The
DNS through which I had been routed (while using their online Trace Route
program), 198.242.57.4, is the company's own server.
This caused me to wonder just what other Internet-related companies and
service providers are also located in Fairfax, Virginia. It turns out, there
are many. It turns out that Fairfax, Virginia is a major hub location for a
great deal of Internet traffic.
After a little more research, I found that the DNS (Internet address) the
message writer had been routed through apparently belongs, not to the FBI,
but instead to one of the largest Internet service providers in the world,
UUNET Technologies, Inc., (an MCI WorldCom Company). The company's physical
address just happens to be 3060 Williams Drive, Fairfax, Virginia 22031. The
198.242.57.4 DNS is a hub site owned by UUNET Technologies.
So, is there more to the story? Is there some link in Fairfax, Virginia that
is individually monitoring "certain peoples" Internet activity? While this
is possible, it is not very plausible. Such a scheme would require the
cooperation of several thousand people in addition to that of every ISP in
the country.
There is good reason to be suspicious about what is going on "behind the
scenes" on the Internet -- and with some of the software manufacturers. But
this issue of link routings going through Fairfax, Virginia is no credible
indication of targeted snooping.
A few things need to be considered.
First, there are thousands of people who set up networks for a living all of
which are very familiar with route tracing programs. Many, many people who
really know a lot about this subject would detect that certain users
(including themselves in some cases) were being routed through certain
locations.
Secondly, if any U.S. government agency were going to trace or monitor
people's Internet activity, would they do it out of their headquarters in
Fairfax, Virginia where it could be so easily identified?
Thirdly, it is relatively simple to "spoof," "mask," or otherwise camouflage
IP addresses. If the FBI were going to conduct such any such snooping
program out of their main headquarters (yea, right) they would certainly use
one of these techniques to hide their activity.
Come on people. They may not be knowledgeable about issues of rights and
liberty, but they are not stupid at what they do.
If there is a marrow to this story or a lesson to be learned, it is this: Be
suspicious of information you encounter on the Internet, and be careful of
how you respond to warnings and alerts that you receive. Check them out.
There may be a purpose for some of these messages other than that which is
stated.
As always:
Don't believe anything you read on the Net unless:
1) you can confirm it with another source, and/or
2) it is consistent with what you already know to be true.
Scott McDonald
P.S. Microsoft's "Virtual Machine" is now, once again, not to be found on my
hard disk!
P.P.S. The only reason I was willing to install Virtual Machine and Visual
Trace is because I knew how to reverse the install. One other note: even
though there are software programs that can be loaded onto your machine to
"monitor" you writings, in practical application these have extreme
limitations in monitoring dial-up users which renders them very impractical.
---
UUNET Technologies, Inc.
3060 Williams Drive
Fairfax, Virginia 22031.
http://www.uu.net/lang.en/partners/#p_US
http://www.us.uu.net/about/locations/us_corporate_offices/
Datametrics Systems, Inc.
12150 East Monument Drive, Suite 300
Fairfax, VA 22033.
http://www.datametrics.com/
Visual Route Java Support page:
http://www.visualroute.com/javasupport.html
Internet addressing:
http://nightflight.com/cgi-bin/foldoc.cgi?network+address
Understanding IP Addressing: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know
http://www.3com.com/nsc/501302.html
Getting DIRT on the Bad Guys
http://www.pcworld.com/pcwtoday/article/0,1510,11614,00.html
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