-= H A C K E R S =-

                           Issue #8,  File #7 of 9

        TSCM.COM - Counterintelligence and Counterterrorism WWW Page

                      Phone Bugging and Modifications

                           By: James M Atkinson


If you are reading this then you probably have a telephone, and if you have
a telephone, then you have an excellent bugging device already installed in
your home or office.

In many cases nothing has to be done to the telephone (ie: Northern Telcom)
to turn it into a room bug, but in most cases a simple capacitor (costs a
nickle) can be installed and a wire snipped to turn your telephone into a
VERY high quality bug.

Telephones have microphone, speakers, ringers, and power... everything a
good bug needs to listen in on your business or home affairs.

What follows are a few of the Hundreds of things a spy can do to turn a
telephone into an excellent eavesdropping device.

RF Transmitter
This is a classic phone bug, a small RF transmitter is attached to your
phone line somewhere.

Power may be supplied by the current on the phone line or from a battery.

Most devices of this nature only transmit when the phone is lifted off of
the switch.

RF Transmitter-w/Microphone
This is similar to the above device, but it has its own microphone, and is
typically installed inside the telephone. Normally considered a room bug.

It may transmit the RF over the phone lines as well (carrier current - 9khz
to 32mhz typical).

Infinity Transmitter/Harmonica
An older devices, which was attached to a telephone, and when called from
an outside telephone would enable the caller to listen in on room audio...

Considered obsolete, but still sold in spy shops.

Recorder Starter/Drop Out Relay
This is little more than a device that detects when you lift your phone
handset off of the hook.

Its purpose is to activate a tape recorder hidden nearby.

This type of device is popular with private investigators and "wanna-be
spies".

Some recorder starter devices also detect sound, and only activate if sound
is detected on the line.

CO/REMOBS Monitoring (Remote Obseravance)
Allows the phone company or government to legally tap/monitor your phone.

 * Message split, to be continued *
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 From : Graham Bullers              1:340/13                31 Oct 96  22:57:52 
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 Subj : [part 2] HACKING                                                        
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 * Continuation 1 of a split message *


What happens is the computer that handles your calls is instructed to
transmit a real time digital copy of your call to anywhere in the world.

All that is required is access to the ESS translation, and access to a
T-Carrier or OC-xx data line (a normal "loop" line is rarely used).

With a 622mb fiber optic line most users can easily access (record) over
11,100 lines at a time in a local area.

This function of the phone system is very loosely controlled as the
maintenance people at the phone company use it for routine maintenance.

Any computer hacker/PHreaker can easily access the system.

Savvy Private Investigators and Insurance companies have been known to
illegally use this system to gather information on targets...


Hookswitch Bypass Methods
Inside your telephone is a switch that disconnects the microphone in your
telephone handset when the telephone is hung up (Hookswitch).

If the telephone is modified (cut one wire, install cap) then the
microphone will be hot all the time.

If the microphone is hot all the times then the "spy" can go anywhere
outside of the the building; plug a audio amplifier/monitor into the line;
and gets clean room audio now.

It is effectively the same as installing a microphone in the room or
building.

Several types of Hookswitch Bypass Methods follow:

   * Resistance/Capacitance Bypass
   * Capacitance Bypass
   * Spare Pair Bypass
   * Spare Pair to Microphone Bypass
   * Spare Pair to Earpiece Bypass
   * Third Wire Bypass
   * Ground Return Bypass
   * Reversed-Biased Diode Bypass
   * Neon Bulb Bypass
   * Four-Layer Device
   * Ringer
   * Handset Wiring Change


Comments

      To be contacted for a confidential consultation
      please E-mail: jmatk@tscm.com

      or send a letter via US Mail to:
      James M. Atkinson
      Granite Island Group/TSCM.COM
      127 Eastern Avenue #291
      Gloucester, MA 01931-8008

      or call:
      (508) 546-3803 Telephone

      URL: http://www.tscm.com/

           Copyright c 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 James M. Atkinson

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