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Al-Qaeda Used Basic Codes, Calling Cards, Hotmail

Posted by Soulskill on from the if-only-the-nsa-watched-the-wire dept.

jd writes "In startling revelations, convicted terrorist Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri admitted that Al Qaeda used public telephones, pre-paid calling cards, search engines and Hotmail. Al-Marri 'used a '10-code' to protect the [phone] numbers — subtracting the actual digits in the phone numbers from 10 to arrive at a coded number.' The real story behind all this is that the terrorists weren't using sophisticated methods to avoid detection or monitoring — which tells us just how crappy SIGINT really is right now. If the NSA needs to wiretap the whole of the US because they can't break into a Hotmail account, you know they've got problems. FindLaw has a copy of al-Marri's plea agreement (the tech-related information begins on page 12), and the LA Times has further details on his case."

3 of 285 comments (clear)

  1. Ban it! by lastninja · · Score: 5, Funny

    Ok thats it! We need to ban public telephones, pre-paid calling cards, search engines and Hotmail! I have also heard that the terrorist eat food! If we ban all production of food we will starve those bastards to death! Who is with me!

    --
    John Carmack fan, browsing at +5 since 1999.
  2. Basic Codes? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny


    10: INPUT "WHO ARE THE INFIDELS", A$
    20: PRINT "1. DEATH TO ", A$
    30: INPUT "ARE THE PEOPLE STILL ENRAGED?", B$
    40: IF B$ = "N" or "n" THEN GOTO 10
    50: PRINT "2. ..."
    60: PRINT "3. Profit!"
    70: END

  3. Hmm... by denzacar · · Score: 5, Funny

    You may be onto something.

    Have you considered applying for a job at your local government's intelligence agency?
    From your keen understanding of codes and cyphers, seems like you may be just the kind of expert they are looking for.

    --
    Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens