[Raven] A Vote for Practicality

[Brian Rosen <brosen@eng.fore.com>]

I am philosophically opposed to wiretap.  I further think 
the issue is moot; strong encryption is widely available, 
and becoming more widely available and cryptographically 
stronger.  However, we live in the real world, and we are 
subject to the law.  Not just U.S. law, but the laws of the 
countries the equipment which implements the standards are 
sold into.  You can wish it were not so, you can assert that
it is useless, but, it IS.

Either we do this distasteful, probably useless thing 
right, or we end up with a mess of incompatible equipment, 
which has serious duplication of effort.  It is not a choice
for a vendor whether to implement CALEA, it is not a choice 
for an operator.  It is a requirement.  Sorry, philosophy 
has to take a back seat to practicality.  I can't avoid the 
law.

It is hard to do it "right".  To me, right is meet the 
requirements of the law, with minimal impact in the overall 
system.  We can't do this protocol at a time.  We have to 
have a comprehensive plan, and each of the protocols has a 
part of the problem.  CALEA doesn't just cover voice, it 
covers data.  You can argue about effective dates, but the 
requirement is a tap on data.  If I have a tap on a voice 
server, and a tap on each edge router, then I probably have duplication -
all streams go through the edge router, voice 
streams are a subset of the streams I have to tap.  On the
other hand, I need to know what the dialed digits (or
equivalent) are in a call.  I need a systematic solution 
that covers all the aspects.  

If I do not develop a standard way to do this, then every 
vendor must come up with a way, and since he can not depend 
on any other part of the network working with his equipment,
he must implement all of the functions in every part of the 
network.  This means all routers, all switches, all 
gateways.  If he does not do this, the network operators 
can't buy his equipment.  The operators have a nightmare 
dealing with incompatible equipment making different 
assumptions on how a tap is to be implemented.  The vendors
have a nightmare deciding whether any particular piece of equipment will or
will not meet the law's requirements.

That is why we MUST do this, we MUST do it right, and we MUST do it quickly.
We, forgive me, probably have to
work with the LEAs.  If we get them to state, public ally, that if a vendor
builds to the standard, he meets the law, and if an operator deploys
equipment that meets the standard, he meets the law, then we have saved a
whole lot of us untold grief and expense.   

Ugh, but that's the way it is.  It's the way it has been
for a long time.

Brian
------------
Brian Rosen, Principal Engineer
FORE Systems, 1000 FORE Drive, Warrendale, PA 15086
(724) 742-6826  mailto:brosen@eng.fore.com 

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