Where is our super secret Surveillance System When We Need It

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the effectiveness of surveillance systems in responding to security threats, specifically in relation to recent extortion calls made to large retail stores. Participants explore the capabilities and limitations of such systems in tracing international calls and the implications of delayed responses to threats.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses concern that the surveillance system, despite its significant funding, has failed to respond effectively to recent threats, suggesting that it is too late to act.
  • Another participant questions the feasibility of achieving omniscience with surveillance systems, implying that such expectations may be unrealistic.
  • There is a claim that tracing international calls without pre-existing traces is not as straightforward as portrayed in media, with one participant suggesting that the complexity of monitoring voice communications is often underestimated.
  • Another participant highlights the difference in ease between filtering emails with keywords and monitoring analog voice signals, emphasizing the challenges involved in the latter.
  • It is noted that there have been multiple calls made across various states, indicating a broader scope of the issue than initially perceived.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not appear to reach a consensus, as there are competing views on the capabilities of surveillance systems and the realism of expectations regarding their effectiveness.

Contextual Notes

Limitations in the discussion include assumptions about the capabilities of surveillance technology, the nature of international call tracing, and the implications of the recent threats, which remain unresolved.

edward
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This clip indicates that the threatening extortion calls that have been received recently by a number of large retail stores are coming form Portugal.

If this was an ominous security threat it would already be too late. Luckily there were no explosive devices found. But that is irrelevant to the fact that it is has been four days since the first calls and our 7$ billion dollar surveillance system isn't working.

http://www.11alive.com/video/player.aspx?aid=78277&bw=

The perpetrators probably will be caught, but to catch them this far after the fact isn't good enough.
 
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I don't think omniscience was ever a realistically-considered goal.
 
edward said:
This clip indicates that the threatening extortion calls that have been received recently by a number of large retail stores are coming form Portugal.

If this was an ominous security threat it would already be too late. Luckily there were no explosive devices found. But that is irrelevant to the fact that it is has been four days since the first calls and our 7$ billion dollar surveillance system isn't working.

http://www.11alive.com/video/player.aspx?aid=78277&bw=

The perpetrators probably will be caught, but to catch them this far after the fact isn't good enough.
I think you've been watching too much tv if you think that an international call can be quickly traced if there was no pre-existing trace on the line.
 
Evo said:
I think you've been watching too much tv if you think that an international call can be quickly traced if there was no pre-existing trace on the line.
The "gee whiz" factor raises its ugly head. It's a whole lot easier to filter and intercept emails with key-words (damned easy, in fact) than it is to determine which circuits to monitor and filter analog signals comprised of peoples' voices, and tease information out of the conversations based on inflection, emphasis, etc.
 
Evo said:
I think you've been watching too much tv if you think that an international call can be quickly traced if there was no pre-existing trace on the line.


According to Fox news there have now been 24 calls to 17 states. The first was on Wednesday Edit: Make that Tuesday morning.
 
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