X-POP3-Rcpt: declan@relay.pathfinder.com X-Sender: declan@mail.pathfinder.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Date: Mon, 14 Jul 1997 15:55:22 -0400 To: fight-censorship-announce@vorlon.mit.edu From: Declan McCullagh Subject: FC: Royal Canadian Mounted Police on anonymous remailers Sender: owner-fight-censorship-announce@vorlon.mit.edu Reply-To: declan@well.com X-Loop: fight-censorship-announce@vorlon.mit.edu X-FC-URL: Fight-Censorship is at http://www.eff.org/~declan/fc/ http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/html/tcb3-3b.htm Anonymous re-mailers An Internet threat BY SGT CRAIG HANNAFORD Newmarket Commercial Crime Section Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to send an anonymous message to anyone on the Internet? This type of Internet service has been around for several years in the form of anonymous re-mailers -- sometimes called anonymous file servers and proponents of such an anonymous e-mail system contend that there are several very legitimate and useful purposes for this type of e-mail system. Those legitimate uses include expressing unpopular political, religious or social views without the fear of retribution; blowing the whistle on a corporation or organization that is doing something illegal; and searching the Internet for job prospects without your current employer discovering your future work plans. On the down side, however, re-mailers can also be used by criminal groups or individuals to secure their communications. An anonymous re-mailer is nothing more than a free computer service that someone has set up to re-direct electronic mail messages. They are similar to a mail forwarding service but with a twist; the re-mailer will strip away all of the data which could identify who sent the message. Every e-mail message sent on the Internet includes a message header which reveals the electronic address of the sender, plus the route the message took in order to reach its final destination. There are many anonymous re-mailers in operation across the Internet. To use one of these services, a person must send an e-mail message to the re-mailer, who will, in turn, send a return message which will include a user ID for this anonymous service. You can now send a message to any e-mail address via this server and receive responses without divulging your true identity. Particularly privacy-conscious individuals have been known to loop their e-mail through two or more anonymous re-mailers to hide their tracks completely. Couple this with data encryption, and you have an exceptionally secure e-mail system. However, re-mailers may not be as secure as once thought. For example, the person who runs the re-mailer has the capability to discover who you are and to read and record all messages sent. The Internet re-mailer could be a government sting operation or a criminal enterprise designed to entrap people. Hackers can break into the re-mailer and read all of the e-mail traffic. Law enforcement must be aware of the existence of anonymous re-mailers, as they provide a cheap, efficient, and secret way of communication for criminal groups. Although there are few documented cases of this form of communication among criminal organizations, there is no doubt that the potential is present. But the news to law enforcement may not be all bad. It may be possible for law enforcement to use anonymous re-mailers as part of an ongoing operational plan. For example, investigators could also loop their e-mail messages through re-mailers to disguise their identity. This could have excellent application in all types of undercover investigations. [The Technological Crime Bulletin is published by the Communications Unit of RCMP Public Affairs and Information Directorate. Opinions expressed in Technological Crime Bulletin are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. For further information please contact Cpl Michael Duncan, Federal Services Directorate, Economic Crime Branch, Technological Crime Section, Room H-555, 1200 Vanier Parkway, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0R2.] ------------------------- Declan McCullagh Time Inc. The Netly News Network Washington Correspondent http://netlynews.com/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This list is public. To join fight-censorship-announce, send "subscribe fight-censorship-announce" to majordomo@vorlon.mit.edu. More information is at http://www.eff.org/~declan/fc/