Encryption

[cellphone]

I listen to FBI in the Phoenix area, and I am surprised that about 10-20% of radio traffic that I monitor is P25 NOT encrypted. I am trying to understand why they would choose to transmit in the clear…ever. I can understand transmitting in the clear during a mutual aid situation on shared frequencies, but traffic I am curious about is on FBI repeaters. Why would a federal agency that has full encryption capabilities choose to transmit in the clear when tailing a subject?

 

[SkipSanders]

Amazingly enough, no technology that involves people is 'perfect'.

Some days, equipment fails. Encryption stuff seems to LOVE to fail (lose coding). It has this 'anything fooling with me must be trying to steal my code, ERASE it!' thing, I suspect, so a glitch in power can result in 'Code? What code?'.

Some days, the technicians just plain miss loading the new codes into a unit.

Some days, the user just plain bumps the code/clear switch, without noticing. (The radios in surveillance cars tend to be hidden under the seat or otherwise not in clear view).

Sometimes, ONE user's radio has fully failed encryption (can't send OR recieve encrypted), and everyone must go clear, or they have to send that unit home to base and not use them. Other times, for whatever reason, radios won't send encrypted, but do recieve it, and it ends up that everyone but them is encrypted. The radios 'switch' automatically, so everyone else can hear him just fine in the clear while they're encrypted.

 

[eaf1956]

The encryted radios we used overseas were never all updated with the same KEY and thus we were forced to use CLEAR TEXT transmissions or not be heard. Basically, just people being lazy about being current with the key changes.

 

[ecps92]

My experience has been less range and more chance of making it harder to decode with Encryption [P25], and P25 the signal drops right off, vs Analog where a good ear can still make out the traffic with a weak signal

Amazingly enough, no technology that involves people is 'perfect'.

Some days, equipment fails. Encryption stuff seems to LOVE to fail (lose coding). It has this 'anything fooling with me must be trying to steal my code, ERASE it!' thing, I suspect, so a glitch in power can result in 'Code? What code?'.

Some days, the technicians just plain miss loading the new codes into a unit.

Some days, the user just plain bumps the code/clear switch, without noticing. (The radios in surveillance cars tend to be hidden under the seat or otherwise not in clear view).

Sometimes, ONE user's radio has fully failed encryption (can't send OR recieve encrypted), and everyone must go clear, or they have to send that unit home to base and not use them. Other times, for whatever reason, radios won't send encrypted, but do recieve it, and it ends up that everyone but them is encrypted. The radios 'switch' automatically, so everyone else can hear him just fine in the clear while they're encrypted.

 

[CORN]

Well your pretty lucky then. Here in Nashville what little Fed law enforcement we have (not talking about the boring so-called Police for the VA or Fed Reserve Bank) is pretty much 100 percent encrypted. That includes FBI when they happen to go active, 100 percent P25 encrypted. CBP: 100 percent analog encrypted. ICE: 100 percent P25 encrypted. Never even heard a DEA freq in this area so i can't speak for them. So i've always wondered just the opposite. Why are they all 100 percent encrypted here in non-threatening Nashville but in the clear just about everywhere else. Just baffles me. Just something else to add to my Fed/Milair misfortunes here in the Music City.

 

[mike_s104]

I listen to FBI in the Phoenix area, and I am surprised that about 10-20% of radio traffic that I monitor is P25 NOT encrypted. I am trying to understand why they would choose to transmit in the clear…ever. I can understand transmitting in the clear during a mutual aid situation on shared frequencies, but traffic I am curious about is on FBI repeaters. Why would a federal agency that has full encryption capabilities choose to transmit in the clear when tailing a subject?

When we were in Phoenix a few years back, the FBI was about the first traffic I heard. It was in the clear analog back then. What you stated about where you are is about the same in the DC area.

As SkipSanders stated, I've heard them mention the issues with someone's radio not getting the code. The last I remember was about a year or so ago where there were some agents from another state doing surveillance in Northern VA. I think they had issues because their radios were not "local" and didn't have the same encryption codes. After a few weeks, they ended up having 2 shifts. One would be analog and maybe/maybe not encrypted. The second would be P25 and again, maybe/maybe not encrypted. I think the most issues were with what aircraft they had access to and what their radio limitations were.

 

[Squad10]

For security purposes, certain radios automatically zeroize when they lose power for a predetermined length of time. Example: portable is left on, not used and battery fully discharges, or mobile radio car battery goes dead for whatever reason.

In some cases a radio can decrypt coded messages but cannot transmit in the code, then the group decides to go all clear, or manually keyload (like WayneH mentioned for feebs) depending if the nature of the investigation requires code.

 

[10-95]

The encryted radios we used overseas were never all updated with the same KEY and thus we were forced to use CLEAR TEXT transmissions or not be heard. Basically, just people being lazy about being current with the key changes.

Not sure who "we" is, but most government agencies and the military sector have a protocol and schedule for re-keying and most are using OTAR now, which means you can request a re-key at anytime as long as you have a vaild radio id and shadow key. Back in the old days when you had a dork running around with a key loader I could see this happening. As for the guy who started the thread, I would not be surprised to see them strap their radios to secure mode now! Yea, "they" do look at this and other sites. Most RA offices have about 10 radios max anyway, so it would be no problem for them to go in and strap the radios to secure mode, would take about 10 minutes.

 

[iMONITOR]

Post 9/11 you would think they'd get their act togeather! :roll: