New police technology able to detect phones, pet trackers, and library books inside a moving car

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May 14, 2024 | By Henry Pearson | Globe Echo |

American police are testing a new technology developed by Leonardo, an Italian surveillance and defense company, that can scan moving vehicles for signals emitted by devices such as phones, smartwatches, pet chips, library books, and more. The technology, called Elsag EOC Plus, can identify specific models of devices and create a unique “fingerprint” linked to a car’s license plate number. This data can be used to track individuals as they move through areas with license plate scanners, raising concerns about potential privacy violations.

According to Leonardo, the new technology can be useful not only for police departments on public roads but also in off-road areas such as rail stations and shopping centers. The company claims to have over 4,000 customers for its Elsag license plate readers in the U.S. and is actively trying to sell the new product worldwide. However, some experts, such as Matthew Guariglia from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, question the necessity and potential misuse of the technology, especially in terms of tracking and seizing electronic devices from individuals without proper authorization.

Leonardo spokesperson Nate Maloney assured that the company would work with police agencies to ensure legal compliance and prevent excessive data collection. He stated that the tool would not collect content from people’s devices but only the signals in the air, similar to Stingrays, a controversial surveillance tool that mimics cell towers to collect phone information. Some U.S. law enforcement agencies have already trialed similar technology from other companies, raising concerns about privacy and the potential for abuse.

Maloney mentioned that the Leonardo technology recently obtained a patent and is currently being trialed by at least one American police department in a test environment. However, he did not disclose which department was involved, emphasizing that the technology was not yet being used to surveil the public. Concerns have been raised by privacy advocates, journalists, and activists about the implications of widespread deployment of such surveillance tools, especially in sensitive areas like protests or demonstrations.

While the technology offers potential benefits for law enforcement, such as tracking suspects and monitoring criminal activity, critics argue that it could easily be abused to infringe on individuals’ privacy and civil liberties. The collection of data about electronic devices without consent or proper authorization raises serious concerns about government overreach and potential violations of constitutional rights. As the debate over privacy and surveillance technologies continues, it remains to be seen how law enforcement agencies will navigate the ethical and legal implications of using such advanced surveillance tools.

As the use of advanced surveillance technologies becomes more widespread in law enforcement, concerns about privacy and civil liberties continue to grow. With new tools like the Elsag EOC Plus technology from Leonardo being tested by American police departments, the debate over the balance between public safety and individual rights intensifies. Moving forward, it will be crucial for policymakers, law enforcement agencies, and civil society to engage in meaningful discussions about the regulation and oversight of surveillance technologies to protect citizens’ privacy and uphold democratic principles.

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Multi-cloud architectures: What is IP overlap, and how can it be addressed?

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March 20, 2024 | By Jennifer Goforth Gregory | Verizon |

Organizations are increasingly moving to hybrid cloud or multi-cloud architectures to gain the flexibility and performance needed for digital transformation. While a hybrid cloud solves many challenges, it can also add a new issue—IP overlap, which can cause errors with sending and receiving data.

What is IP overlap?
IP overlap occurs when multiple devices that connect or communicate with each other use the same IP address. A common cause of IP overlap is when companies use non-routable address space or outdated “1918” networks. When a hybrid cloud connects multiple networks, some networks may include the same IP addresses. Many networks use the same IP address because there is no standard practice for assigning IP addresses in multi-cloud architectures and multiload environments. When each cloud environment uses the same “1918” range, IP overlap occurs when combining the different environments. This is not an issue when the networks stay separate and do not communicate, but interconnectivity is becoming increasingly more common.

IP overlap, which is also called network overlap, does not typically occur on a single network that does not interact with other networks. Two networks must merge or interconnect after implementation for IP overlapping to happen. Sometimes the issue can also occur when using a public cloud—especially a large cloud service provider known as a hyperscaler. With the emergence of more ways to connect and set up networks, such as site-to-site VPNs, IP overlap has become more common.

Many organizations face this issue when merging with or acquiring another company, as both companies may use the same range of IP addresses. Particularly, if both organizations have a lot of locations or devices on their networks. IP overlapping also commonly occurs when working with multiple vendors or offering services to customers. While many organizations assume using a private IP network solves the problem, it’s still possible that the network may connect to another network with the same IP address in the future.

What is the problem with IP overlap?
Many organizations don’t realize they have an IP overlapping issue until a problem occurs. It’s also often difficult to pinpoint if an issue is related to an overlapping IP address or caused by one of the many other possible network issues, which means IT departments have to spend considerable time troubleshooting.

Two common issues with IP overlapping are:

  • Devices and subnets are unable to communicate. Because the IP address is how subnets and devices communicate with other points, two subnets with the same IP address cannot communicate. This problem becomes much more complicated to track down and fix if one or both of the addresses include network services.
  • Data sent to the wrong subnet. When a piece of traffic is addressed to an IP address experiencing IP overlapping, the network doesn’t always send it to the correct location. Because both locations are connected to the network, it appears that the traffic has been correctly delivered. This situation can cause many issues, ranging from security to operations interruption.

How to solve and prevent IP overlap
Organizations typically take a reactive approach to the overlap issue by trying to fix the problem once it occurs. At this point, however, the overlap is already creating issues and many times the issue could be with more than one IP address. Taking a proactive approach is more likely to prevent the problem from ever happening. For example, look for IP overlapping issues when facing a situation where two networks are being connected, such as a merger or new vendor relationship.

Here are three ways to solve and prevent IP overlapping:

  • Renumber your network. One way to solve IP overlapping is to renumber all the IP addresses in your network after a merger. Because it is a permanent solution and can be managed in-house, this approach also helps save money and makes troubleshooting easier in the future by eliminating IP overlap as an issue. However, in many scenarios where IP overlapping happens, such as working with customers and vendors, this solution is not feasible because you do not control those networks and cannot renumber them.
  • Implement network address translation (NAT). Once IP overlapping is discovered, you can use NAT techniques to connect specific IP addresses to the internet. This is a good short-term fix. However, because it is a workaround approach, the problem often reappears. NAT can also quickly increase operational costs for both troubleshooting and network management because the issues may begin again. Additionally, NAT requires additional administrative and maintenance time.
  • Use a common Dynamic Host Configuration (DCHP) server. When you use a DHCP server, the protocol dynamically assigns network settings, including IP addresses to local devices. Because DHCP renumbers the IP addresses when networks are combined, this can proactively prevent IP overlap as well as other issues, such as simplifying management and configuration. DHCP can eliminate the need for physical network IP addresses that your organization must manage with virtualized IP addresses. Because IP addresses are no longer static, your network will not have the same IPs as other connecting networks. You can also make IP addresses essentially permanent by assigning long lease times to the addresses.

Moving forward with NaaS
In addition to solving the IP overlap issue, Network as a Service can provide a flexible, programmable and scalable network. With the high performance of NaaS, you can support advanced technologies, such as 5G wireless networks, multi-access edge computing (MEC), artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and augmented/ virtual reality (AR/VR). NaaS helps simplify operations and optimize resources while creating a path to innovation.

With hybrid and multi-cloud architectures gaining popularity, the IP overlapping issue will become a more common problem. Organizations should focus on a solution that eliminates the issue instead of a short-term fix. By proactively setting up your organization to avoid the issue, you can focus on growing your business and serving your customers instead of troubleshooting IP addresses.

Learn more about how Verizon Network as a Service can address or help prevent IP overlap.

The author of this content is a paid contributor for Verizon.

Read the original article HERE.

What is 5G network slicing?

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Unknown date | By Gary Hilson | Verizon |

Moving to 5G isn’t just about faster speed for apps and data. While that’s important, the technology offers another advantage: it can support network slicing. So what is 5G network slicing?

What is network slicing?
Let’s first start by explaining what network slicing is, more generally. Network slicing is a type of virtual networking technology in the same family of network function virtualization (NFV) and software-defined networking (SDN), which assist in evolving networks toward software-based automation.

Slicing creates logical, software-based partitions in a self-contained, virtualized environment that takes priority over physical components. Any available capacity of common resources, such as storage and processors, can then be redirected based on business needs.

Network slicing can enable your team to innovate, while they separate and prioritize mission-critical services over those that are less performance sensitive.

What is 5G network slicing?
Network slicing allows multiple logical networks to be created on top of a common shared physical network. Essentially this means segmenting parts of the network for different users and/or use cases. 4G and 5G lend themselves much more easily to being sliced, making the capability more accessible.

With 5G architectures in place, providers should someday be able to dedicate portions of their network to meet their customers’ specific needs, scaling services up or down. Broadly, examples could include enabling the Internet of Things (IoT) in a manufacturing environment or connecting and operating autonomous vehicles in a transport fleet, or separating AI-driven video analytics from point-of-sale information in a retail environment. More specifically, a 5G network slice could support autonomous forklifts in a factory to help ensure communication, so that nearby factory workers remain safe even when there is a surge of communications traffic from other areas in the factory.

Diverse use cases are a key promise of the 5G era, not just the introduction of faster connectivity. The truly transformative elements of 5G will be in the details that emerge from building on this faster connectivity, and from connecting AI and IoT to (eventually) the artful slicing of a network to better serve the needs of users.

Considerations for effective 5G network slicing deployment
So now that you have an understanding of what 5G network slicing is, and the potential benefits that 5G network slicing can deliver, it is important to understand there can be some potential challenges.

For example, your team will need to ensure that applications are aligned to the right service level—and therefore network slice—and measure the actual performance to see that it delivers.

Another potential challenge lies in deciding how many slices are adequate for customers’ service needs. Overprovisioning or underprovisioning slices could create unnecessary complexities in managing a customer’s overall network and operations.

Building a cross-discipline team
Because you’re creating separate virtual networks, early adopters of 5G network slicing (when available) will need to leverage network specialists who are comfortable with SDN and NFV to help implement the mobile network slicing. These two processes are foundational elements that efficiently merge physical infrastructure with virtual resources.

Because each partition has unique requirements, security is more critical than ever. It’s wise to follow traditional cybersecurity best practices, especially when combining new paradigms specific to mobile network slicing.

Even though network slicing and 5G are still in the early stages, seed your team with a mix of expertise and knowledge. Varied skills will be essential when establishing early applications and metrics to understand how well it’s working for your organization and your customers. And because the bulk of architecture and maintenance will fall on the network provider, choosing the right partner will prove an essential step in building a solid team.

Now that you have an answer to the question, what is 5G network slicing, to help build an effective 5G implementation and keep your team more agile, network slicing can become a critical tool that should magnify the difference between 4G and 5G.

Learn more about Verizon 5G and how network solutions can help you build a more efficient business.

The author of this content is a paid contributor for Verizon.

Read the original article HERE.

It’s Time to Unleash Network Slicing

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August 23, 2023 | By John Saw | T-Mobile |

Since T-Mobile became the Un-carrier, innovation has been at the heart of everything we do. From eliminating contracts (the first-ever Un-carrier move) and unleashing mobile video, to launching the world’s first nationwide 5G standalone (SA) network, we have been laser-focused on shaking up the industry and solving pain points for the benefit of wireless users around the globe – whether that be ending greedy carrier practices or spearheading groundbreaking technologies.

Now we are leading the charge globally to bring one of the biggest promises of 5G to life: network slicing. Using new network management capabilities, our 5G SA network can be configured into multiple virtual networks (aka slices) – each with customized network performance characteristics optimized for the unique needs of different types of traffic, such as specialized or enterprise services. Think highly reliable throughput for critical real-time communications where the slightest hiccup in wireless connectivity means lost words … or consistent low latency (network responsiveness) for cloud gaming where poor latency can mean “Game Over.”

This summer, we reached a huge milestone, pulling off the country’s first use of 5G network slicing for remote video production on a commercial network. At Red Bull’s Cliff Diving event in Boston, we used a 5G Hybrid Mobile Network from T-Mobile’s 5G Advanced Network Solution (ANS) suite paired with the extreme power of our nationwide 5G SA network to boost Red Bull’s broadcasting capabilities. This customized slice gave the broadcast team supercharged wireless uplink speeds so they could easily and quickly transfer high-resolution content from cameras and a video drone circling the event to the Red Bull production team in near real-time over T-Mobile 5G. And when I say supercharged uplink speeds, I’m talking up to 276 Mbps!

Meanwhile, nearly 20,000 visitors were in attendance, using their devices as they normally would – uploading pictures and videos of the event. Because of network slicing and traffic management, their traffic did not impact the Red Bull production – and vice versa. Did you see what happened to a bunch of robo-taxis in San Francisco earlier this month? They caused a traffic jam when the wireless network supporting them had issues – largely because of the increased data usage at a nearby concert. With network slicing, we can work with communities to make key infrastructure and transportation networks more reliable, helping to prevent something like that from happening again. Network slicing also allows us to maximize the efficient use of spectrum. With an increase in demand straining limited spectrum resources, network slicing allows us to ensure that critical communication needs are met without having to build excessive capacity scaled to meet extreme loads.

While the Red Bull implementation was focused on specialized services, we can also base network slicing on specific application types for enterprise customers across the country. Earlier this month we launched a first-of-its-kind network slicing beta for developers who are working to supercharge their video calling applications with the power of 5G SA. With a customized network slice, developers can sign up to test video calling applications that require consistent uplink and downlink speeds along with increased reliability. In the weeks since, we’ve seen tremendous interest from the developer community with dozens of companies large and small signing up to join the likes of Dialpad, Google, Webex by Cisco, Zoom and more.

With the only nationwide 5G SA network in the US, we are uniquely positioned to bring the dream of network slicing to life, delivering 5G benefits across the country. That’s why we’re driving so hard to implement advanced technologies like network slicing and 5G carrier aggregation, taking the entire wireless industry along with us into the future.

It’s time we fulfill the promise of 5G. And I’m so incredibly proud to say T-Mobile is leading the charge.

John

Read the original article HERE.

From calls to convictions: The crucial role of mobile data in policing today

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April 20, 2024 | Matthew Rowles | Police1 |

Exploring how everyday mobile technology empowers law enforcement with tools to track, investigate and solve crimes through detailed call records and location data

Technology is a valuable tool at law enforcement’s disposal. According to Consumer Affairs Research Team, 97% of Americans own a mobile phone, which translates to about 325.4 million people. Additionally, 50.6% of the world’s internet traffic comes from mobile phones. According to the United States Census, the population of the United States is 335,917,563 people. We can all agree that no one leaves home without their mobile phone, so let’s use this to our advantage.

Each mobile phone must communicate with a mobile phone provider. Mobile phone providers have a vast network of cellular phone towers that are strategically located to provide uninterrupted communications (Remember the “Can you hear me now?” commercials). Providers store records, including Call Detail Records, Tower Information and Specialized Location Information, as business records.

Phone calls can be tracked through historical records, normally referred to as call detail records (CDR). These records include the date, time, duration of call, originating number, terminating number, identifiers for the target phone, and the specific cell tower and sector that the call connected to.

Consider the following:

Law enforcement is required to serve a search warrant upon the mobile phone provider to identify the phone number, or serial number, of the target device. The provider will provide several PDF and Excel documents that include the specific CDR information related to the target phone number. Cell towers are identified by an area code, address, or GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude).

The actionable evidence that can be translated from these records includes:

  • Incoming calls, outgoing calls, missed calls, voicemails, and text messages;
  • The target device’s most frequently called phone numbers;
  • Pattern of life;
  • Who the suspect or device was in contact with prior to, during, and after a crime under investigation;
  • Estimated location of the target device, and the target device’s direction from the tower;
  • And, the target device’s “home” or most used tower.

Cell tower sectors and crime solving
Each cell tower is divided into sectors. A cell tower may be divided into as few as three or as many as six sectors. Much like a pizza is divided into equal slices, cell tower sectors are divided into equal areas of coverage.

Suppose law enforcement has surveillance video of a suspect committing a crime, and a tentative identification of the suspect, which includes the suspect’s mobile phone number. Law enforcement may obtain a search warrant for the suspect’s cell phone records. Upon receipt of the records, law enforcement will be able to analyze them to confirm that, at the time the crime was committed, the suspect’s device was within the estimated cell tower sector covering the area where the crime was committed.

This information can be used to rebut the defense’s claim that the suspect was not in the area at the time the crime occurred. Additionally, location information records can be imported into a mapping program, such as Google Earth, where the specific locations of the target device are displayed for demonstrative purposes.

Case study
In April 2012, law enforcement responded to a homicide that occurred inside a barbershop. Through investigation, investigators learned that a lone actor entered the barber shop dressed in a woman’s “Niqab,” which concealed his body and face. The actor approached the victim, who was working inside. After approaching the victim, the actor drew a firearm, which was concealed under the Niqab, and shot the victim, execution style.

Investigators developed a suspect, who willingly met with them for an interview. During the interview, the suspect denied having any involvement in the murder. He claimed that he was at a different business, in the City of Philadelphia, at the time of the murder. The suspect was confident that investigators would believe his alibi; however, he was unaware that the investigators had done their homework.

Before the interview, investigators served a search warrant on the suspect’s mobile phone provider. Pursuant to the search warrant, the suspect’s mobile phone provider relinquished the suspect’s call detail records (CDR) to investigators. Upon reviewing the CDR, investigators were able to determine that, on the date and time of the murder, the suspect’s mobile device was connected to a mobile phone tower located across the street from the barbershop. Specifically, the mobile phone was utilizing the specific sector that serviced the area of the murder scene.

When the suspect provided investigators with his alibi, the investigators confronted him with the CDR evidence. After being confronted with the CDR evidence, the suspect confessed to the murder. Additionally, investigators prepared a map, containing the CDR data, and presented it at trial. Ultimately, the suspect was convicted of third-degree murder.

Using Call Detail Records (CDR) in criminal cases
Other valuable assets recorded by the mobile phone providers are Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and Time-of-Arrival (TOA). Each mobile phone provider refers to TOA differently. TOA measurements relate to the time from the serving sector to the target device. This data is utilized by cellular phone providers for engineering and network optimization purposes. These records can be invaluable to a criminal investigation, and law enforcement can request them through a search warrant.

TOA records differ from CDR records. TOA records contain location-based data that can determine the distance of the mobile phone from the cell tower. TOA estimates the location of the target device using round trip delay measurement from the tower. Certain providers will supply a confidence rating in reference to the measurement of distance from the tower.

Location data can provide valuable information, such as:

  • Confirming that the suspect’s mobile device was in the area where a crime occurred;
  • Determining the location of the suspect’s phone prior to, during and after the crime occurred;
  • Confirming or disproving an alibi.

 

When a suspect uses the internet, or social media, to communicate, their device’s IP address is recorded. This type of communication does not require a phone number, but it does require an internet connection, either through WiFi or cellular service. Mobile providers assign an IP address to each mobile device that utilizes their cellular network. When a user accesses a social media account from their mobile device, the IP for their mobile device is recorded and stored by the social media application. Social media direct messages, such as iMessage, will not be displayed on CDR because they utilize a data connection, not the normal text messaging connection. When a legal process is served upon the social media application, law enforcement will obtain the IP address, which is associated with the communication. This IP address can be researched and traced back to a mobile device through the mobile phone provider.

Law enforcement can obtain subscriber information by obtaining a search warrant for an IP address. Law enforcement can input an IP address on certain websites, such as https://www.iplocation.net/, to determine the cell phone provider for a mobile device.

Case study
In an effort to avoid apprehension, many criminals monitor high-profile investigations to stay ahead of the most recent investigative technology. Many criminals utilize social media and mobile phone applications for communication. Naively, they believe that law enforcement cannot obtain their social media communication records.

In August 2020, law enforcement responded to a shooting homicide that occurred in a grassy, isolated area. While there were no witnesses to the homicide, investigators determined that the victim had communicated with an unknown subject, through a social media application, just prior to the homicide. Investigators served a search warrant on the social media application, which yielded the IP addresses associated with the unknown subject’s device. Additionally, the IP addresses were assigned to a mobile phone provider.

Investigators served a search warrant on the mobile phone provider. Through the service of the search warrant, investigators obtained the unknown subject’s device information, phone number, and identity. Subsequently, investigators served a search warrant for CDR, which provided them with the evidence needed to make an arrest.

The value of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and Time-of-Arrival (TOA) records
As previously discussed, CDR records and location-based records are obtainable when a suspect’s mobile phone number or mobile device identifiers are known. Suppose law enforcement is unable to identify the suspect’s mobile phone number. Cell phone providers retain cell tower information, which is available to law enforcement through a court order. This information, referred to as a tower dump, can provide law enforcement with an abundance of information. Tower dumps are essentially a “dump” of all data from a specific cell phone tower, on a specific date, at a specific time. This data is helpful during the investigation of single crimes, where law enforcement does not have a suspect, but has other information indicating that the suspect may have used their mobile phone during the commission of the crime.

Additionally, tower dumps preserve data, which law enforcement can use when a suspect is developed. When multiple crimes of the same modus operandi are committed in different locations, law enforcement can obtain tower dumps from cell towers that service the area surrounding the location of each crime. Investigators can compare the tower dump information in an effort to identify the mobile devices that were present on the same date, time, and location of the crimes.

Another less-known option for identifying a target device is an area search. Law enforcement can provide a cell phone provider with specific locations and request a search of these locations be completed. The providers will produce identifiable information for each device that was in each location at the specific time.

The quick and simple method to locate a known mobile device is called a “ping.” Law enforcement may contact a cell phone provider, through exigent circumstances or legal process, to compel the cell phone provider to send a silent signal to the target device. The silent signal reveals the location of the target device through GPS coordinates.

OnStar has the ability to locate OnStar-equipped vehicles, even if the OnStar subscription is inactive. According to OnStar they can provide law enforcement, with proper legal service, the GPS coordinates of the target vehicle, flash the vehicle’s lights, beep the horn, disable the ignition and bring the vehicle to a safe stop.

Technology revolutionizes industries, and law enforcement must embrace the power of this emerging innovation. Industries continue to identify and prioritize emerging technologies, which are researched and implemented into their current infrastructures. Law enforcement should parallel these surging innovations and adapt them to their investigations.

Read the original article HERE.