Phone tapping?

[slofox]

OK Whizzkids, serious questions here...

Someone close to me thinks their employer may be tapping the phone. There have been a few leaks of confidential info from this place and rumours abound.

The questions:

1.) How would you endeavour to find out IF your phone is tapped?

2.) What are the legal ramifications of phone tapping by an employer?


So let's hear it.

Ta.

[Indiana_Jones]

<img src="http://www.cellphonereviews.com/images/dont-worry-cell-phone-tapping.jpg">

-Indy

[bogan]

My flatmate tapped his phone a bit hard with his camera, check for cracks on the touchscreen to see if yours has been as well :innocent:

I know you said serious questions, no mention of serious answer only though :sunny:

Just ring up somebody and talk about how the employee is shagging the employers wife, that should get a reaction!

[Virago]

Sounds like they need to consult with a psychologist...

[Hitcher]

1. I'd make up a very tasty piece of gossip about a second-level manager that I shared with a complicit accomplice. Then I'd sit back with a stopwatch running until I heard the same item repeated or I was summoned either to that manager's office or to the office of the head of HR.

2. Legal ramifications? If it's a work phone you'll be very surprised to learn what you can't do on it without potential legal ramifications. You shouldn't be using it for personal business, fullstop, because that is theft, just the same as nicking Bic Flicks or photocopier paper.

[slofox]

1. I'd make up a very tasty piece of gossip about a second-level manager that I shared with a complicit accomplice. Then I'd sit back with a stopwatch running until I heard the same item repeated or I was summoned either to that manager's office or to the office of the head of HR.

2. Legal ramifications? If it's a work phone you'll be very surprised to learn what you can't do on it without potential legal ramifications. You shouldn't be using it for personal business, fullstop, because that is theft, just the same as nicking Bic Flicks or photocopier paper.

Not the work phone. The HOME phone.

[steve_t]

Check this page out. Sounds like the employer is legally entitled to monitor many communication modalities

http://www.bellgully.com/resources/resource.00591.asp

Oh, the employer may be tapping the employee's private home phone?? That'd be illegal. I'd be more likely to think about who has been privy to the sensitive information. One person told in confidence can often lead to everybody knowing within several hours

[Indiana_Jones]

Not the work phone. The HOME phone.

Oh dear....

-Indy

[Pussy]

just the same as nicking Bic Flicks or photocopier paper.

Bic CLICS!

[Hitcher]

Not the work phone. The HOME phone.

Same deal. Gossip about a wife's girlfriend or daughter's boyfriend. Death should come swiftly.

Legality? You can only use your phone when and how your significant other determines. Wasn't that in the Fine Print on the bottom of your wedding license? Get over it.

[blackdog]

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean no one is following you.

See what you've got to look forward to when dementia starts setting in.

[Hitcher]

Bic CLICS!

Next thing you'll be telling me that they're a piece of writing equipment.

[Motu]

Phone tapping? Yes,I'm guilty of doing that - with the old push button A phone boxes.

[Usarka]

Phone tapping? Yes,I'm guilty of doing that - with the old push button A phone boxes.

Wasn;t that awesome. Tap once to dial a nine. Tap 8 times to dial a 2. Good times. :woohoo:

[Oakie]

Pretty damned sure it is illegal to record a conversation without the parties consent unless trying to prove wrong-doing and asking consent would give the game away.

Contact Telecom or whoever the phone provider is and see if they can offer any assistance.

[mashman]

Not the work phone. The HOME phone.

Don't the cops need a warrant for that kinda stuff? can't imagine an employer would be allowed to tap yer home phone in any circumstance.

[Bender]

Phone tapping? Yes,I'm guilty of doing that - with the old push button A phone boxes.

Did you know that a piece of cardboard slid up the gap between the side and the front where button "B" was, would also work to make the phone "live." Much easier than tapping. The cover of a Zig Zag packet would work, if it didn't have little squares torn out of it. :innocent:

[Shadows]

Wasn;t that awesome. Tap once to dial a nine. Tap 8 times to dial a 2. Good times. :woohoo:

Yep. Used to save me $0.06 every time.

[Usarka]

Pretty damned sure it is illegal to record a conversation without the parties consent unless trying to prove wrong-doing and asking consent would give the game away.

Contact Telecom or whoever the phone provider is and see if they can offer any assistance.

Not if the cops have a court order. Or whatever the recent urgent legislation said.....

But then again, does the employer pay for the home phone line?


Yep. Used to save me $0.06 every time.


That's a 1/3 of a bag of mixed lollies!

[slofox]

Don't the cops need a warrant for that kinda stuff? can't imagine an employer would be allowed to tap yer home phone in any circumstance.

That's what I reckon too. But then, how honest is the employer? I dunno.

Pays to be self-employed like me. That way, I always know if the boss is tapping my phone...:blink:

[mashman]

Pays to be self-employed like me. That way, I always know if the boss is tapping my phone...:blink:

or the "cell"ar eh :innocent:.

[oneofsix]

it would be illegal for the employer to tap an employee's home phone. But to do so they would have to get physical access to the line, could this have been done? To tap the line they have to lessen the signal strength n the line, has there been a drop in quality or loudness? If so a complaint to the telco. The telco would be pissed of if they discover an illegal tap. Trouble is the loss in quality/volume may not be noticed.

[buggsubique]

What is the nature of your employment?

[oneofsix]

What is the nature of your employment?

Of whom do you ask that and why does it matter? The OP was asking on behalf of BTW.

[Usarka]

Of whom do you ask that and why does it matter? The OP was asking on behalf of BTW.

Because if he worked for the KGB......... Just saying :innocent:

[oneofsix]

Because if he worked for the KGB......... Just saying :innocent:

oh in that case I thought the tap came as part of the standard connection :shutup:

[Zedder]

Pretty damned sure it is illegal to record a conversation without the parties consent unless trying to prove wrong-doing and asking consent would give the game away.

Contact Telecom or whoever the phone provider is and see if they can offer any assistance.

Don't ask the cops, they may be a bit sensitive about any talk of electronic surveillance at the moment.

[JustNick]

If he/she has no idea how the information is being leaked then it may be healthier to consider all forms of information exchange not just tapped phones. Who handled or was party to the sensitive information? What forms of communication were used to transmit it?

[nzspokes]

That's what I reckon too. But then, how honest is the employer? I dunno.

Pays to be self-employed like me. That way, I always know if the boss is tapping my phone...:blink:

My question would be what does the boss have to gain by doing this?

[HenryDorsetCase]

Because if he worked for the KGB......... Just saying :innocent:

Amateurs. Now the Spanish Inquisition, they could tap a phone.

[HenryDorsetCase]

My question would be what does the boss have to gain by doing this?

he finds out which of the dirty fuckers he is employing is shagging his wife.


.....or does he?

[Zedder]

Amateurs. Now the Spanish Inquisition, they could tap a phone.

I thought their chief weapon was surprise....

[nzspokes]

he finds out which of the dirty fuckers he is employing is shagging his wife.


.....or does he?

Nah easy fix on that one. Just tell everybody that his missus is up the duff. See who looks nervous.

[HenryDorsetCase]

I thought their chief weapon was surprise....

surprise! and cake. or was it death? cake or death?


sorry Ive had a couple of beers and now Ive moved from Monty Python to Eddy Izzard.

[tigertim20]

OK Whizzkids, serious questions here...

Someone close to me thinks their employer may be tapping the phone. There have been a few leaks of confidential info from this place and rumours abound.

The questions:

1.) How would you endeavour to find out IF your phone is tapped?

2.) What are the legal ramifications of phone tapping by an employer?


So let's hear it.

Ta.

step one, see a psychologist
step 2, realise that any leaks are the person you are speaking to, and not aliems tapping your phone

[Zedder]

surprise! and cake. or was it death? cake or death?


sorry Ive had a couple of beers and now Ive moved from Monty Python to Eddy Izzard.

Surprise and fear initially but then it gets added to. Not like the four Yorkshiremen skit though.

[slofox]

My question would be what does the boss have to gain by doing this?

The boss wants to know who has been leaking confidential information.

[Maha]

....anyone remember phone tapping the phones in those old red phone booths in the 70's?
All you had to do was tap (quickly) the black receiver hanger the opposite number you wanted to dial..
IE: 82864 became 28246 taps and it rang the correct number.
5 numbers only to remember back then also.

[oneofsix]

The boss wants to know who has been leaking confidential information.

Not knowing what sort of organization this is but the 'boss' might be better off getting Facebook blocked from the workplace with their cookies that gather information about what you do and feed it back.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/5732437/Australian-exposes-Facebook-tracking

[PrincessBandit]

Wasn;t that awesome. Tap once to dial a nine. Tap 8 times to dial a 2. Good times. :woohoo:

Hahahahaha, yeah I remember doing that with the old phone boxes when I didn't have 3 2cent pieces in my pocket to make a call.

[davereid]

From a technical point of view, tapping a phone is childs play. However, I seriously doubt that its being done.

The most common way that data leaks from businesses is emails. These are regularly scanned and read by everyone in the chain from dispatch to delivery. Telecom even advise you that they read all your emails and ims messages and share them with their partners, to help give you relevant advertising. I regularly get "confidential" meeting minutes from a well known govt department, who replied to an OIA request, then inadvertently put me in the BCC list as well. I discard them unread of course.

Additionally there are scores of applications freely available on the internet that allow a snoop to watch your pc screen as if he were sitting next to you.

Other companies offer forensic PC services that they claim allow them to recover deleted data, including email and IMS messages from old PCs.

My Guess ?

Most likely there is NO leak
If there is its likely a persons mouth leaking, real life or facebook etc
Then next likely emails sent to the wrong person, or scanned in transit
Then data recovered off an old PC
Last way would be phone tap IMHO

[willytheekid]

OK Whizzkids, serious questions here...

Someone close to me thinks their employer may be tapping the phone. There have been a few leaks of confidential info from this place and rumours abound.

The questions:

1.) How would you endeavour to find out IF your phone is tapped?

2.) What are the legal ramifications of phone tapping by an employer?


So let's hear it.

Ta.

Hi Slofox :wavey:

I work for a "division" of Telecom and have dealt with this Situation before.
Please tell your friend to call Telecom (regardless of provider)
Explain to the operator that your friend thinks his boss is tapping his phone and they would like Telecom to investigate.
They will take the details and send this on to the investigation team, who in turn will, request some authority rights and checks on the line etc.(this does take some time for private phones etc)

This is a VERY serious matter Slofox, if your friend feels that his boss is breaching the NZ electronic communications act by tapping his phone...telecom will be MOST interested and WILL investigate at his request.
And if his boss IS caught playing with OUR communication systems (As you rent the lines and services we provide)...in short....he is in a WORLD OF SHIT!.
Telecom have the means to check this sort of breach and WILL prosecute to the full letter of the law!*

*A breach of the electronic communications act is a very serious charge! resulting in huge fines and possible jail time! (as it is seen as a breach of TCNZs network...and our customers privacy & services)

hope that helps mate

[buggsubique]

Of whom do you ask that and why does it matter? The OP was asking on behalf of BTW.

Asking of the OP for his mate, (thanks for correcting). It matters because it will help inform the likelihood of there actually being a tap.

[oneofsix]

Asking of the OP for his mate, (thanks for correcting). It matters because it will help inform the likelihood of there actually being a tap.

Ok, thanks for explaining.

[slofox]

Hi Slofox :wavey:

I work for a "division" of Telecom and have dealt with this Situation before.
Please tell your friend to call Telecom (regardless of provider)
Explain to the operator that your friend thinks his boss is tapping his phone and they would like Telecom to investigate.
They will take the details and send this on to the investigation team, who in turn will, request some authority rights and checks on the line etc.(this does take some time for private phones etc)

This is a VERY serious matter Slofox, if your friend feels that his boss is breaching the NZ electronic communications act by tapping his phone...telecom will be MOST interested and WILL investigate at his request.
And if his boss IS caught playing with OUR communication systems (As you rent the lines and services we provide)...in short....he is in a WORLD OF SHIT!.
Telecom have the means to check this sort of breach and WILL prosecute to the full letter of the law!*

*A breach of the electronic communications act is a very serious charge! resulting in huge fines and possible jail time! (as it is seen as a breach of TCNZs network...and our customers privacy & services)

hope that helps mate

OK, thanks for that. I'll pass the message on.