(Updated: June 14, 2018)
In lately published charts from NSA's BOUNDLESSINFORMANT tool almost France, Spain, Kingdom of Norway as well as Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan nosotros run into the mysterious term DRTBOX. For example, the screenshot for Kingdom of Norway presents 33 1000000 telephony metadata, which were collected from mobile telephone networks yesteryear a facility designated US-987F as well as processed/analysed yesteryear DRTBOX:
(Click for a bigger version)
Unlike what it seems, DRTBOX is non a codename, but component of a wireless surveillance system, made yesteryear a companionship to a greater extent than ofttimes than non known every bit DRT. This article volition present that this companionship manufactures a hit of sophisticated surveillance as well as tracking devices, used yesteryear U.S. law enforcement as well as signals intelligence agencies.
- Digital Receiver Technology, Inc. - Law enforcement -
- Signals intelligence - Foreign usage -
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- Signals intelligence - Foreign usage -
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Digital Receiver Technology, Inc.
DRT is the abbreviation of Digital Receiver Technology, Inc. This companionship was formerly known every bit Utica Systems, Inc. as well as founded inwards 1980 inwards Frederick, Maryland, to create devices for what was called the "Communications Surveillance Community". The companionship developed a corporation reputation for communication equipment based on Digital Signal Processing (DSP).
In Oct 1997, the companionship adopted its electrical current call as well as moved to a novel flora inwards Germantown inwards Apr 1998. DRT was purchased yesteryear Boeing inwards Dec 2008 as well as is straight off a wholly-owned subsidiary of this major U.S. military machine contractor. DRT continued its production of state-of-the-art DSP-based equipment as well as was described every bit a "key supplier inwards the growing SIGINT market" inwards 2009.
In 2010, Boeing also acquired consolidated into the novel Electronic & Mission Systems (E&MS) sectionalization of the Boeing company.
In autumn 2012, DRT moved to a novel facility inwards the Milestone expanse of Germantown. This facility comprises 135,000 sq. ft. with or so 50,000 sq. ft. dedicated to equipment manufacture, as well as the residue dedicated to offices as well as applied scientific discipline evolution laboratories:
Currently, the company's homepage entirely advertises miniature multi-format wireless communications scanners to move used yesteryear the wireless manufacture for measuring as well as testing purposes. As an example, the website shows ii products from the 4300-series.
But: "Due to the sensitive nature of our work, nosotros are unable to publicly advertise many of our products". This is followed yesteryear contact information for commercial customers as well as for "all other" customers, which are manifestly authorities agencies. Latter tin contact DRT through a post service address as well as also yesteryear calling toll free: "(866) DIRTBOX" - a clear hint to the DRTBOX mentioned inwards the NSA screenshots.
Just similar many other military machine contractors inwards recent years, DRT also removed information almost national safety related products from its website. Between 2003 to 2009, earlier versions of DRT's homepage frankly said:
"DRT designs as well as manufactures advanced electronic equipment to back upward the missions of the U.S. Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) as well as law enforcement communities. The electrical current production draw includes a multifariousness of portable as well as rack-mounted wireless communications receivers capable of processing a multifariousness of modern wireless protocols. For to a greater extent than information almost these products, delight contact DRT."
Law enforcement
H5N1 proficient instance of the devices which DRT manufatures as well as develops for utilisation yesteryear law enforcement agencies is given yesteryear the companionship itself, inwards trying to opened upward novel markets.
In 2010, Boeing, on behalf of its subsidiary DRT, submitted a statement (pdf) before the National Telecommunications as well as Information Administration (NTIA) inwards reaction to an interrogation regarding contraband prison theatre energy cell telephone utilisation inwards prisons. The contestation says that:
"DRT has developed a device that emulates a cellular base of operations station to attract prison theatre energy cell phones for a registration procedure fifty-fifty when they are non inwards use. During this registration procedure calls are non disrupted. All calls, including 911 calls, are released, including those made from the contraband prison theatre energy cell phones. The DRT device identifies prison theatre energy cell phones every bit “not of interest” or “of interest” (i.e., the contraband prison theatre energy cell phones).
Cell phones non of interest, such every bit those belonging to prison theatre personnel or commercial users inwards the area, are returned to their local network. Cell phones of involvement are forced to transmit so that the DRT device tin locate them yesteryear calculating a draw of bearing.
In i fashion of operation, the DRT device as well as then returns the prison theatre energy cell telephone to its network, permitting it to shipping as well as have calls. In some other fashion of performance designed for utilisation yesteryear federal law enforcement entities, the prison theatre energy cell telephone tin move locked onto the DRT device, preventing its contraband use."
Boeing wanted NTIA to recommend to Congress that the Communications Act of 1934 should move modified inwards club to allow prison theatre officials as well as province as well as local law enforcement to utilisation these kinds of prison theatre energy cell telephone management, prevention or location technologies. Currently, entirely federal agencies, similar the FBI, are allowed to utilisation devices that jam or block wireless communications. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) licensing should also apply, for which Boeing delivered a similar statement inwards 2012.
H5N1 similar device (also known every bit IMSI Catcher, Cell-site Simulator or Digital Analyzer) used yesteryear American law enforcement agencies for tracking as well as intercepting prison theatre energy cell phones is called StingRay, which is manufactured yesteryear the Harris Corp. The cost of a StingRay device is betwixt 60.000,- as well as 175.000,- USD. Harris also provides related equipment nether the nicknames AmberJack, KingFish, TriggerFish as well as LoggerHead.
Prison pilots
In Dec 2010, DRT participated inwards a pilot at the Maryland Correctional Institution-Jessup (MCIJ). After sensors were placed, DRT collected information showing when prison theatre energy cell phones were turned off, turned on as well as registered with the nearest prison theatre energy cell telephone tower. Data were shipping to a laptop used to tape the information as well as the companionship as well as then analyzed the fourth dimension as well as length of messages over the course of educational activity of the pilot. H5N1 portable sensor was used to spot detail cells that had a high probability of prison theatre energy cell telephone usage within.
In 2012, DRT was selected to develop as well as implement a Managed Access System (MAS) for the California State Prison system. H5N1 MAS is used to allow authorized prison theatre energy cell phones to connect to the criterion carrier networks, spell preventing unauthorized prison theatre energy cell phones (like from inmates) from connecting to the carrier networks.
Other usage
The aforementioned Boeing contestation claimed that DRT's prison theatre energy cell telephone management, prevention as well as location technologies could also render of import benefits inwards a broad multifariousness of law enforcement situations exterior the prison theatre context. For example, Special Weapons as well as Tactics (SWAT) teams as well as other paramilitary tactical units could effectively command wireless communications yesteryear suspects inwards a edifice during a raid.
Boeing carefully described entirely those hereafter applications for which regulations bring to move changed - trying non to acknowledge that DRT systems are already used at the federal flat for decades. They render agencies similar FBI with some powerful tools (DRT devices tin move used to perform a man-in-the-middle attack), although they are expensive as well as must move operated yesteryear highly trained law enforcement personnel.
At the FBI, the DRT systems are probable operated yesteryear the collecting information from U.S. network companies nether NSA's PRISM program. For these federal agencies, a presentation almost DRT devices was given at the tenth FED TECH Interagency Technical Training Conference, held inwards San Diego inwards Jan 2010:
In this schedule nosotros run into "DRT Box" again, but apart from a LinkedIn-profile, this term is rarely flora as well as thence it's non truly clear what it stands for. At showtime glance it seems that DRTBox merely refers to box-like surveillance devices, but if nosotros expect at the BOUNDLESSINFORMANT screenshots, nosotros run into that the actual information collection is done yesteryear facilities designated yesteryear SIGADs as well as that DRTBOX is inwards the same department every bit for instance XKEYSCORE, which way DRTBOX is in all probability an integrated indexing as well as analysing organization for wireless communications data, precisely similar XKEYSCORE is for network data.
Updates:
On Nov 13, 2014, the Wall Street Journal broke a story maxim that since 2007, the Technical Operations Group of the U.S. Marshals uses "dirtboxes" aboard Cessna aircraft operating from at to the lowest degree 5 metropolitan-area airports. The DRTBoxes mimic prison theatre energy cell towers as well as play a trick on cellphones to collect identity as well as location information on prison theatre energy cell telephone users, this inwards club to rail as well as grab criminals similar drug-traffickers.
The FBI is apparently using the similar Stingray devices entirely to collect telephone metadata, non content, for which private warrants would move required.
Signals Intelligence
Where the FBI uses systems from Digital Receiver Technology domestically, the NSA is most probable the chief client for utilisation abroad. On a website for Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) as well as Electronic Warfare (EW), DRT is listed every bit a provider of:
- SIGINT Design Engineering Services
- SIGINT Consulting Services
- Communications ESM Systems
- COMINT Systems
- RF Receivers
DRT products for signals intelligence missions include high performance Software Definable Receiver (SDR) as well as transceiver products, including multi-channel platforms for man-portable, mobile as well as airborne applications, aboard RC-135 Rivet Joint, Combat Sent or Cobra Ball aircraft.
From diverse populace chore descriptions it becomes clear that DRT devices are widely used inwards tactical Earth operations, where they are component of the equipment used yesteryear SIGINT/EW collection teams assigned to plain deployed Special Forces Groups. These are so-called Low Level Voice Intercept (LLVI) devices.
DRT systems are also used every bit remote controlled collection systems, with the surveillance devices installed at fixed locations, similar inwards areas where there's widespread hostile prison theatre energy cell telephone or radio use. The collected information move to ONEROOF, which is NSA's chief tactical SIGINT database, containing raw as well as unfiltered intercepts.
Low Level Voice Intercept equipment beingness used during a plain operation.
It's non clear whether the device inwards the video is from DRT,
but it's for certain really similar.
DRT SIGINT products
H5N1 chore description for a SIGINT Systems Engineer (job location: Fort Meade) requires "experience working with SIGINT systems, specially on systems utilizing Digital Receiver Technology (DRT) Series K as well as 2000 equipment" as well as also familiarity "with the software used to command the DRT systems". Software used for the K serial production draw is called Alaska.
More specific designations of DRT devices from the 1000-series tin move flora inwards diverse other chore resumes, reading similar "SIGINT/EW collection as well as exploitation systems, to include the DRT-1101A/1301B/1501, MINI-EXPIATION, HIDRAH, LOGGERHEAD, Harris Suite (STINGRAY, KINGFISH, BLACKFIN, GOSSAMER), AR-8200, Explorer/Scout, as well as the PRD-13v2/ISSMS".
The DRT 1101A was a instant generation wireless communications receiver developed yesteryear DRT about the twelvemonth 2000. DRT's quondam website described the device every bit follows:
"The DRT 1101A provides a compact, silent powerful, show as well as measuring capability for a multifariousness of showtime as well as instant generation wireless standards. The organization also possesses the capability to uncovering as well as extract cellular FAX signals. The organization is based on an industry-standard charabanc format, as well as uses the latest inwards digital call for processing (DSP) as well as microprocessor technology."
Another device from the 1000-series is the DRT 1301C, which is used yesteryear Special Operations Forces:
"The DRT 1301C, manufactured yesteryear Digital Receiver Technology, Inc., is a portable, ruggedized radio designed for operations inwards tactical and/or harsh environments. It provides a miniature silent powerful surveillance capability. The radio has a frequency hit of 20-3000 MHz as well as operates against a multifariousness of analog as well as digital wireless standards. The transmitter has a might output hit of <1 W (standby) to 75 W (48 channels, 3 tuners); it weighs 10.5 lb as well as measures 3 in. (H) yesteryear 8.5 in. (W) yesteryear 11.2 in. (D)."
An instance of a DRT device from the 2000-series is the DRT 2101A, which was described as:
"a compact wideband tuner organization consisting of upward to 8 wideband tuner modules, each roofing the 0.5 MHz to 3 GHz frequency band. Each tuner module has a 30-MHz instantaneous bandwidth as well as tin move operated inwards either an independently or coherently tuned fashion nether software control. The tuner module is manufacturing flora configured to render a high-level analog baseband output."The Internet Archive also contains this motion-picture present of the DRT 2101A device every bit it looked inwards 2003:
H5N1 unopen expect at the device shows that it consists of dissever modules (here inwards a vertical position) which tin move added depending on the specific needs. See for instance this description of the Wireless Processor Module 2 (WPM2).
The Military Intelligence School's System Training Plan (pdf) from Oct 2013 almost the Prophet Electronic Support System says that DRT devices are used inwards the Prophet Sensor vehicles, which are the ground-based tactical SIGINT collection components of the Prophet system:
- H5N1 DRT 1201B receiver is inwards the Prophet Spiral 1 Sensor (military designation: AN/MLQ-40(V)4), which is a M1102 tactical trailer, pulled yesteryear a M1165 B3 three-seat, fully armored High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV or Humvee). Two Panasonic Toughbooks CF29 or CF30, running mission as well as communications software packages, command the DRT 1201B as well as enable the reporting as well as processing of intelligence. An AN/VRC-99 line-of-site radio provides information access to NSANET.
- H5N1 instant DRT 1301C receiver-processor for man-packable operations is inwards the Prophet Enhanced Sensor.
- H5N1 DRT 1201 receiver is inwards the fixed-site version of the Prophet Enhanced Sensor, which also contains a BAT-1214 SATCOM final as well as a DF90/DF80/MS Antenna, with other equipment.
- H5N1 DRT 1301C is inwards the Mobile-At-the-Halt configuration, along with a DF90 antenna, as well as BAT-750 SATCOM terminal. Here, the DRT 1301C tin also move reused inwards a man-packed configuration.
- H5N1 DRT 1201C replaces the DRT 1201B inwards a quaternary variant of the Prophet Enhanced Sensor inwards stationary fixed-site configuration. The DRT 1201C device is described every bit a adjacent generation receiver-processor that increases collection capability as well as enables hereafter upgrades.
(similar SIGINT equipment for the Prophet organization is developed yesteryear the Linkabit sectionalization of L-3 Communications)
H5N1 Prophet Spiral M1165 Humvee
The tactical deployed DRT systems are mainly used for operations inwards Republic of Iraq as well as Afghanistan, but it's really good possible that the equipment was also used at the articulation NSA-CIA Special Collection Service (SCS) unit of measurement inwards the U.S. diplomatic mission inwards Berlin, which intercepted the mobile telephone of High German chancellor Merkel.
Update I:
On May 5, 2015, the website The Intercept published a 2006 reported that DRT-like prison theatre energy cell telephone interception devices were flora nigh of import authorities offices as well as buildings inwards the urban inwardness middle of the Norwegian upper-case alphabetic lineament Oslo. In March 2015, it came out that these devices were truly placed yesteryear the Norwegian law as well as the Police Security Service PST, without properly informing the country’s National Communications Authority.
Besides yesteryear DRT as well as Harris, IMSI-catchers are also manufactured yesteryear some unusual companies, similar for instance the High German high-tech theatre Rohde & Schwarz (which patented such equipment inwards 2003), as well as the Israeli companionship Ability, which openly advertises their IMSI-catchers.
An internal NSA newsletter U.S. Intelligence Support to Find, Fix, Finish Operations (2015)
- Gizmodo.com: Here Is the Spy Equipment That Powers the FBI's Secret Dragnet
- Harvard Law review article: Your Secret Stingray's No Secret Anymore: The Vanishing Government Monopoly Over Cell Phone Surveillance as well as Its Impact on National Security as well as Consumer Privacy
- Heise.de: Solange keiner meckert - Wie IMSI-Catcher unauffällig legalisiert wurden
- Matt Blaze: How Law Enforcement Tracks Cellular Phones
- WaPo.com: De DRT2101A: het apparaat waarmee de NSA telefoons afluistert
- List of 217 component numbers from Digital Receiver Technology, Inc.
- Presentation almost Digital receiver engineering for RWR, ESM as well as ELINT applications (pdf)
- Washington Institute: Stabilizing Iraq: Intelligence Lessons for Afghanistan
- Journal of Electronic Defense: What's New inwards SIGINT software?
- Overview: Toward a Universal Radio Frequency System for Special Operations Forces (pdf)
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