This Article First Appeared In The
Austin American Statesman:
Saturday, January 18th, 1997
Whenever Pam Reed hears about someone eavesdropping on cellular telephone
conversations, the international environmental consultant and former Travis
County commissioner watches what she discloses on her cell phone ``like
a hawk.'' As time passes, however, she finds herself driving about town
chit-chatting over the airwaves about everything from business deals to
lunch plans to personal bulletins.
``I know I shouldn't be doing it because I know people who stay home
and listen in on their neighbors' conversations (on cell or cordless phones)
and then tell people what they hear,'' says Reed. ``That's real disconcerting.
I figure if you are that interested in other people's lives, it's a big
hint that you need one of your own.''
While some people are circumspect about their cellular conversations,
a good number of us are like Reed, altering our behavior only after hearing
about a big shot's troubles over an intercepted call. Then we slip back
into old habits, figuring the chances of someone listening in on our conversations
are slim.
What's on the minds of millions of cellular phone users right now is
the incident involving a Florida couple with a scanner who listened to
and taped a conversation between House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., and
fellow Republican members of Congress. The New York Times printed a transcript
of the conversation in which it appeared that Gingrich discussed orchestrating
a response to his ethics committee charges after promising not to do so.
When the Gingrich incident becomes old news, that's when we may become
vulnerable again to eavesdropping, says Ralph Thomas, chief executive officer
of Thomas Investigative Publications, Inc. in Austin.
It's illegal to intercept cellular telephone conversations, says Thomas,
but it's relatively easy to do. Some people, like the politically minded
couple in Florida that intercepted Gingrich's conversation, intentionally
listen to scanners that pick up conversations. But it can be done accidentally
as well. Cell phone users and people with baby monitors often pick up snippets
of someone else's conversation.
A cordless telephone is designed to operate from a base unit in your
home or office and has limited range. It is dependent on the phone line
coming into your home. A cellular phone is separate from your home or business
phone and operates from a cellular telephone system in the city made up
of many cell towers which communicate with your cell phone over radio frequencies.
Radio scanners can intercept conversations on cellular and cordless phones
because they operate on radio waves.
Your ``regular'' home or business phone is often called a ``land line,''
and operates on cable lines instead of radio frequencies.
After the Gingrich phone controversy hit the newsstands and talk shows,
Thomas' Spy Exchange and Security Center on North Interstate 35 was deluged
with calls and questions on the Internet from people worried about the
privacy of their cellular conversations. He sells devices starting at about
$200 that scramble cell phone conversations, making them indecipherable
to most eavesdroppers. But his advice is to to watch what you say.
Advanced Micro Devices, one of Austin's best known high-tech companies
with headquarters in California, is aware of the possibility that someone
could intercept employees' conversations and has asked workers to ``maintain
strict discipline'' and not discuss on cellular phones proprietary information
about the company's microprocessor and semiconductor business.
``We're familiar with the capability and technology and are aware of
the possibility that confidential and proprietary information could be
lost,'' says AMD spokesman David Frink. ``We are based in Silicon Valley
with literally hundreds of high-tech companies, many of them competing
with each other. Our Austin operation has major competitors. There are
numerous pieces of data that might seem innocuous that would be of interest
to competitors.''
Labor and employment attorney Butch Hayes advises his clients against
discussing trade secrets or confidential information over cellular phones.
Hayes says when he is talking on his cell phone he always lets the
other person know the line is not secure and suggests discussing sensitive
matters at a later date.
``I think a lot of people assume a phone is a phone and that they are
not going to be overheard,'' says Hayes. ``You should have extra sensitivity
and realize that someone somewhere is probably listening to what you are
saying.''
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