[kictanet] Vodafone admits that some governments have a direct link to their network for snooping

Sun Jun 8 13:25:47 EAT 2014

Maybe the country we live in borders Somalia and Sudan :-|
On Jun 8, 2014 1:12 PM, "Dennis Kioko via kictanet" <
kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:

> Of what value are wars and militarisation to a country?
>
> Does it add more ugali to our table?
>
> Sweden and Japan have toned down on their military aggression to focus on
> their economy.
>
> Switzerland voted in a referendum to determine if the state should buy
> military jets.
>
> What's with African countries, militarism and the urge to maintain secrecy
> in security projects?
>  On 8 Jun 2014 10:04, "Ali Hussein via kictanet" <
> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>
>> Ngigi
>>
>> There is a fundamental issue here in question. Is the government working
>> at cross-purposes with itself?
>>
>> *Ali Hussein*
>>
>> +254 770 906375 / 0713 601113
>>
>> Twitter: @AliHKassim
>>
>> Skype: abu-jomo
>>
>> LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim
>> <http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim>
>>
>> Blog: www.alyhussein.com
>>
>> "I fear the day technology will surpass human interaction. The world will
>> have a generation of idiots".  ~ Albert Einstein
>>
>> Sent from my iPad
>>
>> On Jun 7, 2014, at 6:29 PM, Ngigi Waithaka <ngigi at at.co.ke> wrote:
>>
>> Ali,
>>
>> I understand Secrecy, but if something is secret enough that you can't
>> even trust your own AG, then its 100% bound to be criminal!
>>
>> And if you look at how the US procures and builds secret networks and
>> technologies, they will have restricted tenders to say Boeing, Lockheed,
>> GE, Airbus et.al and most often than not, the first phase tends to be a
>> paid-for PoC from the various vendors, then a selection is made based on a
>> set criteria.
>>
>> If time is of the essence and for other factors including *secrecy*, then
>> you can actually single-source, but even in such a case there are certain
>> procedures to be followed.
>>
>> I can't for once imagine in any of these negotiations leaving the AG
>> Office out of it. That *stinks* to high heavens...
>>
>> When I heard of this the first time, I was actually very pro it, but as
>> these details emerge, then it quickly becomes very clear where this is
>> heading...
>>
>>
>> On Sat, Jun 7, 2014 at 4:50 PM, Ali Hussein <ali at hussein.me.ke> wrote:
>>
>>> :)
>>>
>>> Ngigi, my thoughts exactly. However, I think some of these things need
>>> to go into the preserve of NIS as part of their budget. Imagine if the US
>>> Govt (read CIA et al) announced that they are building a super secret
>>> network to curb terrorism...Where is the secrecy then?
>>>
>>> Just saying..
>>>
>>>
>>> *Ali Hussein*
>>>
>>> +254 770 906375 / 0713 601113
>>>
>>> Twitter: @AliHKassim
>>>
>>> Skype: abu-jomo
>>>
>>> LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim
>>> <http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim>
>>>
>>> Blog: www.alyhussein.com
>>>
>>> "I fear the day technology will surpass human interaction. The world
>>> will have a generation of idiots".  ~ Albert Einstein
>>>
>>> Sent from my iPad
>>>
>>> On Jun 7, 2014, at 4:29 PM, Ngigi Waithaka <ngigi at at.co.ke> wrote:
>>>
>>> There is also something which is not clear on the proposed Network, is
>>> it an Intelligence Network, Law Enforcement Network or both? Normally
>>> Intelligence would have a lot more sway as the last thing we would want is
>>> to wake up and find Al-Shabaab Tanks right in the middle of town.
>>>
>>> Then, the other side of the coin rears its ugly side once again.... The
>>> AG says he was never consulted in drafting this deal (
>>> http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/mobile/?articleID=2000123884&story_title=my-advice-was-not-sought-says-ag
>>> ).
>>>
>>> Picture this, you are about to strike a Ksh 15B deal and you don't
>>> consult your Lawyer? Is that not what you would want to do as the first
>>> thing?
>>>
>>> "...And so the wise men sat together, came up with a wise plan to have a
>>> security network and an even smarter plan that the country will not have to
>>> pay anything for now as the single-sourced contractor will finance the
>>> whole project and for good measure, keep the Governments Legal adviser at
>>> bay...."
>>>
>>> Seriously, I would have thought Anura Pereira had a copyright on this
>>> scheme?
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sat, Jun 7, 2014 at 1:11 PM, Ali Hussein <ali at hussein.me.ke> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Ngigi
>>>>
>>>> I like your thinking and the paradigm you have brought forth.
>>>>
>>>> My real sense of all this is that we are taking this transparency thing
>>>> too far. If the govt really needs to build this network to safeguard our
>>>> borders we need to rethink how the rules of engagement are going to be
>>>> going forward.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> *Ali Hussein*
>>>>
>>>> +254 770 906375 / 0713 601113
>>>>
>>>> Twitter: @AliHKassim
>>>>
>>>> Skype: abu-jomo
>>>>
>>>> LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim
>>>> <http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim>
>>>>
>>>> Blog: www.alyhussein.com
>>>>
>>>> "I fear the day technology will surpass human interaction. The world
>>>> will have a generation of idiots".  ~ Albert Einstein
>>>>
>>>> Sent from my iPad
>>>>
>>>> On Jun 6, 2014, at 2:47 PM, Ngigi Waithaka <ngigi at at.co.ke> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Ali,
>>>>
>>>> This is the way I see it:
>>>> 1. It's almost a forgone conclusion that Governments will listen in on
>>>> communications between citizens; if the NSA could collect Americans private
>>>> communications without court-orders and this with all the Bills of Rights
>>>> in place, then what chance do other countries & Angela Merkel have?
>>>>
>>>> 2.What worries me more about the Vodafones of this world is that, their
>>>> primary allegiance is not to the countries where they do business, but to
>>>> their motherland, UK. Who would like to bet whether #G#H#C#Q# listens in on
>>>> private communications from the Safaricom/Vodafone Network? Every
>>>> Government Officials communication including our President's is fair game.
>>>>
>>>> 3. If then we contract the same Safaricom/Vodafone to build for us a
>>>> 'Secure' Communications Network, you can bet that every router, switch, and
>>>> Server that will be deployed with have pre-built backdoors just in-case
>>>> they will need to be used in the future.
>>>>
>>>> So, if indeed we know all the above, why go ahead and contract
>>>> Safaricom/Vodafone to build our security network? Is it the lesser evil?
>>>>
>>>> 4. One of the reasons cited by GoK to single-source with Safaricom is
>>>> that it is the only organization that is affliated to GoK that can do this.
>>>> Which is exactly not true as I believe we do have a pretty significant
>>>> shareholding in Orange and there is nothing as good as a competing offer to
>>>> get you best value.
>>>>
>>>> And a different angle to this, does our police really need an
>>>> independent network (which also happens to be the bulk of the Ksh 15B that
>>>> we'll be paying for?). Instead of building a single network and putting all
>>>> our anti-terrorism 'eggs' in it, would it not have been more prudent and
>>>> less expensive to use the already existing networks but with an added
>>>> security layer and achieve the exact same result?
>>>>
>>>> Rent the networks from anyone who has capacity (Safaricom, Orange, Yu
>>>> etc) build your layer on top and you don't have to worry about 4G, 5G,
>>>> 6G... As they upgrade, you upgrade.
>>>>
>>>> Regards
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Fri, Jun 6, 2014 at 12:46 PM, Ali Hussein via kictanet <
>>>> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Listers
>>>>>
>>>>> In view of the debate about the security tender awarded to Safaricom
>>>>> and now in contention within the parliamentary committee responsible for
>>>>> this its incumbent upon all of us in the industry that we understand this
>>>>> issue deeper.
>>>>>
>>>>> See below:-
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> http://www.businessinsider.com/r-vodafone-says-governments-have-direct-access-to-eavesdrop-in-some-countries-2014-06
>>>>>
>>>>> I'm also curious to know what the TOR for this tender was. I'm all
>>>>> open to the government securing our borders against our enemies but we also
>>>>> must know what these parameters of 'snooping' are.
>>>>>
>>>>> *Ali Hussein*
>>>>>
>>>>> +254 770 906375 / 0713 601113
>>>>>
>>>>> Twitter: @AliHKassim
>>>>>
>>>>> Skype: abu-jomo
>>>>>
>>>>> LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim
>>>>> <http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim>
>>>>>
>>>>> Blog: www.alyhussein.com
>>>>>
>>>>> "I fear the day technology will surpass human interaction. The world
>>>>> will have a generation of idiots".  ~ Albert Einstein
>>>>>
>>>>> Sent from my iPad
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> kictanet mailing list
>>>>> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
>>>>> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
>>>>>
>>>>> Unsubscribe or change your options at
>>>>> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/ngigi%40at.co.ke
>>>>>
>>>>> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder
>>>>> platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy
>>>>> and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
>>>>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>>>>>
>>>>> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
>>>>> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
>>>>> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
>>>>> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> *Regards,*
>>>>
>>>> *Wait**haka Ngigi*
>>>> Chief Executive Officer | Alliance Technologies | MCK Nairobi Synod
>>>> Building
>>>> T + 254 (0) 20 2333 471 |Office Mobile: +254 786 28 28 28 | M + 254
>>>> 737 811 000
>>>> www.at.co.ke
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> *Regards,*
>>>
>>> *Wait**haka Ngigi*
>>> Chief Executive Officer | Alliance Technologies | MCK Nairobi Synod
>>> Building
>>> T + 254 (0) 20 2333 471 |Office Mobile: +254 786 28 28 28 | M + 254 737
>>> 811 000
>>> www.at.co.ke
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> *Regards,*
>>
>> *Wait**haka Ngigi*
>> Chief Executive Officer | Alliance Technologies | MCK Nairobi Synod
>> Building
>> T + 254 (0) 20 2333 471 |Office Mobile: +254 786 28 28 28 | M + 254 737
>> 811 000
>> www.at.co.ke
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> kictanet mailing list
>> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
>> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
>>
>> Unsubscribe or change your options at
>> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/dmbuvi%40gmail.com
>>
>> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
>> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
>> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>>
>> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
>> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
>> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
>> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> kictanet mailing list
> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
>
> Unsubscribe or change your options at
> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/murigi.muraya%40gmail.com
>
> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>
> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/pipermail/kictanet/attachments/20140608/62200eb9/attachment.htm>