From:	ARISIA::EVERHART     "Glenn Everhart: 215 354 7610 (8*747 7610)" 22-MAR-1989 08:55
To:	EVERHART
Subj:	Receive telephone msg via dish

From: karn@thumper.bellcore.com (Phil R. Karn)
Subject: Re: Risks of telephone access to your bank account

Brint Cooper makes the point that cellular phone isn't "telephone", it's radio.
True enough, the braindamaged ECPA notwithstanding. But even calls placed
between conventional telephones can, on occasion, be almost as easily
intercepted.

To demonstrate:

1. Obtain or set up a standard TVRO (Television Receive Only) satellite
earth station. The receiver should have a "composite video" output jack
(now pretty much standard, since VideoCipher descramblers need them).

2. Connect the aforementioned composite video jack into the RF input of
a garden variety "shortwave" (HF) communications receiver set for single
sideband (SSB) reception.

3. Aim the satellite dish at one of the AT&T Telstar satellites and find
a transponder that doesn't seem to be carrying video.

4. Tune around below 6 MHz or so with the SSB receiver.

Rumor has it that dedicated circuits belonging to travel reservation services
have been heard in this manner.   Phil