+--------------------------------------+ ! ANI BASIC TUTORIAL ! ! AUTOMATIC NUMBER INDENTIFICATION ! ! WRITTEN BY: HELLRAT OF SIC ! ! ON 03-17-91 ! +--------------------------------------+ WHAT THE FUCK IS ANI? WHY SHOULD I KNOW ABOUT IT? ANI IS SAID TO BE A "RUMORED" SYSTEM THAT IS CAPABLE OF AUTO TRACING FONE CALLS USING ANI-EQUIPPED TELEPHONE SYSTEMS. LET ME BEGIN BY GIVING YOU SOME COMMON EXAMPLES OF ANI SYSTEMS PRESENTLY IN OPERATION NOT ONLY IN THE US, BUT ALSO IN CANADA AND EUROPE: 1. 911 (EMERGENCY AREA SERVICE) IS ANI. THE SECOND YOU CALL THE SYSTEM CAN DETECT THE CALLING NUMBER. TIED TO A COMPUTERIZED DATABASE CONSISTING OF PHONE COMPANY RECORDS OF THE ADDRESS SERVICED AND THE ACCOUNT NAME.....INSTANT INFORMATION AS IS PASSED TO A COMPUTER MONITOR FOR ASSISTANCE IN FIRE, POLICE, MEDICAL. 2. LD ANI CREDIT CARD TOLL CALLING. IF YOU HAVE SEEN PHONES WHICH TAKE CREDIT CARDS WHERE YOU CAN PASS YOUR "TAPE STRIPE" DOWN THE PHONE..THIS IS AN ANI EQUIPPED SYSTEM. IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY READ THE CREDIT CARD, REPORT THE CALLING NUMBER, NUMBER CONNECTED TO, THE CREDIT CARD, AND THE CREDIT CARD COMPANY WHERE MULTIPLE CARDS ARE ACCEPTED. 3. CO/411 CAN YOU CALL YOUR OPERATOR (USUALLY 0 OR 00), INFORMATION (411), OR YOUR LOCAL BUSINESS OFFICE AND HAVE THEM TELL THAT IT IS YOU..OR CAN THEY CALL YOU BACK WITHOUT ASKING FOR YOUR NUMBER? IF SO, THEN THE CO (CENTRAL OFFICE) IS PROVIDING ANI SERVICE TO THE BUSINESS OFFICES. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= HOW DOES IT OPERATE? ANI IS AN ENCRYPTED SET OF SIGNALS ORIGINATING AT YOUR ECO (EXCHANGE CENTRAL OFFICE) THAT PASSES IN THE SIGNAL THRU ALL CONNECTIONS TO THE TERMINAL PAIR (THE PERSON YOU ARE CALLING). THIS SIGNAL IS COMMON ON ALL ESS (ELECTRONIC SWITCHING SYSTEMS) AND HAS BEEN AROUND FOR YEARS. ONE POINT I WILL REITERATE ANI HAS EXISTED FOR MANY YEARS! THE SIGNAL HAS ALWAYS BEEN AROUND BUT WAS ENCRYPTED (ENCRYPTION PASSWORD WHEN YOU MODEM) SO ONLY TELECOMM EXPERTS AND PHONE COMPANY PEOPLE KNEW IT. THE SIGNAL FLOATS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY SO THAT TELECOS CAN TRACK CALLS FOR INTERCO INTERSTATE LD REVENUE SHARING ON LD CALLS, MONITORING, CONTROLLING LD TRAFFIC, AND MANY OTHER TELLCO USES. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- WHO HAS ANI CAPABILITY? LET ME PREFACE THIS BY SAYING THAT THERE ARE A COUPLE OF ANI FORMATS, THE TWO MOST COMMON I WILL REFER TO AS THE MCI AND THE AT&T SYSTEM OF FORMATTING AS THEY ARE COMMONLY KNOWN. HOWEVER, EACH IS BOTH DETECTABLE AND DECODABLE WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SYSTEM ALTHOUGH DIFFERENT OR "MULTI-CAPABILITY" DECODING IS REQUIRED AT PRESENT TO HANDLE ALL ANI FORMATS IN EXISTANCE. THE WORLD AIN'T A PERFECT STANDARD WHEN BIG CORPRORATIONS ECONOMICALLY COMPETE TO MAKE THEIR'S "THE STANDARD"!) 1. OBVIOUSLY THE TELEPHONE COMPANY 2. LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. IT WOULD STAND TO REASON THAT IF YOU HAVE 911 OR A TELEPHONE COMPANY WITH A SECURITY DEPARTMENT THAT THEY OPERATE CLOSELY WITH THE PHONE COMPANIES! 3. "AUDIBON" THIS IS A BUZZ WORK FOR THE US MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK WHICH OPERATES ON BASES, SUPPLY DEPOTS, AND OTHER INSTALLATIONS WHERE SECURITY OF INFORMATION AND TRACING IS REQUIRED. 4. GOVERNMENT AGENCIES- NEEDLESS TO SAY IF WE CAN SEND A MAN TO THE MOON, DROP BOMBS DOWN AIRSHAFTS, AND HAVE OTHER "HIGH-TECH" SYSTEMS YOU WOULD NOT ASSUME THAT THE SECRET SERVICE, FBI, AND OTHER AGENCIES WOULD NOT EASILY HAVE THE CAPABILITY. 5. NOW THE KICKER..... (A) PUBLIC TELECO SERVICE - IS BEING OFFERED IN TEST CASES IN NEW JERSEY AND A FEW OTHER LOCATIONS FOR $ 3-4/MONTH. THAT MEANS IF YOU CALL THESE AREAS AND THE OTHER PARTY HAS SIGNED FOR THE SERVICE THEY INSTANTLY HAVE YOUR NUMBER (B) "BLACK BOXES" - REMEMBER I SAID THE "SIGNATURE" PASSES FROM THE ORIGINATOR TO ALL POINTS AS A PART OF THE SIGNAL (TRANSMISSION OR YOUR TELEPHONE CALL). SO ANYONE HAVING A "DESCRAMBLER" CAN DECIPHER THIS NO MATTER WHERE THEY ARE OR WHETHER THE LOCAL PHONE COMPANY OFFERS ANI SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC. (C) CONSULTANTS/DEVELOPERS - OBVIOUSLY ANYONE WHO IS INVOLVED IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS DEVELOPMENT, SWITCH TECHNOLOGY, CONSULTING, OR OTHER AREAS WOULD KNOW OF THE TECHNOLOGY AND COULD HAVE ANI. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? CAN I TELL IF A CALL IS ANI DETECTED? NO...TO THE LATER QUESTION YOU CAN NOT TELL IF YOUR CALL WAS ANI DETECTED BY THE PERSON YOU CALLED. ALL THEY NEED DO IS TO DECIPHER A CODE THAT WAS ALREADY IN THE LINE. VARIES....BASICALLY LOOKS LIKE A LITTLE BOX WITH A DISPLAY (LED/LCD) WHICH DISPLAYS THE NUMBER CALLING (INCLUDING AREA CODE OR INTERNATIONAL WHERE APPLICABLE). THE MORE SOPHISTICATED ANIS HAVE A PRECISION CLOCK AND A MEMORYTO HOLD THE EXACT DATE, TIME, LENGTH OF CALL, NUMBER WHICH CALLED, AND OTHER INFORMATION FOR 10-100 UNITS DEPENDING ON THE EQUIPMENT. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- WHAT ABOUT IF I AM INTERNATIONAL? OR SAY AN OLD "STEPPER" OFFICE? 1. OLD STEPPER TYPE (ROTARY) IS NOT ANI AT THE CO WITHOUT VERY SPECIAL OFFICE ADAPTIONS....SO CHANCES ARE YOU ARE NOT AUTOMATICALLY SENDING ANI IDENTIFICATION 2. INTERNATIONALLY.....THIS VARIES BUT GENERALLY THE OLDER SYSTEMS WILL NOT BE ANI UNLESS THEY MEET ONE OF THE ABOVE TESTS SUCH AS 911, CREDIT CARD, ETC. HOWEVER, THIS IS THE BIG HOWEVER SO PAY ATTENTION! THERE IS AND "HAS BEEN" FOR A LONG TIME WHAT I WILL CALL "REVERSE ANI". PEOPLE OFTEN SHOOT THEIR MOUTHS SAYING THEY CAN'T BE TRACED CAUSE THEY ARE IN SUCH-N-SUCH A PLACE, DON'T HAVE ESS, OR GIVE ME OTHER LAME EXPLANATIONS. WELL, YOU ARE TOTALLY WRONG! WE CAN REVERSE SEND AN ANI IDENT! JUST AS MOST US PHONES AUTOMATICALLY ARE NOW SENDING ANI CODES, WE CAN SEND (ADD IF YOU WANT TO THINK OF IT THAT WAY) A REVERSE IDENT AS PHONES ARE TWO-WAY COMMUNICATIONS. THIS SIGNAL CAN BE "ENCODED" AS A SPECIAL TELECO ALERT SEQUENCE. (FOR THOSE THAT HAVE FLOWN THIS IS LIKE TRANSPONDER SQUAWKING OF 3300 OR 7600....NON-PILOTS THAT IS A KIDNAP OR HIGHJACK TYPE SITUATION). ONCE "REVERSE-ANI" IS INITIATED ALL STATIONS ARE INSTANTLY ALERTED ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE ORIGINATOR. WHILE IT IS TRUE THAT PERHAPS THEN MAY NOT GET RIGHT TO YOUR INDIVIDUAL PHONE INSTANTLY, WITHIN A FEW COMPUTER MICROSECONDS THEN CAN GET TO ANY INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM AND CALL THAT SYSTEM. EVEN THOSE SYSTEM NOT YET TOTALLY EQUIPPED HAVE ANI DECODERS AND CAN TRACE A CALL INA VERY FEW MINUTES BY LOOKINF FOR THE "FINGERPRINT" OF "REVERSE ANI IDENT" ON A PARTICULAR TRUNK, CABLE, OR PAIR (YOUR PHONE)! -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- CAN ANI BE "DEFEATED"? SUPPOSE I DON'T WANT EVERYONE TO HAVE MY PHONE NUMBER! ANYTHING CAN BE DEFEATED, SO TECHNICALLY THE ANSWER WOULD BE YES. PRACTICALLY HOWEVER, NO! ANI CAN NOT UNDER "NORMAL CONDITIONS" BE OVERCOME. THIS IS ONE OF THE MAJOR REASONS WHY: THE EXISTANCE OF ANI, IT'S ENCRYPTION CODES, AND PARAMETERS HAVE BEEN A VERY UNKNOWN TO THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE. I WILL GIVE YOU SOME "NEGATIVES" OF ANI THAT ARE CROPPING UP. 1. LAW ENFORCEMENT - DRUG DEALERS, BUNKO ARTISTS, CONS, AND OTHER CRIMINAL ELEMENTS COULD EASILY SEE ANI CODES AND QUICKLY LEARN THAT SAY 914-954-XXXX IS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. THEREFORE, INVESTIGATIONS, UNDERCOVER INVESTIGATIONS, AND "STINGS" COULD BECOME BOTH DIFFICULT AND PERHAPS DANGEROUS. 2. PRIVACY - THE IDEA OF THE "UNLISTED PHONE NUMBER" IS A MYTH UNDER ANI AS IT EXISTS. ANYONE YOU WOULD CALL WITH ANI WOULD HAVE YOUR NUMBER...... 3. ABUSE - SALES AGENTS, TELEMARKETING FIRMS, PHONE SOLICITORS AND OTHERS COULD ABUSE ANI TO GAIN UNFAIR SALES TACTICS, PLACE YOUR INFORMATION ON "MAILING LISTS", OR OTHERWISE GAIN THE ABILITY TO HARRASS YOU OR SNOOP. HERE, ANOTHER CHIEF CONCERN IN "COLLECTION FIRMS". ARMED WITH A COMPUTER AND CO-OP LISTS OF ANI FROM OTHER COMPUTER BANKS. A COLLECTION FIRM COULD HARRASS PEOPLE TO EXTREMES. ANOTHER MAJOR CONCERN IS THE "SO-CALLED" 900 SERVICE NUMBERS SUCH AS THE "TALK" AND "DATE" LINES WHICH COULD SUBJECT PEOPLE TO TERRIBLE HARASSMENT OR EVEN POSSIBLE PHYSICAL THREAT BYTHE ACTUAL NAME, PHONE NUMBER, AND OTHER DATA OF AN ANONOMYS CALLER BEING EXPOSED. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= IS ANI ALL BAD? WILL IT "DESTROY" BBS AND THE MODEMING HOBBY? ABSOLUTELY NOT! 1. ANI ALLOWS ABSOLUTE IDENTIFICATION OF YOUR MEMBERS. WITH THE PROPERSETUP ANI WILL NOT ALLOW A MEMBER TO LOG ONTO YOUR SYSTEM WITHOUT USING A VALID ANI CODE (THAT IS THE ACTUAL PHONE YOU HAVE VALIDATED FOR THAT MEMBER). 2. ANI WILL LOG ALL INCOMING CALL NUMBERS. NO ONE CAN GIVE YOU FALSE INFORMATION SUCH AS THEIR PHONE NUMBER AS YOU WILL HAVE A VALID ANI FOR THE CALLER. 3. "HACKERS" ARE ELIMINATED. BY USING ANI NO ONE CAN USE ANOTHER MEMBER'S ACCOUNT EVEN IF YOU GAVE HIM THE NAME AND PASSWORD....HE WOULD CALL BUT HAVE AN "IMPROPER ANI SIGNATURE" AND BE UNABLE TO GAIN ACCESS. 4. INVASION OF PRIVACY OR UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS. WITH ANI YOU HAVE A RECORD OF CALLS AND ANI CODES. SO SHOULD SOMEONE AGREED TO YOUR APPLICATIONS, LOGON SCREENS, POLICIES, AND BULLETINS (I REFER TO THE ONES WE HAVE DEVELOPED) AND THEN ATTEMPT ANYTHING, THERE ARE DEFINITE LAWS REGARDING ENTRAPMENT, INVASION OF PRIVACY, AND 500 OTHER FEDERAL LAWS THAT WERE JUST VIOLATED! MY POINT HERE SHOULD BE WELL NOTED: THE LAW IS A VERY SHARP BUT "DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD". WITH ANI LOGGING NO ONE CAN GET ONTO YOURSYSTEM AS A NEW MEMBER PROVIDING YOU HAVE A GOOD SCREENING SYSTEM AND ENFORCE IT 100%.. ONLY BY YOU NOT ENFORCING 100% AND BEING LAX CAN ANYONE, ANYPLACE, ANYTHING EVER GAIN ACCESS! 5. POSITIVE PROOF IF SET UP PROPERLY TO SHOW THAT YOUR SYSTEM DOES NOT KNOWINLY ALLOW ANY VIOLATIONS OF APPLICABLE RULES OR REGULATIONS. 6. LD CHARGES....EVERY MAJOR SYSOP HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH PEOPLE USING "CODES" TO CHARGE CALLS TO THEM. WITH ANI AND A DECENTLY MODIFIED UDLOG SHOWING THE ANI IDENT.....THIS WILL STOP INSTANTLY WHEN YOU GET YOUR BILL AND COMPARE THOSE AGAINST YOUR UDLOG! 7. EVER FORGET A PHONE NUMBER IN TALKING TO SOMEONE (HERE AGAIN I ASSUME PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT LETTING COMPUTER'S MONITOR CALLS OR LETTING AN ANSWERING MACHINE/COMPUTER WORK IN TANDEM WITH VOICE. WELL I CAN NOT UNLESS THE COMPUTER AND ANI ARE DEACTIVATED. 8. WHAT ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE YOU JUST "DON'T WANT TO TALK TO"?? WELL YOU CAN EITHER SEE THE ANI IDENTIFICATION FOR THEIR NUMBERS AND LET YOUR MACHINE ANSWER. OR WITH A LITTLE SOPHISTICATION LET YOUR COMPUTER TELL YOU WHO IS CALLING AND THEN DECIDE WHETHER YOU ARE HOME OR NOT. (HINT: THERE'S A LIBRARY IN LIBS: CALLED TRANSLATOR. LIBRARY AND A THING CALLED PIPING OR "REDIRECTED BRANCHING" SO YOU CAN SAVE SOMETHING AND USE THAT LIBRARY?) MOTHER-IN-LAWS ARE A GREAT APPLICATION FOR THIS ONE.....OR THE BOSS THAT WANTS YOU TO COME IN SUDDENLY ON SUNDAY RIGHT BEFORE THE BIG GAME! 9. EVER GET THOSE "HARRASSING" CALLS LIKE "BREATHING", THE ASSHOLE THAT LOGS ON YOUR BBS 50 TIMES UNDER PHONE NAMES, THREATENS TO BLOW UP YOUR CAR. OR SAYS HE GONNA KICK YOUR FUCKIN ASS! WELL WITH AN ANI LOG YOU HAVE ALL THESE PEOPLE COLD, DEAD FUCKS! THE EVIDENCE IS RIGHT THERE AND A QUICK RETURN CALL IF THEY ARE A MODEM...OR A PRINTOUT IF VOICE WITH VERY QUICKLY SOLVE YOUR PROBLEM. OK....BUT WHAT ABOUT THE "NEGATIVES" FOR BBSS AND MODEMERS? 1. IF A SYSTEM IN ANI IDENTIFICATION SENSITIVE, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO CALL FROM A FRIEND'S HOUSE OR ELSEWHERE UNLESS THAT HAS BEEN PRE-AUTHORIZED IN THE "ACCEPTED CODES" FOR YOUR ACCOUNT. 2. THERE ARE "SOME" WHICH WILL HATE ANI, FOR REASONS I WON'T GO INTO AND ARE OBVIOUS. AS A HOBBIEST MY FIRST CONCERN IS MY SYSTEM AND THAT OF MY FRIENDS REGARDING: SECURITY AND LEGAL COMPLIANCE. SPECIAL SAFETY SUCH AS "REVERSE ANI" IS THE INTERESTS OF OTHERS IN WHICH I ONLY HAVE INTEREST IF SOMEONE THREATENS ME OR FRIENDS. THEREFORE, I DON'T SEE THIS AS A REAL CONCERN. TRY THIS ANI DEMONSTRATION 1-800-933-3258 +-------------------------------------+ ! WRITTEN BY HELLRAT OF SIC! ! +-------------------------------------+ ! SPECIALISTS IN CRIME ! +-------------------------------------+ CALL SIC HQ'Z: UNDERGROUND ASYLUM 215-944-0719 H/P/A ONLY! +-------------------------------------+ CALL MY VMB: 1-800-831-9679 BOX: 8+310 +-------------------------------------+ GROUP GREETINGS TO: MOF, ATC, NEI, VERDICT, ILLUSION PERSONAL GREETINGS TO: SCARECROW, NIGHTBREED, METALLIKAT, ARTMAN, FROSTBYTE, TEL0P, BASILISK, JUDGE DREDD, LIGHTNING, TERMINATOR, PROBLEM CHILD - AND ALL OTHERS I FORGOT -