Death of Anonymous Travel

Presented at DEF CON 17 (2009), July 31, 2009, noon (110 minutes)

Worldwide, people who use cars, buses, trains, and carry cell phones are tracked in increasingly centralized corporate and government databases. This capability is still in its infancy, and has been facilitated by payment systems which are linked to identification and refer to centralized electronic databases. Mass tracking and surveillance capabilities have arisen organically, often as side effects of new technologies, and are being increasingly leveraged by government and law enforcement in the name of national security. For security purposes, the public is generally not provided with detailed information about the management and use of mass surveillance systems. As a result, relatively small groups are able to track and control the movements of average citizens around the world, every minute of every day. These systems are opaque, not well documented, publicized or regulated. The purpose of this presentation is to: Collate and disseminate information about current known travel monitoring practices; Discuss technical and social solutions for maintaining personal privacy and the freedom to assemble; Encourage greater transparency and public control over data collection and use. The presentation will include a Touch-and-Feel Fare Collection table, where attendees can browse the speaker's historical collection of automobile, coach, subway, telephone, and airline fares/tokens/passes. Attendees are welcome to non-destructively analyze electronic devices with magstripe/RFID readers and other tools.

Presenters:

• Sherri Davidoff - Philosecurity
  Sherri Davidoff is a professional security consultant, researcher and writer. She conducts penetration tests, network assessments and forensics for a wide variety of industries, including financial, health care, manufacturing, academic, and government institutions. She has conducted extensive research on privacy and the effects of technology on anonymous travel and communications, and she is the co-author of SANS 558: Network Forensics. Sherri publishes weekly articles on Philosecurity.org

Links:

• https://defcon.org/html/defcon-17/dc-17-speakers.html#Davidoff
• https://infocon.org/cons/DEF CON/DEF CON 17/DEF CON 17 video and slides/DEF CON 17 - Sherri Davidoff - Death of Anonymous Travel - Video and Slides.mp4 (Video and Slides)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rl_f0zd-Wjg

Similar Presentations:

• 31C3 (2014) / Information Control and Strategic Violence: How governments use censorship and surveillance as part of their violent repressive tactics
• 31C3 (2014) / The Invisible Committee Returns with "Fuck Off Google": Cybernetics, Anti-Terrorism, and the ongoing case against the Tarnac 10
• 33C3 (2016) / Rebel Cities: Towards A Global Network Of Neighbourhoods And Cities Rejecting Surveillance