U.S. Department of Art & Technology
Press Secretary
press@usdept-arttech.net
For Immediate Release: April 24, 2002
Announcement of RSG's Release of
CarnivorePE "Personal Edition" Data Detection Tool
WASHINGTON, DC - The US Department of Art &
Technology, in conjunction with Radical Software Group (RSG) and the Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI), is announcing today the availability of
the CarnivorePE "Personal Edition" detection tool to perform
packet sniffing on a local area network. CarnivorePE was created by RSG,
an artist-collective that has been producing client applications since
last year that openly taps networks for aesthetic, social and politically-motivated
purposes. CarnivorePE is inspired by DCS1000 (known by its nickname "Carnivore"),
software used by the FBI to perform electronic wiretaps. The tool is available
at: www.rhizome.org/carnivore.
CarnivorePE uses personal computers to transmit
data streams to one or more client systems. Pioneering a new platform
for surveillance systems, the detection tool allows users to examine networks
to identify the presence of specific data types and thereby unleash their
computers to conduct the musicalization of network traffic, deconstruct
media, trigger words, and investigate streaming bits to expose their true
content-information.
Last year, RSG made available the first edition
of the Carnivore tool that surpassed other network sniffing techniques,
including Etherpeek and SurfWatch. This current release updates the tool
to include the ability to detect sustainable encounters and designable
futures. CarnivorePE greatly improves on the original FBI DCS1000 wiretapping
software, openly monitoring Web communications as well as serving data
to any recipient for real-time analysis.
RSG also continues to work aggressively with other government agencies
and industry to provide timely and effective warnings and countermeasures
to the increasingly damaging threats posed to the U.S. cyber infrastructure.
As with earlier RSG exploits, there is currently
no way for the technology industry to contain this "open source"
project. Rather, development depends on a community-wide effort to detect
data streams, thereby increasing the number of computers that can be used
to reshape the way individual and organizations collaborate and share
information. For that reason, RSG strongly encourages widespread use of
its detection tool, as artist-generated, data-revealing client applications
increasingly become available - a mega-media portal through the blending
of mediums.
Any anti-CarnivorePE related activity should
be reported to the RSG Watch and Warning Unit, or computer emergency response
support organizations, as appropriate. RSG can be reached at (+1 917 514
5815), or by e-mail at rsg@rhizome.org
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Carnivore is created by RSG, an all-star collective
of computer artists hand selected from cities around the world. Carnivore
is their first public release.
The US Department of Art and Technology is
the principal conduit for facilitating the artist's need to extend aesthetic
inquiry into the broader culture where ideas become real action. It also
serves the psychological and spiritual well-being of all Americans by
supporting cultural efforts that provide immunity from the extension of
new media technologies into the social sphere.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) prides
itself on obedience to the Constitution of the United States; surveils
the identity of those they protect; and upholds values that must be vigorously
defended.
URLs:
RSG CarnivorePE: http://www.rhizome.org/carnivore
US Department of Art & Technology: http://www.usdept-arttech.net
Federal Bureau of Investigation: http://www.fbi.gov/
Contact: Press Secretary of the US Department
of Art & Technology
press@usdept-arttech.net
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