ISP Traffic Spying
Yes. 
This is proving to be a pretty interesting thread to say the least
I wonder if everyone in this thread has seen the article I posted last week?
http://community.plus.net/blog/2008/05/02/should-your-isp-monitor-your-connection/
To clarify what we currently do, is use Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) to tell what application you are using. By application what I mean is what protocol - i.e. VoIP, gaming, streaming, email, P2P etc. What we certainly can't tell is what website you are looking at, what your emails say, what you are downloading on P2P or who you are talking to on Skype. Tracking the type of application allows us to prioritise time-sensitive applications so customers get the best quality of service possible for the price they have paid. The only time we would ever track more than this is where we receive a proper request warrant from the Police or Government to do so.
The point of the blog I wrote was to ask about whether online safety / security tools are of interest. For example blocking known trojans, scanning for compromised computers or offering parental control tools to restrict access to unwanted websites. We're certainly not proposing any sort of global user-tracking for the purpose of targeted advertising. We've already stated categorically that we have not trialled Phorm (or anything similar) and have no plans to do so.
So we're not talking about spying on customers. We're talking about offering opt-in, paid-for services that make customers safer and more secure. Ian has recently announced a trial of one such service using a company called Aladdin which you can read about here:
http://community.plus.net/blog/2008/05/02/plusnet-launch-network-security-trial/
I wonder if everyone in this thread has seen the article I posted last week?
http://community.plus.net/blog/2008/05/02/should-your-isp-monitor-your-connection/
To clarify what we currently do, is use Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) to tell what application you are using. By application what I mean is what protocol - i.e. VoIP, gaming, streaming, email, P2P etc. What we certainly can't tell is what website you are looking at, what your emails say, what you are downloading on P2P or who you are talking to on Skype. Tracking the type of application allows us to prioritise time-sensitive applications so customers get the best quality of service possible for the price they have paid. The only time we would ever track more than this is where we receive a proper request warrant from the Police or Government to do so.
The point of the blog I wrote was to ask about whether online safety / security tools are of interest. For example blocking known trojans, scanning for compromised computers or offering parental control tools to restrict access to unwanted websites. We're certainly not proposing any sort of global user-tracking for the purpose of targeted advertising. We've already stated categorically that we have not trialled Phorm (or anything similar) and have no plans to do so.
So we're not talking about spying on customers. We're talking about offering opt-in, paid-for services that make customers safer and more secure. Ian has recently announced a trial of one such service using a company called Aladdin which you can read about here:
http://community.plus.net/blog/2008/05/02/plusnet-launch-network-security-trial/
A very interesting post Neil. Thank you..
Sadly I was unaware of both your article and the trial of Aladdin. Was the trial advertised anywhere other than on the portal's trials page, which I guess most of us don't often visit?
I'm totally happy about the many assurances we have had from PN about Phorm, but I guess the BT association makes a lot of people nervous....
Aladdin sounds quite a promising idea, and could well prove to be a winner - though presumably it will have to come at a price!
I'm off to do more research about it.
But as a Linux user, and with children in their forties, it probably wouldn't be much value to me
Sadly I was unaware of both your article and the trial of Aladdin. Was the trial advertised anywhere other than on the portal's trials page, which I guess most of us don't often visit?
I'm totally happy about the many assurances we have had from PN about Phorm, but I guess the BT association makes a lot of people nervous....
Aladdin sounds quite a promising idea, and could well prove to be a winner - though presumably it will have to come at a price!
I'm off to do more research about it.
But as a Linux user, and with children in their forties, it probably wouldn't be much value to me
Quote from: Neil_A This is proving to be a pretty interesting thread to say the least
The only time we would ever track more than this is where we receive a proper request warrant from the Police or Government to do so.
Government strange one here
your doctor can ask
your local council can ask
The enviornment agency can ask
Your Local health authority can ask
The CSA can ask
HMRC can ask
TV Licensing can ask
British Gas can ask
Power company can ask
all come under
RIPA regulation of investigatory powers act 2004= snooper's charter=spy act to you and me
puddy