from the how-about-next-generation-punishments dept.
Big Tech Improvements To 911 System Raises The Risk Of More 'Swatting'
Now some big changes for 911 are in the works, new technology that's raised concerns about what it means for swatting. The current system — devised 50 years ago — hasn't seen much change over the years and is limited. People typically verbally describe emergencies on the phone. The new system, called Next Generation or NG 911, is based on the Internet instead of telephone technology. The change will allow people to send information to emergency call centers as if they are posting to social media.
"It gives us the ability to access 911 using the same voice, video, text and data applications that we're all used to using on smartphones today," says Trey Fogerty of NENA. This is a big deal because a picture of an accident scene might definitely help emergency crews responding to that crisis. A text to the new 911 might also be useful during a home invasion or domestic violence situations.
But, the changes could also go awry. "You could conceivably have a video that is fabricated and is sent into a 911 dispatch center that appears to be one thing when in fact it is something quite different," says Chuck Wexler, the head of the Police Executive Research Forum. In Virginia, Fairfax County Police Chief Edwin Roessler says they've worked hard to train dispatchers and police to prevent getting duped by swatting calls and he's concerned the new system could bring more problems. "Unfortunately, there's evil people out there that continue to do this and the more we embrace that technology the more risk we have," he says.
So spotting any red flags will be crucial. Police chiefs say dispatchers will have to become adept at quickly analyzing text and video. Designers are devising a way to mark suspicious video and text messages plus working to create a trustworthy alternative to today's caller ID, according to Fogerty.
Related: Gamers Use Police Hoax to Lash Out at Opponents
Swatter Just Prankster?
Swatted: Police Kill Innocent Man in Kansas
Related Stories
Phys.org reported on recent hoaxes where gamers seeking retaliation against an opponent make a fake emergency call to get a SWAT team sent over.
Authorities are increasingly concerned about a hoax in which video game players lash out at online opponents by making fake 911 calls that send SWAT teams to their homes.
The practice, known as "swatting," originally targeted celebrities. Experts say it's now becoming more popular with gamers seeking retaliation. It offers anonymity and a way to watch the hoax unfold live over game-streaming systems.
ArsTechnica is reporting that the the guy behind various "Swatting" incidents around the country has been arrested in Las Vegas. Going by the grandiose on-line name of "Famed God", the alleged perpetrator's computers contained evidence from several Swats around the country.
Only time will tell if the arrests reduce the incidence of swatting or emboldens more copycats with better hiding skills. Also un known at this time is what types of law enforcement resources or three letter agencies were used to track this guy down.
Famed God could get five years if convicted.
The incident raises some questions about Swatting in general.
To date, its not clear that anyone was hurt in any such swatting, although significant time resources were wasted, and swat victims are often abused and mistreated by SWAT officers, when caught red handed in possession of nothing more serious than a laptop and mouse and empty pizza boxes.
Sending heavily armed and armored police with battering rams bashing through doors with automatic weapons on the strength of a single phone call via the internet seems like a silly thing to do, and a silly deployment policy. What ACTUAL event necessitating SWAT response comes in via exactly one internet call (which does not have geo location data)? What is the likelihood that there will only be one complaint on any such event?
So what say ye Soylentils?
Do local police break out the SWAT gear too quickly? Wouldn't simply calling the target, or sending a single car with officers (wearing vests) be sufficient to determine if a full SWAT operation was required?
How will this alleged perpetrator be viewed by the general public, vs the internet community?
Will he be vilified by press, over prosecuted? Or will he get his just rewards?
Will the internet Illuminati jump to his defense, anointing him as the second coming of the "internet's own boy"?
Will it trigger a national discussion about the over reliance on militarized police?
Is this too many questions for one Soylent News Post?
From the NY Daily News (and covered almost everywhere):
A Kansas man shot to death by police earlier this week was the victim of a misdirected online prank known as "swatting," according to social media chatter.
The victim, identified as Andrew Finch, was gunned down on Thursday night after cops responded to his Wichita home amid a false report that he had shot his father to death and was holding his mother, brother and sister hostage.
A responding officer fatally shot Finch, 28, when he came to the front door, Wichita deputy police chief Troy Livingston said during a press conference. Livingston declined to comment on what triggered the officer to open fire and would not say whether Finch was armed.
Police briefing (10m8s). Body camera footage (53s).
I'm speechless.
takyon: The swatting was quickly linked to a dispute between two Call of Duty players:
On Twitter, more than a dozen people who identified themselves as being in the gaming community told The Eagle that a feud between two Call of Duty players sparked one to initiate a "swatting" call. After news began to spread about what happened Thursday night, the people in the gaming community, through Twitter posts, pointed at two gamers.
"I DIDNT GET ANYONE KILLED BECAUSE I DIDNT DISCHARGE A WEAPON AND BEING A SWAT MEMBER ISNT MY PROFESSION," said one gamer, who others said made the swatting call. His account was suspended overnight.
According to posts on Twitter, two gamers were arguing when one threatened to target the other with a swatting call. The person who was the target of the swatting gave the other gamer a false address, which sent police to a nearby home instead of his own, according to Twitter posts. The person who was to be the target of the swatting sent a Tweet saying, "Someone tried to swat me and got an innocent man killed." [...] Dexerto, a online news service focused on gaming and the Call of Duty game, reported the argument began over a $1 or $2 wager over the game.
Update: 911 Call from suspect (4m58s).
Brian Krebs conversed with the apparent suspect over Twitter.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Snotnose on Sunday January 14 2018, @11:38PM (20 children)
Keep It Simple Stupid. Forbid caller ID spoofing in the hardware. Come up with a way around it for those who need it, but be aware that this is a backdoor.
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by tftp on Monday January 15 2018, @12:33AM (6 children)
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 15 2018, @12:54AM (1 child)
I see it, I see it! I'm the Assteller. I can see the future of your ass!
You're walking down a sidewalk, and you see a group of people wearing lab coats looking in your direction. They whisper something amongst themselves, and then say to you, "Ah, so you're the one, huh? I can't wait for the event." Before you can reply, they all abruptly turn and walk away. You're left feeling confused, as you've never seen any of those people before. You decide to walk home.
As you're walking home, you see a large warehouse that was never there before, as if it had appeared out of thin air within the last hour. Even though the sun was out, the building was surrounded by darkness and felt ominous. The unsettling atmosphere of the enigmatic building made you want to leave immediately, but something is drawing you closer to the building. You slowly move towards it...
Once you reach a certain distance from the building, your consciousness suddenly exits your body and you have an out-of-body experience. You look at your body for a few seconds, but then it fades out of existence before your very eyes. Where did it go? You decide to investigate the mysterious warehouse using your new spectral body. You see a window, and decide to approach it.
In the window, you see that the warehouse is mostly empty except for the crates piled up near most of the walls. You also see your body in the middle of some kind of spotlight, and your clothes are gone. Furthermore, your face is on the ground and your ass is pointing up in the air. Surrounding your body is a large group of shadowy figures wearing lab coats; they are all staring at your body and standing out of the light as if they are an audience to some kind of event that is going to take place. You notice that the door to the warehouse is open, so you maneuver your way away from the window and go into the building.
Immediately after entering the warehouse, you lose control of your spiritual body and can no longer move a single cheek. Your consciousness floats upwards and you're forced to view your original body from above. All of a sudden, an ET doll appears a few feet behind your original body. You hear the shadowy figures express surprise and excitement. "It's beginning. I can't wait!" one of them says, in a hushed tone. "A grand experiment is about to unfold; an experiment unlike any the world has ever seen before!" another says. Something is about to begin.
The ET doll gets closer to your bootysnap and points its creepy little hand towards your most snappy of holes. A nauseating grin appears on its face, and you begin to understand that what awaits you is nothing but despair. The ET doll then begins uttering the phrase "Ba la la la leh leh leh!" You have no clue what that means, but you know it can't be good. "Ba la la la leh leh leh!" it says again. What happens next beggars belief.
The ET doll slides its body forward and jabs its disgusting hand into your asshole! Does it hurt? No, it tickles! And this is no ordinary tickle! This tickle is such that you'd rather experience an eternity of the worst physical torment imaginable than feel this tickle for any amount of time! The ET doll removes its hand from your snaphole. Then, it says "Ba la la la leh leh leh!" again and jabs its hand into your asshole yet again, tickling it even further! It slides back out, as if it's gliding along the floor. This action was repeated again and again, and it jabbed its hand into your bootyasscheekcrackhole each time it screamed "Ba la la la leh leh leh!" Then, it seemed to stop.
You know that it doesn't truly have any intention of stopping. An even larger grin appears on its face, and what happens next makes the previous ass tickle you were forced to experience look like nothing. The ET doll begins sliding back and forth at speeds far exceeding the speed of light, jabbing its hand into your asshole an innumerable amount of times. Naturally, the ET doll continues screaming "Ba la la la leh leh leh!" as it tickles your ass. This tickle is unfathomable! No! You can do nothing as the ET doll tickles your precious snap. You hear the crowd of unknown people endlessly cheering for this most grand of experiments...
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 15 2018, @01:01AM
You are a little grandiose with your title. Assbabbler maybe.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Monday January 15 2018, @01:24AM (3 children)
Doesn't have to be consistent, if it's merely expensive, like lawsuits.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by tftp on Monday January 15 2018, @01:37AM (2 children)
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Monday January 15 2018, @02:27AM
Because the other people whose money it is are the same ones who elect the people making the policy decisions. And the ones who pay big bucks in particular, who just happen to be the biggest source of campaign funds for the folks in city governments, are not going to be happy about seeing their money going to pay off legitimate lawsuits for stupid police behavior.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Monday January 15 2018, @02:40AM
(Score: 4, Insightful) by PartTimeZombie on Monday January 15 2018, @12:41AM (2 children)
Keeping it simple is why making a call to an easy to remember number has been the emergency system almost everywhere since Adam played fullback for the disciples.
When my wife broke her ankle, I phoned 111 (which is our emergency number) and said to the nice lady "I think my wife has broken her ankle".
The nice lady sent an ambulance full of blokes trained in what to do if someone has a broken ankle.
Sending pictures would not have helped.
(Score: 2) by Whoever on Monday January 15 2018, @01:42AM (1 child)
Not in the USA. In the USA, having a nationwide number for emergency services is a relatively recent (1968) development.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 15 2018, @03:10AM
Not in the north. 911 is a fictional Hollywood number, like 555 telephone prefixes.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by frojack on Monday January 15 2018, @01:01AM (1 child)
Forbid rolling swat without GPS coordinates of a phone device on the scene. Swat can not approach within half a mile until called by an patrol officer on the scene.
Forbid taking a 911 call from other than an actual phone, geolocated to the address of the request.
This quote from the story:
Is totally wrong. Journalism major at their highest level of performance.
The 911 system we have today is light years ahead of old tech.
We went to all this trouble to force cell phones to have E-911 capability. Its now available everywhere. There's no point in creating an internet of things version of 911 so your light bulbs can be hacked into calling 911. There is really no use case for taking a 911 call over the internet. You don't even need a sim card or a contract of any kind to call 911 on a cell phone.
Current 911 technology does it "not rely" on voice. Every cell phone turns on its GPS and transmits Phase Two location [wikipedia.org] You could be passing out, but if you manage to get 911 dialed you don't have to say a word.
You are better off calling 911 from a cell phone these days than you are from a wire line phone - especially on a corporate campus where the phone company and 911 operators have no real clue where any given number terminates this week.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 3, Informative) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Monday January 15 2018, @04:58AM
I called 9-1-1 because I was experiencing aphasia. That led to my concern that I'd had a stroke
"I'm at the blanchet house of Polly wigs"
"I need a street address"
"Cant you just geolocate my marimba?"
"No. Can you give me a cross street?"
"It's dark. I can't see the street signs"
Finally I wandered around outside looking for a street sign. Had it really been a stroke I would have died
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 2) by frojack on Monday January 15 2018, @01:05AM (1 child)
You do know that caller-id spoofing has nothing to do with 911 modern calls right?
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by ilsa on Monday January 15 2018, @09:37PM
I can't speak for the parent, but I certainly don't. Is it tied to IMEIs or some other kind of internal identifier that the average joe can't change without the phone company getting involved?
(Score: 3, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 15 2018, @02:35AM
Sounds good to me.
So we need new hardware. That will take a while to get rolled out, but it's doable. Didn't you just say KISS though? It'll be a mess until everyone is upgraded.
So not KISS then. MAKE UP YOUR DAMN MIND.
If it's KISS either everybody can spoof or nobody can spoof. No spoofing only for "those who need it." Also, who decides who "needs" it?
(Score: 5, Interesting) by JoeMerchant on Monday January 15 2018, @02:42AM (2 children)
Ironic subject choice. I used to live not far from Yngwie Malmsteen's Miami home, and next door to a SWAT cop. Seems that one night Yngwie's girlfriend's mother went off on a rant and called the police swearing that Yngwie was threatening her daughter's life, then somehow she managed to stir up the house such that when SWAT arrived it ended up in a standoff. So, my neighbor had his scope sighted on Yngwie's forehead for a while, finger on the trigger, until the situation resolved. Basic outcome: the Mom is mentally unbalanced, there wasn't anything remotely like what she was describing going on.
Mom didn't use caller ID spoofing, she just ranted hysterically at the phone and ran about the house like the crazy woman she is yelling at everyone in sight so that the cops arrived to a chaotic, confusing scene. She could have gotten Yngwie killed... Luckily she didn't and they lived happily ever after, though I don't think mom got as locked up as she deserved for that one.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 3, Insightful) by mhajicek on Monday January 15 2018, @04:01AM (1 child)
Luckily for Yngwie your SWAT neighbor had the restraint to not pull that trigger. It could have just as easily gone the other way.
The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
(Score: 3, Informative) by JoeMerchant on Monday January 15 2018, @04:17AM
SWAT neighbor used to wear "Kill 'em all, let God sort 'em out" T-shirts, but he was actually a really level headed and cool dude, even if he did clean his guns on the kitchen table. He and his wife would volunteer across the Boulevard in Little Haiti to help the kids get better education, etc. A big part of being cool and in control like that is to not be afraid, and a big part of not being afraid is getting to know people in non-threatening situations. Or, being hidden in the bushes across the street with a scope, that helps the confidence factor quite a bit, too.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by Wootery on Monday January 15 2018, @12:39PM
Surprised to see this upvoted on SN. We generally don't approve of the government trying to ensure your hardware only does what they want it to, rather than working for its owner.
Practically, the idea fails because there are already millions, if not billions, of devices capable of doing the job, no?
Sounds about as worthwhile as trying to ban MAC spoofing.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 15 2018, @01:19PM
I don't think you know how this thing works. Might as say "forbid porn in hardware" and you would be just as correct.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by crafoo on Monday January 15 2018, @12:59AM (5 children)
'roided up "tactical police" with hand-me-down military toys and a progressively more peaceful populace is the problem. Not swatting calls. Inappropriate tactics, complete failure of leadership, absolute vacancy of responsibility or accountability at ALL levels, and most of all a poisonous and misguided mission: to enable and expedite prosecutions instead of maintaining the peace.
Looking at the USA's current law enforcement agencies with a dispassionate and and neutral eye, there is very little to respect.
I might suggest a 3 Strikes and You're Out policy for police departments. 3 killings of unarmed citizens and the department is dissolved with all members barred from re-entering law enforcement in the United States. I think we would see a whole lot less "swatting" incidents and smoke grenades tossed into baby cribs.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 15 2018, @01:15AM (1 child)
Not going to happen.
Hypothetically, because I would never advocate breaking the law, the only thing that might slow them down would be a concerted effort to swat politically connected and L.E.-related people, by a bunch of nerdy BLM types who can fake realistic calls. When the percentage of raids on their own people gets high enough, they might stop shooting before thinking.
Remember that if they find out who swatted someone, the swatter is also very likely to get swatted very hard.
The hypothetical ultimate would be faking the call so that the swattee gets swatted, then they think that call came from somewhere it didn't, and that one gets swatted too.
ps. How bad has the situation gotten that I can write "their own people" and none of you even questioned it until you read this ps. The police are no longer part of your society.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by fido_dogstoyevsky on Monday January 15 2018, @06:11AM
Actually, I didn't question it then, either. Your last sentence is too accurate.
It's NOT a conspiracy... it's a plot.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 15 2018, @01:18AM
It wasn't a smoke grenade, it was a "flash-bang". Basically a concussion grenade with lots of magnesium in it to make it very bright. Amazing the kid survived at all really.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Monday January 15 2018, @02:47AM (1 child)
Nah, toys are fun... we used to supply drone surveillance to raid teams before they'd roll on a house, check around back, etc. and reduce the unknowns going in, it tends to take the edge off a little and help the cops make better decisions.
Now, there were plenty of cops on the force who had completely messed up priorities about what needed enforcement, and some of them were exclusively interested in pressing drug charges on people of color, but that's not about the equipment. If anything, the equipment tends to increase the safety of those being raided by increasing the confidence of the raiders. Take their toys away and they'll still be running the busts, but they'll be a lot quicker to shoot first, just to be safe.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 15 2018, @06:13AM
Just look at the language your using, If I said I had rolled someone what would you think I had done?
(Score: 4, Interesting) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Monday January 15 2018, @03:04AM
A mentally disabled man is walking out onto I-5 next to the Janssen Beach Safeway.
Can you give me a cross street?
No because there are none within view. The best I can say is that he's next to the Janssen Beach Safeway.
Is that in Washington or Oregon?
I don't know.
This went on for a while as the man's life continued to be at risk. Finally I came up with:
He's on Hayden Island.
No one ever calls that Hayden Island. That the dispatcher didn't know what I meant by Janssen Beach led me to believe that Portland's 9-1-1 was outsourced to a faraway call center.
Hayden island is in Oregon.
Well at least we've made some progress. But she still didn't know where the Safeway was.
Finally she said she was notifying the Oregon State Police.
I waited around for the cop for quite a long time, then decided I was in no mood to see a human being turned into hamburger so I continued walking towards Portland.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 15 2018, @06:08AM (1 child)
You can order fire or ambulance from 911 but not cops for that you have to call a local traceable number problem solved, there are not really any emergencies cops can deal with anyway, it's not wrong to say that when seconds count the cops are minutes away or you know maybe they just won't show up at all.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 15 2018, @12:04PM
It's not the call that is the problem but everything that happens after it. Mostly the shoot first ask later mentality and the complete impunity for doing so, sometimes repeatedly.
(Score: 2) by anotherblackhat on Monday January 15 2018, @02:39PM
Give the public an extra way to contact emergency services?
Please make sure you inform the responders of the quality of the "call".
Was it anonymous? Did they block or spoof their ID?
Then let the police know, so they can make a reasoned response ... yeah, right who am I kidding?