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From: lars@spectrum.cmc.com (Lars Poulsen)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: What are Secure Lines?
Message-ID: <15759@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 2 Jan 91 08:09:33 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 4, Message 6 of 12


In article <15743@accuvax.nwu.edu> astph!joe@cs.psu.edu (Joe
Broniszewski) writes:

>I read ... "The Cookoo's Egg" by Cliff Stoll. ... In the book, Cliff
>mentioned what he called a *secure line*.  When ever he called a government
>agency that meant business (ie. FBI, NSA, CIA) they would call him back on
>one of these secure lines.

I think Cliff was working for LLBL, i.e. DoE. They would qualify for
the STU-III program, so I think that's what he meant.

>1.  Technically speaking what is the difference between a secure line
>and a non-secure line?
>2.  Are calls routed differently?
>3.  Who are the LDC's for such lines?
>4.  What role does the BOC play in such a set up?

STU-III is an encryption protocol; essentially, the telephones switch
to "data mode" like modems. Any IEC may be used to carry such calls.


Lars Poulsen, SMTS Software Engineer     
CMC Rockwell  lars@CMC.COM