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Wow, that's great, so all the NYPD needs to do is grep through their text message database for "Can you come over?" sent to the same numbers over and over along

Wow, that's great, so all the NYPD needs to do is grep through their text message database for "Can you come over?" sent to the same numbers over and over along with their other "code words". There are secure methods of transmitting data that would not raise the suspicions of police or be trivially greppable. Very surprised such "sophisticated" criminals let an obvious mistake through a published article. They should have bought a pentest from a reputable firm.

pyrophane 10y ago
There are a lot similar services in NYC that allow you to text a number to summon a deliver person to your home. The only thing that makes this one unique is that they hire models. I'm sure the NYPD is aware that these services exist, and I doubt it would be difficult to identify most of the larger ones and shut them down if the city cared enough to allocate the resources to do so. The fact that that isn't happening is probably an indication that no one cares. If that changes it will probably have to do more with the unpaid taxes than anything else.
schoen 10y ago
Machine learning just on text message metadata can probably be surprisingly accurate on classifying relationships and situations like friend, lover, employee, breakup, drug dealer, prostitute. Compare https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/mar/13/phone-call-metadata-does-betray-sensitive-details-about-your-life-study https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/mar/13/phone-cal... which included some manual analysis and use of telephone directories and some automated analysis. (Their data set was tiny and derived from opt-in contributions.) http://webpolicy.org/2014/03/12/metaphone-the-sensitivity-of-telephone-metadata/ http://webpolicy.org/2014/03/12/metaphone-the-sensitivity-of... I'm still hoping to see, and maybe help bring about, better technical and legal protections for communications in my lifetime, or at least better technical protections.
deleted 10y ago
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pyrophane 10y ago

There are a lot similar services in NYC that allow you to text a number to summon a deliver person to your home. The only thing that makes this one unique is that they hire models. I'm sure the NYPD is aware that these services exist, and I doubt it would be difficult to identify most of the larger ones and shut them down if the city cared enough to allocate the resources to do so. The fact that that isn't happening is probably an indication that no one cares. If that changes it will probably have to do more with the unpaid taxes than anything else.

schoen 10y ago

Machine learning just on text message metadata can probably be surprisingly accurate on classifying relationships and situations like friend, lover, employee, breakup, drug dealer, prostitute. Compare https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/mar/13/phone-call-metadata-does-betray-sensitive-details-about-your-life-study https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/mar/13/phone-cal... which included some manual analysis and use of telephone directories and some automated analysis. (Their data set was tiny and derived from opt-in contributions.) http://webpolicy.org/2014/03/12/metaphone-the-sensitivity-of-telephone-metadata/ http://webpolicy.org/2014/03/12/metaphone-the-sensitivity-of... I'm still hoping to see, and maybe help bring about, better technical and legal protections for communications in my lifetime, or at least better technical protections.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]