The rise of mobile use in recent years has accelerated exponentially. The result has been more and more people utilising mobile and IoT devices in their daily lives for communication purposes. This has also meant an increase in the amount of criminals using these devices for illegal activities. Lawful Interception allows governments to access telecommunications data related to customers flagged for potential illegal activities to prevent these activities from occurring. Below, we answer the questions, “What is Lawful Interception, and what role does this play in telecommunications?”.
Understanding Lawful Interception
Before we can understand the significance of Lawful Interception, or LI as it is often referred to, we must understand what this term means.
In simple terms, Lawful Interception refers to the legally approved surveillance of telecommunication services. This means that Telcos, equipment vendors and internet service providers must comply with the government’s requirements for Lawful Inception.
In its basic form, this kind of inception will target specific users, often criminals unaware that their communication data is under surveillance. Their phone calls, text messages, emails, and other forms of electronic communication will be monitored by law enforcement or government agencies.
Lawful Interception has become a critical tool for law enforcement agencies and government services globally in investigating and prosecuting criminal activities and terrorist operations. With the right technology in place, like Adapt IT Telecoms CDRlive platform, Telcos can quickly and effectively provide law enforcement agencies and governments, who have court orders and legal authorisation, to intercept this customer communication data.
The legal framework for Lawful Interception differs from country to country but generally requires authorisation by a court order or a warrant issued by a judge. The process for obtaining these orders may vary, but there is often a requirement to demonstrate probable cause or reasonable suspicion of criminal activity.
From the above, we can say that the primary purpose of lawful interception is to aid in criminal investigations, national security, and preventing illegal activities.
Benefits of Lawful Interception for Governments
From the above, it is clear that Lawful Interception is essential in preventing criminal activities and tracking criminals. This is especially important when considering how many of these activities are being planned utilising mobile phones and networks. Other benefits of Lawful Interception for Governments include the following:
- Crime Prevention and Detection: Lawful interception can help government agencies prevent and investigate criminal activities, including terrorism, drug trafficking, cybercrime, and organised crime. Access to communication data can be crucial in identifying and apprehending criminals.
- National Security: Monitoring and intercepting communications can be essential for safeguarding national security. It can help detect and prevent terrorist plots, espionage, and other threats to a country’s safety.
- Public Safety: Lawful interception can assist in locating missing persons, tracking down potential threats, and responding to emergencies more effectively. It can also be used in cases of child abduction or human trafficking.
Evidence in Legal Proceedings: Intercepted communication data can be crucial evidence in court proceedings. It can help establish guilt or innocence, support investigations, and contribute to a fair and just legal system.
Concerns and Limitations of Lawful Interception
Even though Lawful interception plays an important role in preventing illegal activities, several limitations and challenges are associated with this. These include the following:
- Privacy Concerns: One of the primary concerns is the potential violation of privacy rights. Intercepting private communications without consent can infringe upon an individual’s right to privacy, as enshrined in many legal systems and international human rights treaties.
- Technological Limitations: Advances in encryption and communication technologies can make it more challenging to intercept communications effectively. End-to-end encryption, for example, can prevent intermediaries (including government agencies) from accessing the content of messages.
- Data Security: The storage and management of intercepted data raise concerns about data security. Unauthorised access to intercepted data can result in leaks and breaches, exposing sensitive information to malicious actors.
- Resource Intensive: Lawful interception can be resource-intensive, requiring significant manpower and technology investments. This can strain government budgets and divert resources from other critical areas.
To address these concerns and limitations, many legal systems have established safeguards and oversight mechanisms to ensure that Lawful Interception is conducted in a way that balances the need for security with individual rights and freedoms. These safeguards often include judicial oversight, strict legal requirements, and transparency measures.
The question remains: How do Telcos ensure they can provide governments and law enforcement agencies with the communication and consumer data required? This question is essential considering the challenges mentioned above, the large volumes of big data coming through the network, and the vast numbers of consumers using the network at any given time. The answer lies in deploying innovative advanced analytics software like Adapt IT Telecoms CDRlive and Vision technology.
Adapt IT Telecoms Solutions: CDRlive and Vision Technology
Adapt IT Telecoms CDRlive and Vision technology allows governments and law enforcement agencies to implement Lawful Interception and monitor the movement of local citizens and international visitors using Call Detail Records (CDRs) and other network event data.
CDRlive enables Telcos to pull specific data, information and insights related to the consumer in question and present all the data in easy-to-understand reports. This is made possible through Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. The Vision software takes things one step further. It allows government and law enforcement agencies to track and monitor targeted consumers within the legal framework required for Lawful Interception, no matter their mobile device. As long as these consumers are connected to a mobile network, their numbers can be tracked.
This assists governments in managing several different scenarios, which include the following:
- In the case of a disease outbreak, law enforcement agencies can use this software to identify the locations and areas where an infected person has travelled, inform the people who may have been in contact with them and let them know that they need to get tested or seek medical assistance.
- In the case of a fatal accident, this technology can assist in locating the deceased person’s next of kin.
- This software benefits anti-terrorism operations and enables governments to track and trace those on watchlists.
- In the case of a terrorist attack, this software will not only be able to track those who may have been affected by the attack but also help identify people in the area to narrow down the search and assist in identifying possible suspects.
- In the case of a kidnapping situation, this software will also be able to track those who were in the location at the time of the kidnapping to narrow the search and identify possible leads.
The CDRlive and Vision software is incredibly versatile and can be used by government organisations and law enforcement agencies for the following:
- Real-time tracking of specific people – this can be done in real-time directly to the Telco system (GMLC). Government agencies are also able to use triangulation to improve the accuracy of location, but this is dependent on the network’s SMLC/eSMLC
- Historical tracking of a watchlist –Government agencies can import all relevant data required to assist in the handset location of those on watchlists, such as VOICE, DATA, SMS, USSD, records, etc
- Identifying Interactions based on location – you can specifically target those in specific areas or regions to keep storage and processing to a minimum.
This solution also enables governments or law enforcement agencies to:
- Manage watchlists and add new MSDISDNs manually.
- Monitor the movement of people using geofencing and send out alerts to the relevant government department concerning the movements of specific people.
- Send out alerts directly to citizens.
There are several additional benefits to the CRDlive Engine and Vision software that make this solution an excellent option for governments looking for a way to facilitate Lawful Interception. These include:
- The use of non-intrusive technology.
- 100% connectivity and participation of all active mobile devices connected to the Mobile Networks.
- Complimentary Failover system running 24/7 seamlessly in the background.
- Proven technology used by various networks worldwide.
- A location-based solution that enables the real-time tracking of local citizens and travellers.
- All processes can be managed from a centralised control centre and distributed per state or area as required.
Conclusion
From the above, it is clear that Lawful Interception plays a vital role in helping governments prevent and track criminals and illegal behaviour through their communication on the network. Telcos, therefore, play an essential role in assisting governments and law enforcement agencies by providing communication data related to the identified customer. However, a Telco must have a specific advanced analytics solution that makes it easy to identify the information and insights required by these agencies, such as Adapt IT Telecoms CDRlive technology. This technology, coupled with the Vision software, can help government and law enforcement agencies take Lawful Inception a step further by assisting in the real-time tracking of criminals, the historical tracking of watch lists and identifying interactions based on locations. This ultimately helps governments and law enforcement agencies prevent and manage criminal behaviour and keep citizens safe.
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I’m the Advanced Analytics Solution Stream Owner at Adapt IT Telecoms. With my years of experience in the ICT industry, I have gained skills in various areas including Sales, Strategy, Professional Services, Management, Cloud, and Digital Transformation. My team and I specialise in providing niche large data solutions to markets such as mobile network, education, and regulatory. As the Solution Stream Owner, I’m responsible for ensuring that we deliver top-notch services and innovative solutions to our clients. My journey in this field started as a technical engineer and over the years, I have moved into pre-sales, business development, consulting, analytics, commercial, and operations management. This has given me a diverse set of skills, which allows me to have conversations that lead to innovative solutions. What I’m most passionate about is the integration between software and people, both within society and organisations. It’s a challenge, but one that I find extremely rewarding. I’m committed to ensuring that we continue to provide cutting-edge solutions that help our clients stay ahead of the competition.
