CALEA:The Communications Assistance for

Law Enforcement Act

Doug Carlson, Executive Director, Communications and Computing Services, NYU

Mark Luker, Vice President, EDUCAUSENancy Tribbensee, Associate Vice President for Legal

Affairs, ASU

Wendy Wigen - Moderator

What is CALEA?

CALEA is the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act. It was originally enacted in 1994. It requires providers of commercial voice services to engineer their networks in such a way as to assist law enforcement agencies in executing wiretap orders.

Until August 5, 2005 that is…..

CALEA: New Report and Order

On August 5, 2005, in response to a request by law enforcement, the FCC voted to extend CALEA to include facilities-based Internet service providers.

Facilities-based Internet service providers are defined as: "entities that provide transmission or switching over their own facilities between the end user and the Internet Service Provider."

Arguments for/against extending CALEA to ISPs

Law EnforcementThe Internet is increasingly the communication of choice for criminal activityLegal intercepts need to be easier and less expensive for LEAn “exempt” system is a magnet for criminal activity

Education and LibrariesCongress should decide not the FCC or DoJLE has sufficient access nowCost to comply can’t be justifiedWill slow innovation

Two Part Decision

Part #1: Decided: CALEA does apply to ISPs and all facilities-based Internet service providers are covered. Full compliance is required in 18 months..

Part #2: Still to be decided: What will be required (standards of compliance) and will there be an “special cases” allowed (i.e. small rural providers or education and research networks).

Currently underway

1. Petition for Review with the Federal Court of Appeals

2. Comments to the FCC on “Part #2” of the CALEA ruling

3. Continued negotiations with the DoJ on a compromise position.

Current Proposal:

Single point-of-contact Standard procedures established24x7 assistance available Personnel trained in procedural, legal and technical demands of assisting legal intercepts.Some gateway equipment would be replaced, but only under the normal replacement cycle

CALEA Tech Group

Doug Carlson (Chair), NYUMark Luker: EDUCAUSE liaison

Pete Siegel, UIUCMike Corn, UIUC

Clair Goldsmith, UT SystemWayne Wedemeyer, UT Austin

David Walker, UCOPShaun Abshere, WiscNetRon Johnson, ARENsEric Boyd, Internet2

How might a request work?

Lawful Authorization

Law Enforcement

Telecommunication Service ProviderService Provider Administration

(Turn on Lawful Intercept feature of switch)

Delivery Function

Collection Function

Access Function

Law Enforcement Administration

(Switch collects Lawful Intercept

data)

(Securely deliver information to LEA)

(Order generated)

CALEA FAQ

Where can I find out more?Educause

• http://www.educause.edu/calea

AskCALEA• http://www.askcalea.net/

FCC• http://www.fcc.gov/calea/

Selected vendor information • “Cisco Service Independent Intercept

Architecture” (sign on required to access on Cisco web site)

• RFC 3924– http://www.apps.ietf.org/rfc/rfc3924.html