TUCoPS :: AOH Caller ID :: aniinfo.txt

ANI info (lame)


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!         ANI BASIC TUTORIAL           !
!   AUTOMATIC NUMBER INDENTIFICATION   !
!      WRITTEN BY: HELLRAT OF SIC      !
!            ON 03-17-91               !
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WHAT THE FUCK IS ANI? WHY SHOULD I KNOW
ABOUT IT?

  ANI IS SAID TO BE A "RUMORED" SYSTEM
THAT IS CAPABLE OF AUTO TRACING FONE 
CALLS USING ANI-EQUIPPED TELEPHONE 
SYSTEMS.  
   
LET ME BEGIN BY GIVING YOU SOME 
COMMON EXAMPLES OF ANI SYSTEMS PRESENTLY
IN OPERATION NOT ONLY IN THE US, 
BUT ALSO IN CANADA AND EUROPE:
   
1.  911 (EMERGENCY AREA SERVICE) IS ANI.
THE SECOND YOU CALL THE SYSTEM
CAN DETECT THE CALLING NUMBER.  TIED 
TO A COMPUTERIZED DATABASE
CONSISTING OF PHONE COMPANY RECORDS 
OF THE ADDRESS SERVICED AND
THE ACCOUNT NAME.....INSTANT INFORMATION
AS IS PASSED TO A COMPUTER MONITOR FOR
ASSISTANCE IN FIRE, POLICE, MEDICAL.

2.  LD  ANI CREDIT CARD TOLL CALLING.
IF YOU HAVE SEEN PHONES WHICH TAKE
CREDIT CARDS WHERE YOU CAN PASS YOUR 
"TAPE STRIPE" DOWN THE PHONE..THIS IS 
AN ANI EQUIPPED SYSTEM.  IT WILL
AUTOMATICALLY READ THE CREDIT CARD,
REPORT THE CALLING NUMBER, NUMBER
CONNECTED TO, THE CREDIT CARD, AND THE
CREDIT CARD COMPANY WHERE MULTIPLE CARDS
ARE ACCEPTED.

3.  CO/411
CAN YOU CALL YOUR OPERATOR (USUALLY
0 OR 00), INFORMATION (411), OR YOUR
LOCAL BUSINESS OFFICE AND HAVE THEM 
TELL THAT IT IS YOU..OR CAN THEY CALL 
YOU BACK WITHOUT ASKING FOR YOUR NUMBER?
           
IF SO, THEN THE CO (CENTRAL OFFICE) IS
PROVIDING ANI SERVICE TO THE BUSINESS
OFFICES.
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         HOW DOES IT OPERATE?
   
   ANI IS AN ENCRYPTED SET OF SIGNALS
ORIGINATING AT YOUR ECO (EXCHANGE CENTRAL
OFFICE) THAT PASSES IN THE SIGNAL THRU
ALL CONNECTIONS TO THE TERMINAL PAIR
(THE PERSON YOU ARE CALLING).  THIS 
SIGNAL IS COMMON ON ALL ESS (ELECTRONIC
SWITCHING SYSTEMS) AND HAS BEEN AROUND 
FOR YEARS. ONE POINT I WILL REITERATE
ANI HAS EXISTED FOR MANY YEARS! THE 
SIGNAL HAS ALWAYS BEEN AROUND BUT WAS 
ENCRYPTED (ENCRYPTION PASSWORD WHEN 
YOU MODEM) SO ONLY TELECOMM EXPERTS AND
PHONE COMPANY PEOPLE KNEW IT.

   THE SIGNAL FLOATS ALL OVER THE 
COUNTRY SO THAT TELECOS CAN TRACK CALLS
FOR INTERCO INTERSTATE LD REVENUE 
SHARING ON LD CALLS, MONITORING, 
CONTROLLING LD TRAFFIC, AND MANY OTHER
TELLCO USES.
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      WHO HAS ANI CAPABILITY?
   
   LET ME PREFACE THIS BY SAYING THAT 
THERE ARE A COUPLE OF ANI FORMATS, THE
TWO MOST COMMON I WILL REFER TO AS THE 
MCI AND THE AT&T SYSTEM OF FORMATTING
AS THEY ARE COMMONLY KNOWN.  HOWEVER, 
EACH IS BOTH DETECTABLE AND DECODABLE
WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SYSTEM 
ALTHOUGH DIFFERENT OR "MULTI-CAPABILITY"
DECODING IS REQUIRED AT PRESENT TO 
HANDLE ALL ANI FORMATS IN EXISTANCE.
THE WORLD AIN'T A PERFECT STANDARD WHEN
BIG CORPRORATIONS ECONOMICALLY COMPETE
TO MAKE THEIR'S "THE STANDARD"!)

1.  OBVIOUSLY THE TELEPHONE COMPANY

2.  LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES.  IT WOULD
STAND TO REASON THAT IF YOU HAVE 911 OR
A TELEPHONE COMPANY WITH A SECURITY 
DEPARTMENT THAT THEY OPERATE CLOSELY 
WITH THE PHONE COMPANIES!

3.  "AUDIBON" THIS IS A BUZZ WORK FOR 
THE US MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK 
WHICH OPERATES ON BASES, SUPPLY DEPOTS,
AND OTHER INSTALLATIONS WHERE SECURITY 
OF INFORMATION AND TRACING IS REQUIRED.
   
4.  GOVERNMENT AGENCIES- NEEDLESS TO 
SAY IF WE CAN SEND A MAN TO THE MOON, 
DROP BOMBS DOWN AIRSHAFTS, AND HAVE 
OTHER "HIGH-TECH" SYSTEMS YOU WOULD 
NOT ASSUME THAT THE SECRET SERVICE, 
FBI, AND OTHER AGENCIES WOULD NOT 
EASILY HAVE THE CAPABILITY.

5.  NOW THE KICKER.....
       
  (A)  PUBLIC TELECO SERVICE - IS BEING
OFFERED IN TEST CASES IN NEW JERSEY AND
A FEW OTHER LOCATIONS FOR $ 3-4/MONTH. 
THAT MEANS IF YOU CALL THESE AREAS AND 
THE OTHER PARTY HAS SIGNED FOR THE
SERVICE THEY INSTANTLY HAVE YOUR NUMBER
       
  (B) "BLACK BOXES" - REMEMBER I SAID THE
"SIGNATURE" PASSES FROM THE ORIGINATOR 
TO ALL POINTS AS A PART OF THE SIGNAL
(TRANSMISSION OR YOUR TELEPHONE CALL). 
SO ANYONE HAVING A "DESCRAMBLER" CAN 
DECIPHER THIS NO MATTER WHERE THEY ARE 
OR WHETHER THE LOCAL PHONE COMPANY 
OFFERS ANI SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC.

  (C)  CONSULTANTS/DEVELOPERS - 
OBVIOUSLY ANYONE WHO IS INVOLVED IN 
TELECOMMUNICATIONS DEVELOPMENT, SWITCH
TECHNOLOGY, CONSULTING, OR OTHER AREAS
WOULD KNOW OF THE TECHNOLOGY AND COULD
HAVE ANI.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? CAN I TELL IF A
CALL IS ANI DETECTED?
   
NO...TO THE LATER QUESTION YOU CAN NOT
TELL IF YOUR CALL WAS ANI DETECTED BY 
THE PERSON YOU CALLED.  ALL THEY NEED 
DO IS TO DECIPHER A CODE THAT WAS 
ALREADY IN THE LINE.
   
VARIES....BASICALLY LOOKS LIKE A 
LITTLE BOX WITH A DISPLAY (LED/LCD)
WHICH DISPLAYS THE NUMBER CALLING 
(INCLUDING AREA CODE OR INTERNATIONAL 
WHERE APPLICABLE).
      
THE MORE SOPHISTICATED ANIS HAVE A 
PRECISION CLOCK AND A MEMORYTO HOLD THE
EXACT DATE, TIME, LENGTH OF CALL, 
NUMBER WHICH CALLED, AND OTHER 
INFORMATION FOR 10-100 UNITS DEPENDING 
ON THE EQUIPMENT.

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WHAT ABOUT IF I AM INTERNATIONAL? OR SAY
AN OLD "STEPPER" OFFICE?
   
1.  OLD STEPPER TYPE (ROTARY) IS NOT ANI
AT THE CO WITHOUT VERY SPECIAL OFFICE 
ADAPTIONS....SO CHANCES ARE YOU ARE NOT 
AUTOMATICALLY SENDING ANI IDENTIFICATION

2.  INTERNATIONALLY.....THIS VARIES BUT 
GENERALLY THE OLDER SYSTEMS WILL NOT BE
ANI UNLESS THEY MEET ONE OF THE ABOVE
TESTS SUCH AS 911, CREDIT CARD, ETC.
   
HOWEVER, THIS IS THE BIG HOWEVER SO PAY
ATTENTION!

   THERE IS AND "HAS BEEN" FOR A LONG 
TIME WHAT I WILL CALL "REVERSE ANI".
PEOPLE OFTEN SHOOT THEIR MOUTHS SAYING
THEY CAN'T BE TRACED CAUSE THEY ARE IN 
SUCH-N-SUCH A PLACE, DON'T HAVE ESS, OR
GIVE ME OTHER LAME EXPLANATIONS.
   
   WELL, YOU ARE TOTALLY WRONG! WE CAN 
REVERSE SEND AN ANI IDENT! JUST AS MOST
US PHONES AUTOMATICALLY ARE NOW SENDING
ANI CODES, WE CAN SEND (ADD IF YOU WANT
TO THINK OF IT THAT WAY) A REVERSE 
IDENT AS PHONES ARE TWO-WAY 
COMMUNICATIONS.  THIS SIGNAL CAN BE 
"ENCODED" AS A SPECIAL TELECO ALERT
SEQUENCE. (FOR THOSE THAT HAVE FLOWN 
THIS IS LIKE TRANSPONDER SQUAWKING OF
3300 OR 7600....NON-PILOTS THAT IS A 
KIDNAP OR HIGHJACK TYPE SITUATION).
   
   ONCE "REVERSE-ANI" IS INITIATED ALL 
STATIONS ARE INSTANTLY ALERTED ALL THE
WAY BACK TO THE ORIGINATOR.  WHILE IT 
IS TRUE THAT PERHAPS THEN MAY NOT GET
RIGHT TO YOUR INDIVIDUAL PHONE 
INSTANTLY, WITHIN A FEW COMPUTER 
MICROSECONDS THEN CAN GET TO ANY 
INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM AND CALL THAT 
SYSTEM.  EVEN THOSE SYSTEM NOT YET 
TOTALLY EQUIPPED HAVE ANI DECODERS 
AND CAN TRACE A CALL INA VERY FEW 
MINUTES BY LOOKINF FOR THE "FINGERPRINT"
OF "REVERSE ANI IDENT" ON A PARTICULAR 
TRUNK, CABLE, OR PAIR (YOUR PHONE)!

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      CAN ANI BE "DEFEATED"?  

SUPPOSE I DON'T WANT EVERYONE TO HAVE MY 
PHONE NUMBER! ANYTHING CAN BE DEFEATED,
SO TECHNICALLY THE ANSWER WOULD BE YES.
    
PRACTICALLY HOWEVER, NO!  ANI CAN 
NOT UNDER "NORMAL CONDITIONS" BE
OVERCOME.  THIS IS ONE OF THE MAJOR 
REASONS WHY:

THE EXISTANCE OF ANI, IT'S ENCRYPTION 
CODES, AND PARAMETERS HAVE BEEN A VERY 
UNKNOWN TO THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE.
I WILL GIVE YOU SOME "NEGATIVES" OF ANI
THAT ARE CROPPING UP.

1.  LAW ENFORCEMENT - DRUG DEALERS, 
BUNKO ARTISTS, CONS, AND OTHER CRIMINAL 
ELEMENTS COULD EASILY SEE ANI CODES AND
QUICKLY LEARN THAT SAY 914-954-XXXX IS 
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.  THEREFORE, 
INVESTIGATIONS, UNDERCOVER
INVESTIGATIONS, AND "STINGS" COULD 
BECOME BOTH DIFFICULT AND PERHAPS  
DANGEROUS.

2.  PRIVACY - THE IDEA OF THE "UNLISTED 
PHONE NUMBER" IS A MYTH UNDER ANI AS 
IT EXISTS.  ANYONE YOU WOULD CALL WITH
ANI WOULD HAVE YOUR NUMBER......

3.  ABUSE - SALES AGENTS, TELEMARKETING
FIRMS, PHONE SOLICITORS AND OTHERS 
COULD ABUSE ANI TO GAIN UNFAIR SALES
TACTICS, PLACE YOUR INFORMATION ON 
"MAILING LISTS", OR OTHERWISE GAIN THE 
ABILITY TO HARRASS YOU OR SNOOP.
                         
HERE, ANOTHER CHIEF CONCERN IN 
"COLLECTION FIRMS".
ARMED WITH A COMPUTER AND CO-OP LISTS 
OF ANI FROM OTHER COMPUTER BANKS.
A COLLECTION FIRM COULD HARRASS PEOPLE 
TO EXTREMES.

ANOTHER MAJOR CONCERN IS THE "SO-CALLED"
900 SERVICE NUMBERS SUCH AS THE "TALK" 
AND "DATE" LINES WHICH COULD SUBJECT 
PEOPLE TO TERRIBLE HARASSMENT OR EVEN 
POSSIBLE PHYSICAL THREAT BYTHE ACTUAL 
NAME, PHONE NUMBER, AND OTHER DATA OF
AN ANONOMYS CALLER BEING EXPOSED.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

          IS ANI ALL BAD? 
         WILL IT "DESTROY" 
    BBS AND THE MODEMING HOBBY?

          ABSOLUTELY NOT!  

1.  ANI ALLOWS ABSOLUTE IDENTIFICATION 
OF YOUR MEMBERS.  WITH THE PROPERSETUP 
ANI WILL NOT ALLOW A MEMBER TO LOG ONTO
YOUR SYSTEM WITHOUT USING A VALID ANI 
CODE (THAT IS THE ACTUAL PHONE YOU HAVE
VALIDATED FOR THAT MEMBER).
    
2.  ANI WILL LOG ALL INCOMING CALL 
NUMBERS.  NO ONE CAN GIVE YOU FALSE
INFORMATION SUCH AS THEIR PHONE NUMBER 
AS YOU WILL HAVE A VALID ANI FOR THE 
CALLER.

3.  "HACKERS" ARE ELIMINATED.  BY USING
ANI NO ONE CAN USE ANOTHER MEMBER'S 
ACCOUNT EVEN IF YOU GAVE HIM THE NAME 
AND PASSWORD....HE WOULD CALL BUT HAVE 
AN "IMPROPER ANI SIGNATURE" AND BE 
UNABLE TO GAIN ACCESS.
    
4.  INVASION OF PRIVACY OR UNAUTHORIZED
ACCESS.  WITH ANI YOU HAVE A RECORD OF 
CALLS AND ANI CODES.  SO SHOULD SOMEONE
AGREED TO YOUR APPLICATIONS, LOGON 
SCREENS, POLICIES, AND BULLETINS 
(I REFER TO THE ONES WE HAVE DEVELOPED)
AND THEN ATTEMPT ANYTHING, THERE ARE 
DEFINITE LAWS REGARDING ENTRAPMENT, 
INVASION OF PRIVACY, AND 500 OTHER 
FEDERAL LAWS THAT WERE JUST VIOLATED!
        
MY POINT HERE SHOULD BE WELL NOTED:  
THE LAW IS A VERY SHARP BUT
"DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD".  WITH ANI LOGGING
NO ONE CAN GET ONTO YOURSYSTEM AS A NEW
MEMBER PROVIDING YOU HAVE A GOOD 
SCREENING SYSTEM AND ENFORCE IT 100%..
ONLY BY YOU NOT ENFORCING 100% AND 
BEING LAX CAN ANYONE, ANYPLACE, 
ANYTHING EVER  GAIN ACCESS!
   
5.  POSITIVE PROOF IF SET UP PROPERLY 
TO SHOW THAT YOUR SYSTEM DOES NOT
KNOWINLY ALLOW ANY VIOLATIONS OF 
APPLICABLE RULES OR REGULATIONS.
        
6.  LD CHARGES....EVERY MAJOR SYSOP HAS
HAD PROBLEMS WITH PEOPLE USING "CODES" 
TO CHARGE CALLS TO THEM.  WITH ANI AND 
A DECENTLY MODIFIED UDLOG SHOWING THE 
ANI IDENT.....THIS WILL STOP INSTANTLY 
WHEN YOU GET YOUR BILL AND COMPARE 
THOSE AGAINST YOUR UDLOG!

7.  EVER FORGET A PHONE NUMBER IN 
TALKING TO SOMEONE (HERE AGAIN I
ASSUME PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT LETTING 
COMPUTER'S MONITOR CALLS OR LETTING
AN ANSWERING MACHINE/COMPUTER WORK IN 
TANDEM WITH VOICE.  WELL I CAN NOT 
UNLESS THE COMPUTER AND ANI ARE 
DEACTIVATED.

8.  WHAT ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE YOU JUST 
"DON'T WANT TO TALK TO"??  WELL YOU CAN
EITHER SEE THE ANI IDENTIFICATION FOR 
THEIR NUMBERS AND LET YOUR MACHINE 
ANSWER. OR WITH A LITTLE SOPHISTICATION
LET YOUR COMPUTER TELL YOU WHO IS 
CALLING AND THEN DECIDE WHETHER YOU ARE
HOME OR NOT. (HINT: THERE'S A LIBRARY 
IN LIBS: CALLED TRANSLATOR. LIBRARY 
AND A THING CALLED PIPING OR 
"REDIRECTED BRANCHING" SO YOU CAN SAVE 
SOMETHING AND USE THAT LIBRARY?)  
MOTHER-IN-LAWS ARE A GREAT APPLICATION 
FOR THIS ONE.....OR THE BOSS THAT WANTS
YOU TO COME IN SUDDENLY ON SUNDAY RIGHT
BEFORE THE BIG GAME!

9.  EVER GET THOSE "HARRASSING" CALLS 
LIKE "BREATHING", THE ASSHOLE THAT LOGS
ON YOUR BBS 50 TIMES UNDER PHONE NAMES, 
THREATENS TO BLOW UP YOUR CAR. OR SAYS 
HE GONNA KICK YOUR FUCKIN ASS!
        
WELL WITH AN ANI LOG YOU HAVE ALL THESE
PEOPLE COLD, DEAD FUCKS! THE EVIDENCE IS
RIGHT THERE AND A QUICK RETURN CALL IF 
THEY ARE A MODEM...OR A PRINTOUT IF 
VOICE WITH VERY QUICKLY SOLVE YOUR 
PROBLEM.

OK....BUT WHAT ABOUT THE "NEGATIVES" 
FOR BBSS AND MODEMERS?

1.  IF A SYSTEM IN ANI IDENTIFICATION 
SENSITIVE, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO CALL 
FROM A FRIEND'S HOUSE OR ELSEWHERE 
UNLESS THAT HAS BEEN PRE-AUTHORIZED IN 
THE "ACCEPTED CODES" FOR YOUR ACCOUNT.
    
2.  THERE ARE "SOME" WHICH WILL HATE 
ANI, FOR REASONS I WON'T GO INTO AND 
ARE OBVIOUS.  AS A HOBBIEST MY FIRST 
CONCERN IS MY SYSTEM AND THAT OF MY 
FRIENDS REGARDING: SECURITY AND LEGAL 
COMPLIANCE.
        
SPECIAL SAFETY SUCH AS "REVERSE ANI" 
IS THE INTERESTS OF OTHERS IN WHICH I 
ONLY HAVE INTEREST IF SOMEONE THREATENS
ME OR FRIENDS. THEREFORE, I DON'T SEE 
THIS AS A REAL CONCERN.

TRY THIS ANI DEMONSTRATION
1-800-933-3258

+-------------------------------------+
!      WRITTEN BY HELLRAT OF SIC!     !
+-------------------------------------+
!        SPECIALISTS IN CRIME         !
+-------------------------------------+

CALL SIC HQ'Z: UNDERGROUND ASYLUM
               215-944-0719
               H/P/A ONLY!
+-------------------------------------+
CALL MY VMB: 1-800-831-9679  BOX: 8+310
+-------------------------------------+

GROUP GREETINGS TO: MOF, ATC, NEI,
                    VERDICT, ILLUSION

PERSONAL GREETINGS TO: SCARECROW,
NIGHTBREED, METALLIKAT, ARTMAN, 
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JUDGE DREDD, LIGHTNING, TERMINATOR,
PROBLEM CHILD

   - AND ALL OTHERS I FORGOT -

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