Legislature(2005 - 2006)BUTROVICH 205
04/25/2006 08:30 AM Senate JUDICIARY
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB308 | |
| SB316 | |
| HB439 | |
| SB307 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | HB 308 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 307 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 442 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 439 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| = | SB 316 | ||
HB 308-CALLER ID HACKERS
8:39:52 AM
CHAIR RALPH SEEKINS announced CSHB 308(JUD) am to be up for
consideration.
REPRESENTATIVE BOB LYNN, bill sponsor, introduced the bill. He
warned the committee that the telephone caller identification
(ID) system is no longer to be trusted. Both private individuals
and commercial "spoofers" can now cause false caller
identification to be displayed on any caller ID screen.
The power to create serious mischief with caller ID spoofing
technology is almost unlimited. It can facilitate fraud and be
potentially dangerous. Scam artists who appear to be phoning
from a reputable agency can defraud victims with ease. There is
also potential for hoax emergency calls with false caller ID to
law enforcement or the fire department.
Anyone with sufficient computer and telephonic skills can spoof
telephone caller ID systems. In fact, an entire telephone
spoofing industry has emerged and is growing daily. CSHB
308(JUD) am would make it a class B misdemeanor for any person
who inserts false information into a caller ID system, except
for legitimate reasons.
8:43:28 AM
SENATOR HOLLIS FRENCH asked whether there has been any spoofing
done in Alaska.
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN said probably but he had no evidence of it.
SENATOR FRENCH asked Representative Lynn whether he checked with
the Consumer Protection Agency and law enforcement agencies to
see whether this is a problem in Alaska.
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN said no.
SENATOR FRENCH asked whether the attorney general or any law
enforcement agency has contacted him regarding the issue.
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN said no.
DIRK MOFFATT, Staff to Representative Lynn, directed committee
members to a letter of support in the bill packet from the
Alaska Network for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. He said
it was a new issue. Anyone can purchase what is called a "spoof
card," phone into a call center, enter the phone number they
want displayed on the caller ID, enter a name, and even select a
change of voice. It takes no special skills to do so.
8:46:43 AM
SENATOR GRETCHEN GUESS joined the meeting.
SENATOR FRENCH asked whether a person wanting to protect their
identity could still do so.
MR. MOFFATT said that option is available through the regular
phone company service. The bill is trying to stop people from
pretending to be an institution such as "Bank of America."
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN added that entering the false information
would be the crime. Caller ID spoofing is very easy to do using
voice-over technology.
SENATOR CHARLIE HUGGINS asked Mr. Moffatt how detectable the
spoofing is.
MR. MOFFATT said it is very difficult to catch someone doing it.
8:49:39 AM
SENATOR HUGGINS asked whether it was easy to ensure that an
innocent person was not charged with the crime.
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN responded that the call would not be
emanating from an innocent person's phone. It would just appear
that it was coming from someone else's phone. United States
Congressman Tim Murphy was a victim of caller ID spoofing and is
currently encouraging all fifty states to enact legislation of
the same type.
CHAIR SEEKINS noted he uses a calling card to make long distance
calls and the number displayed on the caller ID system is not
the number from where he is calling. He asked whether that would
be a violation of the law.
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN said he did not think so because in that
situation there would be no intent to impersonate somebody.
8:51:46 AM
ROBERT DOUGLAS, Information Security Consultant, informed the
committee of his background as a private investigator with
experience in political corruption and international terrorism.
He said he testified before the United States Congress on
information security issues, such as obtaining phone records
with deception, and caller ID spoofing. He testified in support
of HB 308.
MR. DOUGLAS gave an example where a swat team was forced to shut
down a neighborhood in New Jersey after receiving what seemed
like a legitimate distress call. It was later determined to be a
spoof. It is also possible to cause a call to appear as if it is
coming from a person's home and with a little personal
information, a "spoofer" is able to move money from one bank
account to another.
8:58:18 AM
Senator Gene Therriault joined the meeting.
CHAIR SEEKINS closed public testimony.
SENATOR HUGGINS moved CSHB 308(JUD) am from committee with
individual recommendations and attached fiscal notes. Hearing no
objections, the motion carried.
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