Falun Dafa Minghui.org www.minghui.org PRINT

Concerning Mobile Phone Security

Dec. 25, 2004

(Clearwisdom.net) Recently I asked a friend, who is a professional, some questions about telephone security. The explanation that follows will permit practitioners to adopt appropriate security methods based on this advice.

Detecting the Location of a Cell Phone

  1. Currently in China, almost any device can be located. I especially want to remind practitioners that wireless network cards can also be located.
  2. There are currently two main locating methods in use: network locating and auxiliary GPS.
  1. Network Locating:
  2. All mobile devices can be located with network locating techniques. In simple terms, as long they are turned on or being charged, they will always contact their nearest base station for a signal. Since the base station's location is fixed, an "approximate location" of the phone can be calculated using the relationship between the device and the base station. As this method depends mainly on the base station, busier places with more base stations will provide accuracy of between 100 and 200 meters, while in suburban districts the error is around 1,000 meters and even more in the countryside. Certain locations like resorts, big buildings, large-scale markets, large hotels, subways and underground parking lots have their own small base stations installed, so locating cell phones in these places is very accurate. For example, as cell phone signals are very strong in the elevators of certain buildings, due to the installation of mini base stations in them, cell phones can even be located in these elevators. In addition, the location at which a cell phone is turned off can also be detected. So practitioners should turn off their cell phones before arriving at a Dafa materials production site or another practitioner's home to avoid exposing them.

  3. Auxiliary GPS

Some mobile devices contain a GPS receiver. Since these kind of devices can receive satellite signals, they can be located accurately, to between 5 and 50 meters outdoors. When there's no satellite signal, they can also be located through network locating methods.

  1. Locating Methods
  1. Real time check of the location of a particular number's device
  2. If the number of a mobile phone or other mobile device is exposed, the location of the device with this number can be checked at any time.

  3. Check of the location of a device over a period of time
  4. A record of a cell phone's location can be automatically set up in advance every hour, day or month. Afterwards the locations during this period can be checked.

  5. Check of the numbers of all devices entering a particular area during a period

A program can be set up in advance to automatically record all the numbers of devices entering a particular area, such as a building, on one day or over several days. These cell numbers can be checked immediately or afterwards.

Due to the use of these three location methods, I think the following security rules should apply: if practitioners in China need to go to a materials production site, some other practitioner's home, or attend some important activity, it's better to turn off their cell phones in advance, or not bring them at all. Otherwise, if a practitioner is tracked, the materials production site, another practitioner's home or anyone who has been there, could be exposed as well.

Speech Recognition

There are two kinds of speech recognition techniques for any type of phone: recognition according to keywords or by monitoring of the subject's voice. The latter is quite complicated, and the detection device is expensive. However keyword recognition is easier, although not every place is equipped with this function. So practitioners in China are advised not to talk for too long while clarifying the truth over the phone to avoid using keywords. Also, they should change location after making each phone call.

It is more complicated to recognize the speech of a monitored subject. Therefore it is rarely used except to monitor an important person or to search for a key figure in a major case. If a monitored person's voice has been recorded (many practitioners' phones have been bugged and recorded), once they call from any phone within the monitoring range, they can be found based on the voice recording.

I think we need to have righteous thoughts concerning this security issue. While we are sending forth righteous thoughts, we should do our best to comply with things in the ordinary world and adopt the necessary security measures. This is also a righteous thought, and doing it is a righteous action. We should also study the Fa more diligently and send forth righteous thoughts more frequently, using our divine powers to eliminate interference.

November 26, 2004