Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Phone taps in Italy spur rush toward encryption

Drumming up business would seem to be an easy task for those who sell encrypted cell phones in Italy. All they have to do is browse the major newspapers for likely customers.

Piero Fassino, national secretary of the country's Democratic Left Party, could have benefited from an encrypted phone before comments he made regarding a delicate bank takeover made the front pages.

Luciano Moggi, the former head of the Juventus soccer club, could have used one too. His phone conversations, intercepted by investigators and then leaked to the media, led to Italy's soccer game-fixing scandal.

And Prince Victor Emmanuel might wish that he had a secure cell phone before his conversations, made public, resulted in his arrest last year on charges that he provided prostitutes and dealt in illegal slot machines.

Not even Nicolo Pollari, the former head of Italy's top spy agency, was immune; transcripts of some of his conversations found their way into the newspapers. (more)