Donate for the Cryptome archive of files from June 1996 to the present

28 October 2014

Dutch Blu Eye Spy

Date: Tue, 28 Oct 2014 11:18:32 +0100
Subject: Blu Eye
From: "Matthijs Koot" <koot[at]cyberwar.nl>
To: cryptome[at]earthlink.net

The Dutch company "Target Automotive" introduces "Blu Eye", a device that detects presence of Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA) signals within a ~1km radius (its sensitivity can be changed). TETRA is an encrypted communications network used by emergency responders through Europe (and
beyond). According to

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrestrial_Trunked_Radio

"TETRA was specifically designed for use by government agencies, emergency services, (police forces, fire departments, ambulance) for public safety networks, rail transport staff for train radios, transport services and the military".

The Blu Eye devices listens on 380-400MHz, which means that it specifically detects emergency services' use of TETRA, not civilian/private use of TETRA, which is mostly above 400MHz. Blu Eye detects TETRA through waveform pattern recognition; it can't listen in on conversations.

The Dutch nation-wide "C2000" communications system, for instance, is TETRA-based. C2000 is the primary means of mobile communications for Dutch police, firemen, etc. The Dutch intelligence services AIVD (general) and MIVD (military) can also use this system. Blu Eye can't distinguish a doctor from a SWAT team, but it doesn't need that to be useful.

* Web page 1: http://www.blu-eye.eu/en
* Web page 2: http://www.target-automotive.nl/en/target-blu-eye/
* Manual (.pdf): http://www.target-automotive.nl/media/uploads/file/Target%20
Blu%20Eye/Manual_Target%20Blu%20Eye%20ENG_1_0.pdf

According to

http://www.driving.co.uk/news/on-the-road-with-the-police-car-detecting-target-
blu-eye-device/

Blu Eye is priced at some "£999 [per] system (plus £100-£200 for installation)". Can't wait to see cheap alternatives appear on Alibaba and DealExtreme :)

Blu Eye is covered on Slashdot today, which triggered me into sending you this message:

http://tech.slashdot.org/story/14/10/27/1154257/police-detector-monitors-
emergency-radio-transmissions

It will be interesting to see how governments will respond to the existence of the freely commercially available Blu Eye.