Book Review of the Hobbyist's Guide to COMINT Collection and

[David Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

\From: Anok () ix netcom com (Edward Anderson)
Newsgroups: sci.crypt
Subject: Book Rvw: COMINT collection
Date: 1 Dec 1994 19:55:42 GMT
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          Book Review of the Hobbyist's Guide to
            COMINT Collection and Analysis




 The Hobbyist's Guide to COMINT Collection and Analysis, written and
published by Tom Roach, opens some very new territory. COMINT is an
acronym for communications intelligence. The public's knowledge of
COMINT is almost totally historical and derives from the publication of
such books as: "The American Black Chamber", a book written by
Americas's father of cryptology Herbert Yardley, David Kahn's
blockbuster "The Codebreakers", and James Bamford's Puzzle Palace, to
mention some of the best known books dealing with this arcane subject.


 The Hobbyist's Guide to COMINT Collection and Analysis breaks new
ground here, since it provides information on how easily the reader can
collect and analyze COMINT. It turns out this can be done with radio
receivers and "decoder" boxes which are easily purchased on the open
market. The book reveals some of the very interesting Russian messages
Mr. Roach has received using a shortwave receiver and "decoder" while
sitting in the comfort of his den. And what a bizarre catch he reveals.
The messages range in subject matter from the deliberate canning of fish
tainted by toxic waste, to an "upper air weather" message broadcast from
a Russian trawler sitting off Vandenberg AFB. The Russian vessel was
monitoring tests of United State's anti- missile missile launches from
Vandenberg to Kwajelein.


 The book even includes intercepts, and technical descriptions of four
distinctly different types of KRIPTOGRAMMA messages. These are messages
which use special Russian encryption methods (still in use). The
messages
are sent by both Russian trawlers (who catch a lot more than fish!) and
Space Event Support Ships (SESS). You are even instructed in how to
learn when, and where, the next Russian ICBM shot will impact in the icy
waters off the Kamchatka peninsula. You learn how to find the proper
radio frequency to monitor ship traffic in  the Middle East. As a
convenience, the book comes with a spiral metal binder so it can lay
flat on the desk of the home COMINT collector deciphering the latest
Russian "20101" message. Lest you believe only the Russians provide
material for the hobbyist, the author reveals how he intercepted a U.S.
military classified message accidentally sent in the clear. The
techniques discussed in this book can be applied to almost any sort of
radio traffic.


 The reader is provided examples of various Russian "numbers" messages,
which at first glance may appear "encrypted".  Mr. Roach gives the exact
methodology which resulted in one such message's "decryption".  A whole
chapter is devoted to teaching the uninitiated in how to "decipher"
similar messages on their own. The means by which the Internet can be
used to allow hobbyists to share information, get translations, and
combine intercepts to gain greater insight is described. According to
the author, you don't even need to be able to speak Russian to get the
basic meaning of the many of the Russian messages that are still being
broadcast. Mr. Roach stresses that COMINT, even at this level, provides
a real insight into just what extent, and how successfully, "capitalist"
ventures are developing in the "new" Russia. In fact, Mr. Roach has
published a second book, Hobbyist's COMINT Russian Radioteletype
Dictionary, to assist those who actually take up the hobby.


 There are enough anecdotal accounts to provide amusement to those who
prefer to read about such activities, rather than to perform them. One
is an account of what the author admits was a hare brained attempt to
photograph a Russian "research" ship docked at Hunter's Point in San
Francisco. This is an area where even police are well advised to travel
in pairs. To have gone there with a Nikon and a 300 mm telephoto lens
dangling from his neck shows that the author displays more enthusiasm
than good sense. In the chapter on reference books there is a bizarre
and amusing account of U.S. Army cryptologists who went AWOL from their
Berlin monitoring post on a remarkable trip to Gulf Breeze, Florida
where they were sure they would be beamed up to the "mothership". The
intelligence world certainly attracts some unusual individuals.


 The book breaks new ground in showing how much information can be
gathered at remarkably small costs by those so inclined. While the
author believes that his book could be used to encourage youngsters to
seek a career in such arcane pursuits as radio traffic analysis, this
may be merely wishful thinking. The book would have benefited from some
tighter editing, especially the overly long section describing how to
use Compuserve (an on-line commercial computer service) to recover
bizarre stories giving details of radio broadcasts from Iran, Indonesia,
Iraq or North Korea.


 Does this book reveal secret methods and classified government data? Is
"national security" threatened? The answer to both questions is no.
Nothing here but common sense and the will to put together openly
available information. Of course when some Princeton undergraduate had
the temerity to reveal in a book how to make an atomic weapon, the
government tried, unsuccessfully, to suppress the information. Who knows
what action government(s) will take with regard to this book. NSA may
have good reason to feel threatened when the public finds out how much
information can be obtained at a cost which is a small fraction of what
it pays its lowest grade technocrat in a single year!


 The HOBBYIST'S GUIDE TO COMINT COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS is the perfect
gift (Christmas, birthday, or whatever) for the would be spook, serious
military researcher, and anyone who wants to read an amusing and fact
filled account of just how much somebody, given the inclination, can
learn from easily intercepted radio communications. I recommend you
purchase it while it is still available. There are rumors that the
British may ban it and if you are a believer in conspiracies, it is a
distinct possibility that Mr. Roach may be terminated with "extreme
prejudice" for his audacity.


 The book is available at a cost of $20 at Stacey's Book Store in Palo
Alto, California. If purchased directly from the author, he is willing
to autograph the book and include a short message addressed to the
recipient at no extra cost. If purchased directly from the author, the
cost for residents of the USA, is $24, which includes shipping and
handling. The book is shipped via 2 Day Priority Mail. Overseas orders
cost $28.  All overseas orders are shipped via Air Mail. If you wish to
purchase the book from the author, send your checks or money orders
(U.S. dollars only) to:


Tom Roach
1330 Copper Peak Lane
San Jose, CA  95120-4271
USA


Internet: troach () ix netcom com