Interception

Matthew Vella's story about a major Israeli telecommunications company that will provide the Malta Security Services (MSS) the technology for its controversial interception system, is published by Oracle Syndicate:

A major Israeli telecommunications company is to provide the Malta Security Services (MSS) the technology for its lawful interception system, in a controversial contract award which has landed the Malta Communications Authority in court. New York-based Verint Systems, a subsidiary of Comverse Technology, was chosen late December 2005 by the MCA to provide an interception system for the MSS.

Concerns over the choice of Verint have sparked alarm over its parent company’s notorious link to a major espionage investigation after the September 11 attacks, raising eyebrows over the company that will have its eyes and ears on practically all Malta’s emails, and mobile telephony and VoIP exchanges. Rival bidder RCS, which presented the cheapest offer, is suing the MCA for having refused it an appeal on the contract decision. RCS’s interception equipment has been previously used in uncovering the recent Calciopoli fraud scandal which rocked Italy’s football scene...

More here and here