The Eavesdropping reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Jul-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Eavesdropping

Eavesdropping is the intercepting and reading of messages and conversations by unintended recipients.

Messages can be protected against eavesdropping by employing a security service of confidentiality (or privacy). This security service is usually implemented by encryption.

In ancient China, it is said that to act against eavesdropping, when discussing important matters, soldiers would instead draw the characterss instead, on hands or papers.

The Canadian heroine Laura Secord is famous for having eavesdropped the plans of American army and delivered this information to the British.

The picture at right shows a "belly-buster" hand-crank audio drill kit, which was used during the late 1950s/early 1960s to drill holes into masonry for implanting audio listening devicess. After assembly, the base of the drill was held firmly against the stomach while the handle was cranked manually. This kit came with several drill bits and accessories.

Related topics

• Espionage
• Surveillance
• Privacy
• Computer surveillance
• ECHELON
• Magic (cryptography)
• Ultra
• Telephone tapping

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