It looks like there might be a more efficient way of hacking that ex’s cellphone. Athena and Aceso, two data sucking products from UK-based Radio Tactics, are the newest crop in “data extraction” technologies. And they’re fast. After seeing a press release about the purchase of Aceso units by the Metropolitan Police in London, who will use the devices to scrape all data off almost any cell phone in minutes, I called the company in Florida. I reached Charlotte Houghton, the US manager of RT. I told her I was dying to own one for personal use. But it appears that might have been a difficult sale for her to authorize.I told her I was writing a story about her company’s products and that we wanted to try the equipment for a good unboxing and gadget review. Charlotte chuckled and went on to list the agencies it tends to sell to – places like the FBI, CIA and the Michigan State Police. I couldn’t even learn how much it costs. Suddenly it seemed unlikely that we will see one of these bad boys at the Motherboard office anytime soon. What’s a guy gotta do to “borrow” some funny text messages from a co-worker?Seriously though: concerns about unreasonable search and seizure seem helpless under the suction of these straws. What happens to data that’s taken from people who are not charged with crimes? This probably won’t slow Aceso introductions to UK police departments and around the world. In fact, the same technology is already used in law enforcement and sent the ACLU into a tizzy; Radio Tactic’s devices only appear to be more advanced and futuristic-looking. I’m daydreaming now of amended Miranda rights: “Anything you text, Tweet, Instagram or update, any diet app you embark on, pedometer app you walk with, and any leftover data on your Sidekick can be extracted and used against you in a court of law.”The machines, which are listed in the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency’s catalog of goodies, are capable of extracting SMS, MMS, File System, Call Registers, Calendar, Phone Identifiers, GPS Data and Metadata from virtually any unencrypted device, including the iPhone 4S. (It’s unclear if the Aceso can get past phone passwords, but if your phone is about to be detained, the best solution, if you’re using iOS, is a click in Settings that enables you to wipe your device; Blackberry Enterprise Server, and apps for iPhone and Android, like Whispercore, also allow remote data wiping. If you’re really paranoid: use prepaid phones and change SIM cards regularly.)While RT’s devices are being installed during lower tides of civil disobedience in London, the training project might prepare the Metropolitan Police for perceivable future Tweet riots. Radio Tactic’s product information for the Aceso boasts a “rapid acquisition process suitable for high pressure conditions.” Unlike Zavila, a public crowdsourcing app that feels like a friendly game of Pokémon Snap, the virile extraction machines of Radio Tactics will enable the cops to get out there and catch ’em all.
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