Two Decades of Lawful Interception Technology Innovation
A couple of weeks ago, our marketing team let me know that SS8 was going to be 20 years old in December. The news seemed as though my own child was celebrating his or her 20th birthday and I started thinking about where all those years went. As they say, time flies, especially if you are having fun. So, I reflected about what has happened at SS8 over the last 20 years – remembering people, achievements and some of the challenges.
Even though SS8 was officially founded in 2000, the technology that started the SS8 business was created in 1998, when Keith Bhatia (current CEO of SS8) and I started a new product line at ADC Telecommunications. While we had the entire force of ADC behind us, which was a billion-dollar company at that time, it was only a handful of engineers that initially worked on the product. Incredibly, some of those engineers are still with SS8 after all these years.
ADC deployed the first system in 1999 and within few months, thanks to the CALEA deadline, we deployed about 50 systems. It was quite a ride. In 2001 SS8 acquired ADC and we had some significant and memorable milestones within the first five years. These included the first lawful intercept system for VoIP, the first lawful intercept system for IP data, the first lawful interception system for cable networks, the first lawful intercept system for cdma2000 and then few years later 4G/LTE. SS8 put our signature on many of the firsts in the industry and that was important to me as an engineer.
But what was more important to me was the mission. As we deployed SS8 systems in the U.S. and around the world, we became recognized by our law enforcement partners. They valued our technology and the role it played in helping them solve investigations involving drug traffickers, human trafficking, kidnappings, and even some difficult to mention heinous criminal activities.
Lawful interception has proven to be a powerful technology in stopping criminal activities and bring those people to justice. The mission is important, and it saves lives. At the same time though, we need to make sure the technology is used in a responsible manner, protecting the privacy of innocent citizens. It makes me proud that we put all the necessary mechanisms to protect privacy not only from a technology standpoint, but also from a business practice standpoint at SS8.
I’ve traveled around the country and around the world during these last two decades and met many incredible people who have dedicated their lives to protecting people and society. I am an engineer at heart and working at the bleeding edge of telecommunications and investigative technologies make me excited but serving a purpose, and the importance of the mission, makes me proud. I want to thank all my colleagues, friends, partners, and customers who have made these last two decades an incredible journey. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!!!
About Dr. Cemal Dikmen
As SS8’s CTO, Cemal plays an integral role in the company’s strategic direction, development, and future growth. A renowned expert and thought leader in the legal compliance and communications analysis domain, he has been a frequent speaker at various industry conferences over the past 10 years. Cemal holds BS, MS, and PhD degrees in Electrical Engineering. You can learn more about Cemal on his LinkedIn profile by clicking here.
About SS8 Networks
SS8 provides Lawful Intelligence platforms. They work closely with leading intelligence agencies, communication providers, law enforcement agencies and standards bodies. Xcipio® is already proven to meet the very high demands of 5G and provides the ability to transcode (convert) between lawful intercept handover versions and standard families. Intellego® XT is a monitoring center that includes MetaHub, a best-in-class data analytics tool for intercepted, 3rd party and location data. Both product portfolios are used worldwide for the capture, analysis, and delivery of data for the purposes of criminal investigations.
