Canary trap
Encyclopedia
A canary trap is a method for exposing an information leak, which involves giving different versions of a sensitive document to each of several suspects and seeing which version gets leaked.
The term was coined by Tom Clancy
in his novel Patriot Games
, though Clancy did not invent the technique. The actual method (usually referred to as a Barium meal test in espionage circles) has been used by intelligence agencies for many years. The fictional character Jack Ryan describes the technique he devised for identifying the sources of leaked classified documents:
A refinement of this technique uses a thesaurus program to shuffle through synonyms, thus making every copy of the document unique.
by Peter Wright
(published in 1987) the technique is standard practice which has been used by MI5
(and other intelligence agencies) for many years, under the name "Barium meal
test". A Barium meal test is more sophisticated than a canary trap because it is flexible and may take many different forms. However, the basic premise is to reveal a secret to a suspected enemy (but nobody else) then monitor whether there is evidence of the fake information being utilised by the other side. For example, the double agent could be offered some tempting "bait" e.g. be told that important information was stored at a dead drop
site. The fake dead drop site could then be periodically checked for signs of disturbance. If the site showed signs of being disturbed (in order to copy the microfilm stored there) then this would confirm that the suspected enemy really was an enemy e.g. a double agent.
, when a CIA official alters a report given to a senator, revealing an internal leak who was giving information to the KGB
.
Barium meals are also administered in Robert Littel's book The Company
, and later in the TV short-series with same name.
The technique (not named) was used in the 1970s BBC television serial 1990
. The same unnamed technique also appeared in Irving Wallace
's book The Word
(1972).
A variation of the canary trap was used in Miami Vice
, with various rendezvous dates leaked to different groups.
In the third-season finale
of The Mentalist
, the characters use a canary trap (giving different hotel room numbers to different suspects) to uncover a mole
within their agency. A similar ruse was used in the TV series Ashes to Ashes
.
In A Clash of Kings
; the second book in A Song of Ice and Fire
, Tyrion Lannister uses the trap to find out which member of the King's Privy Council
is reporting to his sister, the Queen Regent Cersei Lannister. To Grand Maester Pycelle he tells of a plot to marry his niece Princess Myrcella to a prince from House Martel. To Lord Peter Baelysh, he claims he will instead send Myrcella to be raised by Lysa Arryn and married to her son Robert. To Varys, he says his plan is to send his nephew Tommen to the Martels. When Cersei confronts him, and knows only of the plan to send Myrcella to the Martels, Tyrion knows Pycelle to be the leak.
claims that he watermarked the tapes with dropouts at certain points so that he could identify if a leak would surface.
Screener
versions of DVDs are often marked in some way so as to allow the tracking of unauthorised releases to their source.
The term was coined by Tom Clancy
Tom Clancy
Thomas Leo "Tom" Clancy, Jr. is an American author, best known for his technically detailed espionage, military science, and techno thriller storylines set during and in the aftermath of the Cold War, along with video games on which he did not work, but which bear his name for licensing and...
in his novel Patriot Games
Patriot Games
Patriot Games is a novel by Tom Clancy. It is chronologically the first book focusing on CIA analyst Jack Ryan, the main character in almost all of Clancy's novels. It is the indirect sequel to Without Remorse...
, though Clancy did not invent the technique. The actual method (usually referred to as a Barium meal test in espionage circles) has been used by intelligence agencies for many years. The fictional character Jack Ryan describes the technique he devised for identifying the sources of leaked classified documents:
Each summary paragraph has six different versions, and the mixture of those paragraphs is unique to each numbered copy of the paper. There are over a thousand possible permutations, but only ninety-six numbered copies of the actual document. The reason the summary paragraphs are so lurid is to entice a reporter to quote them verbatim in the public media. If he quotes something from two or three of those paragraphs, we know which copy he saw and, therefore, who leaked it.
A refinement of this technique uses a thesaurus program to shuffle through synonyms, thus making every copy of the document unique.
Barium meal test
According to the book SpycatcherSpycatcher
Spycatcher: The Candid Autobiography of a Senior Intelligence Officer , is a book written by Peter Wright, former MI5 officer and Assistant Director, and co-author Paul Greengrass. It was published first in Australia...
by Peter Wright
Peter Wright
Peter Maurice Wright was an English scientist and former MI5 counterintelligence officer, noted for writing the controversial book Spycatcher, which became an international bestseller with sales of over two million copies...
(published in 1987) the technique is standard practice which has been used by MI5
MI5
The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its core intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service focused on foreign threats, Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence...
(and other intelligence agencies) for many years, under the name "Barium meal
Barium meal
A barium meal, also known as an upper gastrointestinal series is a procedure in which radiographs of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum are taken after barium sulfate is ingested by a patient...
test". A Barium meal test is more sophisticated than a canary trap because it is flexible and may take many different forms. However, the basic premise is to reveal a secret to a suspected enemy (but nobody else) then monitor whether there is evidence of the fake information being utilised by the other side. For example, the double agent could be offered some tempting "bait" e.g. be told that important information was stored at a dead drop
Dead drop
A dead drop or dead letter box is a method of espionage tradecraft used to pass items between two individuals by using a secret location and thus does not require them to meet directly. Using a dead drop permits a Case Officer and his Agent to exchange objects and information while maintaining...
site. The fake dead drop site could then be periodically checked for signs of disturbance. If the site showed signs of being disturbed (in order to copy the microfilm stored there) then this would confirm that the suspected enemy really was an enemy e.g. a double agent.
Embedding information
The technique of embedding significant information in a hidden form in a medium has been used in many ways, which are usually classified according to intent:- WatermarkWatermarkA watermark is a recognizable image or pattern in paper that appears as various shades of lightness/darkness when viewed by transmitted light , caused by thickness or density variations in the paper...
s are used to show that items are authentic and not forged. - SteganographySteganographySteganography is the art and science of writing hidden messages in such a way that no one, apart from the sender and intended recipient, suspects the existence of the message, a form of security through obscurity...
is used to hide a secret message in an apparently innocuous message, in order to escape detection. - A canary trap hides information in a document that uniquely identifies it, so that copies of it can be traced.
Appearances in fiction
The canary trap was also used in Clancy's (chronologically) earlier novel, Without RemorseWithout Remorse
Without Remorse is a thriller novel published in 1993 by Tom Clancy and is a part of the Jack Ryan universe series. While not the first novel of the series to be published, it is first in plot chronology. The main setting of the book is set during the Vietnam War, in the American city of Baltimore...
, when a CIA official alters a report given to a senator, revealing an internal leak who was giving information to the KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
.
Barium meals are also administered in Robert Littel's book The Company
The Company (novel)
The Company: A Novel of the CIA is a work of fiction written by American novelist Robert Littell and published by Penguin Press in 2002. The plot interweaves the professional lives of both historical and fictional characters in the field of international espionage between June 1950 and August...
, and later in the TV short-series with same name.
The technique (not named) was used in the 1970s BBC television serial 1990
1990 (TV series)
1990 is a British then-futuristic political drama television series produced by the BBC and shown in 1977 and 1978.- Plot :The series is set in a dystopian future in which Britain is under the grip of the Home Office's Department of Public Control , a tyrannically oppressive bureaucracy riding...
. The same unnamed technique also appeared in Irving Wallace
Irving Wallace
Irving Wallace was an American best-selling author and screenwriter. Wallace was known for his heavily researched novels, many with a sexual theme. One critic described him "as the most successful of all the many exponents of junk fiction perhaps because he took it all so seriously, not so say...
's book The Word
The Word (novel)
The Word is a 1972 mystery/thriller novel by Irving Wallace, which explores the origin of the Bible.-Plot summary:The plot of the novel is based around the discovery of a new gospel written by Jesus' younger brother, James in the first century...
(1972).
A variation of the canary trap was used in Miami Vice
Miami Vice (film)
Miami Vice is a 2006 American crime drama film about two Miami police detectives, Crockett and Tubbs, who go undercover to fight drug trafficking operations. The film is a loose adaptation of the 1980s TV series of the same name, written, produced, and directed by Michael Mann...
, with various rendezvous dates leaked to different groups.
In the third-season finale
Strawberries and Cream (The Mentalist)
"Strawberries and Cream" is the two-part season finale of the third season of the The Mentalist. Together they make up the 23rd and 24th episodes of the season and the 69th and 70th episodes of the series overall. Part one was written by executive producer Ashley Gable and part two was written by...
of The Mentalist
The Mentalist
The Mentalist is an American police procedural television series which debuted on September 23, 2008, on CBS. The show was created by Bruno Heller, who is also the show's executive producer...
, the characters use a canary trap (giving different hotel room numbers to different suspects) to uncover a mole
Mole (espionage)
A mole is a spy who works for an enemy nation, but whose loyalty ostensibly lies with his own nation's government. In some usage, a mole differs from a defector in that a mole is a spy before gaining access to classified information, while a defector becomes a spy only after gaining access...
within their agency. A similar ruse was used in the TV series Ashes to Ashes
Ashes to Ashes (TV series)
Ashes to Ashes is a British science fiction and police procedural drama television series, serving as the sequel to Life on Mars.The series began airing on BBC One in February 2008. A second series began broadcasting in April 2009...
.
In A Clash of Kings
A Clash of Kings
A Clash of Kings is the second novel in A Song of Ice and Fire, an epic fantasy series by American author George R. R. Martin expected to consist of eight volumes. It was first published on 16 November 1998 in the United Kingdom, although the first United States edition did not follow until March...
; the second book in A Song of Ice and Fire
A Song of Ice and Fire
A Song of Ice and Fire is a series of epic fantasy novels by American novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin. Martin began writing the series in 1991 and the first volume was published in 1996. Originally planned as a trilogy, the series now consists of five published volumes; a further two...
, Tyrion Lannister uses the trap to find out which member of the King's Privy Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
is reporting to his sister, the Queen Regent Cersei Lannister. To Grand Maester Pycelle he tells of a plot to marry his niece Princess Myrcella to a prince from House Martel. To Lord Peter Baelysh, he claims he will instead send Myrcella to be raised by Lysa Arryn and married to her son Robert. To Varys, he says his plan is to send his nephew Tommen to the Martels. When Cersei confronts him, and knows only of the plan to send Myrcella to the Martels, Tyrion knows Pycelle to be the leak.
Appearances in media
When distributing Broken to friends, Trent ReznorTrent Reznor
Michael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
claims that he watermarked the tapes with dropouts at certain points so that he could identify if a leak would surface.
Screener
Screener
A screener is an advance screening of a film sent to critics, awards voters, video stores , and other film industry professionals, including producers and distributors. A screener often has no post-processing....
versions of DVDs are often marked in some way so as to allow the tracking of unauthorised releases to their source.
See also
- Coded Anti-PiracyCoded Anti-PiracyCoded Anti-Piracy is an anti-copyright infringement technology which marks each film print of a motion picture with a distinguishing patterns of dots, used as a forensic identifier to identify the source of illegal copies....
- Fictitious entryFictitious entryFictitious entries, also known as fake entries, Mountweazels, ghost word and nihil articles, are deliberately incorrect entries or articles in reference works such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and directories. Entries in reference works normally originate from a reliable external source,...
- Honeypot (espionage)
- HoneytokenHoneytokenIn the field of computer security, honeytokens are honeypots that are not computer systems. Their value lies not in their use, but in their abuse. As such, they are a generalization of such ideas as the honeypot and the canary values often used in stack protection schemes...
- SteganographySteganographySteganography is the art and science of writing hidden messages in such a way that no one, apart from the sender and intended recipient, suspects the existence of the message, a form of security through obscurity...
- Traitor tracingTraitor tracingTraitor tracing is a copyright infringement detection system which works by tracing the source of leaked files rather than by direct copy protection. The method is that the distributor adds a unique value to each copy given out...
- Trap streetTrap streetA trap street is a fictitious entry in the form of a misrepresented street on a map, often outside the area the map nominally covers, for the purpose of "trapping" potential copyright violators of the map, who will be unable to justify the inclusion of the "trap street" on their map...
- WatermarkWatermarkA watermark is a recognizable image or pattern in paper that appears as various shades of lightness/darkness when viewed by transmitted light , caused by thickness or density variations in the paper...
External links
- Fingerprinting gives a good overview of different kinds of canary trap techniques.
- EFF.org DocuColor Tracking Dot Decoding Guide How to read the date, time, and printer serial number from forensic tracking codes in a Xerox DocuColor color laser printout.