[PEN REGISTERING AND TRACING] [WRITTEN BY:] [FOREST RANGER] PEN REGISTERING IS A SPECIAL DEVICE USED BY AT&T. THIS DEVICE DECIPHERS THE TONES USED WHEN PHREAKING PHONE CALLS. THIS MEANS THAT EACH TONE KEY PRESSED IS DECIPHERED IF YOU HAD A PEN REGISTER ON YOUR LINE OR WERE BEING TRACED WITH A PEN REGISTER, EVERY PHONE NUMBER YOU DIALED WOULD BE KNOWN. THAT MEANS EVERY TIME YOU WOULD PHREAK A NUMBER NOT ONLY WOULD THE ACCESS NUMBER BE RECORDED, BUT THE CODE BEING USED AND WHERE YOU CALLED TO! SO IF YOU KNOW YOU HAVE A PEN REGISTER ON YOUR LINE THEN I WOULD ADVISE YOU NOT TO PHREAK! TRACING - THE FBI DOES NOT TRACE,THE POLICE DO NOT TRACE. THE PHONE CO. TRACES. IF THE FBI WANTS A TRACE ON YOUR LINE THEY SIMPLY CALL THE PHONE CO. THE FBI DOES NOT SIT UP ALL NIGHT TO LISTEN IN ON YOUR PHONE. THEY DON'T TRACE FOR YEARS OR 6 MONTHS, BUT JUST FOR A FEW DAYS AT A TIME IF AT ALL. THE POLICE TRACES THE SAME WAY. IT COSTS TOO MUCH MONEY TO TRACE ALL THE COMPUTER PHREAKERS AND HACKERS, SO THEY MERELY PICK ON A SELECT FEW. SO TRACING ISN'T AS DANGEROUS AS IT SEEMS! THE PEOPLE THAT TELL YOU DIFFERENT HAVE BEEN WATCHING TOO MANY LATE NIGHT FILMS! SO DON'T GET TOO PARANOID IF YOU THINK YOU ARE BEING TRACED DUE TO THE FACTS MENTIONED ABOVE! FOREST RANGER