Telephone discharge

A topic that, despite appearing simple and unimportant, is actually very significant and critical, posing serious threats to national security.

Perhaps the first question that comes to mind is, what does telephone drain mean?

Telephone drain, in a general sense, refers to the acquisition of information from various individuals in society via telephone by those who have an animosity towards this land for any reason (information that we consider to be of little importance, such as the name of a manager or a colleague, a spouse, or the provision of very ordinary statistics in a work context).

The classic definition of telephone drain:

Telephone drain is a conscious effort by enemies to acquire information and impose their demands through telephone communication, taking advantage of the negligence or deception of insiders.

- Gathering information regarding internal issues of society for propaganda purposes.

- Identifying issues within executive bodies to exploit them for propaganda aimed at discrediting the system.

- Acquiring information to stir political factional conflicts within the country.

- Deliberately creating religious, political, and ethnic discord within the country.

- Gathering information with the aim of disrupting the Islamic Republic's relationships in international forums.

The first question that arises in this regard is, in your opinion, what percentage of the country's information and news falls into the hands of the enemies of Iran through telephone drain?

Answer: Approximately 80 percent of the country's information is obtained through telephone drain from all segments of society by the enemies of this land.

The next question raised is, what does the enemy seek through telephone drain, and who is at risk of telephone drain?

Answer: The enemy seeks information that we consider to be of little value, but is actually quite valuable to them, as our information is effectively a piece of their informational puzzle, and they impose no age restrictions, draining information from children as young as six to seniors of ninety.

1) Monitoring individuals' mobile phones using special tools and methods, which mostly have a spying and intelligence-gathering aspect.

2) Making direct phone calls to individuals and obtaining information from them.

Research by intelligence organizations in various countries has shown that mobile phones manufactured by different factories contain a hidden memory with a high capacity for recording conversations, and a hidden device similar to a SIM card to relay information about the targeted phone back to the manufacturing countries in specific situations. Additionally, these phones have a very small battery designed to last at least 50 years, which can transmit information in critical situations to countries and intelligence systems overseeing the production of these devices.

A case in point is when you lose your phone for any reason and request its recovery from the telecommunications authorities; under all circumstances, your phone can be found even when it is turned off.

1) Use all codes, passwords, and locks available.

2) Avoid using speed-dial.

3) It is advisable to use phones with less memory (e.g., simple and inexpensive phones).

4) Never play with buttons and the number pad, as curiosity from the listener (the mentioned organizations above) may draw attention to the possibility of the mobile phone owner entering a confidential code.

5) Periodically remove the SIM card from the phone and use it again after some time.

6) It’s better not to store important and sensitive numbers in your mobile phone and to save other numbers under names you will recognize, using at least first names instead of last names.

7) Try not to lend your mobile phone to someone else for calling; if necessary, make the call yourself (as the other person might enter a code that increases your visibility regarding control and tracking).

8) Avoid using gifted phones, and change them before any other action.

9) Replace your phone after a specified period.

10) It is also medically recommended to use the left ear while talking and to hold the phone vertically to minimize potential risks.

In this method of telephone drain, a puzzle is initially formed, which can take years to complete. This puzzle consists of the following elements:

1) Topic.

2) Forming various working groups, such as examining different individuals who are worth investing in for telephone drain.

3) Forming the puzzle and analyzing the completion process.

4) Creating various questions to ask selected individuals.

5) Consulting the precise archives concerning the topic and individuals’ backgrounds.

6) Collecting open information on topics available to the public through mass media and written sources.

7) Targeting the main administrative and organizational center of the subject matter.

8) Examining parallel information including initial and preliminary information about the target individuals, initial and preliminary information about the subject, and understanding the involved individual's relationship with the topic to identify trust-building methods and find leads.

9) Using communication psychology to extract information.

10) Assessing individuals’ personalities—like their timidness or the type of language and accent they use.

11) The approach to introducing the topic.

12) The type of cover (under various titles and significant national agencies), such as the Office of the Presidency, Judiciary, Intelligence Agency, and Audit Court, etc.

For example, to obtain the mobile number of a head of an executive body, they might first investigate the employees of that department and the family of the head. There have been instances where the mobile number was acquired from the spouse of that head's driver for various reasons, leveraging her naivety. Cases like needing to urgently contact her husband when his mobile is unavailable and asking for his mobile number, etc.

1) Reduce conversations over the phone.

2) When using the phone, think about the possibility of a third party overhearing the conversation.

3) Do not respond to any questions until you have identified the taxi driver.

4) Never share classified issues and information over the phone.

5) Prevent children from answering phones as much as possible.

6) Train children and family members that they must never reveal phone numbers or addresses during phone conversations.

In any case, telephone drain is not a new method, but it has significant applications in security and informational matters of the country, and at times, any of us may unknowingly be part of the enemies' puzzle for gathering information.