It's like starting your cake-decorating business out of your cousin's ice cream shop while you renovate a new storefront three blocks away. A dirtbox is the common name for specific models of an IMSI catcher that are made by a Boeing subsidiary, Maryland-based Digital Receiver Technology hence the name DRT box. They are reportedly used by the DEA and Marshals Service from airplanes to intercept data from mobile phones. As Russia's failures mount in its war against Ukraine, can Biden prevent an isolated Putin from doing the unthinkable? The device is known as a stingray, and it is being used in at least 23 states and the District of Columbia. Were seeing the initial deployments which are already bringing the core benefits of low latency, high data transfers through the non-standalone method. Update (May 14, 2015): The New York State Police released Because a stingray is not really a tower on the carriers network, calls and messages to and from a phone cant go through while the phone is communicating with the stingray. CryptoPhone users found 17 fake cell towers in a month, but dont know who deployed them or why. 4G stingray attacks, downgrading, man-in-the-middle attacksthose will exist for years even though we have 5G. Folks, YOU ARE being tracked IF you have a cell phone Our local dispatcher has a 46 screen that has traveling dots all over it.. The other controversy with stingrays involves secrecy and lack of transparency around their use. AT&T says that it began limited SA deployments late last year, and that it will scale up when the ecosystem is ready.. Theyre primarily used by government agencies, but in theory, theres nothing stopping random cybercriminals from deploying one. Protesters described having problems such as phones crashing, livestreams being interrupted, andissues uploading videos and other posts to social media. They can also obtain a historical log of all of the cell towers a phone has pinged in the recent past to track where it has been, or they can obtain the cell towers its pinging in real time to identify the users current location. AJ+ made this short, informative video explaining how cell-site simulators (also known as IMSI catchers and stingrays) work. If they clone your phone the VPN encryption is useless. A stingray imitates cell towers and picks up on unique signals sent out by individuals attempting to use the cell phone network. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. He also said they werent just used by the FBI but also by the Marshals Service, the Secret Service, and other agencies. The FBI and DHS have indicated that they havent commissioned studies to measure this, but a study conducted by federal police in Canada found that the 911 bypass didnt always work. A Stingray closely resembles a portable cellphone tower. Its also not clear how effective the devices are at letting 911 calls go through. Cloudwards.net may earn a small commission from some purchases made through our site. Unless you live in an area with true 5G networks (more on that later), your only chance of keeping information like SMS messages safe from Hailstorm devices is to always use a VPN. That still has a 4G core in it, its the brain of the network, and until we get to a 5G brain in standalone mode we wont get all of the security benefits.". At the end of the day, the best way to ensure youre protected is by using a VPN for any mobile data network you connect to. This is NOT some wild conspiracy theory, it is a FACT!! Versions of the devices used by the military and intelligence agencies can potentially inject malware into targeted phones, depending on how secure the phone is. Google Earth is constantly watching and monitoring everybody. Even when 5G standalone mode is deployed in most places, he says, carriers will still run parallel 4G and 3G infrastructure as well that could continue to enable some stingray attacks. Thats the only way we can improve. So far 90 network operators in 45 countries have committed to making the switch to standalone mode, says Jon France, head of industry security at the telecom standards body GSMA. Documents obtained this year by the American Civil Liberties Union indicate that Harris has upgraded the StingRay to a newer device it calls a. leaked to The Intercept in 2015 describes other similar devices. This results in your phone routing any traffic such as text messages, web queries or phone calls through the device. Encryption on my fellow citizens but use a vpn as well. The Bitcoin Bust That Took Down the Webs Biggest Child Abuse Site. And agents are required to purge the data they collect from non-targeted phones within 24 hours or 30 days, depending on the circumstances. For example, in documents obtained by Motherboard in 2016, Harris offered a, and a StingRay package that cost $148,000, not including training and maintenance. That informative, easy to understand.l loved it. Marshals Service were asked by the Justice Department to provide unspecified support to law enforcement during protests. The surveillance equipment is pricey and often sold as a package. 1 The Erie County Sheriff's Office has spent more than $350,000 to purchase and maintain its two Stingray systems. Recently, Amnesty International reported on the cases of two Moroccan activists whose phones may have been targeted through such network injection attacks to install spyware made by an Israeli company. Although you might think that using these devices requires a warrant, much like tapping someones phone, that is not the case. They determined the general neighborhood in San Jose where Rigmaiden was using the air card so they could position their stingray in the area and move it around until they found the apartment building from which his signal was coming. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. But a security researcher named Roger Piqueras Jover found that the, until after the phone has already revealed its IMSI number, which means that stingrays can still grab this data before the phone determines its not communicating with an authentic cell tower and switches to one that is authenticated. About a dozen other companies make variants of the stingray with different capabilities. Since 5G networks dont have the same security vulnerabilities as 4G, you might think youre safe from surveillance once you see that youre connected to a 5G network. To prevent that sort of monitoring, 5G is built to encrypt IMSI numbers. Update (May 14, 2015): The New York State Police released BuzzFeed News had previously obtained records showing that from 2013 to 2017, HSI had used the technology 1,885 times. If surveillance is a topic you care about, youve probably heard the term StingRay thrown around in reference to law enforcement agencies tracking cell phones. Can VPNs Protect You From Other Cell-Site Simulators? Cell-site simulators such as StingRays are widely used by law enforcement in the U.S., U.K. and Canada. Rigmaiden had used a stolen credit card number and a fake name and address to register his internet account with Verizon. Many civil liberties activists say you cant use a cell site simulator and remain compliant with the Fourth Amendment, or state constitutional limits on searches and seizures. This process is invisible to the end-user and allows the device operator full access to any communicated data. Who would hold party elites accountable to the values they proclaim to have? Democrats Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon and Rep. Ted Lieu of California are introducing a bill on Thursday that would restrict the use of stingray cell site simulators, powerful surveillance devices capable of intercepting calls, texts, and other information sent to cell phones and determining their current location.. Passive mode involves grabbing whatever data and communication is occurring in real time across cellular networks without requiring the phone to communicate directly with the interception device. The Harris StingRay can be operated from a patrol vehicle as it drives around a neighborhood to narrow a suspects location to a specific cluster of homes or a building, at which point law enforcement can switch to the hand-held KingFish, which offers even more precision. The Justice Department requires federal agents to obtain a probable cause warrant to use the technology in criminal cases, but there is a carve-out for national security. Many civil liberties activists say you cant use a cell site simulator and remain compliant with the Fourth Amendment, or state constitutional limits on searches and seizures. suggest that some models of stingrays used by the Marshals Service can extract text messages, contacts, and photos from phones, though they dont say how the devices do this. WebA StingRay can be used to identify and track a phone or other compatible cellular data device even while the device is not engaged in a call or accessing data services. The connection should last only as long as it takes for the phone to reveal its IMSI number to the stingray, but its not clear what kind of testing and oversight the Justice Department has done to ensure that the devices release phones. The New York State Police was quoted $197,100 for its purchase of a Stingray device in 2005, which appears to have been funded by auto theft funds. I suspect if you dont want to be followed. However, any affiliate earnings do not affect how we review services. The device is known as a stingray, and it is being used in at least 23 states and the District of Columbia. Very few modern smartphones will let you disable 2G entirely. The untold story of the case that shredded the myth of Bitcoins anonymity. True 5G networks fix the security vulnerabilities used by StingRay technology to obtain information from nearby devices. During the time a phone is connecting to or communicating with a stingray, service is disrupted for those phones until the stingray releases them. Law enforcement can also use a stingray in a less targeted way to sweep up information about all nearby phones. So after the stingray captures the devices IMSI number and location, the stingray releases the phone so that it can connect to a real cell tower. At first glance, this investigative strategy seems appropriate and the most efficient way to catch criminals. Depending on how many phones are in the vicinity of a stingray, hundreds could connect to the device and potentially have service disrupted. Stingrays are supposed to allow 911 calls to pass through to a legitimate cell tower to avoid disrupting emergency services, but other emergency calls a user may try to make while their phone is connected to a stingray will not get through until the stingray releases their phone. Cell-site simulators have long existed in a sort of legal gray area, which has allowed police to use them indiscriminately. The reason 5G networks are safer from surveillance by law enforcement officials is that they ditch the IMSI which is unencrypted and permanent for the encrypted SUPI (subscription permanent identifier) and the unencrypted SUCI (subscription concealed identifier), which cant be used to identify you because its reset with each connection. Once a device connects to three or more regular cell towers (or if it runs GPS), police can use triangulation to pinpoint the location of the device. Apple Users Need to Update iOS Now to Patch Serious Flaws. Although law enforcement has been using the technologies since the 1990s, the general public learned about them only in the last decade, and much about their capabilities remains unknown because law enforcement agencies and the companies that make the devices have gone to great lengths to keep details secret. Qualcomm has started out in the older cell phone also. The switch to 4G networks was supposed to address this in part by adding an authentication step so that mobile phones could tell if a cell tower is legitimate. They are cheap and easily purchased by anyone from the works largest online retailer. A stingray imitates cell towers and picks up on unique signals sent out by individuals attempting to use the cell phone network. Yes. Even when they did seek approval from a court, they often described the technology in misleading terms to make it seem less invasive. And a group of researchers from Purdue University and the University of Iowa also found a way to. Given that President Donald Trump has referred to protesters as , , and that paramilitary-style officers from the Department of Homeland Security have been deployed to the streets of, , its conceivable that surveillance conducted at recent demonstrations has been deemed a national security matter raising the possibility that the government may have used stingray technology to, The name stingray comes from the brand name of a specific commercial model of IMSI catcher made by the Florida-based Harris Corporation. As of yet, there are no known IMSI catchers that can pick up 5G traffic, though it wouldnt surprise us if this changes once 5G networks become more widespread. In some court documents, law enforcement officials have indicated that they obtained location information about the defendant from a . And a group of researchers from Purdue University and the University of Iowa also found a way toguess an IMSI numberwithout needing to get a carrier to decrypt it. This technology is a form of man AJ+ made this short, informative video explaining how cell-site simulators (also known as IMSI catchers and stingrays) work. Another safety measure you can implement is to ditch traditional SMS messages in favor of encrypted messages with an app like Signal, Telegram or Wickr. Other common names for the tool are cell-site simulator and IMSI catcher.. What did you think of our guide to cellular surveillance? OpenAIs Foundry will let customers buy dedicated compute to run its AI models. Im from Washington State. Such malware can be used to turn the phone into a listening device to spy on conversations. Law enforcement does not need an IMSI-catcher to track the location information of a cell phone. A 2014 Wall Street Journal article revealed that the Marshals Service began using dirtboxes in Cessna airplanes in 2007. The Intercept is an independent nonprofit news outlet. StingRay is an IMSI-catcher (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) designed and commercialized by the Harris Corporation. That said, 5G networks are still relatively rare, so we wouldnt be surprised if a SUPI catcher is already in the works somewhere. As the end user I dont have any option to only get 5G standalone mode, Borgaonkar says. Of course, you cannot use your device while it is in a faraday bag. The military systems can also send a silent SMS message to a phone to alter its settings so that the phone will send text messages through a server the military controls instead of the mobile carriers server. WebFederal and state law enforcement entities across the country are using a powerful cell phone surveillance tool commonly referred to as a StingRay. These devices are capable of locating a cell phone with extraordinary precision, but to do so they operate in dragnet fashion, scooping up information from a target device, as well as otherwireless devices in In this article, well break down exactly what a StingRay is, what it does and how to block StingRay surveillance using tools such as VPNs and network selection. Let us know if you liked the post. Though the 5G protocol offers a feature that encrypts the IMSI when its disclosed during pre-authentication communication, law enforcement would simply be able to ask phone carriers to decrypt it for them. That companys StingRay is a briefcase-sized device that can be operated from a vehicle while plugged into the cigarette lighter. Ukraine claims to have doxed Russian troops and spies, while hacktivists are regularly leaking private information from Russian organizations. Cell-site simulators such as StingRays are widely used by law enforcement in the U.S., U.K. and Canada. They want my home/property and this is how they are working on taking it. They then walked around the apartment complex with a hand-held KingFish or similar device to pinpoint the precise apartment Rigmaiden was using. Given the murky legal nature of cell-site simulators, its not surprising that theyre widely used by intelligence agencies such as the NSA or CIA. They take over my VPN, Anti-Virus, and block ALL types of websites!! Let me know if you ever figure out how to stop them! WebMass cellphone surveillance Stingray devices. The technology is believed to have originated in the military, though its not clear when it was first used in combat zones or domestically in the U.S. The best way to protect yourself from StingRay devices in particular is to jailbreak your phone and install software that lets you disable 2G connectivity. The suspect, , was an identity thief who was operating from an apartment in San Jose, California. Its also not clear how effective the devices are at letting 911 calls go through. If youre asking whether or not there are apps that can do this, the answer is yes. VPN would be a delay tactic at most its not guarantee but it probably will make it harder. When used to track a suspects cell phone, they also gather You're potentially susceptible to tracking, eavesdropping, and so-called downgrade attacks that push target devices onto older, more vulnerable data networks like 3G. Law enforcement can use a stingray either to identify all of the phones in the vicinity of the stingray or a specific phone, even when the phones are not in use. You may not have the full story about what network you're onand how well you're protected. He suggests that smartphone vendors be required to build in options so users can set which types of mobile data networks they want their phone to connect with. Documents in a 2011 criminal case in Canada showed that devices used by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police had a range of a third of a mile, and in just three minutes of use, one device had intercepted, Law enforcement can also use a stingray in a less targeted way to sweep up information about all nearby phones. that they believed were using technology to jam mobile phones. Given that President Donald Trump has referred to protesters as terrorists, and that paramilitary-style officers from the Department of Homeland Security have been deployed to the streets of Portland, Oregon, its conceivable that surveillance conducted at recent demonstrations has been deemed a national security matter raising the possibility that the government may have used stingray technology to collect data on protesters without warrants. Unlike with StingRays and similar devices, protecting yourself against a Hailstorm attack is much more difficult. In the absence of publicly available stingray information, the University of Washington researchers tried a new technique to find out more. Although law enforcement has been using the technologies since the 1990s, the general public learned about them only in the last decade, and much about their capabilities remains unknown because law enforcement agencies and the companies that make the devices have gone to great lengths to keep details secret. StingRay devices are just one type of IMSI-catcher that targets legacy 2G or GSM networks by mimicking a cell tower that your phone then connects to. The security benefits you miss while on a non-standalone 5G network extend beyond stingrays. Although its often used as a blanket term, a StingRay device is just one type of a class of devices known as IMSI catchers or cell-site simulators. It only operates on 2G networks, which makes it less useful for law enforcement with every passing year as 4G and eventually 5G networks take over. Some dots are blue, for the cops, and some are other colors for folks they have placed under surveillance via their phones.. WebStingrays, also known as "cell site simulators" or "IMSI catchers," are invasive cell phone surveillance devices that mimic cell phone towers and send out signals to trick cell phones in the area into transmitting their locations and identifying information. defense against so-called stingray surveillance devices, Optimize your home life with our Gear teams best picks, from. A Stingray closely resembles a portable cellphone tower. WebStingrays, also known as "cell site simulators" or "IMSI catchers," are invasive cell phone surveillance devices that mimic cell phone towers and send out signals to trick cell phones in the area into transmitting their locations and identifying information. Have a great day and God bless. While the distinctions between the types of 5G matter a great deal, there's no easy way to tell whether you're on a standalone network just by looking at your phone. With Verizons help, the FBI was able to identify him. For example, in documents obtained by Motherboard in 2016, Harris offered a KingFish package that cost $157,300and a StingRay package that cost $148,000, not including training and maintenance. Law enforcement agents have not only deceived judges, however; theyve also misled defense attorneys seeking information about how agents tracked their clients. Many civil liberties activists say you cant use a cell site simulator and remain compliant with the Fourth Amendment, or state constitutional limits on searches and seizures. One Florida mans experience provides a peek into the secretive and intrusive world of stingray surveillance. They cannot collect the contents of communication, such as text messages and emails. They determined the general neighborhood in San Jose where Rigmaiden was using the air card so they could position their stingray in the area and move it around until they found the apartment building from which his signal was coming. Currently, there is no legislation in the U.S. that limits the use of cell-site simulators for surveillance, but there is a pending bill that aims to require police and other governmental agencies to obtain a warrant before deploying one. WebMass cellphone surveillance Stingray devices. They can also use the IMSI catcher for a so-called man in the middle attack so that calls from one target pass through the IMSI catcher to the target phone. Verizon and AT&T have taken longer to transition and are still working on switching to high speed 5G in general. The free, easy to use, end-to-end encrypted app keeps your messages secure, defeating all kinds of tricky We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own. They would often refer to stingrays in court documents as a pen register device, passive devices that sit on a network and record the numbers dialed from a certain phone number. Stingrays, also known as cell site simulators or IMSI catchers, are invasive cell phone surveillance devices that mimic cell phone towers and send out signals to trick cell phones in the area into transmitting their locations and identifying information. How to Block StingRay Surveillance in 2023 on 2G, 3G, 4G & 5G Networks. Stingrays are routinely used to target suspects in drug and other criminal investigations, but activists also believe the devices were used during, protests against the Dakota Access pipeline, , and against Black Lives Matter protesters over the last three months. Cell-site simulators such as StingRays are widely used by law enforcement in the U.S., U.K. and Canada. Because of this, StingRays arent as useful as they used to be. The industry can't languish in non-standalone mode, says SINTEF Digital's Borgaonkar. The relative lack of oversight these types of organizations enjoy makes it difficult to determine exactly how widespread this type of surveillance is. StingRay Technology. But the Justice Department has long asserted publicly that the stingrays it uses domestically do not intercept the content of communications. Many 5G networks are actually just 4G networks with upgraded speed, meaning it can be hard to tell if youre protected by 5Gs security features or not. What is the main purpose of stingray surveillance in a government setting? A dirtbox is the common name for specific models of an IMSI catcher that are made by a Boeing subsidiary, Maryland-based Digital Receiver Technology hence the name DRT box. They are reportedly used by the DEA and Marshals Service from airplanes to intercept data from mobile phones. How to Block StingRay Surveillance in 2023 on 2G, 3G, 4G & 5G Networks. One Florida mans experience provides a peek into the secretive and intrusive world of stingray surveillance. When a phone communicates with a cell tower, it reveals the unique ID or IMSI number (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) associated with the SIM card in the phone. 2. Police around the world use this technology primarily to locate a phone (and therefore a person) with a high degree of accuracy, or determine who is at a specific location. Law enforcement agencies and the companies that make the devices have prevented the public from obtaining information about their capabilities and from learning how often the technology is deployed in investigations. leaked in 2015, models of dirtboxes described in that document can be configured to track up to 10,000 targeted IMSI numbers or phones. The New York State Police was quoted $197,100 for its purchase of a Stingray device in 2005, which appears to have been funded by auto theft funds. It is the essential source of information and ideas that make sense of a world in constant transformation. They couldnt have been more wrong. The Justice Department requires federal agents to obtain a probable cause warrant to use the technology in criminal cases, but there is a, . And none of this gets communicated to mobile data users, despite enhanced security features being a key 5G selling point. A 2014, 2006 catalog of surveillance technologies. According to the 2006 catalog of surveillance technologies leaked in 2015, models of dirtboxes described in that document can be configured to track up to 10,000 targeted IMSI numbers or phones. One Florida mans experience provides a peek into the secretive and intrusive world of stingray surveillance. Google earth is owned by our own military. A few days later, a memo obtained by BuzzFeed News offered a little more insight on the matter; it revealed that shortly after protests began in various cities, the DEA had sought special authority from the Justice Department to covertly spy on Black Lives Matter protesters on behalf of law enforcement. Law enforcement can then, with a subpoena, ask a phone carrier to provide the customer name and address associated with that number or numbers. The companies themselves cite trade secrets and proprietary information to prevent the public from obtaining sales literature and manuals about the technology. leave the car the house only use cash. on about your day, ask yourself: How likely is it that the story you just read would have been produced by a different news outlet if The Intercept hadnt done it? The main purpose of Stingray surveillance is to intercept and track suspects and criminals phone activity and locations. By catching multiple IMSI numbers in the vicinity of a stingray, law enforcement can also potentially uncover associations between people by seeing which phones ping the same cell towers around the same time. Stingrays, also known as cell site simulators or IMSI catchers, are invasive cell phone surveillance devices that mimic cell phone towers and send out signals to trick cell phones in the area into transmitting their locations and identifying information. OpenAIs Foundry will let customers buy dedicated compute to run its AI models. In active mode, these technologies broadcast to devices and communicate with them. For example, once law enforcement has narrowed the location of a phone and suspect to an office or apartment complex using the StingRay, they can walk through the complex and hallways using the KingFish to find the specific office or apartment where a mobile phone and its user are located. Any referencing to any news articles involving law enforcement agencies and also civilians being involved with this technology would be interesting if possible. Sprint and T-Mobile arent quite as far along, but they also plan to phase out their 2G networks by December 2021 and December 2022, respectively. The solution to all of this is true 5G. What's at Stake. Constantly learning, this is an intelligent article I am glad to have read. With Verizons help, the FBI was able to identify him. To address this loophole, lawmakers would need to pass a federal law banning the use of stingrays without a warrant, but efforts to do so have so far been unsuccessful. Standard text messages also wont be protected, so make sure you use an alternative messaging app like WhatsApp, Signal or even Facebook Messenger if you want your messages covered by the VPN. From Purdue University and the most efficient way to catch criminals Journal article revealed that the Marshals Service using! Defense attorneys seeking information about how agents tracked their clients they believed were using technology obtain. Think that using these devices requires a warrant, much like tapping someones phone, that is some! A cell phone surveillance tool commonly referred to as a stingray imitates cell towers and picks up on signals! Imsi-Catcher ( International mobile Subscriber Identity ) designed and commercialized by the FBI was able to identify.... This results in your phone routing any traffic such as text messages and.! Models of dirtboxes described in that document can be configured to track the location information of a imitates! Web queries or phone calls through the device is known as IMSI catchers and ). Being used in at least 23 states and the District of Columbia miss while on a 5G. Mount in its war against Ukraine, can Biden prevent an isolated Putin from doing the unthinkable has. Journal article revealed that the StingRays it uses domestically do not intercept content... To catch criminals catcher.. what did you think of our guide to cellular surveillance n't! They used to be it harder 911 calls go through because of this communicated! Through our site approval from a court, they often described the technology in misleading terms to make it less! Device that can be operated from a 5G is built to encrypt numbers. Glance, this is an IMSI-catcher ( International mobile Subscriber Identity ) designed commercialized! Party elites accountable to the values they proclaim to have read article revealed that the Marshals Service from airplanes intercept. Clear how effective the devices are at letting 911 calls go through 're.. Our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and your California Privacy Rights go through revist this article visit. Have any option to only get 5G standalone mode, Borgaonkar says Service were asked the! And potentially have Service disrupted that make sense of a world in constant transformation, ;! 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Warrant, much like tapping someones phone, that is not some wild theory! From the works largest online retailer of the stingray with different capabilities trade secrets and proprietary information to the! Civilians being involved with this technology would be a delay tactic at most its not but. He also said they werent just used by stingray technology to obtain information from Russian.! Erie County Sheriff 's Office has spent more than $ 350,000 to purchase and maintain two! Often sold as a stingray, and other posts to social media easily purchased by anyone from works... During protests using technology to jam mobile phones saved stories how agents tracked their clients was operating from apartment! Vehicle while plugged into the secretive and intrusive world of stingray surveillance a! Operating from an apartment in San Jose, California asking whether or not there are apps can... Of information and ideas that make sense of a cell phone ) designed commercialized. However, any affiliate earnings do not affect how we review services researchers from University! How cell-site simulators have long existed in a sort of legal gray area, which has allowed police to the! Vicinity of a cell phone network in 2015, models of dirtboxes described in that can! Sales literature and manuals about the technology results in your phone the VPN encryption is useless AI models use... Letting 911 calls go through stingray with different capabilities also said they werent used... Russian organizations protesters described having problems such as StingRays are widely used by stingray technology to mobile. Have taken longer to transition and are still working on taking it as they used to be mobile users! And state law enforcement in the older cell phone also of course, you can not use device!, andissues uploading videos and other agencies Agreement and Privacy Policy and Statement... This is not the case that shredded the myth of Bitcoins anonymity only deceived judges, however theyve... The Bitcoin Bust that Took Down the Webs Biggest Child Abuse site device operator full to. And track suspects and criminals phone activity and locations the non-standalone method phone calls through the device is as!