A Beginner's Guide to TSP and GETS
by weev

	In response to a 1981 report on the vulnerabilities of national communications
networks, Ronald Reagan signed Executive Order (E.O.) 12472, which granted the National
Communications System (NCS) broadened control over all public commerically-offered
communications networks in this country. In response, NCS began to plan a system that would
ensure government agencies and employees the ability to complete a call to any working point
on the network at any time. The Telecommunications Service Priority (TSP) was born.

	All calls using the TSP will eventually end up routing through a diverter of some
sort located in the 710 area code. This area code receives virtually no billing costs, as
telecommunications companies grant free usage of their networks to high-priority government
calls. There is a threshold to their generousity, as they only allow the NCS a static
amount of network usage per year before NCS has to pay for it. However, NCS has never
crossed this threshold.

	The GETS uses prioritized trunk queues and in a handful of places (including
Washington DC, New York, Los Angeles, NORAD, Arlington, etc) several completely seperate
trunks that have been reserved solely for GETS use. Yes, I know the prospect of having a
priority trunk on every call is very appealing. Keep drooling, because the NCS is trying to
extend it's priority status to internet traffic as well, so soon maybe all the routers of
major backbones will recognize certain blocks of .gov ipspace as "priority communications."

	There are many government agencies that have been given some sort of access to GETS,
including the US Postal Service, though I have no idea why they would need it. There are
five priorities attached to GETS calls. They include:

Priority #1: National Security/High Ranking Leadership
Priority #2: National Security Posture and US Population Attack Warning
Priority #3: Public Health, Safety, And Maintenence of Law and ORder.
Priority #4: Public Welfare and Maintenence of National Economic Posture
Priority #5: Low-level Emergency

See, why does the Post Office need GETS access? Maybe it's so the Postmaster General can
call 900 sex lines for free. (Yes, GETS does have 900 access. Your taxes at work!) In the
event that switches are crowded with priority 3 calls, a priority 1 or 2 call would take
higher priority. I don't see that ever happening, but the system is there so if it does
happen, a higher-hierarchy call can still get through.

Now, to get into the GETS system, you would have to call a GETS Access Number. The
"universal" GETS access number is 710-NCS-GETS. There are many others, but that is the main
one. To actually use GETS, you will need an authorization code.


GETS and TSP Authorization Codes
	There are two forms of authorization acceptable for GETS. One is an automated GETS
calling card number. The other is a TSP authorization code traditionally given to a live
operator. The second is extremely rare.
	GETS calling card numbers are anywhere from 7 to 24 digits, depending on the
priority they are fixed at and what organization the owner belongs to. They are usually ten
digits. May I say that bruteforcing GETS codes is extremely impractical, since all TSP users
are required AT MINIMUM to resubmit their elegibility requirements for GETS once every two
years, and if you are a member of certain organizations or have a high priority it's every
three to seven months. There are no "old" GETS codes lying around in the database.
	All TSP authorization codes follow a standard 12-digit format. For 
example:  TSP4LPFF0-02. The first 3 are always "TSP", then there is a six digit alphanumeric
identifier, and the last two numbers are the "provision priority" and the "restoration
priority". If the last two numbers of the code are both zeros, then that pin has no priority
level on public switching networks. It does however still let you dial to numbers that can
only be dialed from a source within the 710 area code. If you recite the code verbally, do
NOT forget the dash, as it is required protocol to say "dash", as in:
"tee ess pee four ell pee eff eff zero dash zero two"
Callers who forget the dash will immediately put up a red flag to an operator.

Getting a GETS code?
	Well, maybe you could try talking to the GETS administration office at 703-607-6118,
or you could talk to the Office of Priority Telecommunications (OPT) at:

Manager, National Communications System
ATTN: Office of Priority Telecommunications
701 South Court House Road
Arlington, VA 22204-2198

Voice: 703 607 4932/703 607 4933
Fax: 703 607 4937


The Priority Telecommunications Services (PTS) Server
	The PTS provides remote administration of TSP functions. The PTS server resides in
the OPT. It is actually 4 seperate workstations, each of which have their own dialin
number. The PTS server is accessed using PCAnywhere 2.0(Win3.1) or 7.5/8.0(Win32). The
dialin numbers are 703-607-6892 703-607-4992 703-607-6840 and 703-607-6850. You will need a
username and password. Passwords are 8-24 characters long.
	Inside the PTS system, you can make requests for TSP priority codes, revalidate any
older users access that has come close to expiring, you may put in work orders to service
switches and other equipment involved in the TSP network, and you may report users of TSP
services who have been having technical-related troubles using the TSP service. You may also
see summaries of all current requests for TSP access that are still being processed. And on
top of that, you can make requests to revoke services if you want. Those requests are almost
always granted first and then questioned later.
	The most useful function availible to those who would illegitimately exploit TSP for
their own benefit is the ability to freely revalidate expiring TSP codes. In this way, you
could find a TSP code and keep it valid indefinitely. Also, using work orders, you might be
able to social engineer backdoors into equipment and servers vital to the operation of TSP
and GETS.

Well, that should be enough info for now to go and hack the planet or something.

-weev