Slovenian whistleblower who was convicted for reporting a flaw in Police TETRA with an RTL-SDR requests donations

Back in May 2016 we posted about Dejan Ornig, a then 26 year old student at the University of Maribor's Faculty of Criminal Justice, Slovenia who was almost imprisoned for using an RTL-SDR and finding a security flaw in Police TETRA communications. Dejan's story was one of the first of several stories we presented over the years involving a person getting into legal or political trouble from the use of SDRs like the RTL-SDR in more authoritarian countries.

TETRA is a RF digital voice and text communications protocol often used by authorities in European and other countries due to its ability to be secured via encryption. By using an RTL-SDR and an open source TETRA decoder, Dejan discovered that despite official documents specifying that all Police TETRA terminals must be authenticated (we assume this refers to encryption), none actually were.

Dejan went ahead and ethically reported his findings to the Slovenian authorities, working together with Police officers to disclose all his findings. However, in the end no action was taken, and Dejan took his findings to the press. It was then that Dejan was prosecuted by Slovenian Police, his house raided, and he discovered that Police had been collecting evidence against him for more than a year.

To complicate matters further it appears that Dejan also worked as an intelligence informant for the Police and was illegally instructed and helped by two Police detectives to hack into e-mails, Facebook profiles and other online communications of people deemed suspicious.

After seven years of court hearings, his case on the TETRA hack ended in 2022 with Dejan subjected to a seven month suspended prison sentence . Although suspension means that Dejan will not physically reside in jail, his record still records him as a criminal.

The criminal trial and conviction has led to Dejan having problems securing a job and moving forward with his life. He is currently asking for donations online in order to help get his life back on track. Dejan's full story can be read at the funding site. Alternatively you can donate via PayPal.

NOTE: As donation requests can often be scams, we have independently verified that it is indeed Dejan Ornig who submitted this story to us, and that the donation site and PayPal link is legitimate.

NOTE 2: In the past we have had issues moderating comments with stories involving transgender and female contributors. Dejan's story contains info about his sexual orientation and we will not accept derogatory comments on this site regarding this. If desired, please discuss the technical and legal nature of Dejan's situation, any other comments will be removed.

TETRA Decoding (with telive on Linux)
An Example TETRA decoding setup
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ryan

In the private sector it’s standard practice to report a flat in security and be paid for it. Afterwards its perfectly legit to go public with it. If governments operated this way their systems would be far more streamlined. He probably should have approached the companies that made the hardware/software. Bum deal for sure

Anonymous

For the next time, learn the lesson: If the police broadcasts unencrypted, just listen to them and STFU. Don’t try to help them. And if you try to offer them “security for money”, then you got paid how you deserved.

anonymous

To be honest I don’t really understant what he was convicted for – eavesdroping on TETRA, or illegally spying on people when he was working for the police, or both?

If i remember correctly he was convicted with a first suspended jail sentence in 2016 for eavesdroping TETRA and in 2022 he was convicted for illegally spying whils he was working for the police.

It’s not clear whether what he did was illegal or whether the police or government is harassing him as a revenge for revealing the TETRA “security flaw”, which did probably cost some amount of money to fix in order to avoid having it being used by criminals.

Anonymous

To those people suggesting he seek asylum elsewhere, seeking asylum in another EU country is likely going to be a hard road – and doing so in the US is going to be even harder, considering what options he has to base a valid claim of persecution e..g, the basis for his reason to seek asylum/refuge. Considering Slovenia is a member of the EU, he can’t claim state persecution for religious or political beliefs because he is considered to be coming from a safe country of origin… Also, considering that since June of 2022, same-sex marriage was legalized as a result of a constitutional court decision, claiming state persecution on the basis of his sexuality is a moot point. Seeking asylum in the US for any of the same reasons will likely fall on deaf ears as well, for the same deficiencies.

Were he to be a citizen of another, non-EU member state, or another country which does not have the same track record of “progressiveness” as Slovenia, or be subject to state-sponsored discrimination on any of the above elements, then it might be an option.

Anonymous

Dejan Ornig imposed himself on the police. He also hacked virtual accounts of natural persons (2012- 2015 illegally).

He then presented the vulnerability of the tetra system. (with the aim of getting a well-paid job in the Slovenian police – but luckily it didn’t work out).

He was convicted. How else??? Now he states that Slovenia and the Slovenian police are unofficially persecuting him, eavesdropping on him, torturing him – THIS IS NOT TRUE.

Nobody wants anything to him.

HE CAN START WORKING – there is enough work.

But everyone would just ask for contributions and collect 15,000 euros and start as a king in another country. It doesn’t work like that.

James 007

Dejan,Unfortunate he got punished for something that police security and governments should have been aware of a backdoor hack into tetra decoding.In the UK MI6 would have been greatfull of his findings.and not jailed or his career ruined.or on this forum.slandered.
Apply for asylum in another country.

Anonymous

he forced HIMSELF to the police. HE OFFERED to hack virtual accounts.HE KNEW he was doing it illegally. In addition, he wanted to get a high position in the Police. BUT IT DIDNT WORK OUT – he worked illegally. In the midst of this, he also showed an example of a tetra.

Sorry. It didn’t work out. Now GO TO WORK. Like everyone else. AND EARN MONEY.

Anonymous

oh, darling, sweetheart, what you do in your work? looks like u working so, so hard, that you need to have a good blowjob. or just go touch some grass, really.

Dejan Ornig

Hi there,

Thank you very much for your opinions, even you spew hate around you.

First question. Are you living in Slovenia? If not, then you probably can’t know how difficult is to finding job, here. Are you Gay? Probably you are not, right? Are you HIV positive? No, you are not, right? Are you under surveillance 24/7? You are not, right?

I know that you don’t care about me, but heeey, if you old enough, you can have your own child. I’m not yours, so please don’t comment something, that you really don’t know.

Anyway, I could make Webpage for you, for 1000€, I’m very happy for your businesses offer. Just tell me more, when I can start with work?

I’m understand some guys here, who are too much jealous, and they burning inside … But, this is the last, what I want. This is not easy money for me … Not even close. I’m posted almost every intimate fact of me. Just because this step is my the last. After my death, you can find your next target or victims.

– I need collect enough funds to relocate ASAP and pay a rent for a safety home, then get a proper job,
– I need to relocate outside of Slovenia, because this is the only way to survive,
– I wish to see the beauty of this world, because my life unfortunately can’ t be very long.

I honestly believe that each of us, should have the possibility, opportunity to survive and have a better future.

Thank you with all my heart.
Dejan Ornig

Alberd Dumbstein

Excuse me? He hacked into emails and social profiles that police deemed “suspicious”, which gave him a good picture of the insidious nature of “law enforcement” in this police state world… And then proceeded to try and help them, and when they didn’t want his help, he went and complained to the profoundly corrupt corporate media about it?

Don’t give this guy a cent. He made this bed, now he can sleep in it.

Anonymous

@Aaron Heap, your is langue is the same as of the Nazis. Did you read his life story? If you really did, then you know why he worked for the police. But yea, it’s so easier to be a judge of death, right?

Anonymous

WE READ. YES. ALMOSTE ALL IS ONLY HIS IMAGINATION.

Even after few years all the time writting same storry – GO TO WORK. LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.

crandazzo

ACAB

Anonymous

Did you read his life story on funding donation page? Do your own job and read before commenting!

Anonymous

He wanted to get an excellent position in the Police. That’s why he first offered his service to hack electronic accounts.

In the middle of it, he provided a big romp and pomp – tetra. He was sure that this would carry him to the position. However, it ended differently than he initially expected – he was convicted.

And now he has been dragging this story out for several years, because he would like to reach a settlement.

THE BOY WILL NEED TO WOOOORK. WORK HARD. Success won’t just come from someone sitting at a desk and waiting.

INSTEAD OF ASKING FOR EASY MONEY he can make a website for someone for 1,000 euros. And it can also wash in a car wash.

5,000 euros would quickly accumulate. With this earned money, he can travel wherever he wants.

No one prevents him from doing this – except for his story. In reality, no one deals with him as much as he says.

Anonymous

dude, you’re obsessed whit him and sickly jealous. How many comment did you post about him? Get over it and go touch some grass.

Anonymous

Dejan Ornig wanted to join the police as a young boy.
He was pretending to be the sheriff all the time. He finished college. He forced himself to cooperate with the police. He accepted a job to hack into virtual accounts. When the breach came to light, he hoped it would turn out to be something perfect for him. This was like that! The court convicted him. But now he is acting poor. He can go work at a car wash and collect that money. I think he’s just looking for attention. He just want 5,000 euros for a new computer and rent in another country. It’s not something you should be asking for. GO WORKING NOW.

AD5NL

There’s a difference between illegal and immoral. Breaking the law is not always wrong.

Dejan pointed out a security flaw to the authorities, and then punished for it.

He’s basically a political prisoner.

OscarOne

Interesting story, but just for the benefit of doubt to all, those pictures contain CLEAR Tetra, nothing in those pictures indicates the comms being encrypted.

Air Interface is the encryption, to which the pictures system has none.

Anonymous

he hacked into people’s virtual accounts. He forced himself into the police with only one purpose – to get some excellent official position in the Police.
BUT THIS IS NOT GO LIKE THIS. It’s been a few years since the conviction. He could work during this time. And earned money. Its 4 years ago. GO WORK AND EARN MONEY. Nobody dont want him nothing bad.

Anonymous

this is some sorta bad joke…
he breaks the law he should pay the price…not ask for everyone else to bail him out
hes asks for a new laptop…BUY IT YASELF LIKE THE REST OF US HAVE TO…i want a new one too but im not gonna ask the internet for donations….
he wants money to travel the world…again why should ANYONE pay for him to travel the world?…ive hardly been out of the state let alone the country…again im not gonna ask for donations…
if he was only asking for help to put a roof over his head (which he already has) or for his other situation maybe donations might be worthy…. but as it is, hes better off than a LOT of other people around the world…
ALL this just shows how ENTITLED younge people think they are…

Anonymous

Dude, go touch some grass.