Posted on 06/14/2013 6:51:18 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
Thousands of companies are providing intelligence organizations with data such as vulnerabilities and equipment specifications, sources tell Bloomberg.
In a twist on recent revelations about classified U.S. intelligence gathering, thousands of companies are reportedly supplying national security agencies with sensitive information in exchange for classified intelligence.
U.S. Internet and telecommunications companies are providing government agencies with information such as vulnerabilities and equipment specifications rather than customers' private communications, sources tell Bloomberg.
Software makers, Internet security providers, and telecommunications providers, among others, have agreements with the National Security Agency, as well as the CIA, FBI, and U.S. military to provide information that could be used not only to defend the nation's infrastructure but to infiltrate its adversaries' networks, Bloomberg reported, saying:
Microsoft Corp., the world's largest software company, provides intelligence agencies with information about bugs in its popular software before it publicly releases a fix, according to two people familiar with the process. That information can be used to protect government computers and to access the computers of terrorists or military foes. Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft and other software or Internet security companies have been aware that this type of early alert allowed the U.S. to exploit vulnerabilities in software sold to foreign governments, according to two U.S. officials.
In some cases, companies like Microsoft might tip off the government to bug in its software before publicly releasing a fix, a process a Microsoft spokesperson said was designed to be give government agencies "an early start" on assessing and mitigating the risk.
In other cases, Bloomberg reported that telecommunications companies provide access to offshore data and facilities, access that would normally require a judge's order in the U.S.
However, the report notes that the cooperation is legal and that no oversight under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is necessary.
Initial reports last week in the Guardian and Washington Post said U.S. Internet companies allegedly cooperated with an NSA's program called PRISM program. Since then, however, the reports have been shown to be incorrect and Post and the Guardian have backed away from their original claims.
In addition, it turned out that the so-called PRISM program is not the name of a spy program after all: It's the name of an internal NSA software tool that's used to collate data collected through a legal process created by Congress in 2008 and last renewed in December 2012. That "702" process, overseen by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, the Justice Department, and Congress, requires companies to comply with orders for information on non-U.S. citizens in investigations related to "prevention of terrorism, hostile cyberactivities, or nuclear proliferation."
Can’t swapping data with the gov’t end up giving you a disease?
You'll never be 100% secure, but taking steps in that direction will serve you well.
Wow. Overseen by a rubber-stamp court, a department run by a corrupt AG, and a bunch of corrupt political hacks. I feel better already.
Of course the “secure” email service you purchase may be a blind subsidiary of the NSA, but why worry?
I guess this explains why the Won’s first coronation ceremony was attended by so many corporate elites they had to turn a whole runway in DC into a parking lot for corporate and private jets.
If some companies are granted access to classified intelligence about competitor’s products, but not others, it would amount to an unfair competitive advantage. How many companies have been made or broken by this practice? How would a lawsuit fare in which a company alleged racketeering by another, through use/misuse of classified information about the plaintiff company, made available to a competitor by the US government, that resulted in some sort of advantage to the defendant?
Free email services scan and sell your info and surfing habits. It's ridiculous the amount of spam that loads my free account. Secured service is the way to go.
Utilizing a proxy browser cuts down on tracking as well. Startpage or DuckDuckgo are pretty good.
Binarial disease
This was known as Fascism when it occurred in other countries.
We may find that the entire stock, bond and commodities markets are corrupted by insiders trading based on intilligence gathered on company information given to certain insiders in the political, banking and corporate world (and those like George Soros) .
It would explain some things.
Remember back in the day the private data companies the provide leads to companies, etc well when Davis was Gov of CA he signed into law the ability of the state tax board to sell our tax return data was well so here in the state, this has gone on a long time.
I suppose that digital diseases have mutated at least to the point of Triacontakaidecial versions
I have the betrayed the trust of the Americans who gave their lives so that I could live in peace and freedom. I took liberty for granted; I held that treasure so lightly in my hands that I barely noticed anything was missing until it was nearly all gone.
On this beautiful Flag Day when my flag is gently waving against a clear sky — so blue it hurts your eyes, I ask Freepers to join me in beseeching God for mercy for our Republic and for the courage and wisdom of good men and women to bring America back to greatness.
E. Pluribus Unum ~:” The big-government/big-corporate criminal complex never sleeps.”
Diane Fienstein , as chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee , is responsible for oversight of NSA and the gathering of all electronic data .
Sure , that makes me feel safe !! .. </sarc
She thinks that RICO has nothing to do with national security,
she thinks that RICO refers to her ‘pool boy’.
> “In other cases, Bloomberg reported that telecommunications companies provide access to offshore data and facilities, access that would normally require a judge’s order in the U.S.”
> “However, the report notes that the cooperation is legal and that no oversight under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is necessary.”
Early on Canadian RIM’s Blackberry empire was built on US Government mandating that government employees and contractors use only Blackberry smartphones. All emails, texts and phone audios were sent to servers in Canada as a loophole around US privacy laws.
But now the monitoring is everywhere without court warrants and it needs to stop with respect to Americans.
“Startpage or DuckDuckgo”
Read the fine print.
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