Inside the NSA’s Secret Efforts to Hunt and Hack System Administrators

The Intercept ^ | Mar 20, 2014 | Ryan Gallagher and Peter Maass

[Izzy Dunne]

Notice they're not targeting SysAdmins who are suspect. They are targeting SysAdmins of networks where something MIGHT be going on.

I wonder if JimRob / JohnRob have been targeted?

[MeshugeMikey]

does the Pope live at the vatican?

[Gadsden1st]

If they have not been doing anyting wrong, what’s the problem? s\

[Izzy Dunne]

Yeah, now that you mention it, I guess the Pope does poop in the woods.

[Texas resident]

Given the scope of all this, it would safe to assume that anyone can be a target to be spied on.

[MeshugeMikey]

Im betting that a close inspection of the nsa list would reveal data on everyone who’s ever posted on FR!!

[Starboard]

Safe assumption. People who have tools find ways to use them. Just saying.

[Starboard]

ZeroHedge is probably a little higher up on that list. ;)

[Texas Fossil]

Have you Googled your screen name in quotes and freerepublic.com ?

It is very amazing how quickly new posts are added to search results.

[Starboard]

It is very amazing how quickly new posts are added to search results.

*********

And soon to be stored in perpetuity in Utah.

[TimF]

Is the IRS run by Hedy Lamarr?

That’s Hedley.

[MeshugeMikey]

I have indeed done many such searches and fin that ordinarily those quotes go up within mere minutes

[Texas Fossil]

There is something to be learned from that.

[Texas Fossil]

I hope the data grows at such a rate that they have a total melt down.

[Nachum]

The list, Ping

Let me know if you would like to be on or off the ping list

http://www.nachumlist.com/

[BuckeyeTexan]

Ping

[BuckeyeTexan]

What “they” assume is that sysadmins don’t know they are being hunted. Amateurs.

[ShadowAce]

[AllAmericanGirl44]

bkmk

[rarestia]

Have you Googled your screen name in quotes and freerepublic.com ?

What's even more disturbing is that the NSA likely has the passwords for every FReeper, as there's no SSL available for sign ons. I've deliberately left my FR password simple, because I use incredibly complex passwords everywhere else; and I don't want the NSA to figure out my syntax.

Further, the NSA isn't interested in forum sites like FR for data collection. Everything is publicly visible and available by search on any browser. The NSA wants to infiltrate networks for use as botnets and to gather intel from those networks. If you're literally not hiding anything through SSL obfuscation, you're already open and been cataloged by the NSA.