There are billions of billions to be made with the right information. As such, there are millions of millions to be spent on obtaining that information. Everything is up for sale.
Hardware and infrastructure is not installed by government; it is installed by contractors who work for government. Hardware is not manufactured by government, it is manufactured by contractors. Which is more valuable: the door key into your home or the pass-code for the security system?
The metadata collection Ed Snowden discussed was the tip of the iceberg. Snowden was inside the system, he discussed how information was gathered. Snowden never discussed who actually controls the weaponization of the information from the outside. Who pays?
Who pays for access to systems? Who pays the DOJ and FBI officials for access? Who pays for the information. Ultimately, who controls that information. It is all connected.
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your question re: “who pays for access to systems?”
brings a couple questions to mind:
1. was hildabeast’s unauthorized illegal off site server the “stargate” for pay to play access into our systems?
2. was imran awan’s patches into HOR computer systems another “stargate” for pay to play access into our systems?
much better than old school espionage of duct taping copes of top secret documents under park benches & bridges.
bonus question: was nellie ohr’s short wave a throw back to old school low tech espionage?
PS question: do you suppose hildabeast & awan offered their information buyers “levelized billing plans?