Not a pretty picture, people.
Posted on 06/22/2015 7:33:22 AM PDT by rickyrikardo
The National Security Agency and its British counterpart, Government Communications Headquarters, have worked to subvert anti-virus and other security software in order to track users and infiltrate networks, according to documents from NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.
The spy agencies have reverse engineered software products, sometimes under questionable legal authority, and monitored web and email traffic in order to discreetly thwart anti-virus software and obtain intelligence from companies about security software and users of such software. One security software maker repeatedly singled out in the documents is Moscow-based Kaspersky Lab, which has a holding registered in the U.K., claims more than 270,000 corporate clients, and says it protects more than 400 million people with its products.
British spies aimed to thwart Kaspersky software in part through a technique known as software reverse engineering, or SRE, according to a top-secret warrant renewal request. The NSA has also studied Kaspersky Lab’s software for weaknesses, obtaining sensitive customer information by monitoring communications between the software and Kaspersky servers, according to a draft top-secret report. The U.S. spy agency also appears to have examined emails inbound to security software companies flagging new viruses and vulnerabilities.
The efforts to compromise security software were of particular importance because such software is relied upon to defend against an array of digital threats and is typically more trusted by the operating system than other applications, running with elevated privileges that allow more vectors for surveillance and attack. Spy agencies seem to be engaged in a digital game of cat and mouse with anti-virus software companies; the U.S. and U.K. have aggressively probed for weaknesses in software deployed by the companies, which have themselves exposed sophisticated state-sponsored malware.
(Excerpt) Read more at firstlook.org ...
trust Russian software more than your own government
The NSA seems far more interested in spying on US citizens than foreign terrorists.
“The NSA seems far more interested in spying on US citizens than foreign terrorists.”
Do you agree that NSA has a legitimate interest in spying on terrorist networks?
Do you believe that NSA should limit itself to using tools that can only be used to spy on terrorists?
Can you explain how NSA can build tools capable of spying on terrorist networks that cannot also be used to spy on US Citizens?
Criminal actions which will not be prosecuted.
Why is the NSA tracking every single email, phone call or web connection by every single American?
For data mining purposes
This type of data gathering is useless, in real time- there is too much to go through.
But if you come onto their radar, then hmmm let’s see who you’ve been talking to.
This type of data gathering is useless, in real time- there is too much to go through.
But if you come onto their radar, then hmmm let’s see who you’ve been talking to.
Exactly. When the Snowden documents first surfaced, there was a lot of hand-waving about the government "only collecting metadata". The fact is, this "metadata" is extremely important and has major implications to your privacy and the average person's desire to just be left the hell alone by the Feral government.
One of the really interesting bits to come out in the past many months is how very dedicated the NSA is in making sure that the internet be as unsafe a place for your average American as it is possible to be. Rather than help Americans be secure online, they do everything they can to make sure that they aren't.
The list, Ping
Let me know if you would like to be on or off the ping list
Do you believe the police should be limited to needing warrants to search your person and property? After all,it would be so much easier if they could just search anyone’s home,car,pockets,phone, and mind without limits.
“Do you believe the police should be limited to needing warrants to search your person and property? After all,it would be so much easier if they could just search anyone’s home,car,pockets,phone, and mind without limits.”
The question was not should warrants be required for a search. The question was should NSA be allowed to develop tools and techniques that could be used for a search.
Are you saying that NSA should have a warrant from a judge to search a specific target before it’s allowed to develop the tools necessary to conduct that search?
Should the tools be made in such a way that they can only be used to search IAW a specific warrant? Exactly how do you propose building such tools?
I am not seeing your so-called ‘point’?
So are you saying that you are OK with them spying on every single american because it is a natural side-effect of spying on terrorists?
“So are you saying that you are OK with them spying on every single american because it is a natural side-effect of spying on terrorists?”
It’s pretty simple. The article is all upset about hacking a version of anti-virus software in order to develop a tool that could be used to spy on terrorists. It is obvious that such a hack could be used to spy on citizens or on terrorists.
My point is this: if you don’t like this kind of thing then explain how NSA can build a spy tool that cannot be used to spy on citizens.
It’s just like a wiretap which could be used legally or illegally. Should wiretaps be outlawed because they could be used illegally?
Or, for another analogy. Weapons provided to the US Army could be used against citizens. Does that mean the US Army should not be allowed to develop weapons? Or should the US Army be banned from developing weapons that can only be used against terrorists?
But to return to your original question. In certain circumstances, law enforcement can ‘spy’ on citizens if it is a by-product of spying on terrorists. Suppose, you want to take a photograph of two terrorists meeting in a park. Are you prohibited from taking such a picture if there are also citizens in the background?
Notice I specifically limited this to ‘law enforcement’. NSA is not law enforcement and cannot legally spy on persons located within the borders of the United States. It can ‘spy’ on those located outside the US even if this does indirectly involve those located inside the US.
That may bother you but consider this. Suppose NSA learns that five terrorists will have a conference call on a forthcoming terrorist plot. Should NSA listen in?
What if, just at the moment when one terrorist is about to announce the target, the date, and the timing another terrorist dials in and that terrorist is within the US. Should NSA immediately terminate the wiretap? What if terrorist announce that one party to the call is a (unnamed) US citizen? They could make such an announcement standard practice.
What if several terrorists are using email to coordinate an attack. Suppose some of their email is routed through a server in the US. Can NSA intercept this email?
The basty nastards literally gave China the keys to the kingdom, and put in all this effort to keep track of the likes of us.
The population of any middle school across America could have done as well.
Not a pretty picture, people.
Apparently not to much trouble at all. Just mention that you are looking at a flat screen for you birthday to one of your friends and see if the adds don't start popping up the next day. (gmail for sure does this.)
you are CLEARLY comparing apples and oranges...
I do this stuff for a living
you are CLEARLY not paying attention
If THAT was what the NSA was doing it would be expected
But its not.., they are collecting spy data on every single american
yes the technology to spy on one gives you the ability to spy on all- and that is why the NSA is doing- spying on ALL
Massive amounts of fiber optic cable were put in during the dot-com boom. Unlike other communication technologies (cell phone towers, copper cable), this stuff is going to be in great shape for years.
We need to take all that dark cable, connect new hubs, and build a new internet that is separate from the hubs the NSA is monitoring.
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