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Discussion => Security => Topic started by: ruby123 on June 06, 2013, 10:23 pm

Title: U.S. intelligence mining data from nine U.S. Internet companies in broad secret
Post by: ruby123 on June 06, 2013, 10:23 pm
U.S. intelligence mining data from nine U.S. Internet companies in broad secret program
   
http://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/us-intelligence-mining-data-from-nine-us-internet-companies-in-broad-secret-program/2013/06/06/3a0c0da8-cebf-11e2-8845-d970ccb04497_story.html

By Barton Gellman and Laura Poitras, Thursday, June 6, 5:43 PM E-mail the writer

The National Security Agency and the FBI are tapping directly into the central servers of nine leading U.S. Internet companies, extracting audio, video, photographs, e-mails, documents and connection logs that enable analysts to track a person’s movements and contacts over time.

The highly classified program, code-named PRISM, has not been disclosed publicly before. Its establishment in 2007 and six years of exponential growth took place beneath the surface of a roiling debate over the boundaries of surveillance and privacy. Even late last year, when critics of the foreign intelligence statute argued for changes, the only members of Congress who know about PRISM were bound by oaths of office to hold their tongues.


An internal presentation on the Silicon Valley operation, intended for senior analysts in the NSA’s Signals Intelligence Directorate, described the new tool as the most prolific contributor to the President’s Daily Brief, which cited PRISM data in 1,477 articles last year. According to the briefing slides, obtained by The Washington Post, “NSA reporting increasingly relies on PRISM” as its leading source of raw material, accounting for nearly 1 in 7 intelligence reports.

That is a remarkable figure in an agency that measures annual intake in the trillions of communications. It is all the more striking because the NSA, whose lawful mission is foreign intelligence, is reaching deep inside the machinery of American companies that host hundreds of millions of American-held accounts on American soil.

The technology companies, which participate knowingly in PRISM operations, include most of the dominant global players of Silicon Valley. They are listed on a roster that bears their logos in order of entry into the program: “Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, PalTalk, AOL, Skype, YouTube, Apple.” PalTalk, although much smaller, has hosted significant traffic during the Arab Spring and in the ongoing Syrian civil war.

Dropbox , the cloud storage and synchronization service, is described as “coming soon.”

Government officials declined to comment for this story.

Roots in the ’70s

PRISM is an heir, in one sense, to a history of intelligence alliances with as many as 100 trusted U.S. companies since the 1970s. The NSA calls these Special Source Operations, and PRISM falls under that rubric.

The Silicon Valley operation works alongside a parallel program, code-named BLARNEY, that gathers up “metadata” — address packets, device signatures and the like — as it streams past choke points along the backbone of the Internet. BLARNEY’s top-secret program summary, set down alongside a cartoon insignia of a shamrock and a leprechaun hat, describes it as “an ongoing collection program that leverages IC [intelligence community] and commercial partnerships to gain access and exploit foreign intelligence obtained from global networks.”

But the PRISM program appears more nearly to resemble the most controversial of the warrantless surveillance orders issued by President George W. Bush after the al-Qaeda attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Its history, in which President Obama presided over “exponential growth” in a program that candidate Obama criticized, shows how fundamentally surveillance law and practice have shifted away from individual suspicion in favor of systematic, mass collection techniques.
The PRISM program is not a dragnet, exactly. From inside a company’s data stream the NSA is capable of pulling out anything it likes, but under current rules the agency does not try to collect it all.

Analysts who use the system from a Web portal at Fort Meade key in “selectors,” or search terms, that are designed to produce at least 51 percent confidence in a target’s “foreignness.” That is not a very stringent test. Training materials obtained by the Post instruct new analysts to submit accidentally collected U.S. content for a quarterly report, “but it’s nothing to worry about.”


Even when the system works just as advertised, with no American singled out for targeting, the NSA routinely collects a great deal of American content. That is described as “incidental,” and it is inherent in contact chaining, one of the basic tools of the trade. To collect on a suspected spy or foreign terrorist means, at minimum, that everyone in the suspect’s inbox or outbox is swept in. Intelligence analysts are typically taught to chain through contacts two “hops” out from their target, which increases “incidental collection” exponentially. The same math explains the aphorism, from the John Guare play, that no one is more than “six degrees of separation” from Kevin Bacon.

A ‘directive’

Formally, in exchange for immunity from lawsuits, companies like Yahoo and AOL are obliged to accept a “directive” from the attorney general and the director of national intelligence to open their servers to the FBI’s Data Intercept Technology Unit, which handles liaison to U.S. companies from the NSA. In 2008, Congress gave the Justice Department authority to for a secret order from the Foreign Surveillance Intelligence Court to compel a reluctant company “to comply.”

In practice, there is room for a company to maneuver, delay or resist. When a clandestine intelligence program meets a highly regulated industry, said a lawyer with experience in bridging the gaps, neither side wants to risk a public fight. The engineering problems so immense, in systems of such complexity and frequent change, that the FBI and NSA would be hard pressed to build in back doors without active help from each company.

Apple demonstrated that resistance is possible, for reasons unknown, when it held out for more than five years after Microsoft became PRISM’s first corporate partner in May 2007. Twitter, which has cultivated a reputation for aggressive defense of its users’ privacy, is still conspicuous by its absence from the list of “private sector partners.”

“Google cares deeply about the security of our users’ data,” a company spokesman said. “We disclose user data to government in accordance with the law, and we review all such requests carefully. From time to time, people allege that we have created a government ‘back door’ into our systems, but Google does not have a ‘back door’ for the government to access private user data.”

Like market researchers, but with far more privileged access, collection managers in the NSA’s Special Source Operations group, which oversees the PRISM program, are drawn to the wealth of information about their subjects in online accounts. For much the same reason, civil libertarians and some ordinary users may be troubled by the menu available to analysts who hold the required clearances to “task” the PRISM system.

There has been “continued exponential growth in tasking to Facebook and Skype,” according to the 41 PRISM slides. With a few clicks and an affirmation that the subject is believed to be engaged in terrorism, espionage or nuclear proliferation, an

analyst obtains full access to Facebook’s “extensive search and surveillance capabilities against the variety of online social networking services.”

According to a separate “User’s Guide for PRISM Skype Collection,” that service can be monitored for audio when one end of the call is a conventional telephone and for any combination of “audio, video, chat, and file transfers” when Skype users connect by computer alone. Google’s offerings include Gmail, voice and video chat, Google Drive files, photo libraries, and live surveillance of search terms.

Firsthand experience with these systems, and horror at their capabilities, is what drove a career intelligence officer to provide PowerPoint slides about PRISM and supporting materials to The Washington Post in order to expose what he believes to be a gross intrusion on privacy. “They quite literally can watch your ideas form as you type,” the officer said.

Julie Tate and Robert O’Harrow Jr. contributed to this report.

Graphic: NSA slides explain the PRISM data-collection program
Title: Re: U.S. intelligence mining data from nine U.S. Internet companies in broad secret
Post by: ruby123 on June 06, 2013, 10:26 pm
This "revelation" shouldn't be of any news to the fellow travelers; however the general public is awakening to the surveillance state for which America has become. I advocate for everyone who reads this to speak up regarding the abridgement of the Constitution.

tyr·an·ny
noun \ˈtir-ə-nē\
plural tyr·an·nies
Definition of TYRANNY
1
: oppressive power <every form of tyranny over the mind of man — Thomas Jefferson>; especially : oppressive power exerted by government <the tyranny of a police state>
a : a government in which absolute power is vested in a single ruler; especially : one characteristic of an ancient Greek city-state
b : the office, authority, and administration of a tyrant
3
: a rigorous condition imposed by some outside agency or force <living under the tyranny of the clock — Dixon Wecter>
4
: an oppressive, harsh, or unjust act : a tyrannical act <workers who had suffered tyrannies>
Title: Re: U.S. intelligence mining data from nine U.S. Internet companies in broad secret
Post by: karensupreme on June 06, 2013, 11:18 pm
Of all the 3 letter agencies that operate in the United States, the NSA has always scared the shit out of me the most. In so many ways I feel as if they are the most shadowy organization in the US, moreso even than the CIA.
Title: Re: U.S. intelligence mining data from nine U.S. Internet companies in broad secret
Post by: Just Chipper on June 07, 2013, 12:35 am
Of all the 3 letter agencies that operate in the United States, the NSA has always scared the shit out of me the most. In so many ways I feel as if they are the most shadowy organization in the US, moreso even than the CIA.

QFT. This comes as no surprise unfortunately after Tripwire, Utah Data Center, etc. NSA essentially has carte blanche to do anything they want surveillence wise in the name of "Foreign Intelligence". Like a page right out of 1984.
Title: Re: U.S. intelligence mining data from nine U.S. Internet companies in broad secret
Post by: SelfSovereignty on June 07, 2013, 12:59 am
Of all the 3 letter agencies that operate in the United States, the NSA has always scared the shit out of me the most. In so many ways I feel as if they are the most shadowy organization in the US, moreso even than the CIA.

QFT. This comes as no surprise unfortunately after Tripwire, Utah Data Center, etc. NSA essentially has carte blanche to do anything they want surveillence wise in the name of "Foreign Intelligence". Like a page right out of 1984.

I've become truly frightened of the practices engaged in by the U.S. government.  I'm honestly not sure anymore if the constitution will ever mean something again; it's starting to look like America will just slowly bleed out and collapse before the Bill of Rights carries weight again.

It makes me surprisingly sad to think that the rights and freedoms described by the founders really may never be something an American will ever have again.
Title: Re: U.S. intelligence mining data from nine U.S. Internet companies in broad secret
Post by: Convalescent on June 07, 2013, 01:17 am

It makes me surprisingly sad to think that the rights and freedoms described by the founders really may never be something an American will ever have again.

It is cyclical in nature, every great power is bound to eventually collapse under its own enormous weight. It's nice that others are privy enough to see this. As much as I love America I am also ready to get out should things begin to spiral.

But on a cheery note it doesn't seem that things will get too insane in this generation. I figure the USA has got another good 100-200 years before a really weird political party takes power by promising the people everything they want after some unexpected disaster.

The power of the constitution is that the people should rule! When you allow government to give you anything you submit your rights and privileges.
Title: Re: U.S. intelligence mining data from nine U.S. Internet companies in broad secret
Post by: The-Truth on June 07, 2013, 01:53 am
Patriot Act changed the landscape of gathering data intel
Title: Re: U.S. intelligence mining data from nine U.S. Internet companies in broad secret
Post by: BlueSkiesRedEyes on June 07, 2013, 02:54 am

It makes me surprisingly sad to think that the rights and freedoms described by the founders really may never be something an American will ever have again.
I figure the USA has got another good 100-200 years before a really weird political party takes power by promising the people everything they want after some unexpected disaster.

The pace of this thing is picking up, there's no fucking way we're going another 100 years without some serious shit going down.  Our current path is completely unsustainable, one only has to look at history (not even ancient history, the last 150 years or so will do just fine) to see why.

At this point, it's looking to me like a cold civil war going on.
Title: Re: U.S. intelligence mining data from nine U.S. Internet companies in broad secret
Post by: Rastaman Vibration on June 07, 2013, 04:03 am
Babylon!

All the more reason to use Tor and convince everyone in your circle to use is too. Fight back!
Title: Re: U.S. intelligence mining data from nine U.S. Internet companies in broad secret
Post by: californiadreams on June 07, 2013, 10:38 am
Babylon!

All the more reason to use Tor and convince everyone in your circle to use is too. Fight back!

Tor may be able to help one avoid certain organizations in LE but don't think for a minute you are safe from the NSA.  The NSA doesn't care about people on Tor selling drugs.  However, if they want you for whatever reason, not even Tor will keep you "safe." 
Title: Re: U.S. intelligence mining data from nine U.S. Internet companies in broad secret
Post by: The-Truth on June 07, 2013, 10:58 am
The news today said Verizon Wireless was cooperating with government agengies regarding mis use of cellphones, that could mean alot of things
Title: Re: U.S. intelligence mining data from nine U.S. Internet companies in broad secret
Post by: CaptainSnowFlakes on June 07, 2013, 12:00 pm
I mean this wasn't a secret. I knew about this for years. I also new about the building that Obama spent 8 billion dollars expanding to store all this information. I cared 7 years ago. Now everyone is worrying about this today. Bullshit. Now that it is implemented we may never be able to stop this momentum.
Title: Re: U.S. intelligence mining data from nine U.S. Internet companies in broad secret
Post by: Errl_Kushman on June 07, 2013, 01:56 pm

It makes me surprisingly sad to think that the rights and freedoms described by the founders really may never be something an American will ever have again.
I figure the USA has got another good 100-200 years before a really weird political party takes power by promising the people everything they want after some unexpected disaster.

The pace of this thing is picking up, there's no fucking way we're going another 100 years without some serious shit going down.  Our current path is completely unsustainable, one only has to look at history (not even ancient history, the last 150 years or so will do just fine) to see why.

At this point, it's looking to me like a cold civil war going on.

^---- What this person said!

When the US economy falls apart (its on its way), it will be like Katrina all across the USA.  Those who opposed them will regret not being one of the gun nuts that stockpiled AR-15's while they were legal.
Title: Re: U.S. intelligence mining data from nine U.S. Internet companies in broad secret
Post by: Just Chipper on June 07, 2013, 02:46 pm
I've become truly frightened of the practices engaged in by the U.S. government.  I'm honestly not sure anymore if the constitution will ever mean something again; it's starting to look like America will just slowly bleed out and collapse before the Bill of Rights carries weight again.

It makes me surprisingly sad to think that the rights and freedoms described by the founders really may never be something an American will ever have again.

This sadly looks like an accurate prediction based on previous events.

Definitely not have without force. The problem is they're doing it slowly and methodically. One by one erasing each line of the Bill of Rights until people wake up one morning and say "How did this happen?". Not knowing that their ignorance and complacency is what allowed this to happen in the first place.

It is cyclical in nature, every great power is bound to eventually collapse under its own enormous weight. It's nice that others are privy enough to see this. As much as I love America I am also ready to get out should things begin to spiral.

But on a cheery note it doesn't seem that things will get too insane in this generation. I figure the USA has got another good 100-200 years before a really weird political party takes power by promising the people everything they want after some unexpected disaster.

The power of the constitution is that the people should rule! When you allow government to give you anything you submit your rights and privileges.

My sentiments exactly.

Yep, unforunately it'll probably be a disaster that they orchestrated to encite panic and fear in the general public. And of course the sheeple will willingly hand over their freedom in exchange for "security".

Indeed. People have forgotten the morals and beliefs this country was founded on.

The pace of this thing is picking up, there's no fucking way we're going another 100 years without some serious shit going down.  Our current path is completely unsustainable, one only has to look at history (not even ancient history, the last 150 years or so will do just fine) to see why.

At this point, it's looking to me like a cold civil war going on.

But that's just it. Serious shit is going down right now and people are completely ignorant to the fact. No arguments that it's unsustainable. But, I think you're seriously underestimating the IMF's ability to crash foreign economies and bring the wealth back to America. They will just make sure the sheeple are comfortable and they will be as ignorant and complacent as ever.

The cold war is a good analogy. You have both sides arming themselves for war and waiting for the other to make the first move. This is why I am in full support of DEFCAD.

I cared 7 years ago. Now everyone is worrying about this today. Bullshit. Now that it is implemented we may never be able to stop this momentum.

QFT.

When the US economy falls apart (its on its way), it will be like Katrina all across the USA.  Those who opposed them will regret not being one of the gun nuts that stockpiled AR-15's while they were legal.

Do you really think that the FED won't implement measure like or worse than those in Cyprus? Or hopefully they'll be smart enough to know someone with a 3D printer and a stockpile of ABS to print one.
Title: Re: U.S. intelligence mining data from nine U.S. Internet companies in broad secret
Post by: CaptainSnowFlakes on June 07, 2013, 02:59 pm
QFT?
Title: Re: U.S. intelligence mining data from nine U.S. Internet companies in broad secret
Post by: Just Chipper on June 07, 2013, 03:19 pm
QFT?

QFT=Quoted For Truth. Basically, I can't put it any better, so I simply quoted your statement to reiterate the importance of it.
Title: Re: U.S. intelligence mining data from nine U.S. Internet companies in broad secret
Post by: shinzon76 on June 07, 2013, 03:25 pm
When the US economy falls apart (its on its way), it will be like Katrina all across the USA.  Those who opposed them will regret not being one of the gun nuts that stockpiled AR-15's while they were legal.

Gun nuts are hilariously naive. They imagine themselves freedom fighters; ultimately, they'd get curb stomped by the local swat team, long before the M1s, bradleys, and the guys and green rolled up on their property. Hell, a militia compound could be eradicated by a single drone strike. I love the ideas America's founding father's imbeded into their constitution, and believe those sacred ideas of the enlightment need to be respected, but there is no fighting back through force, and the chances for survival are very slim if the government there falls, even for the well prepared. I've seen it play out in Eastern Europe after the fall of the Soviet Union. Force is not that answer because those with their hands wrapped around the levers of power in the United States will not let them go without a fight, a war that would probably bring our species to it's knees with the destruction waged with the technology of this century. I think the guy who called this a cold civil war is right on the mark. The situation in the Untied States can only be fixed from within, and it will take generations if its to happen at all; if not, and the shit is about to hit the fan in the states, if that giant is really poised to topple as so many among the internet libertarians crew seem to claim, those wisest among them will be best served by putting their heads down, and getting the fuck out of the way.

I hear South America is nice...
Title: Re: U.S. intelligence mining data from nine U.S. Internet companies in broad secret
Post by: Errl_Kushman on June 07, 2013, 03:43 pm
When the US economy falls apart (its on its way), it will be like Katrina all across the USA.  Those who opposed them will regret not being one of the gun nuts that stockpiled AR-15's while they were legal.

Gun nuts are hilariously naive. They imagine themselves freedom fighters; ultimately, they'd get curb stomped by the local swat team, long before the M1s, bradleys, and the guys and green rolled up on their property. Hell, a militia compound could be eradicated by a single drone strike. I love the constitution, and respect what it stands for, but their is no fighting back through force, and the chances for survival are very slim if the government there falls, even for the well prepared. I've seen it play out in Eastern Europe after the fall of the Soviet Union. Force is not that answer because those with their hands wrapped around the levers of power in the United States will not let them go without a fight, a war that would probably bring our species to it's knees with the destruction waged with the technology of this century. I think the guy who called this a cold civil war is right on the mark. The situation in the Untied States can only be fixed from within, and it will take generations if its to happen at all; if not, and the shit is about to hit the fan in the states, if that giant is really poised to topple as so many among the internet libertarians crew seem to claim, those wisest among them will be best served by putting their heads down, and getting the fuck out of the way.

I hear South America is nice...

Depending on where you go, you might need your guns more in S.A.!

I don't know where i sit on the topic though. The gun issue is crazy to me as I get the impression that you'll have a better chance at getting 50%'s of American's to turn over their firstborn's before they turn over their gun's.

The swat team part, sure, no single gun nut would be too difficult to eradicate but, should a serious enough situation arise and the gun nuts come out of the woodwork, it wouldnt be practical. I'm not talking a bunch of collage kids occupying Wall Street, I'm talking Arab spring type static, where people are patrolling the streets posse style with rifles from NYC to Oakland.

Drawing this back to the original post, you can bet that somewhere, in some climate controlled room built to military spec sit's a detailed database of gun nuts put together with info mined via the same methods.

Do i think any of this will actually happen? Probably not anytime soon but, a serious collapse could bring this about.
Title: Re: U.S. intelligence mining data from nine U.S. Internet companies in broad secret
Post by: CaptainSnowFlakes on June 07, 2013, 03:55 pm
QFT?

QFT=Quoted For Truth. Basically, I can't put it any better, so I simply quoted your statement to reiterate the importance of it.

Thanks, It is true. There are more people out there in the USA  that want the illusion of safety more than their own security from their own gov't. I heard a politician state this yesterday. "Governments cannot keep people safe, they can only create the illusion of safety. The largest adversary to civil liberty is big government." I think there is a lot of truth to his statement.
Title: Re: U.S. intelligence mining data from nine U.S. Internet companies in broad secret
Post by: Just Chipper on June 07, 2013, 07:02 pm
Thanks, It is true. There are more people out there in the USA  that want the illusion of safety more than their own security from their own gov't. I heard a politician state this yesterday. "Governments cannot keep people safe, they can only create the illusion of safety. The largest adversary to civil liberty is big government." I think there is a lot of truth to his statement.

Couldn't agree more. That person hit the nail on the head, but sadly it will fall on deaf ears.

"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."
-Benjamin Franklin
Title: Re: U.S. intelligence mining data from nine U.S. Internet companies in broad secret
Post by: CaptainSnowFlakes on June 07, 2013, 07:12 pm
Wow, that is a serious quote right there. I wish the sheep could understand what that statement really means. Look at what we went through to get where we are. The USA didn't just happen because people followed along with what their gov't said. They went against that to create a better place to live. O well, we will see if people take a stand. I will be ready for it just in case. I just don't hold too much faith within our people.
Title: Re: U.S. intelligence mining data from nine U.S. Internet companies in broad secret
Post by: meatwad on June 07, 2013, 07:21 pm
Quote
Definitely not have without force. The problem is they're doing it slowly and methodically. One by one erasing each line of the Bill of Rights until people wake up one morning and say "How did this happen?". Not knowing that their ignorance and complacency is what allowed this to happen in the first place.

They are doing it slowly and methodically on purpose for the very reason you mentioned....  So that people wont realize it until its too late.  If they tried to take away all of our rights at once there would be a massive uproar, but if they just take them away one by one, some will notice but mostly the masses will continue go about their lives with the idea that "I aint doing nothin wrong so I aint got nothin to worry about"
Title: Re: U.S. intelligence mining data from nine U.S. Internet companies in broad secret
Post by: Just Chipper on June 07, 2013, 07:28 pm
Wow, that is a serious quote right there. I wish the sheep could understand what that statement really means. Look at what we went through to get where we are. The USA didn't just happen because people followed along with what their gov't said. They went against that to create a better place to live. O well, we will see if people take a stand. I will be ready for it just in case. I just don't hold too much faith within our people.

Indeed it is. Well if they could comprehend that statement they wouldn't be sheep. Yep, if they all followed the governement the US would be New Brittain.

"I aint doing nothin wrong so I aint got nothin to worry about"

This sums up the attitude of the general public.
Title: Re: U.S. intelligence mining data from nine U.S. Internet companies in broad secret
Post by: 99herps on June 07, 2013, 11:19 pm
Meanwhile, as the dead carcass of our liberties is laying on the ground, the only people using the levers of power at the moment show up to ensure - not that out liberties are protected - but that there are an adequate number of women and blacks on the scene to witness it and that nobody is making any comments that could be even remotely construed to be offensive or harassing by the most sensitive person in sight. Since everyone's liberties are being violated equally by race and gender, nobody in power sees any problem in need of correcting.
Title: Re: U.S. intelligence mining data from nine U.S. Internet companies in broad secret
Post by: kmfkewm on June 08, 2013, 12:41 am
Of all the 3 letter agencies that operate in the United States, the NSA has always scared the shit out of me the most. In so many ways I feel as if they are the most shadowy organization in the US, moreso even than the CIA.

QFT. This comes as no surprise unfortunately after Tripwire, Utah Data Center, etc. NSA essentially has carte blanche to do anything they want surveillence wise in the name of "Foreign Intelligence". Like a page right out of 1984.

The NSA has always scared the shit out of me the least, because I know that I am not targeted by them. I am much more concerned with the DEA and FBI.
Title: Re: U.S. intelligence mining data from nine U.S. Internet companies in broad secret
Post by: shinzon76 on June 08, 2013, 02:19 am
There is still hope....4 USA

Ron Paul...IS the answer..........your government is the problem...

In Liberty !
HollandOnline

this fuckin guy^^^ lol
Title: Re: U.S. intelligence mining data from nine U.S. Internet companies in broad secret
Post by: smogmonster13 on June 08, 2013, 11:22 am
There will never be ethical leadership until politicians-everywhere-realize that the ends do not justify the means.