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U.S. National Security Agencies Said to Swap Data With Thousands of Firms

bloomberg.com

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Re: U.S. National Security Agencies Said to Swap Data With Thousands of Firms

#61

Post by eliasmacpherson »

gasull wrote: post #23

I tried to submit this hours ago but nobody upvoted: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Core "As of 2008 there were reportedly eight million Americans listed in the database as possible threats, often for trivial reasons, whom the government may choose to track, question, or detain in a time of crisis." We are more than half way in the road to serfdom and tyranny. EDIT: Resubmitted now as "http" - https://news.ycombi…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incarceration_in_the_United_St...

is there any overlap with that list and people incarcerated already?

Re: U.S. National Security Agencies Said to Swap Data With Thousands of Firms

#62

Post by xradionut »

narag wrote: post #49
jeremyflores wrote: post #6

> While companies are offered powerful inducements to cooperate with U.S. intelligence, many executives are motivated by patriotism or a sense they are defending national security, the people familiar with the trusted partner programs said. Their fervent patriotism certainly didn't stop them from demanding immunity as a prerequisite.

Patriotism. Yeah, sure. This article runs terribly short on the other half of the question: what did companies really get in exchange? Call me a cynic, but I can't believe it was just the fuzzy warm feeling of being a patriot.

Considering all the tax sheltering that the corporations engage in and the government doesn't aggressively pursue, I think they already get great financial breaks.

(My contacts at IRS said they are warned to avoid "poking" into certain institutions actions without highest authorization. So they go after the small fry and leave the big fish alone. Fucking game of life is rigged.)

Re: U.S. National Security Agencies Said to Swap Data With Thousands of Firms

#63

Post by droopyEyelids »

narag wrote: post #49
jeremyflores wrote: post #6

> While companies are offered powerful inducements to cooperate with U.S. intelligence, many executives are motivated by patriotism or a sense they are defending national security, the people familiar with the trusted partner programs said. Their fervent patriotism certainly didn't stop them from demanding immunity as a prerequisite.

Patriotism. Yeah, sure. This article runs terribly short on the other half of the question: what did companies really get in exchange? Call me a cynic, but I can't believe it was just the fuzzy warm feeling of being a patriot.

I'd love to read a book that went over all the links between carriers and the government from an outsider's perspective. Unfortunately, I have no ideal how anyone could ever write that book, because every carrier I've worked with has been as opaque about the simplest aspects of their operation as the NSA has been about this spying scandal.

Re: U.S. National Security Agencies Said to Swap Data With Thousands of Firms

#64

Post by xradionut »

rgbrenner wrote: post #19
o0-0o wrote: post #17

-= YOU =- Hi, my name is __________ . I would like a [loan, voter registration, health care check up, et al] -= THEM =- Ok, ________ . Did you live @ ___________ in _ _ _ _ ? Did you ever have an account at ________ ? Where do you think they get the info. Connect the dots.

that info comes from credit reporting agencies (trans union, experian, equifax)

And other systems. Amazing how much demographic data is available to third parties alone. Spend some time with a skip tracer or good bail bonds person and you realize how easy it is to get almost any data of significance on a individual.

Re: U.S. National Security Agencies Said to Swap Data With Thousands of Firms

#66

Post by hobs »

narag wrote: post #49
jeremyflores wrote: post #6

> While companies are offered powerful inducements to cooperate with U.S. intelligence, many executives are motivated by patriotism or a sense they are defending national security, the people familiar with the trusted partner programs said. Their fervent patriotism certainly didn't stop them from demanding immunity as a prerequisite.

Patriotism. Yeah, sure. This article runs terribly short on the other half of the question: what did companies really get in exchange? Call me a cynic, but I can't believe it was just the fuzzy warm feeling of being a patriot.

Then you would likely be surprised about how many nationalists we have that think the USA and its agencies can do no wrong. I know many business owners who would likely provide that information just because it would give them a sense of being special and helping the cause.

Frankly I would still assume that anyone who didn't do it out of some stupid patriotic pride definitely got paid, and they likely got paid through a shell company giving special contracts, or help with some government issues (environmental regulation, building approval, etc). Tax breaks or other direct cash methods don't really hide much for publicly traded companies.

Re: U.S. National Security Agencies Said to Swap Data With Thousands of Firms

#67

Post by ihsw »

jlgreco wrote: post #22
x0x0 wrote: post #3

Holy shit. Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), 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. Microsoft gives US military hackers and the NSA zero days…

Further evidence that "responsible disclosure" is not responsible.

The EFF notably feels[1] that 'zero-day' exploits should be front and center in cybersecurity debates.

Their stance is that they directly oppose 'green hats' who are selling exploits to customers that don't intend on fixing the flaws (buying a hacker's silence) and selling to governments whom intend on using the exploits for clandestine operations.

[1] https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/03/zero-day-exploit-sales...

Re: U.S. National Security Agencies Said to Swap Data With Thousands of Firms

#68

Post by fortepianissimo »

a3n wrote: post #38
dmschulman wrote: post #35

"AT&T, Verizon Before they agreed to install the system on their networks, some of the five major Internet companies -- AT&T Inc. (T), Verizon Communications Inc (VZ)., Sprint Nextel Corp. (S), Level 3 Communications Inc (LVLT). and CenturyLink Inc (CTL). -- asked for guarantees that they wouldn’t be held liable under U.S. wiretap laws. Those companies that asked received a letter signed by the U.S. attorney general…

I don't understand how the executive branch can guaranty immunity from civil action in the judicial branch.

Probably because it's already written in the laws?

Re: U.S. National Security Agencies Said to Swap Data With Thousands of Firms

#69

Post by ihsw »

waterlesscloud wrote: post #14
ankitml wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

governments of every other country should shit in their pants after reading this. Stop using MSFT os at this very moment.

I can't believe there's a government anywhere in the world surprised by this news.

There's a difference between baseless speculation and justified paranoia.

Re: U.S. National Security Agencies Said to Swap Data With Thousands of Firms

#70

Post by ihsw »

reeses wrote: post #42
x0x0 wrote: post #3

Holy shit. Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), 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. Microsoft gives US military hackers and the NSA zero days…

Playing devil's advocate, keep in mind that domestic computer security is part of the NSA's charter. Remember the rainbow books? It would be completely legitimate for MSFT to warn NSA about vulnerabilities in the most common desktop operating systems in the USA if the warning were intended to aid in preventing a larger attack. It's a write-only bugtraq. :-)

The head of NSA is also the head of the US military's cybercommand and offensive operations are definitely part of their bottom line.

This intersection between protecting civilians and attacking our military enemies should absolutely worry you, the worst nightmare of 'responsible disclosure' has just been revealed: security updates aren't being rolled out as a matter of official policy, for the explicit purpose of military offensive operations.

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