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US hacked Pacnet, Asia Pacific fibre-optic network operator, in 2009

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Re: US hacked Pacnet, Asia Pacific fibre-optic network operator, in 2009

#11

Post by kposehn »

eclipticplane wrote: post #3

It can't be coincidence that the most recent dumps of information from Snowden concern Hong Kong specifically. I have to wonder if he is floating information to prove to Hong Kong/Chinese officials that he has more information to broker safety/asylum.

Snowden seems to be making fairly adept strategic moves that were planned well in advance, while simultaneously pushing his information to be considered factual without much evidence (that I have seen) outside his testimony. The media is lapping up what he states with little, if any, validation. Of course, as is the nature of leaks, the information is often impossible to fully validate.

There is some speculation that he was actually turned by the PLA prior to leaking and is providing them an excellent platform to exert pressure on Obama.

Obama did, after all, add the Chinese hacking attempts to the agenda of his summit without consulting them, an extremely rude (to the Chinese) maneuver.

If there is any conspiracy here, it is most likely China making an extremely effective effort to make Obama pay for their loss of face.

Re: US hacked Pacnet, Asia Pacific fibre-optic network operator, in 2009

#12

Post by dmourati »

weitzj wrote: post #2

I once read a story that it should be possible to hook into a transatlantic fiber optic cable using a submarine. But I do not know if that would actually be feasable since you probably would like to save some of that data and there ain't much room in a submarine.

US successfully tapped a Russian underwater cable in operation Ivy Bells. The Russians discovered the tap, seized it, and it is currently on display in a Russian museum: http://www.therebreathersite.nl/11_Closed%20Circuit%20Rebrea... http://www.military.com/Content/MoreContent1/?file=cw_f_ivyb...

Re: US hacked Pacnet, Asia Pacific fibre-optic network operator, in 2009

#13

Post by mjn »

alexqgb wrote: post #10
weitzj wrote: post #2

I once read a story that it should be possible to hook into a transatlantic fiber optic cable using a submarine. But I do not know if that would actually be feasable since you probably would like to save some of that data and there ain't much room in a submarine.

It's entirely possible. And the USS Jimmy Carter - a sub with smaller subs inside - was designed to do exactly that. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Jimmy_Carter_(SSN-23)

The Jimmy Carter is also widely assumed to be a replacement for a previous submarine that has been carrying out similar missions since the 1970s (initially tapping copper cables), the USS Parche. Obviously, nothing has been confirmed, but it seems to be something of an open secret. There is extensive discussion in, among other places, the 1998 book Blind Man's Bluff: The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/006097771X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?...)

Re: US hacked Pacnet, Asia Pacific fibre-optic network operator, in 2009

#15

Post by spdy »

[deleted] wrote: post #14

[deleted]

This is all about the public. If any capable agency does not know about 90% of the stuff he revealed so far they are incapable of doing their job.

All he does is to show us again and again that we are getting fooled all day long.

He prepared this chess game for many years and he knows how they work. As i said before he is not stupid and certainly has a lot of inside knowledge that he is using against them.

Re: US hacked Pacnet, Asia Pacific fibre-optic network operator, in 2009

#16

Post by lawnchair_larry »

[deleted] wrote: post #14

[deleted]

Every "non-US person", which is most people, disagree that their right to privacy is second tier. This domestic vs non-domestic targeting of civilians is a strange way to think about one's place in the world. The common people of any country are not parties to any of this.

Also, many of the grifters playing in the cyber industrial complex use "china hacking" as their biggest propaganda tool to further line their pockets and erode our freedoms. It's important that they not be able to use this while also doing exactly the same thing to the rest of the world.

Re: US hacked Pacnet, Asia Pacific fibre-optic network operator, in 2009

#17

Post by caf »

kposehn wrote: post #11
eclipticplane wrote: post #3

It can't be coincidence that the most recent dumps of information from Snowden concern Hong Kong specifically. I have to wonder if he is floating information to prove to Hong Kong/Chinese officials that he has more information to broker safety/asylum.

Snowden seems to be making fairly adept strategic moves that were planned well in advance, while simultaneously pushing his information to be considered factual without much evidence (that I have seen) outside his testimony. The media is lapping up what he states with little, if any, validation. Of course, as is the nature of leaks, the information is often impossible to fully validate. There is some speculation that…

If the Chinese had a source in Snowden's position, it does not seem credible that they would voluntarily burn him just to cause some temporary domestic embarassment for the US President.

Re: US hacked Pacnet, Asia Pacific fibre-optic network operator, in 2009

#18

Post by kposehn »

caf wrote: post #17
kposehn wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Snowden seems to be making fairly adept strategic moves that were planned well in advance, while simultaneously pushing his information to be considered factual without much evidence (that I have seen) outside his testimony. The media is lapping up what he states with little, if any, validation. Of course, as is the nature of leaks, the information is often impossible to fully validate. There is some speculation that…

If the Chinese had a source in Snowden's position, it does not seem credible that they would voluntarily burn him just to cause some temporary domestic embarassment for the US President.

If Snowden were indeed turned, his position would likely be of less value than another much more highly placed source. The M.O. of the Chinese Intel community is to both gather as much information as possible, while also providing opportunities to pursue their foreign and domestic policy goals.

Snowden nicely fits the foreign policy goal and his position was not one of extreme privilege. He may have also provided all of his value in his placement and now is serving a different purpose.

This isn't unusual; the USSR had many highly trained agents inserted into Germany during the Cold War who were placed specifically to be burnt in times of crisis or when it suite them - this exact scenario.

Re: US hacked Pacnet, Asia Pacific fibre-optic network operator, in 2009

#19

Post by kposehn »

caf wrote: post #17
kposehn wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Snowden seems to be making fairly adept strategic moves that were planned well in advance, while simultaneously pushing his information to be considered factual without much evidence (that I have seen) outside his testimony. The media is lapping up what he states with little, if any, validation. Of course, as is the nature of leaks, the information is often impossible to fully validate. There is some speculation that…

If the Chinese had a source in Snowden's position, it does not seem credible that they would voluntarily burn him just to cause some temporary domestic embarassment for the US President.

Also, the fallout from this scandal is not necessarily domestic; it is quite far reaching in foreign policy circles and provides quite a few opportunities to frustrate US policy goals both economic, military and political.

After all, the US approaches foreign policy from a moral and human rights standpoint (publicly). It is much easier to push back at the US when you can (rightly) point to abuses of the very cause we supposedly hold dear.

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