Boston bombings and the internet

1  2014-07-28 by shekib82

We know that the bombers went online to jihadi websites. We also know that they used two pressure cookers to make the bombs. The jihadi websites that they visited contained bomb making instructions, including the use of pressure cookers. So my question is that how come a computer algorithm didn't detect that they are trying to make a bomb? They were muslims and bought pressure cookers before Easter. Muslims don't cook Ham during Easter, as they don't celebrate the holiday and don't eat pork. So how come this wasn't flagged as an anomaly.

30 comments

3  Rockran 2014-07-28

They were muslims and bought pressure cookers before Easter

You think that's all that's necessary to flag someone?

1  HermitTheSlob 2014-07-28

Yeah. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/01/government-tracking-google-searches

0  [deleted] 2014-07-28

Got any links to that happening before April 15th 2013? Maybe this algorithm wasn't up or trusted yet. Also, did they buy the cookers online too or just visit the website? Also, if they did buy it, did they Google "buy pressure cookers" or did they go directly to a site? The link is talking about Google searches, not purchases.

Edit: So I read the whole article and they weren't even flagged by an algorithm. Their old boss made a complaint after reviewing their work computer records:

Suffolk County Criminal Intelligence Detectives received a tip from a Bay Shore based computer company regarding suspicious computer searches conducted by a recently released employee. The former employee's computer searches took place on this employee's workplace computer. On that computer, the employee searched the terms "pressure cooker bombs" and "backpacks".

So yeah, even in that case the government wasn't watching.

-4  shekib82 2014-07-28

1- going on a jihadi website 2- get two pressure cookers during easter 3- being of a demographic with low probability of needing two pressure cookers during easter.

I think that if this was a problem in probability theory then the odds will show that it is more likely that they are getting the pressure cookers for the purpose of terrorism than for anything else. An algorithm should have flagged them.

3  totes_meta_bot 2014-07-28

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-4  shekib82 2014-07-28

You are ignoring the visit to the jihadi website. Here it is again: 1- You visited a jihadi website with instructions to make bombs using pressure cookers. 2- you are a muslim 3- you buy two pressure cookers during a holiday season which you do not celebrate. So in other words the probability of someone in your demographic buying a pressure cooker during this period is low.

ergo the probability that you bought these pressure cookers for bomb making should be somewhat high. especially since you bought two of them. Why would a family buy two pressure cookers?

2  [deleted] 2014-07-28

Why are you really arguing with a bot?

3  Zagrobelny 2014-07-28

I think this counts as failing the Turing Test.

-1  shekib82 2014-07-28

I am not. I am arguing with whoever made the link to the other subreddit.

0  [deleted] 2014-07-28

They aren't the bot, they won't read what you said. Go to that other subreddit if you wanna talk to the guy.

0  shekib82 2014-07-28

Well at least the post is there for whoever reads the thread.

3  [deleted] 2014-07-28

TIL OP is retarded

0  EnoughNoLibsSpam 2014-07-28

please address the argument and refrain from name calling.

name calling says a lot more about you than it does about OP.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hominem

0  monkeyhear 2014-07-28

very few people believe what you think 'we know' because very few people still believe what newscasters are paid to tell us. Ask the fbi why they used these 2 kids, and why they eliminated the 3rd player they had lined up for this role as patsy to their little fake bombing event.

-1  shekib82 2014-07-28

it all reeks of conspiracy...

1  instance_create 2014-07-28

Never let the downvotes kill your spirit. Follow conspiracy and let your logic and critical thinking show you the path to the truth.

0  shekib82 2014-07-28

yes: The truth is out there.

0  [deleted] 2014-07-28

Here are some non-crazy explanations.

  1. An algorithm cross referencing browsing history to pressure cookers didn't exist at the time. /u/HermitTheSlob's link is an incident after the bombing. someone's old boss making a complaint after manually reviewing records of work computer use.

  2. According to /u/HermitTheSlob's link, google search history is where previous flags have come out of, so maybe the government only had access to Google searches and not complete browsing history. Nope, it was the person's boss and not an algorithm.

  3. The pressure cookers were bought offline, maybe even for cash.

0  shekib82 2014-07-28

It doesn't have to link to pressure cookers. You have a website with recipes to make bombs. You just need to cross reference purchases with the items on the website. And this is done automatically using a machine learning scheme. You use AI technologies to do this. You don't explicitly program the algorithm to look for pressure cooker. It is called anomaly detection. Now yes if the pressure cookers were bought for cash, it doesn't matter if they were bought offline with a credit card, but it would matter if they were bought for cash. So yes in this case they would not be flagged.

0  [deleted] 2014-07-28

Machine Learning systems (which are algorithms too btw) need to be created first. They don't grow on e-trees. Even for unguided learning someone needs to get the project approved, create the database links and set the threshold of probability to cause a flag.

So, this leads to the general version of explanation one.

  1. A computer thing which examines browsing history for likelyhood of doing bad things with something completely benign like a pressure cooker didn't exist at the time.

In other words, no one got around to making a system that compares people looking at bombs with people buying completely benign stuff like pressure cookers which could be used to make those bombs. Buying 12 smoke detectors and buying a pressure cooker are completely different things.

1  shekib82 2014-07-28

You are missing the full problem definition. The jihadi websites contain recipes for making these bombs. The pressure cookers are an ingredient in those recipes. So the machine learning algorithms need to search for someone purchasing one or multiple item in the recipe. The idea should have been obvious before the bombings: Try to verify if someone who is visiting a jihadi website is taking action to create a bomb based on whether he is purchasing any item on the website. You are then faced with the problem that when he makes a purchase to classify that item as being used for malicious purposes or for a benign one and this is where them being muslims and easter comes into the equation.

1  shekib82 2014-07-28

Also don't forget the revelations of Snowden that the government is taking part in massive bulk surveillance and has been for years. So you want to tell me that they created these surveillance programs and never thought of using machine learning algorithms to classify the data they are collection and try to find out the terrorists, which is the purpose of the surveillance program.

1  shekib82 2014-07-28

here's a link about how big data is being used to create a minority report about criminals: http://www.wired.com/2014/03/big-data-law-enforcement-minority-report-right/

0  pimpythrowaray 2014-07-28

There was an occasion when I purchased 12 smoke detectors and (unwittingly) some items I could have used to build a magnetron.

I got noticed.

0  shekib82 2014-07-28

yes. And today in the era of big data connections are made automatically by computers. So it is surprising that these guys were able to execute their plan without authorities knowing about it.

1  EnoughNoLibsSpam 2014-07-28

American Pyrotechnics Association Offers Information Regarding Fireworks Devices Implicated in Boston Bombing Investigation

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/american-pyrotechnics-association-offers-information-regarding-fireworks-devices-implicated-in-boston-bombing-investigation-204782871.html

1  shekib82 2014-07-28

Still think your government didn't know about it?

1  [deleted] 2014-07-28

[deleted]

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1  shekib82 2014-07-28

here's a link about how big data is being used to create a minority report about criminals: http://www.wired.com/2014/03/big-data-law-enforcement-minority-report-right/