Snowden: giant cellphone surveillance program
39 2015-02-20 by make_mind_free2go
"Two blockbuster revelations this week—one, straight from the Snowden files, the other from a Russian cybersecurity firm—shed new light on just how determined U.S. and British spies are to pry into the world’s phone and computer networks, all while potentially undermining the security and privacy of hundreds of millions of innocent people.
On Thursday, the Intercept revealed a secret U.S. and British intelligence operation that gave the nations’ spy agencies the ability to monitor “a large portion of the world’s cellular communications,” even if they were protected by encryption. The operation, apparently undertaken five years ago, gave the agencies the ability to break the codes used to encrypt phone calls, text messages, and other data sent on more than 450 wireless phone networks around the world.
“This was the easy way: Attack a NATO [member country] company, and gain the keys for everybody,” Nicholas Weaver, a senior researcher at the International Computer Science Institute, told The Daily Beast. “But it wasn’t the elegant way. If the GCHQ wanted to target individuals and was willing to wait a day or two to decrypt a new target, they could have set up a pipeline where the GCHQ asks the Netherlands, which asks Gemalto to provide the keys for a set of targets.
If they wanted to just target some countries, they could have also just targeted recipient [telecommunications companies], rather than a NATO company. But that would require more work: having to compromise a dozen companies rather than just one.”"
US & UK hacked SIM card manufacturer
8 comments
8 dohraymeefarsolar 2015-02-20
i am starting to realize why they chose the dripfeed for these leaks, there is no end to it, is there?
5 George_Tenet 2015-02-20
Its to desensitize us. Its worked sadly
4 make_mind_free2go 2015-02-20
no end in sight, just a little bit at a time; i'd like for all the info at one time, i wanna tell 'em: spit it out!
2 sheasie 2015-02-20
that, and they know it takes a while for things to "sink in". if they let it go all at the same time, it would be yesterday's news in 24 hours. look, it's a paris hilton!
2 George_Tenet 2015-02-20
Wel find out everything Snowden has in 6 years. Its ok we can wait!/s
4 metal_up_your_ass 2015-02-20
whoever doesn't believe snowden is part of the conspiracy raise your hand. i mean come on... every other week we are being told how bad our privacy is being raped. it's creeping normality at its finest.
1 make_mind_free2go 2015-02-20
i have to agree with you. . .now, have to understand, almost everyone starts to look suspect when so much hits the fan.
2 WhistinDixErect 2015-02-20
Surveillance and MANIPULATION.