01.16.14

NSA Surveillance Goes Offline, Potentially Gives Cancer

Posted in Law at 6:17 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Summary: The latest bombshell reveals that the NSA is totally off its rocker and actions taken by Obama solidify Edward Snowden’s status as “whistleblower”

Since people under NSA surveillance are mostly the “undesirables” (in the NSA’s mind) it should be no surprise that it doesn’t mind giving them high doses of cancer-inducing radiation, broadcasting to distant locations, as much as 8 miles away (potentially across the border). Jacob Appelbaum spoke about those devices at the end of last year and the New York Times now reveals [1] that around 100,000 machines (or nodes) are affected by this scheme to spy on people, irrespective of whether they’re reachable through the Internet or not. There is a lot of press coverage about it [2-9] and more details are being given. It’s just another rogue surveillance method among many more [10]. Telephone surveillance is another and the former CIA director now admits that NSA metadata gathering “hasn’t played a significant role in disrupting any attacks” [11]; despite that, Morell, a torture advocate from CIA leadership, wants it to carry on with this programme [12], preferring to pass the ‘metadata’ surveillance to private (for-profit) companies [13] that the CIA historically bribed to do this (as confirmed by much of the corporate media months ago).

Now that Obama is amending the rules [14,15], owing to leaks from Snowden, he is essentially confirming that Snowden is a whistleblower (a court ruling achieved the same thing), and hence he and others deserve clemency [16]. There are also talks about revealing the black budget [17] and criticisms of the FISA courts [18], which are a sham (secret “justice” is no justice). FISA courts are being fed lies by the NSA and since there is no transparency, there is no way to counter the lies. In some cases the NSA secretly brings ‘evidence’ to court in order to bolster a case against victims of Sting Operations (which give the illusion that there are many “terror plots”, where the FBI provides the bomb) [19].

Car manufacturers are said to be part of the problem too [20] (not much press coverage about this serious issue unfortunately) and longtime advocates of privacy are trying to counter the ‘norm’ of mobile phones as surveillance (tracking and eavesdropping) devices; they come out with new phones [21-23] that probably run Linux. Thankfully, there are still people out there who are determined to end state terrorism, i.e. citizens being terrorised by their government (or a foreign government). The saddest thing is, the NSA’s response to the New York Times shows exceptionalism as a key ideology/motto at the NSA; these people assume that non-US citizens have zero rights. █

Related/contextual items from the news:

1. N.S.A. Devises Radio Pathway Into Computers

   The National Security Agency has implanted software in nearly 100,000 computers around the world that allows the United States to conduct surveillance on those machines and can also create a digital highway for launching cyberattacks.

2. NSA could ‘spy on offline computers’, says latest leak

   The US National Security Agency (NSA) used secret technology to spy on computers that were not even connected to the internet, it has been reported.

   Citing documents from whistleblower Edward Snowden, the New York Times said 100,000 machines were fitted with small devices that emitted radio waves.

3. Revealed: NSA has hacked into 100,000 computers around the world some of which are NOT CONNECTED to the internet

4. NSA can eavesdrop on your PC even if it is not on internet

5. NSA ‘Using Radio Waves To Snoop On Computers’

6. Modern spying 101: How NSA bugs Chinese PCs with tiny USB radios – NYT

7. NYT: NSA embeds radio transmitters to access offline computers from miles away

8. NSA Hacked Offline Computers With Tiny USB Radios, Claims New York Times

9. NSA could be snooping on you even when you’re offline

   But the NSA denies using the technology within the US. “NSA’s activities are focused and specifically deployed against — and only against — valid foreign intelligence targets in response to intelligence requirements,” said Vanee Vines, an agency spokeswoman, in a statement.

10. 7 Chilling Ways the NSA Can Spy On You

11. Former CIA director: NSA metadata gathering “hasn’t played a significant role in disrupting any attacks”

12. Ex-CIA boss: telecoms should store metadata, not NSA

    Telephone “metadata” controversially scooped up by a US intelligence agency should not be destroyed but stored by private telecom giants, a former CIA chief said Tuesday days before President Barack Obama announces new reforms.

13. No takers for NSA data storage

    Telephone companies are quietly balking at the idea of changing how they collect and store Americans’ phone records to help the National Security Agency’s surveillance programs.

    They’re worried about their exposure to lawsuits and the price if the U.S. government asks them to hold information about customers for longer than they already do.

14. Obama To Back New NSA Restraints, But He’s Leaving The Details To Congress

    President Barack Obama is expected to endorse changes to the way the government collects millions of Americans’ phone records for possible future surveillance, but he’ll leave many of the specific adjustments for Congress to sort out, according to three U.S. officials familiar with the White House intelligence review.

15. NSA review panel casts doubt on bulk data collection claims

    The members of president Barack Obama’s surveillance review panel on Tuesday rejected some of the central contentions offered by the National Security Agency for its bulk collection of phone records, including the program’s potential usefulness in preventing the 9/11 attacks.

16. Edward Snowden isn’t the only truth teller who deserves clemency

    Last week, both the New York Times and the Guardian released editorials supporting clemency for NSA leaker Edward Snowden. Considering the important nature of Snowden’s revelations, clemency is definitely in order – and it’s about time that major outlets recognize that.

17. Congress Spending Bill Demands Details About NSA Spying

18. FISA Court Judges Say They Don’t Want Any Changes To How The Rubber Stamp Court Is Run

    Oh, those poor, poor FISA Court (FISC) judges. The court, which has a habit of approving every single request to spy on Americans (though, sometimes asking for minor modifications) has already complained about how unfair it is that everyone thinks they’re just a rubber stamp. And, to be fair, some of the documents that have been revealed have shown that there are a few times that the FISA Court has become quite angry about how the NSA and DOJ have basically lied. And, it’s even ordered certain programs be (temporarily) stopped or changed. But, in the long run, it’s still pretty much allowed the NSA to keep on keeping on. And, the FISC judges have admitted that they’re not particularly able to do real oversight, since they’re entirely reliant on what the NSA tells them. There’s also the fact that all of the FISC judges are appointed by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, leading to a very specific political leaning in all of them.

19. First appeal in US based on NSA snooping

    Mohamed Osman Mohamud was convicted last year of trying to use a weapon of mass destruction at a Christmas tree lighting in Oregon in 2010. The former student was ensnared, his attorneys say, in an FBI sting. It later emerged police used information collected by the NSA in its massive cybersnooping operation.

    Mohamud was not informed of the snooping, they added.

    “The record reflects that government actors failed to adequately communicate discoverable material to local prosecutors,” argued his lawyers Stephen Sady, Steven Wax and Lisa Hay in an appeal filed in Portland, Oregon.

20. Car manufacturers store driving habits, location data for unknown amount of time – report

21. Secure Blackphone handset promises to thwart NSA snooping

    Geeksphone has teamed up with Silent Circle to launch the first “privacy focused” smartphone…

22. Renowned cryptographer believes his ‘Blackphone’ can stop the NSA

23. Meet the super secure smartphone which promises ultimate privacy from NSA

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