via The Guardian...
The NSA files leaked by Edward Snowden are full of intelligence services jargon.
Decode the language...
Blackfoot
Name of an operation to bug the French mission to the UN.
Blarney
See Upstream.
Boundless Informant
The National Security Agency's internal analytic tool that allows it to monitor surveillance country by country and program by program.
Bruneau (or Hemlock)
The codenames given to the Italian embassy in Washington by the NSA.
Bluf
Stands for "bottom line up front" – a request from NSA analysts to collect less data from the Muscular program (see below) because it is of no intelligence value.
Bullrun
The NSA's efforts to undermine encryption technology that protects email accounts, banking transactions and official records. The UK has a similar programme, with both codenamed after civil war battles: Bullrun for the NSA and Edgehill for GCHQ.
Cheesy Name
A GCHQ program that selects encryption keys that might be vulnerable to being cracked.
Dishfire
Database that stores text messages, for future use.
DNI (digital network information)
Data sent across computer networks, such as web page requests, emails, voice over IP. (Formally, any information sent as "packets").
DNR (dialled number records)
The metadata around phone calls, including the sending and receiving of phone numbers, call time and duration.
Dropmire
A surveillance method that involves bugging encrypted fax machines. Used to spy on the European Union embassy in New York.
Edgehill
See Bullrun.
FISA court
The foreign intelligence surveillance court, a secret US court which oversees surveillance under the FISA Act.
Fairview
See Upstream.
Five Eyes
Britain, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand – the club of English-speaking countries sharing intelligence.
GCHQ
Government Communications Headquarters, the UK intelligence agency focusing on signals and communications intelligence.
Genie
An NSA surveillance project to remotely implant spyware into overseas computers, including those in foreign embassies.
Humint
Short for "human intelligence", refers to information gleaned directly from sources or undercover agents. See also Sigint.
Keyhole
Code for images gathered by satellites.
Klondyke
The mission to snoop on the Greek embassy in Washington.
Mainway
The database where the NSA stores metadata of millions of phone calls for up to a year.
Marina
The database where the NSA stores metadata of millions of internet users for up to a year.
Metadata
The "envelope" of a phone call or email, which could include the time, the duration, the phone numbers or email addresses, and the location of both parties.
Muscular
Program to intercept Google and Yahoo traffic, exposed by the Washington Post.
Noforn
"Not for foreign distribution" – a classification of some of the Snowden slides.
NSA
The National Security Agency, the US agency, responsible for collecting and analysing intelligence, plus cybersecurity.
Oakstar
See Upstream.
Operation Socialist
The name of a GCHQ cyber-attack on Belgium's main telecoms provider, Belgacom.
Perdido
The codename for the bugging of EU missions in New York and Washington.
Polar Breeze
A technique for tapping into nearby computers.
Powell
The operation to snoop on the Greek UN mission.
Prism
A programme to collect data from internet companies including Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Apple.
Rampart-T
Spying efforts against leaders of China, Russia and several eastern European states.
Royal Concierge
A GCHQ surveillance project to track foreign diplomats' movements by monitoring the booking systems of high‑class hotels.
Sigint
Short for "signals intelligence", or information gathered through the interception of signals between people or computers. See also Humint.
Snacks
The NSA's Social Network Analysis Collaboration Knowledge Services, which analyses social hierarchies through text messages.
Stormbrew
See Upstream.
Tempora
A GCHQ programme to create a large-scale "internet buffer", storing internet content for three days and metadata for up to 30.
Tor
Free software allowing users to communicate anonymously.
Tracfin
Database storing information from credit card transactions
Turbulence, Turmoil and Tumult
Data analysis tools used by the NSA to sift through the enormous amount of internet traffic that it sees, looking for connections to target.
Upstream
Refers to bulk-intercept programs, codenamed Fairview, Stormbrew, Oakstar and Blarney, to intercept data in huge fibre-optic communications cables.
Verizon
One of America's largest telecoms providers, from which the NSA collects the phone records (metadata) of millions of customers.
Wabash
The codename given to the bugging of the French embassy in Washington.
XKeyscore
An NSA program that allows analysts to search vast databases of emails, online chats and browsing histories of millions of individuals, with no prior authorisation. (more)
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Monday, December 2, 2013
Jalta Hotel opens its 1950s anti-nuclear bunker and listening post to the public
If you were a VIP who stayed at Prague’s Jalta Hotel between 1958 and 1989, your room was bugged and your phone was tapped. Behind its attractive 1950s façade, the hotel has been hiding a secret – there was a 24-hour underground spying operation that listened in on guests.
From an anti-nuclear bunker 20 meters below Wenceslas Square, communist officials monitored the hotel’s foreign guests with a large bank of listening equipment that only a select few ever knew existed. None of the hotel staff were allowed to go into or even talk about the basement. And while communism ended in 1989, the bunker remained in the possession of the Ministry of Defense until 1998, when they finally declassified its existence and turned it over, as is, to the hotel.
Anti-nuclear Bunker and Cold War Museum
When: Mon. and Wed. or Tue. and Thu (alternating weeks) 5–8 p.m.
Where: Jalta Hotel, Wenceslas Square 45/818
Reservations required: call 222 822 111 or e-mail concierge@hoteljalta.com
Tickets: 75 Kč or 3 euros
Anti-nuclear Bunker and Cold War Museum
When: Mon. and Wed. or Tue. and Thu (alternating weeks) 5–8 p.m.
Where: Jalta Hotel, Wenceslas Square 45/818
Reservations required: call 222 822 111 or e-mail concierge@hoteljalta.com
Tickets: 75 Kč or 3 euros
Eavesdropping Helped Win the American Revolution
The ongoing scandal involving the NSA and eavesdropping on phone and email conversations around the globe, of friend and foe alike, might have you thinking the organized espionage business is relatively recent here. Not true.
It’s older than the country itself. It played a major role in winning our independence from Britain and its birth came about because of something that happened in New Jersey... (more)
It’s older than the country itself. It played a major role in winning our independence from Britain and its birth came about because of something that happened in New Jersey... (more)
The Patroits — Still Being Accused of Spying
Houston defensive end Antonio Smith questioned how New England knew what the Texans were going to do on defense after a 34-31 win by the Patriots on Sunday.
Smith told reporters after the game Houston had some new wrinkles in its defense this week and it was “miraculous” how the Patriots changed their offense to key on the defense.
“Either teams are spying on us or scouting us,” he said. “I don’t know what it is.”
The NFL fined New England coach Bill Belichick $500,000 and the team $250,000 and took away a first-round pick in the 2008 draft for videotaping New York Jets signals during a game on Sept. 9, 2007. Belichick said he thought that was allowed and apologized for what he said was a mistake in his interpretation of the rule prohibiting it. (more) (Why Is Sports Crime Different?)
Smith told reporters after the game Houston had some new wrinkles in its defense this week and it was “miraculous” how the Patriots changed their offense to key on the defense.
“Either teams are spying on us or scouting us,” he said. “I don’t know what it is.”
The NFL fined New England coach Bill Belichick $500,000 and the team $250,000 and took away a first-round pick in the 2008 draft for videotaping New York Jets signals during a game on Sept. 9, 2007. Belichick said he thought that was allowed and apologized for what he said was a mistake in his interpretation of the rule prohibiting it. (more) (Why Is Sports Crime Different?)
Saturday, November 30, 2013
New Spy Camera Takes 3D Photos in Almost Complete Darkness
Spies operating under the cover of darkness might find that their job is about to get easier as U.S. scientists have developed a camera that can take photographs of objects and people that are only very dimly lit.
The camera works by reconstructing 3D images from photons reflected from barely visible objects.
The technology could be used in next generation spy cameras... (more)
The technology could be used in next generation spy cameras... (more)
EU Takes Aim at Industrial Espionage
Brussels is taking aim at industrial espionage with proposals to tighten laws so businesses can better safeguard their “trade secrets” from prying rivals.
The reforms put forward by Michel Barnier, the EU single market commissioner, aim to bolster defences against unlawful acquisition of information that is commercially valuable and secret but not covered by a patent...
Trade secrets range can range from anything from technical processes for making bathplugs, to innovative marketing strategies, valuable customer lists, or recipes for market-beating cakes or pies.
Unlike a book or trademark or patented technology, the holder of a trade secret has no exclusive right to it. Rivals seeking to close a competitive gap can legally reverse engineer the information. The proposed reforms, unveiled on Thursday, only target methods for obtaining information that are illegal, such as espionage, bribery or theft.
Mr Barnier said: “Cybercrime and industrial espionage are unfortunately part of the reality that businesses in Europe face every day. We have to make sure our laws move with the times and that the strategic assets of our companies are adequately protected against theft and misuse.” (more)
The reforms put forward by Michel Barnier, the EU single market commissioner, aim to bolster defences against unlawful acquisition of information that is commercially valuable and secret but not covered by a patent...
Trade secrets range can range from anything from technical processes for making bathplugs, to innovative marketing strategies, valuable customer lists, or recipes for market-beating cakes or pies.
Unlike a book or trademark or patented technology, the holder of a trade secret has no exclusive right to it. Rivals seeking to close a competitive gap can legally reverse engineer the information. The proposed reforms, unveiled on Thursday, only target methods for obtaining information that are illegal, such as espionage, bribery or theft.
Mr Barnier said: “Cybercrime and industrial espionage are unfortunately part of the reality that businesses in Europe face every day. We have to make sure our laws move with the times and that the strategic assets of our companies are adequately protected against theft and misuse.” (more)
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Columbia Engineers Make World’s Smallest FM Radio Transmitter
A team of Columbia Engineering researchers...
led by Mechanical Engineering Professor James Hone and Electrical Engineering Professor Kenneth Shepard,
has taken advantage of graphene’s special properties—its mechanical
strength and electrical conduction—and created a nano-mechanical system
that can create FM signals, in effect the world’s smallest FM radio
transmitter. The study is published online on November 17, in Nature Nanotechnology. (more) (what was transmitted)
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
U.N. - End Excessive Electronic Spying
A U.N. General Assembly committee on Tuesday called for an end to excessive electronic surveillance and expressed concern at the harm such scrutiny, including spying in foreign states and the mass collection of personal data, may have on human rights.
The U.N. General Assembly's Third Committee, which deals with human rights issues, adopted the German and Brazilian-drafted resolution by consensus. It is expected to be put to a vote in the 193-member General Assembly next month.
"For the first time in the framework of the United Nations this resolution unequivocally states that the same rights that people have offline must also be protected online," German U.N. Ambassador Peter Wittig told the committee.
The United States, Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand - known as the Five Eyes surveillance alliance - supported the draft resolution after language that had initially suggested foreign spying could be a human rights violation was weakened to appease them. (more)
"For the first time in the framework of the United Nations this resolution unequivocally states that the same rights that people have offline must also be protected online," German U.N. Ambassador Peter Wittig told the committee.
The United States, Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand - known as the Five Eyes surveillance alliance - supported the draft resolution after language that had initially suggested foreign spying could be a human rights violation was weakened to appease them. (more)
TUMs Solves Wireless Security Headache. Warning: explanation gives headache.
Researchers at the Technische Universität München (TUM) have proven that wireless communications can be made more secure through a novel approach based on information theory."
The method is counter-intuitive and involves information theory and zero capacity channels. "The scheme uses two physical channels – that is, frequency bands in a wireless system – that are inherently useless, each being incapable of securely transmitting a message," says TUM.
Intuitively, combining one zero-capacity with another zero-capacity should result in zero capacity. “But in this case,” Schaefer explains, “it’s as if we’re getting a positive result from adding zero to zero. We find that we are able to ‘super-activate’ the whole system, meaning that combining two useless channels can lead to a positive capacity to transmit confidential messages securely.”
Superactivation is not unknown in quantum theory. It's the combining of zero capacity quantum channels to produce a channel with positive capacity; but is not yet applicable to current technology. But what Boche and Schaefer have achieved "is," says Boche, "the first example of super-activation – where zero plus zero is greater than zero – in classical communication scenarios.”
Huh?
Intuitively, combining one zero-capacity with another zero-capacity should result in zero capacity. “But in this case,” Schaefer explains, “it’s as if we’re getting a positive result from adding zero to zero. We find that we are able to ‘super-activate’ the whole system, meaning that combining two useless channels can lead to a positive capacity to transmit confidential messages securely.”
Superactivation is not unknown in quantum theory. It's the combining of zero capacity quantum channels to produce a channel with positive capacity; but is not yet applicable to current technology. But what Boche and Schaefer have achieved "is," says Boche, "the first example of super-activation – where zero plus zero is greater than zero – in classical communication scenarios.”
Huh?
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Protesters Capture Government Surveillance Van
The Security Service of Ukraine, the nation’s intelligence agency, have its white mini-van back, courtesy of the Berkut anti-riot police officers.
Demonstrators seized the van during a protest rally on the evening of Nov. 25, suspecting that it contained sophisticated equipment for eavesdropping on telephone conversations of protest leaders.
The taking of the van prompted clashes last night between police and protesters. After a 30-minute standoff, punctuated by fighting, the demonstrators recovered evidence from the van and the police reclaimed it.
Opposition lawmaker Mykola Kniazhytsky posted a picture of a passport, car tag numbers and what he said were technical listening devices found in the van on his Facebook page. Opposition leaders promised to analyze the recordings and release their findings.
Equipment believed to be listening devices found in the white mini-van that SBU officers were using while parked near European Square.
That left officials trying to explain what the van was doing at the protest site...
License plates that protesters say they found inside a van used by SBU officers that was parked near European Square...
According to eyewitnesses, protesters overtook the van, prompting hundreds of riot police to descend on the scene, triggering the violent clashes. An SBU officer in the van eventually escaped with police help, while the leaders of the demonstration took to the stage in triumph after police backed off about 9 p.m. (more) (video footage)
Demonstrators seized the van during a protest rally on the evening of Nov. 25, suspecting that it contained sophisticated equipment for eavesdropping on telephone conversations of protest leaders.
The taking of the van prompted clashes last night between police and protesters. After a 30-minute standoff, punctuated by fighting, the demonstrators recovered evidence from the van and the police reclaimed it.
Opposition lawmaker Mykola Kniazhytsky posted a picture of a passport, car tag numbers and what he said were technical listening devices found in the van on his Facebook page. Opposition leaders promised to analyze the recordings and release their findings.
Equipment believed to be listening devices found in the white mini-van that SBU officers were using while parked near European Square.
That left officials trying to explain what the van was doing at the protest site...
License plates that protesters say they found inside a van used by SBU officers that was parked near European Square...
According to eyewitnesses, protesters overtook the van, prompting hundreds of riot police to descend on the scene, triggering the violent clashes. An SBU officer in the van eventually escaped with police help, while the leaders of the demonstration took to the stage in triumph after police backed off about 9 p.m. (more) (video footage)
Indonesia Posts Truth About Government Spying
Indonesia's former spy chief has said intelligence agencies tapping the phones of national leaders is "normal", and dismissed as an overreaction Jakarta's furious response to reports Australia spied on the president's calls. (more)
Monday, November 25, 2013
Smart TVs Lie to You
So-called "smart TVs" have hit the marketplace, essentially turning TVs into computers that let watchers search for videos, install applications or interact with ads. But that connectivity may be a two-way street, as manufacturer LG investigates claims that its line of smart TVs is collecting data on its customers.
According to an LG corporate video, "LG Smart Ad analyses users' favorite programs, online behavior, search keywords and other information to offer relevant ads to target audiences. For example, LG Smart Ad can feature sharp suits to men or alluring cosmetics and fragrances to women."
But what happens when your online behavior trends just a bit naughtier than clothes or cosmetics? Meghan Lopez talks to RT web producer Andrew Blake about spying smart TVs and other trending tech topics in this week's Tech Report. (more)
In other news...
LG has admitted it continued collecting data on viewing habits even after users had activated a privacy setting designed to prevent it.
The TV manufacturer has apologized to its customers and said it would issue an update to correct the problem. (more)
But what happens when your online behavior trends just a bit naughtier than clothes or cosmetics? Meghan Lopez talks to RT web producer Andrew Blake about spying smart TVs and other trending tech topics in this week's Tech Report. (more)
In other news...
LG has admitted it continued collecting data on viewing habits even after users had activated a privacy setting designed to prevent it.
The TV manufacturer has apologized to its customers and said it would issue an update to correct the problem. (more)
DIY Surveillance in India Shows Eye-Popping Growth
India's electronic surveillance market - currently at Rs 10 billion ($160,393,125.35 USD) — is growing at a rate of 25% per year as a growing number of people opt for DIY surveillance.
Cameras are being installed everywhere — outside buildings to prevent burglaries, in cars to keep track of whether the chauffeur is giving unauthorized lifts, inside homes so that people can keep an eye on everything from nannies to grannies. Even the pet dog has a watchful eye on him, as does the teen.
When it comes to security, privacy concerns go out the window - the one with the CCTV attached. (more)
Cameras are being installed everywhere — outside buildings to prevent burglaries, in cars to keep track of whether the chauffeur is giving unauthorized lifts, inside homes so that people can keep an eye on everything from nannies to grannies. Even the pet dog has a watchful eye on him, as does the teen. When it comes to security, privacy concerns go out the window - the one with the CCTV attached. (more)
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