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FBI pressures Internet providers to install surveillance software

Jango

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The U.S. government is quietly pressuring telecommunications providers to install eavesdropping technology deep inside companies' internal networks to facilitate surveillance efforts.

FBI officials have been sparring with carriers, a process that has on occasion included threats of contempt of court, in a bid to deploy government-provided software capable of intercepting and analyzing entire communications streams. The FBI's legal position during these discussions is that the software's real-time interception of metadata is authorized under the Patriot Act.

Attempts by the FBI to install what it internally refers to as "port reader" software, which have not been previously disclosed, were described to CNET in interviews over the last few weeks. One former government official said the software used to be known internally as the "harvesting program."

Carriers are "extra-cautious" and are resisting installation of the FBI's port reader software, an industry participant in the discussions said, in part because of the privacy and security risks of unknown surveillance technology operating on an sensitive internal network.

It's "an interception device by definition," said the industry participant, who spoke on condition of anonymity because court proceedings are sealed. "If magistrates knew more, they would approve less." It's unclear whether any carriers have installed port readers, and at least one is actively opposing the installation.

FBI pressures Internet providers to install surveillance software - CNET Mobile

So I guess that since the F.B.I. and N.S.A. are doing EVERYTHING in their power to nail down our modes our communication that there should NEVER be another terrorist attack inside the U.S. ever again so long as that the perpetrators use some form of surveilled communication.
 
FBI pressures Internet providers to install surveillance software - CNET Mobile

So I guess that since the F.B.I. and N.S.A. are doing EVERYTHING in their power to nail down our modes our communication that there should NEVER be another terrorist attack inside the U.S. ever again so long as that the perpetrators use some form of surveilled communication.

About the only thing that is new here is the FBI doing it. I love the idea this is some unknown product. HS cable and DSL networks were set up to make this sort of program easy to install. The reality is they already monitor your communications, they just do not share the data (That we know of) completely with the US government. This is not new nor is it terribly hard to do. The reality is withe the right program your neighbor kid can trap every bit of data you send and receive without a problem. Don't worry, those programs are kept terribly secure and are openly distributed to call center employees and cable installers. You might need a password to download or to know what the program is to do it yourself.

Your ISP could do a lot more to make things secure, but they do not if they are high speed. The government is probably a little better at capturing communication with proxies or dealing with encryption, but cannot imagine it is terribly difficult to determine what you are communicating with when the listening point is your modem or the ISP UBR.
 
Some days, I become exceeding glad I do not live in the United States. This is one of those days.

Interesting thing about the US. if they run into problems with the NSA spying without a warrant thing they simply ask one of the foreign governments to share their information. New Zealand, Canada, the UK, and Australia all do the same data gathering, and though it may someday be illegal for the US to spy on it's people again, there is nothing out there preventing them from getting that info from a foreign source doing the spying. yes, Canadia is doing it too, and I am pretty sure your HS systems are also DOCSIS compliant and it would be just as easy for your HS communications with your home modem to be monitored.
 
Jesus we need an HONEST President. Why the hell do you people continue to vote for the "lesser of two evils? Evil is evil. There is no such thing as "lesser evil".
 
My choices are limited to who's on the ballot.
 
My choices are limited to who's on the ballot.
America get out and vote, let's make our voices heard.
We've been given a the right to choose between a douche and a turd.
It's democracy in action; put your freedom to the test.
A big fat turd or a stupid douche, which do you like best?

TurdsInSuits.jpg
 
No actually it is not. You can vote anyone in. Even yourself. You are not confined to voting just for the names already on a ballot.

WRONG. Most States do not have write ins for candidates. Oklahoma does not.
 
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