Canada's Spy Agency Tracks All File-Sharing Websites Worldwide

CBC: CSE tracks millions of downloads daily: Snowden documents

Global sites for sharing movies, photos, music targeted in mass anti-terror surveillance

WNU Editor: I live in Canada .... and I am not surprised by this revelation. As everyone knows this blog covers conflicts/terrorism/wars/and defense related issues .... and yes .... I sometimes wonder if the "powers that be" are snooping on the work and research that I do for this blog (I am always assuming that they do). But as my lawyer told me years ago .... if you do nothing wrong and you are innocent .... there is no reason to worry. I have no reason to worry .... but this type of surveillance still annoys me .... because it is not how I envisioned the internet was going to be when I started to explore commercial possibilities on the web in the early 1990s.

More News On Canada's Spy Agency Tracking All File-Sharing Websites Worldwide

Canada Casts Global Surveillance Dragnet Over File Downloads -- The Intercept
Snowden files show Canada spy agency runs global Internet watch -CBC -- Reuters
Canadian spies scoured file-sharing sites to track jihadis, document show -- Globe and Mail
Canada's spy agency tracks file-sharing websites worldwide – Snowden docs -- RT
Canada's digital spies are watching what you download -- Endgadget
Canadian Spies Monitor Millions of International File Downloads Daily -- Gizmodo
Cyber surveillance worries most Canadians: privacy czar's poll -- CBC

Edward Snowden Leaks: Britain`s GCHQ Stores Journalists’ Emails And Data

The Guardian: GCHQ captured emails of journalists from top international media

• Snowden files reveal emails of BBC, NY Times and more
• Agency includes investigative journalists on ‘threat’ list
• Editors call on Cameron to act against snooping on media

WNU Editor: What makes me surprised by these revelations is the complete lack of outrage from the U.S. journalist community. Even though this intelligence scooping operation was being done in Britain by their own intelligence agency .... U.S. journalists were also swept in by this surveillance/intelligence operation .... and on a massive scale. Are they afraid that there is an Obama White House tie-in ... or is there something else in play .... or do they care?

More News On Britain`s GCHQ Storing Journalists’ Emails And Data

British spy agency GCHQ labeled journalists an information security risk somewhere between terrorists and hackers in new Edward Snowden documents -- New York Post
Snowden documents show UK spies stored journalists' emails - report -- Reuters
Edward Snowden files reveal GCHQ scooped up journalist e-mails -- Washington Post
British spies nabbed journalists’ emails -- The Hill
‘Dangerous as terrorists’: Snowden leaks reveal GCHQ stores journalists’ data -- RT
British intelligence agency 'spied' on journalists -- Deutsche Welle
British intelligence captured emails from the New York Times, The Guardian, Reuters and more -- UPI
UK spy agency kept media emails: report -- The Australian
GCHQ intercepted emails from the BBC, New York Times, Guardian and others -- Mashable

Edward Snowden Leaks: NSA Arming US For Future Conflicts With Digital Weapons

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

The National Security Agency intelligence service isn't just trying to achieve mass surveillance of Internet communication. The digital spies of the Five Eyes alliance want more. Documents from the archive of Edward Snowden indicate they are planning for wars of the future in which the Internet will play a critical role, with the aim of being able to use the net to paralyze computer networks and, by doing so, potentially all the infrastructure they control. This slide is from an NSA presentation on its Quantumtheory program.

Spiegel Online: The Digital Arms Race: NSA Preps America for Future Battle

WNU Editor: During the 20th century, military scientists developed so-called ABC weapons -- atomic, biological and chemical .... today .... we are living in an age where we are seeing the birth of "D weapons" .... i.e. digital weapons. The above Spiegel post is a definite must read.

More News On The NSA Preparing For Future Wars With Digital Weapons

Snowden docs reveal NSA digital warfare capabilities -- ZDNet
NSA develops cyber weapons, ‘attacker mindset’ for domination in digital war – Snowden leaks -- RT
Snowden Docs: NSA Seeks Hacker Interns for Future of War -- Sputnik
Snowden Docs Reveal 8-Year-Old NSA Program Training Cyber Army for Warfare -- Sputnik
Spotlight: Snowden files unveil U.S. attempt to control Internet -- Xinhuanet
New Snowden documents show that the NSA and its allies are laughing at the rest of the world -- The Verge

Report: The FBI Oversaw The NSA's PRISM-Email Surveillance Program

The FBI, NSA and other U.S. agencies have maintained that their surveillance programs are legal and subject to oversight. Here, FBI Director James Comey answers a question from a reporter during a recent press conference. Reuters/Brian Snyder

New York Times: F.B.I. Is Broadening Surveillance Role, Report Shows

WNU Editor: Hmmm .... the FBI has been very busy. The NSA gets all the spotlight .... but it is the FBI who oversees (and sees) everything.

More News On Reports That The FBI Oversaw The NSA's PRISM-Email Surveillance Program

Report: NSA's PRISM Surveillance Program Was Subject To FBI Oversight -- IBTimes
FBI has its fingers deep in NSA surveillance pie, declassified report shows -- The Register
FBI access to surveillance program expands in recent years -- PC World
Report: The FBI Oversaw the NSA's Email Surveillance -- Gizmodo
Warrantless Spying: The FBI Expands Surveillance Powers -- Sputnik
New document reveals FBI’s role in NSA surveillance program -- RT

Apparently There Are Some Systems That The NSA Cannot Crack

Mashable: Snowden leaks reveal encryption programs that NSA couldn't break

WNU Editor: Give them time .... they have the resources and money to crack any system.

More News On The Systems That The NSA Cannot Hack

New documents reveal which encryption tools the NSA couldn't crack -- Verge
Prying Eyes: Inside the NSA's War on Internet Security -- Spiegel Online
Snowden docs show limit of NSA’s snooping -- The Hill
New Documents Reveal What the NSA Can't Crack Yet -- Popular Mechanics
Snowden reveals how to go ‘level 5′, give the NSA fits -- Slashgear
The Encryption Tools the NSA Still Can't Crack Revealed in New Leaks -- Gizmodo
Leaked NSA Documents Reveal How To Hide From The NSA -- Hufington Post
New Snowden Leak: NSA Still Struggles with Encrypted Communications -- Sputnik
New NSA leak reveals scope of agency's war against crypto -- RT

Operation Auroragold: A Look At How The NSA Is Hacking Into Every Global Cell Phone Network

Zoran Milich, Reuters

Operation Auroragold -- The Intercept

How the NSA Hacks Cellphone Networks Worldwide

In March 2011, two weeks before the Western intervention in Libya, a secret message was delivered to the National Security Agency. An intelligence unit within the U.S. military’s Africa Command needed help to hack into Libya’s cellphone networks and monitor text messages.

For the NSA, the task was easy. The agency had already obtained technical information about the cellphone carriers’ internal systems by spying on documents sent among company employees, and these details would provide the perfect blueprint to help the military break into the networks.

The NSA’s assistance in the Libya operation, however, was not an isolated case. It was part of a much larger surveillance program—global in its scope and ramifications—targeted not just at hostile countries.

Read more ....

More News On How The NSA Is Hacking Into Every Global Cell Phone Network

NSA leak shows effort to exploit cell networks around the world -- RT
This Is How The NSA Spies On Mobile Carriers Around The World -- Business Insider
NSA accused of intercepting emails sent by mobile phone firm employees -- The Guardian
NSA's Auroragold spies on carriers to breach cell networks, report says -- CNet
Snowden documents reveal NSA bid to hack the world's cellphone networks -- Mashable
The NSA spent years snooping on the world's wireless carriers -- Endgadget
AURORAGOLD: How the NSA Gets Inside Every Cellphone Network in the World -- Gizmodo
Exposed: NSA program for hacking any cell phone network, no matter where it is -- Ars Technica

Microsoft, Apple, Facebook And 7 Other Tech Giants Push To Curb NSA Surveillance Before The New Repblican Senate Takes Over

Facebook, Google And Apple Lobby For Curb To NSA Surveillance -- The Guardian

A coalition of the biggest names in consumer technology have backed a US bill that would limit surveillance and prevent bulk email collection

A coalition of technology and internet companies is lobbying to curb US National Security Agency surveillance powers and for more transparency on government data requests.

The Reform Government Surveillance coalition, including Facebook, Google, Twitter, Microsoft and Apple, added its support for the race to pass a bill through the US Senate before the end of the year, which would inhibit mass data collection from emails and internet metadata.

“The Senate has an opportunity this week to vote on the bipartisan USA Freedom Act,” said the coalition in an open letter sent to the Senate. “We urge you to pass the bill, which both protects national security and reaffirms America’s commitment to the freedoms we all cherish.”

Read more ....

More News On Microsoft, Apple, Facebook And 7 Other Tech Giants Push To Curb NSA Surveillance

Facebook, Apple Make Year-End Lobbying Push to Curb NSA Spying -- Bloomberg
Tech giants make final push to change NSA -- The Hill
Microsoft, Apple and 7 other tech giants call for NSA reform before year’s end -- Geek Wire
Apple, Google, Facebook press Senate to pass Freedom Act, curbing NSA surveillance -- ZDNet
Tech heavyweights Facebook, Google, Apple support bill limiting NSA spying -- RT
Tech Firms Push NSA Reform Bill as Senate Vote Approaches -- Time

My Comment: I know that the people who run these companies create and maintain some incredible products .... but I must question how smart they are politically. The case that they are making is that the NSA surveillance law should be changed before the Republicans take over .... the reason being that they (The Republicans) would not change it once they are in control. But what mystifies me is that the politicians that they are running to for support are the same ones who put the law in the first place ... and have been enforcing it for almost 6 years. Would it not be more smarter to lobby and support the coming Republcian majority in the U.S. Senate .... rather than those who put the law there in the first place ..... but apparently for these tech companies the answer is no.

We Now Know A Lot More About Edward Snowden's Epic NSA Heist

Snowden with Former CIA and NSA chief General Michael Hayden at a gala in 2011. Courtesy of Edward Snowden via Wired

We Now Know A Lot More About Edward Snowden's Epic Heist — And It's Troubling -- Michael B Kelley, Business Insider

Edward Snowden's in-depth interview with James Bamford of Wired offers details about his last job as a contractor for the NSA in Honolulu, which raise disconcerting questions about the motives of the former systems administrator.

While working at two consecutive jobs in Hawaii from March 2012 to May 2013, the 31-year-old allegedly stole about 200,000 "tier 1 and 2" documents, which mostly detailed the NSA's global surveillance apparatus and were given to American journalists Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras in June 2013. The government believes Snowden also took up to 1.5 million "tier 3" documents potentially detailing U.S. capabilities and NSA offensive cyber operations, the whereabouts of which are unknown.

Read more ....

My Comment: When this news story made the headlines last year .... I commented that the U.S. intelligence community had to accept the uncomfortable possibility that everything had been compromised. Considering what has happened since then .... there is now no doubt in my mind that this is now a fact ..... that everything the U.S. intelligence community holds dear and precious is now probbaly known by all of our adversaries.

More NSA Revelations From Edward Snowden

The Most Wanted Man In The World -- Wired

The message arrives on my “clean machine,” a MacBook Air loaded only with a sophisticated encryption package. “Change in plans,” my contact says. “Be in the lobby of the Hotel ______ by 1 pm. Bring a book and wait for ES to find you.” ¶ ES is Edward Snowden, the most wanted man in the world. For almost nine months, I have been trying to set up an interview with him—traveling to Berlin, Rio de Janeiro twice, and New York multiple times to talk with the handful of his confidants who can arrange a meeting. Among other things, I want to answer a burning question: What drove Snowden to leak hundreds of thousands of top-secret documents, revelations that have laid bare the vast scope of the government’s domestic surveillance programs? In May I received an email from his lawyer, ACLU attorney Ben Wizner, confirming that Snowden would meet me in Moscow and let me hang out and chat with him for what turned out to be three solid days over several weeks. It is the most time that any journalist has been allowed to spend with him since he arrived in Russia in June 2013. But the finer details of the rendezvous remain shrouded in mystery. I landed in Moscow without knowing precisely where or when Snowden and I would actually meet. Now, at last, the details are set.

Read more ...

More News On The NSA's 'Nonstermind' Program

Snowden unmasks ‘MonsterMind’ -- The Hill
The NSA has a secret program that automatically hacks back against enemy targets, says Snowden -- Washington Post
NSA's 'MonsterMind' Could Automate Cyberwar -- US News and World Report
Snowden: The NSA's building Skynet to fight wars online -- Edgadget
NSA bot MonsterMind can wage cyberwar on its own – Snowden -- RT
NSA planned automated cyberwarfare program -- AP
NSA cyberwarfare could pick the wrong targets, Snowden says -- FOX News
NSA's Cyberwarfare Program Could Start Wars, Wired Says -- Newsweek

More News On The NSA Causing The 2012 Syrian Internet Blackout

Snowden: The NSA Accidentally Turned Off Syria's Internet -- Gizmodo
Snowden: NSA, Not Assad Regime, to Blame for Two-Day Syrian Internet Outage -- Slate
Flubbed NSA Hack Caused Massive 2012 Syrian Internet Blackout, Snowden Says -- IBTimes
Snowden Says the NSA Shut Down Syria’s Internet -- Defense One/National Journal
Snowden: U.S. Made Syria Lose Its Entire Internet Connection -- Vanity failr
Snowden: NSA accidentally caused Syria’s Internet blackout while trying to install malware -- Venture Beat

General News On Edward Snowden

Highlights From Edward Snowden’s Wired Interview -- WSJ
Edward Snowden left behind clues so the NSA would understand his motives -- Endgadget
Snowden: I Left the NSA Clues, But They Couldn’t Find Them -- Threat Level/Wired
Snowden Certain US Secret Services Spy on Him in Russia – Reports -- RIA Novosti
Snowden casts doubt on NSA investigation into security disclosures -- The Guardian
Edward Snowden: The Worst NSA Secrets Have Not Been Revealed -- Game Politics
Snowden and supporters fear Americans will lose interest from ‘NSA fatigue’ -- NPR
Edward Snowden a 'uniquely postmodern breed of whistle-blower -- CNet
Snowden explains decision to leak secrets -- ZDNet
Edward Snowden, The WIRED Cover: Most wanted man in the world -- Boing Boing
Does this photo tell us what Edward Snowden stands for? -- Jacob Axelrad, CSM

New Intelligence Leaks Reveal A 'Far-Reaching' Partnership Between The NSA And Israeli Intelligence

Cash, Weapons And Surveillance: The U.S. Is A Key Party To Every Israeli Attack -- The Intercept

The U.S. government has long lavished overwhelming aid on Israel, providing cash, weapons and surveillance technology that play a crucial role in Israel’s attacks on its neighbors. But top secret documents provided by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden shed substantial new light on how the U.S. and its partners directly enable Israel’s military assaults – such as the one on Gaza.

Over the last decade, the NSA has significantly increased the surveillance assistance it provides to its Israeli counterpart, the Israeli SIGINT National Unit (ISNU; also known as Unit 8200), including data used to monitor and target Palestinians. In many cases, the NSA and ISNU work cooperatively with the British and Canadian spy agencies, the GCHQ and CSEC.

Read more ....

New U.S. Intelligence Leak Reveal A 'Far-Reaching' Partnership Between The NSA And Israeli Intelligence

Obama's 'helplessness' an act: Snowden reveals scale of US aid to Israel -- RT
Leaked classified memo reveals U.S.-Israeli intel cooperation on Egypt, Iran -- Haaretz
Report: Intelligence between US, Israel strong despite political tensions -- Jerusalem Post
Latest Snowden release 'shows' NSA complicity in Gaza attacks -- Digital Journal
Snowden Documents Show 'Constant and Lavish' US Support for Israel Facilitating Gaza Attacks -- IBTimes
Snowden latest: NSA targets Gaza, pumps intelligence to Israel -- The Register
NSA has close partnership with Israel -- Press TV (Iran)
NSA Has 'Far-Reaching' Partnership With Israeli Intelligence Agency -- Huffington Post
Greenwald: NSA Docs Show ‘Israeli Action In Gaza Has US Fingerprints All Over It’ -- Mint Press news
Snowden: NSA Helps Israel By Spying on Gaza -- Reason
Snowden Documents Detail Spying Partnership Between US, Israel That Enables Occupation of Palestine -- Firedoglake