Former NSA Chief Hayden on Latest Leaked NSA Dragnet Program XKEYSCORE: It's Real, It's Spectacular

[Hissyspit]

http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2013/08/06/michael_hayden_talks_to_cnn_about_xkeyscore_program.html

Former NSA Chief on Latest Leaked Dragnet Spy Program: It's Real, and It's Spectacular

By Ryan Gallagher | Posted Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013, at 5:49 PM

Does the NSA really operate a vast database that allows its analysts to sift through millions of records showing nearly everything a user does on the Internet, as was recently reported? Yes, and people should stop worrying and learn to love it, according former NSA chief Gen. Michael Hayden.

Last week, the Guardian published a series of leaked documents revealing new details about an NSA surveillance program called XKEYSCORE. The newspaper said that the program enabled the agency to “search with no prior authorization through vast databases containing emails, online chats and the browsing histories of millions of individuals,” and secret slides dated 2008 showed how people could be deemed a target for searching the Web for “suspicious stuff” or by using encryption.

Following the disclosures, Hayden appeared on CNN to discuss the agency’s surveillance programs. The general, who directed the NSA from 1999 through 2005, was remarkably candid in his responses to Erin Burnett’s questions about the Guardian’s XKEYSCORE report. Was there any truth to claims that the NSA is sifting through millions of browsing histories and able to collect virtually everything users do on the Internet? “Yeah,” Hayden said. “And it's really good news.”

- snip -

In the CNN interview, Hayden described XKEYSCORE as “really quite an achievement” and said that it enabled NSA spies to find the needle in the haystack. But his ardent defense of the system is unlikely to reassure civil liberties advocates. Having Hayden’s support is a rather dubious stamp of approval, particularly because he was responsible for leading the NSA’s illegal warrantless wiretapping program, which was initiated post-9/11 and exposed by the New York Times in 2005. Hayden later went on to lead the CIA from 2006 through 2009, where he oversaw the use of the waterboarding torture technique and the operation of a controversial black-site prison program that was eventually dismantled by President Obama. The former NSA chief retired in 2009, but he has since become a regular media commentator, using a recent column at CNN to blast Snowden for leaking the secret NSA documents and implying that he’d like to see the Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald prosecuted as a “co-conspirator” for his role reporting the surveillance scoops.

MORE AT LINK[p]

[bl968]

1. It's about spying on Americans stupid

The program started a full 7 months before 9/11, and failed to stop the September 11th attacks. These programs are about purely domestic spying for the drug war, and protecting the national security state. They want to keep an eye on normal everyday Americans. Terrorism is just their justification. They are counting on Americans to willingly give up their constitutional protections for the promise of a little personal safety.

[ProfessorPlum]

3. exactly n/t

[vanlassie]

18. The "promise" they can't keep. Obviously.

[questionseverything]

26. xcellant post

just a thought but why not release the prisoners from guan ton imo that have been cleared...give em a cell phone,tell em a condition of your release is that you carry that cell with ya,let the nsa watch 24/7....every1 is still safe and the released guys are better off than they are now

[Faryn Balyncd]

2. Hayden is a criminal, and proud of it.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

4. They''re working so hard to ease our fears and misgivings on the NSA...

I loved it when Hayden popped up the other morning on Morning Joe. Here's the SOB that ran NSA under Bush-Cheney and gosh, he's just a semi-retired, friendly old guy who stopped by the studio with his grandkids ('Awww...') on their way to spending the day together. What's to worry about?

[OnyxCollie]

5. Michael Hayden: "probable cause" is not in the 4th Amendment

Michael Hayden: "probable cause" is not in the 4th Amendment

What an asshole.

[whttevrr]

19. 01:22 "Well, maybe they have a different constitution over there at the NSA"

[LondonReign2]

6. Kick

[Ichingcarpenter]

7. ''people should stop worrying and learn to love it '',

Talk about Orwellian.....He's practically quoting 1984 and not blinking.

[Coyotl]

8. Hayden really understood his roie in the Bush Junta

Just do what the dictator dictates, and don't worry about any silly laws

[Ichingcarpenter]

11. He always reminded me of this guy.

Marion: You don't need that. I'll tell you everything!



MajorToht/ General Hayden: Yes, I know you will.

[Douglas Carpenter]

9. knr

[wtmusic]

10. Either he is dangerous, or dangerously clueless

Never put a coward in a position of power

[DhhD]

12. Keep in mind Hayden's Godfather...

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/12/11/171129/-Bush-on-the-Constitution-quot-just-a-goddamned-piece-of-paper-quot

[blackspade]

13. Disgusting is the only word that I can use for this scumbag.

The violation of our civil liberties gets worse by the day.

[woo me with science]

14. Just Love Big Brother.

War is Peace.
Freedom is Slavery.
Ignorance is Strength.
Chained CPI is Superlative.
Drone murders are Legal, Ethical, and Wise.
Disconnection is Diplomacy.
Health Care is Affordable.
Austerity is a Grand Bargain.
Edward Snowden is the Traitor.
G.H.W. Bush made the world a Kinder and Gentler Place.
Spying on the Public is in the Public Interest.
America is not Spying on its Citizens.
America Loves Spying.

[polynomial]

15. The political party in charge can cut you off at the pass

One of the most important issues of spying about internet, phone, and email is the security. Yes, Americans are supposed to be secure in their possessions, papers, documents even though transported through the electromagnetic spectrum in cable or radio broadcast.

Don’t you find it irregular that copy right laws are violated at will any time your messages are wire tapped.

From my view Americans that have their emails posted on national television by mainstream media should automatically receive royalty fees.

Yes, just as any journalist of original material get royalty fees all Americans that have their email or texting, posted or wire tapped must be paid a stipend or royalty fee.

Especially for those original automatically copy righted material that had been researched extensively in time which cost money and labor to perform yet consumed by individuals in government departments for free.

Huge amounts of up dated and current evaluations are made by Americans in timely way that is dispatched through the system where the government is able to watch the every step, and in the wrong hands likely abuse such information, especially for political gain. Here, America is a sneaky secret way to collect important critical behavioral information to make decisions in economic military, civilian categories.

[randome]

16. So the NSA uses software. Who could have guessed?

Is that software being used on American citizens' data? Strange that simple question never seems to be asked or answered.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]You should never stop having childhood dreams.[/center][/font][hr]

[questionseverything]

21. the dea article said Americans were targeted

, Hayden described XKEYSCORE as “really quite an achievement” and said that it enabled NSA spies to find the needle in the haystack.

///////////////the haystack itself is illegal

you have been told many times it includes Americans data and content by binney,snowden and even the current admin on charlie rose

[randome]

22. You are conflating metadata phone records with this software. They are separate processes.

Obama used the word 'content' but that wasn't some 'slip of the tongue', it was just a word used to describe the metadata itself.

If the NSA is recording everyone's conversations, we should meet at the White House and hand out pitchforks and torches.

And Binney last worked for the NSA 12 years ago. It's doubtful his Bush-era experience can relate to today.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]You should never stop having childhood dreams.[/center][/font][hr]

[questionseverything]

23. NSA managers can deencrypt and put it back together again

It gets run through the system, split into two parts, and stored until data-mining finds an "articulable suspicion", and another agency is alerted and seeks a FISA warrant. The content isn't looked at until a warrant is issued, we are told, but the content (acquired by the universal collection 2015 program) -- which must be minimized under 702 if not obtained with a proper FISA warrant -- is retained in a compartmentalized state. The content is isolated electronically (encrypted) from the metadata - that's how Bill Binney explained the process. The President also admits that's how the process works, here:

STEP 1: "2015" sweeps up the content and metadata into a database:

"You have my telephone number connecting with your telephone number. There are no names. There is no content in that database. All it is, is the number pairs, when those calls took place, how long they took place. So that database is sitting there," he said.

STEP 2: The NSA encrypts the content, stores the content, and profiling software start crawling through the metadata looking for links to foreign bad guys. NSA managers can deencrypt and put it back together again if the profiilng and datamining software shows there's an "articulable suspicion." FBI obtains a FISA warrant.

"Now, if the NSA through some other sources, maybe through the FBI, maybe through a tip that went to the CIA, maybe through the NYPD. Get a number that where there's a reasonable, articulable suspicion that this might involve foreign terrorist activity related to al-Qaeda and some other international terrorist actors.

Then, what the NSA can do is it can query that database to see did this number pop up? Did they make any other calls? And if they did, those calls will be spit out

STEP 3: NSA sends the reassembled data over to CIA or FBI:

A report will be produced. It will be turned over to the FBI. At no point is any content revealed because there's no content," Obama explained.


////////////////// look at step 2.....there clearly is content


they are not seperate issues

[randome]

24. The only thing I see when I Google "universal collection 2015" is DU pages.

First, Obama says there is no content. Then in Step 2 (is that still quoting him because that's not clear) he says content is separated from the metadata but then says the software examines the metadata.

It is not at all clear what he's referring to here. I believe -only my belief- that he means the encrypted data is unencrypted and then reassembled to show the trail of calls that involve a suspect.

When he says 'calls', I think he's still referring to the metadata.

The NSA is not recording everyone's phone calls. The telecoms are not doing that. So far as I can tell, that is. And if you think the President would casually 'drop the ball' on a mass spying program, well I don't think he's a stupid man so I disagree.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]You should never stop having childhood dreams.[/center][/font][hr]

[questionseverything]

25. recording no/capture yes

why would the nsa have to encrypt 2 telephone numbers? that is what you are suggesting right?

i do not think the current admin is stupid either...i think he fell into a situation that had deteriorated beyond anything most peops would dream of and he needs to get us back to a Constitutional standing w/o totally upsetting the MIC

one huge problem in this country is no matter who is elected pres the same civil servants are packed in these govt agencies for example bush had hired 150 regency u grads in the dept of justice....now just because obama won the presidency,do you think those regency grads will support him? work with him? follow his guidelines? i do not

this privacy fight is bigger than one man

[randome]

29. I would think encrypting the data is to keep it more secure.

Hard for someone to steal personal data if they can't unencrypt it.

Snowden found out he couldn't get at personal data. That's another sign that the data is well protected, something even Carl Bernstein agrees with.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Stop looking for heroes. BE one.[/center][/font][hr]

[questionseverything]

31. lord you said there was no info,no content

only phone numbers...so you are seriously suggesting the nsa is encrypting numbers?and only numbers?

2 funny in one post you say there is no content then you go on to explain how what nsa encrypts content to protect us from snowden

[randome]

32. The word 'content' can have multiple meanings just as words in the IT sector do.

Yes, I am seriously suggesting the NSA encrypts the metadata. In fact, I believe that was mentioned on one of the PowerPoint slides.

That makes it unusable to steal.

And yes, a piece of paper, even containing metadata, is 'content' if it has information on it. That's a different meaning from referring to the content of a phone conversation.

It all depends on how you are referring to it. I am not trying to be purposely vague and confusing, only pointing out that your unnamed source for STEP 2 may not be referring to 'content' as it relates to recorded conversations but only the actual information on the metadata file.

Files have 'content' in that they contain data. But that data is not the same as the 'content' of a phone call.

Sounds like gobbledegook, I know.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Stop looking for heroes. BE one.[/center][/font][hr]

[Marr]

17. Apparently he doesn't understand that's just a crazy conspiracy theory,

it never happened, and it's also Old News™.

[EOTE]

20. It's so stupendously awesome that we needed to keep it a secret from you.

But now that you've been clued in, we'll gladly explain to you how incredibly sweet violating your rights is.

[Enthusiast]

27. Freedumb isn't free!

When will they go FULL NAZI on us?

[Solly Mack]

28. K&R

[kentuck]

30. Evil. Pure evil.

The SOB says that they have a special technology which makes your 4th Amendment Rights obsolete. Get used to it.

And we are supposed to accept his reckoning without question?

Never mind that he and Bush and Cheney all broke the law when they started their spying operation. But, no problem, they would get a secret panel of judges to declare them legal and legitimate. See how easy it was? But they misused the FISA court judges also, until finally declared them legal.

Now he seems to be on a tour to inform us all about how he broke the law and got away with it. And the saddest part is that their policy has been continued, and in some cases, expanded in its legitimacy.