Edward Snowden Took Data from NSA Computers the NSA Wasn't Watching

[KoKo]

Edward Snowden Took Data from NSA Computers the NSA Wasn't Watching

by Connor Simpson

By now we know the National Security Agency watches nearly everything on the Internet, with a few exceptions. But apparently Edward Snowden was able to steal the information he did because the NSA failed to monitor its internal networks.

A security failure allowed Snowden, the former contractor now living in asylum in Russia, to move around the NSA's computer system and steal an unimaginable trove of top-secret documents without leaving a trail behind, senior administration officials told The New York Times' Mark Mazzetti and Michael Schmidt. (Snip of NYT Article Below)

Officials have literally no idea what Snowden stole, or how much, or from where, because computers at the NSA's Hawaii office, where Snowden took the information, were "not equipped with up-to-date software that allows the spy agency to monitor which corners of its vast computer landscape its employees are navigating at any given time," according to Mazzetti and Schmidt. The NSA wasn't tracking its own employees internal movements, while the NSA was tracking the digital movements of millions worldwide. Oh, good.

In 2011, in the wake of the Wikileaks scandal, President Obama ordered federal agencies to "better safeguard their classified secrets," among other things. The executive order was to protect the government from the kind of internal leaks caused by Chelsea Manning, and eventually Edward Snowden.

So what happened in the two years between both leaks? The NSA lolly-gagged upgrading their security system. In theory, the executive order implemented immediate change. In practice, the NSA was behind, and Edward Snowden took advantage of the opening:



http://www.thewire.com/national/2013/12/edward-snowden-stole-nsa-computers-nsa-wasnt-watching/356157/


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NYT: Officials Say U.S. May Never Know Extent of Snowden’s Leaks

By MARK MAZZETTI and MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT--NYT
Published: December 14, 2013

“We weren’t able to flip a switch and have all of those changes made instantly,” said one American intelligence official.

Lonny Anderson, the N.S.A.’s chief technology officer, said in a recent interview that much of what Mr. Snowden took came from parts of the computer system open to anyone with a high-level clearance. And part of his job was to move large amounts of data between different parts of the system.

But, Mr. Anderson said, Mr. Snowden’s activities were not closely monitored and did not set off warning signals.

“So the lesson learned for us is that you’ve got to remove anonymity” for those with access to classified systems, Mr. Anderson said during the interview with the Lawfare blog, part of a podcast series the website plans to run this week.

Officials said Mr. Snowden, who had an intimate understanding of the N.S.A.’s computer architecture, would have known that the Hawaii facility was behind other agency outposts in installing monitoring software.

According to a former government official who spoke recently with Gen. Keith B. Alexander, the N.S.A. director, the general said that at the time Mr. Snowden was downloading the documents, the spy agency was several months away from having systems in place to catch the activity.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/15/us/officials-say-us-may-never-know-extent-of-snowdens-leaks.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&smid=tw-nytimesworld&partner=rss&emc=rss

[RC]

1. Like crooks too busy stealing from everyone else, to notice their own stealing from them.

Whatever, Edward Snowden exposed massive overreach and wrong doing by a long time corrupt, government agency.
Keith Brian Alexander needs to be tried for his crimes against the Constitution and the American people, then stripped of his rank.
And while serving time behind bars, be treated for his unwarranted paranoia.

[KoKo]

4. Agree! n/t

[BlueToTheBone]

2. Outsourcing to private companies

to do all this stuff, from hiring to managing certainly hasn't worked and it has cost who know how many more times the amount it would have if it had all been left in house in the government. Now we know the outcome of the pukes idea of small government.

[frazzled]

3. He knew exactly where to go

Or somebody else knew exactly where to send him. The premeditated intentionality of his act seems increasingly evident.

[KoKo]

5. The answer is in the snips from the articles that you didn't bother

to read. Why not go back and read what was posted.

[frazzled]

6. I read it, and read the Times article at 5:30 this morning

And what I'm thinking remains valid.

He knew which facility had not yet gotten the security. Or someone else, for whom he was working, did.

Poo poo to you, too

[arely staircase]

7. lonny anderson? nt

[arely staircase]

8. so does this mean fleeing the country was not necessary?

He could have given the domestic phone stuff to the NYT and nobody would have known who did it? Giving shit to the Chinese and potentially the Russians was completely superfluous? Not even defensible as self preservation?