NSA targets Linux Journal as 'extremist forum': Report

[friendly_iconoclast]

Source: ZDNet


Summary: The NSA is targeting the Linux Journal as an "extremist forum" and flagging its readers as 'extremists', according to source code leaked to German public broadcaster, ARD.

By Leon Spencer | July 4, 2014 -- 02:00 GMT (19:00 PDT)

The Linux Journal, a Linux user community website, has been flagged as an "extremist forum" by the United States' National Security Agency (NSA), while its users have been flagged as "extremists" under the agency's XKeyscore program, according to leaked source code.

The source code, which was published this week by German public broadcaster, ARD, also identified at least two German Tor Directory Authority servers — one in Berlin, the other in Nuremberg — as being under surveillance by the NSA...

...ARD said the XKeyscore rules also show that the NSA tracks all connections to a server hosting part of an anonymous email service at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the US, while also reporting details about visits to the Linux Journal — which it also calls "extremist".

Read more: http://www.zdnet.com/nsa-targets-linux-journal-as-extremist-forum-report-7000031241/

---

A link to the original report from ARD (in English)

http://daserste.ndr.de/panorama/aktuell/nsa230_page-1.html

[edgineered]

1. Basically, this is like saying, "Legitimate reason for spying uncovered".

Publicizing a single instance that may or may not stand up in a world court does not say that their operations have scaled back and do not infringe on everyone's privacy now.

[billhicks76]

8. NSA Is Extremist

They are Un-American and exactly like the communists. They can't even face the truth in the mirror that they have abused power and don't represent the people in any way. I'm sure they pay themselves on the back like any deluded power hungry dictator that lies to themselves.

[woo me with science]

2. Fascism.

It's here.

[RKP5637]

7. It is, but too many Americans are too ignorant to get what's going on. n/t

[DBoon]

43. as long as "Guns and Ammo" magazine is off limits to the NSA

They will continue to believe they are free.

[defacto7]

17. That's a fact.

Die amerikanische Anschluß kommt.

[dballance]

3. Then I guess I'm on their list after all.

I wonder if they feel the same way about slashdot.org? I'm sure they must feel that way about eff.org.

[xocet]

11. How about democraticunderground.com? n/t

[FrodosPet]

64. We are most definitely being watched

I'd be much more surprised if we were not.

[RufusTFirefly]

4. Better safe than sor-ry!

You know, you can never be too sure.

These extremists are very, very clever, doncha know. They'll do anything to capture our precious bodily fluids.
Writing about an open-source operating system that originated in Finland is proof of the extent of their deviousness.
Oh, sure! That might not seem like much to you. But, hey, they're experts!



Hayden & Hayden

[Spitfire of ATJ]

5. This is what happens when you believe anything free is a CRIME.

[longship]

6. My old friend, Doc Searls, is gonna be pissed.

Haven't seen him in years, but we go back. I worked in the open source/Linux community for years before I retired. Know a bunch of those people, including many at LJ, most closely with Doc.

Astounding. A straight tech journal is subversive????

Information is a threat????

What about Linux could threaten NSA? (Other than it is an OS that works and due to the fact that it's open source, has no place for back doors... Maybe that's it.)

Poor Doc. I'll have to contact him.

[littlemissmartypants]

10. That lack of a back door,

Very annoying. But not as annoying as the NSA.

[DBoon]

42. Developed by as Finnish national, too

Finland has had very questionable foreign allegiances over the past century.

Obviously something from Finland is very suspicious.

(yes this is snark)

[LiberalArkie]

34. The NSA even has its own version of Linux. SE-Linux

http://www.nsa.gov/research/selinux/code/download.shtml

[nilram]

45. yes, "Security Enhanced" Linux

Just visited the link, so I'm on their list now, if I wasn't before.

[winter is coming]

58. Sure it's not SEE-Linux?

[Trillo]

9. Probably is a sign xkeyscore is flawed.

Maybe even deeply flawed.

Should our every thought expressed be subject to forced interception by "authorities"? What ever happened to the 4th amendment?

Oh, I just realized, this report isn't saying "thought expressed", instead it says "readers". So, if you read a tech magazine, you're a threat? Yeah, xkeyscore is certainly flawed.

[defacto7]

12. 96% of the worlds top 500 supercomputers are

run by extremists and subversives.... because they use Linux as their OS.

[Angleae]

31. Quite possibly including the very ones the NSA uses to spy on everyone.

[defacto7]

47. The 96% mentioned

are computer science and hardware research type from known projects. But there is no doubt that the NSA uses a type of UNIX and possibly Linux, there are many different varieties of UNIX, but we'll never know. One thing is for sure... they aren't using M$ or Ma¢.

[jtuck004]

13. Penguin being chased down the road by a drone...what a crappy world we've allowed. n/t

[IDemo]

62. Yet the drone is running Linux n/t

[jtuck004]

63. The machines turn on the machines. Sounds like a bad movie, with a bad actor. n/t

[defacto7]

14. If Linux Journal readers are extremists

the NSA is a damn black hole.

[elias49]

15. Oh dear. What happened to all the NSA defenders?

Have they scurried away into their burrows?
Where are all the blue-link pontificators?

[villager]

18. They are scrambling to find out how many Linux users voted for Nader!

Once they have their numbers, look for their triumphant snark in many an OP!

[fleabiscuit]

19. LOL! n/t

[pothos]

20. hah!!!

[bananas]

28. DUZY!

[Mojorabbit]

52. I spit out my drink. Perfect post! LOL nt

[bullwinkle428]

56. OH YES!!!!

[winter is coming]

57. I always thought there was something fishy about those Red Hat leftists. n/t

[hunter]

60. I've never voted for or supported Nader because he isn't electable, nor is he leftist.

I express my displeasure with the current political system in different ways, and I do it quite openly... my use of Linux and Open Source software is just a small part of that.

But no way in hell do I think there is little or no difference between the political parties. Obama is a competent leader for this train-wreck of a nation. If John McCain or Mitt Romney had been elected the consequences would have been catastrophic; not for the uber-wealthy, but for the people who struggle day-to-day all over the planet.

The world is still cleaning up from the wreckage of the Reagan-Bush-Bush looting of the world economic system.

I do not care for Jerry Brown's or Barrack Obama's gritty "realistic" and Democratic style of politics and management, which hearkens back to FDR's saving capitalism from itself, but that's better than the kleptocracy of the modern Republican party or the false consumerist "Progressivism" of Ralph Nader. (Or, let's just say, Apple Computer and Tesla automobile.)

I divert my own cars, clothes, and computers from the salvage stream, and I rebuild them to do what I want them to do.

My television is strictly a movie player, Many of those movies I find in thrift stores, trade with friends and family, or rent from the RedBox. I do pay for movies at the theaters, and I do purchase new DVDs of excellent movies, so I am not a total deadbeat when it comes the movie industry.

I rarely see television commercials unless someone reposts them here on DU. I NEVER watch television "news" because it's a waste of time.

If a person doesn't exercise an ability they lose it. I exercise my Freedom of Speech and Association regularly.

I know the NSA has many photos of my naked ass and they can kiss those.

[friendly_iconoclast]

54. The Professional quislings that defend the NSA have been quiet lately

I Sense that their handlers have realized that there are some turds you just
can't polish...

[burrowowl]

16. Goebels! MacCarthy!

Damn them and may Dog save us!

[MannyGoldstein]

21. I'm not how many people truly appreciate how dangerous the NSA is

They have all kinds of info on us, they have secret laws they can use, probably access secret prison's abroad, and they're crazier than shithouse rats. Oh, and they can lie to Congress at will with zero repercussions.

Bad.

[pothos]

24. its not just metadata.

the NSA defenders love to scream about how all they are doing collecting is temporary use metadata. yet here we have facts that simply visiting a linux user website or boing boing will get you placed into deep surveillance and your information will can and most likely will be stored forever.

[Amonester]

33. So, in short, what you're saying is, they are invincible.

Un-beatable. So why even try?

I mean, in the real world, not in a Hollywood movie...

[MannyGoldstein]

41. No.

I'm not saying that at all.

[Helen Borg]

22. Wow...

I must be under surveillance then...

[Helen Borg]

23. All great sysadmins

Are "special" people... What are they gonna do about it?

[blkmusclmachine]

25. "Thanks, 9/11" ...

[Pholus]

26. When you're "big data" driven, anything not on the trendline is suspect.

This of course, is the MAIN problem with dragnet surveillance. It makes anyone nonconforming a suspect.

Turn on any obvious consequences at all and watch us supress ourselves!

If only these dumbasses hadn't taken 1984 as the fucking manual instead of a warning.

[cantbeserious]

27. Linux Mint User Here As This Post Is Typed - Sorry Folks The Thread Has Now Been Hijacked By The NSA

Just Remember that one trip to DistroWatch.com is all it takes to be scarred for life.

[bananas]

29. SpaceX uses Linux

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=32244.0

On day two of the 2013 Embedded Linux Conference, Robert Rose of SpaceX spoke about the 'Lessons Learned Developing Software for Space Vehicles.' In his talk, he discussed how SpaceX develops its Linux-based software for a wide variety of tasks needed to put spacecraft into orbit—and eventually beyond. Linux runs everywhere at SpaceX, he said, on everything from desktops to spacecraft.

[cantbeserious]

30. Well There You Go - Even The Universe Is Compromised By The NSA

eom

[Aerows]

48. I haven't doubted for a moment

that I'm on the list.

[Scuba]

32. I miss the old US of A.

[elias49]

36. I second that.

At 62, with 3 tiny grandchildren, I worry what kind of USA they'll face when I'm gone.

[Amonester]

35. And this is surprising?

Some controlling assholes figuring out decades ago that *knowledge* is *power* is *big $$$$$$$* is surprising?

That nobody is a saint? That even if, in any case, there was to be just one, that these assholes would then resort to find ways to just *make stuff up* out of thin air, and just *make believe* bad stuff about such sainthood?

And this is surprising?

[elias49]

37. Don't have to be surprised to be disturbed!! nt

[Amonester]

38. It's all about money.

Big money.

Like in everything else.

That's reality.

Can't escape it, so I choose to ignore it.

?t=1s

[Martak Sarno]

39. Sewn on patch?

So when will the directive come down that all Linux Readers must sew a Penguin Patch on their clothes; paint one on their business store fronts; cars; children's clothes; register with local polizei?

What year is this?

What country is this?

[Amonester]

40. Many don't bother sewing stuff in this effed-up pre-2015 era...

They just stick plastic glue on their own stuff...

[winter is coming]

59. Well, you could use fabric glue, but then you'd have to go to Hobby Lobby.

Duct tape it is. 1001 uses!

[greiner3]

44. I just did a little readeing at their web site.

Does this make me a 'terrist'?

[Luminous Animal]

46. It appears there is a second NSA leaker.

[Aerows]

49. I hope the second one

is good enough to stay anonymous. The floodgates are eventually going to open - the NSA has pissed off too many technically literate people.

[defacto7]

50. I get the feeling some people just aren't getting it.

Linux is a UNIX based kernel for an operating system. It's more secure, more stable, less crackable, and faster than either of the easily broken, less stable, slower, commonly sold systems. Supercomputers run Linux because of all the above and it's likely NSA run their own version of it themselves. Apple also runs BSD UNIX but it's loaded with proprietary software and makes it only a play thing. Linux is huge in most of the world and has been for some years. It is growing extremely fast in the US because of it's utility to the average user and it's advantages when science calls.

NSA can hack anything M$ or MA¢ very easily. All encrypted email and web data is more difficult to crack than unencrypted no matter what the computer source. But hacking a Linux machine is much more difficult if not impossible under exceptional circumstances. That's why those in the know desire it. The NSA would love for people to use the big 2 computer company's hardware because they can mash it like a bug.

It all goes to show why the NSA wants people to fear the system that is the most innately secure up front, discouraging the use of the system that is their biggest nightmare.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

51. thbt. It's a fricking journal.

I don't think I ever subscribed, but I bought quite a few issues at newsstands over the years. It's decently useful for the casual linux user, or even people who work with linux day in and day out. The problem the NSA have with linux is that it's open source code, and a lot of users download source and compile their own. It's a lot easier to find out if your operating system has been compromised if you can search the code in plain text.

[DeSwiss]

53. They hate OPEN SOURCE.

If it sneaky, slimy, dark, secret and if it gives them an edge in getting someone's shit from them illegally, then they're happy,

- These fucker have got to [font size=10]GO![/font]

K&R

[Uncle Joe]

55. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, friendly_iconoclast.

[Deuce]

61. "Five Eyes" exemption...

"However, the source code also reveals that users residing within the 'Five Eyes' — the international alliance comprising the UK, Australia, New Zealand, the US, and Canada — are exempt from surveillance under the XKeyscore program."

[reorg]

65. exeption from "five eyes" exemption:

It is interesting to note that this rule specifically avoids fingerprinting users believed to be located in Five Eyes countries, while other rules make no such distinction. For instance, the following fingerprint targets users visiting the Tails and Linux Journal websites, or performing certain web searches related to Tails, and makes no distinction about the country of the user.



http://daserste.ndr.de/panorama/aktuell/nsa230_page-3.html

[Babel_17]

66. Author and privacy advocate Cory Doctorow

Author and privacy advocate Cory Doctorow, who was briefed in advance of the German report, said that an expert he consulted indicated that the source for the X-Keyscore code may not have been Edward Snowden.

"The existence of a potential second source means that Snowden may have inspired some of his former colleagues to take a long, hard look at the agency's cavalier attitude to the law and decency," he said.

http://www.cnet.com/news/nsa-likely-targets-anybody-whos-tor-curious/#ftag=CAD590a51e

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025200717