The NSA's top 10 scariest intrusions

[bemildred]

10. The NSA intercepts deliveries

According to documents published by German newspaper Der Spiegel, the NSA uses a tactic called "method interdiction," which intercepts packages that are en route to the recipient. Malware or backdoor-enabling hardware is installed in workshops by agents and the item then continues on its way to the customer.

9. The NSA can spy on PCs not connected to the Internet

Der Spiegel also published a document from an NSA division called ANT, which revealed technology the NSA uses to carry out operations, including a radio-frequency device that can monitor and even change data on computers that are not online.

http://www.itproportal.com/2014/02/12/the-nsas-top-10-scariest-intrusions/

[Downwinder]

1. Add to this that the security clearances are prone to errors as

are the secret enemies "lists."

And the tools and data are shared with multiple countries around the world.

If the Taliban can tap drone cameras is it safe to assume that they are not also tapping data networks?

[bemildred]

2. Well I do find their naive assumption that there won't be many misses amusing.

It is an intrinsically error prone job-process-actiity. People are not, in fact, very preditable unless you put them in stable cirumstances, bore them in other words. The guys they are looking for are not the ones they are going to find. They will be well camoflaged. Fishing is good for filtering out things of interest, it is not good at all at returning accurate classifications of individuals, it misses lots.

This business with the NSA feeding the drone drivers interesting too. It indicates a couple things:

1.) Lousy human intelligence capabilities, not doubt getting worse as time goes on.

2.) That they are using METADATA to decide who to kill means they don't care about getting it right, you really can't shoot off a shotgun and say you want to be precise. It means they know very little about what they are shooting at on the ground, as the results show.

[Jefferson23]

3. Talk about out of control, fucking crazy is what this is. K&R

Did I understand correctly, you use to work for US Defense dept., bemildred...long time ago?

[bemildred]

4. 80s & 90s, all as a contractor, never GS of any sort.

Secret clearance because they made me, but I had nothing to do with secrets, other than to know where they were so I could avoid going there. Did well too, I do good work. They kept trying to make me manage, and after a while I'd get annoyed and go find another job. Lots of toys to play with.

And corrupt from top to bottom, though I met and worked with many fine people too, and some of them I owe a lot to.

Mostly software R&D, mostly for TRADOC (or whatever they call it now).

[Jefferson23]

5. Ah, very cool..so you know quite well how government works. Thanks. n/t

[bemildred]

6. I am well acquainted with FARS, you might say.

And I had a job offer refused three times because i refused to use a designated agency. They'd offer, I'd say I want to use X as my agent. Suddenly the job was gone. Three times. After that they gave up, and I got a job with benefits with a company I was willing to deal with in their R&D shop and they'd let me consult on the other one when I was willing.

That's illegal. Or it was then. And we were given boilerplate to that effect too. But it's routine.

http://www.acquisition.gov/far/

[Jefferson23]

7. Sounds like you negotiated very well, kudos. n/t