Leaked emails reveal secret, widespread TrapWire surveillance system

[Deleted_171835]

Every few seconds, data picked up at surveillance points in major cities and landmarks across the United States are recorded digitally on the spot, then encrypted and instantaneously delivered to a fortified central database center at an undisclosed location to be aggregated with other intelligence. It’s part of a program called TrapWire and it's the brainchild of the Abraxas, a Northern Virginia company staffed with elite from America’s intelligence community. The employee roster at Arbaxas reads like a who’s who of agents once with the Pentagon, CIA and other government entities according to their public LinkedIn profiles, and the corporation's ties are assumed to go deeper than even documented.


According to a press release (pdf) dated June 6, 2012, TrapWire is “designed to provide a simple yet powerful means of collecting and recording suspicious activity reports.” A system of interconnected nodes spot anything considered suspect and then input it into the system to be "analyzed and compared with data entered from other areas within a network for the purpose of identifying patterns of behavior that are indicative of pre-attack planning.”

In a 2009 email included in the Anonymous leak, Stratfor Vice President for Intelligence Fred Burton is alleged to write, “TrapWire is a technology solution predicated upon behavior patterns in red zones to identify surveillance. It helps you connect the dots over time and distance.” Burton formerly served with the US Diplomatic Security Service, and Abraxas’ staff includes other security experts with experience in and out of the Armed Forces.

Which makes for something kind of like this...




http://rt.com/usa/ne...aks-313/?header
http://mirror2.wikil...he-gifiles.html
http://www.trapwire.com/

 

[MelodieOctavia]

How about we stop with the petty jabs and keep to the topic at hand, hm?

 

[bradzx]

O.o Why US government do that? What is really they up to?

 

[chavosaur]

I dont think it should come as that much of a shock that the government has a system like this. While it is a pry into privacy, I certainly dont think that makes our government terrorists.

 

[Thesolcity]

Its important to note Trapwire is also very active in Europe as well as the US. Given the few amount of cameras around here I can only assume I'm in the part of America no one gives a shit about. Woe is me. ;_;

 

[Walker D]

Future is dark

We need batman

 

[Psionic Roshambo]

This is probably the upgraded version of echelon....


I wouldn't worry about being spied on unless you have something to hide, for 99.99999% of the population you have absolutely nothing to worry about. Stuff like this isn't meant to catch you smoking pot or speeding or cheating on your wife, it is designed to catch domestic terrorists and generally the really really bad guys. Not that it will catch most of them either I believe that most terrorists are probably so paranoid that they would not talk on a cell phone or email or post on face book about *insert evil plot here*.

Edit: And this stuff has been going on for a lot longer than most people will realize.

Edit 2: Just a tiny bit of information here, the real capabilities are not even hinted at on this page... I guess maybe I know some things I shouldn't? Not that it matters thats so old it has to be out dated by now.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECHELON

 

[The Milkman]

Bullshit.

Not at the fact that the government or some group or organization likes to keep an eye on the civilians. But that someone this powerful and secure would be "leaked" or found out. First of all, shit like that you don't talk about in emails, no matter how many firewalls, codecs, encryptions or goddamn anti-spywares. Second, WHY would you expressively mention what it does in the email? Also, who would name something that watches everyone Trapwire, a name that certainly does envoke negative feelings towards it. And even if the email was legitimately leaked, you wouldn't have had a chance to post it, knowing our government they would bring down the hammer on shit like this. Its too perfect, like a network that gathers data on every source of surveillance in the country would have a name like that and be so simply leaked by something like EMAIL. There's no way this is true, and even if it is its not half as important as the article makes it seem.

 

[stinkoman]

Probably just bayesian probability for police reports, from what you posted. It sounds really scary, but if it is what I think it is then all it does is sort reports of suspicious activity based on their correlation to actual terrorist plotting, which is about as scary and dystopian as a spam filter.

 

[Psionic Roshambo]

Probably just bayesian probability for police reports, from what you posted. It sounds really scary, but if it is what I think it is then all it does is sort reports of suspicious activity based on their correlation to actual terrorist plotting, which is about as scary and dystopian as a spam filter.

Well if it contains some of the AI (not like Skynet type AI lol) the AI searches for key words or code words in any conversation or email or text and if the program notices something interesting it pops up a screen for a human to listen or read what was said to verify or disqualify it.

So yeah its like a really really advanced firewall for any type of communication that might harm the system. (I like the firewall analogy it really fits well.)

So if your conversation included some neat words like bomb, president, poison, running with scissors, or any other dangerous things you can think of involving those things with some sort of anti government sentiment. The whole conversation would throw up a flag and be investigated.

Who knows just me posting this, could conceivably cause it to be read by an agent. They would quickly realize my post is just talking about the triggers for it and dismiss it, at least I hope so lol not that I have anything to hide so a visit from the government wouldn't be too bad, Just call ahead so I can have coffee ready and some cookies!!! Don't worry I will eat and drink some of them in front of you first so you know they are both tasty and not poisonous lol

Edit: For some reason this all makes me think of this movie, BTW its pretty funny lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFsNeR1aJx0

 

[Janthran]

If you're saying something in public, then someone else can hear it. Common sense.
This isn't really any different. Though if they start rigging this in private properties..

 

[Psionic Roshambo]

If you're saying something in public, then someone else can hear it. Common sense.
This isn't really any different. Though if they start rigging this in private properties..

I think some of this is built into hardware and software at different levels, encryption that is required to have back doors and all kinds of other tricks to make sure the bad guys don't have an easy time communicating evil plots.

Communication is one of the most powerful tools available to mankind, and like any other tool it can be misused by those who would use it to spread chaos and destruction, instead of knowledge and understanding.

Some people just want to see it all burn down.

 

[Skelletonike]

I don't see a problem with this, it is meant to protect people so what's wrong with it? Losing a bit of freedom in order to have better protection is nothing that bad, besides, you can still whatever you want, as long as you're not doing bad stuff you won't have any problems.. I don't get why people are so worked up about a few cameras watching them. z.z

 

[ferofax]

I'd rather they did this, at least they can preempt terrorist activities.

Nobody wants another 9-11. However, it goes without saying that such power must be used right, and there must be some sort of oversight to keep them in check. Otherwise, they're just another band of cloaks and daggers.

 

[Gahars]

And let the old "Vigilance versus Freedom" debate begin!

 

[chrisrlink]

my fear is companies like sony and ninty has a hand in this meaning our days of hacking consoles could be numbered

 

[Luigi2012SM64DS]

Never knew the US like stalking people.

 

[chavosaur]

my fear is companies like sony and ninty has a hand in this meaning our days of hacking consoles could be numbered

Even if they had access to the info, there still isn't a whole lot they can do.
If anything, reading it would just be a rude awakening that their security wasn't good enough.

 

[chrisrlink]

no i mean like they are a company that are in cahoots with the US Gov think of it as another SOPA tactic besides catching real terrorist

 

[Taleweaver]

I wouldn't worry about being spied on unless you have something to hide, for 99.99999% of the population you have absolutely nothing to worry about. Stuff like this isn't meant to catch you smoking pot or speeding or cheating on your wife, it is designed to catch domestic terrorists and generally the really really bad guys. Not that it will catch most of them either I believe that most terrorists are probably so paranoid that they would not talk on a cell phone or email or post on face book about *insert evil plot here*.

In other words: the end purpose will be that it will be used to catch 0.00000% of the people. Doesn't that strike you as a major waste of tax payers money?

I don't see a problem with this, it is meant to protect people so what's wrong with it? Losing a bit of freedom in order to have better protection is nothing that bad, besides, you can still whatever you want, as long as you're not doing bad stuff you won't have any problems.. I don't get why people are so worked up about a few cameras watching them. z.z

If you sacrifice freedom for security, you deserve neither*. The problem you don't seem to grasp is that the morals of what's good and bad are set by the same people who do all that tracking. Reality doesn't work "in the way it is meant to be". At best, they'll realise there simply aren't enough terrorists available to give the project any meaning and shut down the place quietly. The more realistic outcome will be that the definition of "a terrorist" will shift toward "anyone who doesn't think the American way". Or even "anyone who's a threat to the president" (the way these presidential election campaigns go, I can foresee guys 'in the name of the people' misuse that trapdoor stuff to dig up dirt on the opposing side).

Also: I don't often throw people books in their face, but here's an opportunity: go read 1984 and then come tell me the future will be bright...


*Benjamin Franklin. But hey...if he was so smart, why is he dead, then?

I'd rather they did this, at least they can preempt terrorist activities.

Nobody wants another 9-11. However, it goes without saying that such power must be used right, and there must be some sort of oversight to keep them in check. Otherwise, they're just another band of cloaks and daggers.

Nobody wants another Iraq either. Still...despite the CIA, NSA, Echelon, interpol and who knows what else kind of intelligence agencies...the US still attacked an innocent country. That had nothing to do with 9-11 to begin with. It's your right to believe that with MORE intelligence, they would have found that Iraq really didn't have those mass destruction thingies. Or you can face up to the fact that the truth gets bended by those in control to make for an outcome they WANT. That isn't going to change by more security. On the contrary: I bet it will be used more often to look for "clues of terrorism" in countries that have a lot of oil, rather than actually checking objective* acts of terrorism.


*say what you want, but attacking an innocence country...how would YOU call it?