US Gov. Spent $254.9m This Year CREATING Software Vulnerabilities

[Rydian]

Here's the straight dope: It turns out the US and UK governments have been running programs for a few years to insert backdoors into often-used security software and crack into the databases of Google and Yahoo, Facebook and Skype, and more.

No, I'm not shitting you.

The NSA spends $250m a year on a program which, among other goals, works with technology companies to "covertly influence" their product designs.
[...]
The program "actively engages US and foreign IT industries to covertly influence and/or overtly leverage their commercial products' designs"
[...]
Among other things, the program is designed to "insert vulnerabilities into commercial encryption systems". These would be known to the NSA, but to no one else, including ordinary customers, who are tellingly referred to in the document as "adversaries".

In addition, it turns out they've been gathering logs of encrypted data for years, and internal memos have come up of times when they break into the logs they've copied.

Classified briefings between the agencies celebrate their success at "defeating network security and privacy".

Most people, when faced with the possibility of government spying, say something like "I can use SSL so it's fine." or "I'll just stop pirating now". But what happens when it turns out the government has a backdoor into widely-used security software? The software and/or algorithm you're using might not do crap against their spying. And what about all the data and logs they've already collected for years? These actions didn't start last week, they might have logs of personal calls you made two years ago on Skype.

The government is fine with people thinking that "I'll just send this encrypted" or "I'll just stop using this service" because they're in already, and they've been in for years.

Many users assume — or have been assured by Internet companies — that their data is safe from prying eyes, including those of the government, and the N.S.A. wants to keep it that way. The agency treats its recent successes in deciphering protected information as among its most closely guarded secrets

Of course, the moment all these documents came to light, there was a shitstorm. People are not taking this news lightly, and some agencies have responded to the complaints.

The agencies insist that the ability to defeat encryption is vital to their core missions of counter-terrorism and foreign intelligence gathering.

Which is TOTALLY why they're trying to hack into Facebook's databases, right?
Wait...


Source 1
Source 2

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

BRB getting my tin foil hat.



EDIT: Actually, in all honesty, I don't really care all that much. Not that I like invasion of privacy such as this and I definitely don't condone it/want it to continue, but I honestly couldn't give 2 fucks if the NSA knows that I watch porn 24/7 and I pirate every video game ever created. Maybe it's because I don't use the internet to store extremely sensitive information, or maybe it's because all of the information I keep on the internet is already known by the government. People seem to forget they already have access to your name, your SSN, you birth date, your phone number. It's not that hard to find your Facebook or your Twitter, it's fucking out there for everyone to see. It's not like getting access to your "private" Facebook really reveals shit about you they don't already know anyways. So ok, they know you fucked Johnny and you secretly hate your best friend, who secretly hates you. So fucking what? Chances are, so does half the fucking people you associate with.

And I get it's more of the principle of the matter, and like I said I don't condone/want it continue or progress to a point where we have to inform the President every time we get a blow job, but I just don't...feel the need to bitch and moan about it.

EDIT EDIT: Also, inb4peoplegetbuttmad.

 

[the_randomizer]

Oh good, now I can type "piss off" or "go to hell, government" all I want now.


The US Government: screwing with citizens since 1776

 

[WiiUBricker]

So the US and UK governments pay anti virus software companies to create a backdoor in their programs for them?

 

[Rydian]

So the US and UK governments pay anti virus software companies to create a backdoor in their programs for them?

I haven't read all the slides, but it's either that directly, or they have an agreement where a government worker is there helping do the actual design and confirming the backdoor exists (and relaying info back on how to get in).

 

[Xarsah16]

I think - there's so many fish in the sea, just don't be an idiot and they won't come after you. XD

even if you do things like pirate. I used to be a lot stupider and think that my college had access to my facebook logs, so my friend and I came up with the code word "squeezing limes" when I went to go hop on limewire ages ago xD lo and behold, that was what did my old computer in. I'd always go on a local unsecured network, which was just as risque.

 

[Rockhoundhigh]

Oh boy, here we go again. Unless we hit the transparent despotism of something like 1984 I'm sure this'll just keep on chugging along in spite of the outrage. So long as people believe they're anonymous on the internet this issue of security versus privacy is never going to end.

 

[Xarsah16]

Oh boy, here we go again. Unless we hit the transparent despotism of something like 1984 I'm sure this'll just keep on chugging along in spite of the outrage. So long as people believe they're anonymous on the internet this issue of security versus privacy is never going to end.

I didn't mean anonymity - if that's what you're talking about. I just meant that people blend in - it's a shockingly large amount of people who participate in "illegal" activities on the internet. it's just there seems to be more of a chance they would go after someone else first, unless you're a complete dumbshit. XD

I hope you get what i mean, there's a fine line

 

[Xexyz]

I think - there's so many fish in the sea, just don't be an idiot and they won't come after you. XD

even if you do things like pirate. I used to be a lot stupider and think that my college had access to my facebook logs, so my friend and I came up with the code word "squeezing limes" when I went to go hop on limewire ages ago xD lo and behold, that was what did my old computer in. I'd always go on a local unsecured network, which was just as risque.

 

[Xarsah16]

I think I earned my user title, Xexyz

and now I just buy my music from iTunes like a tool.

 

[Xexyz]

I think I earned my user title, Xexyz

and now I just buy my music from iTunes like a tool.

I still squeeze the tubes. (youtube)

 

[Xarsah16]

I still squeeze the tubes. (youtube)

meh it's not so great sometimes. if you're relying on some kind of youtube ripper, the quality is usually below par

 

[Xexyz]

meh it's not so great sometimes. if you're relying on some kind of youtube ripper, the quality is usually below par

true

 

[Vengenceonu]

No offense but this isn't all that surprising. The IRS spent $50 million on hotels, "important conferences" and Homemade Star Trek Videos in 2 years.Hasnt anyone ever heard of the saying:

"Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

Every couple of Months we raise the debt ceiling and go more in debt. The National anthem at this point should be: THE ROOF, THE ROOF, THE ROOF IS ON FIRE! WE DONT NEED NO WATER LET THAT MOTHER BURN. BURN BURN, BURN MOTHER BURN!

 

[Taleweaver]

It's just baffling. 254 million bucks spend on being able to decrypt something that was meant to be encrypted. That money (US citizen taxpayer's money) could have been used on roads, better schools, more jobs. Instead it's used on hacking (as I read it, sometimes downright ILLEGAL hacking) and exploiting. And for what reason? So it could potentially stop the potential terrorist who is most likely not even using the internet to begin with. Or if he does, uses the "fool's code" for communication (kind of like what Xarsah16 mentions: use a code word that is agreed upon by face-to-face contacts).

At its very least of issues, it's a huge-ass waste of tax payer's money. But I'm more worried the NSA will actually BECOME the thought police of 1984. And to those lollerskating about because I'm mentioning the cliché...just go read the fucking book. This isn't leaning toward it anymore. It's downright going there all the way. Fuck...even the definition of "terrorist" gets used pretty loosely already (I've heard Snowden being called one...and that pretty much says enough: the government can blame pretty much anyone they want).


The main question is going to be: how the fuck are we going to stop those sorts of activities? If we cut off their money, they can just steal what they want (or think they need for their mission) from credit card information they've gathered.

 

[Gahars]

Is it too late to drop an, "Inb4 baseless comparisons to 1984 from people who haven't read the book, don't understand it, or get swept up in wild sensationalism," here?

 

[shakirmoledina]

as AC3 would have it... Washington was not the hero of the story

 

[DinohScene]

Hello US government.
Interesting life I have innit?

 

[Rockhoundhigh]

I didn't mean anonymity - if that's what you're talking about. I just meant that people blend in - it's a shockingly large amount of people who participate in "illegal" activities on the internet. it's just there seems to be more of a chance they would go after someone else first, unless you're a complete dumbshit. XD

I hope you get what i mean, there's a fine line

Oh, uh I wasn't even replying in reference to what you were saying . Yeah yeah, it's cool though.