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NSA Chose Invasive Phone Analysis Option
Encrypted Anonymous Coward writes "The Baltimore Sun reveals the existence of an interesting experimental NSA program codenamed ThinThread from the late 90`s. The program involved link analysis of traffic data, with a twist; The phone numbers from the U.S. would only be analyzed in an encrypted form. This way the analysis would potentially be possible under existing privacy laws, according to the people behind the program. The NSA could gather further unencrypted details if there was evidence of a threat. Political infighting seems to have dropped an interesting and respectful program from the books."
Part of the proposed program would make it illegal to do so without a court order. And therefore, any evidence gained from a surreptitiously decrypted number would be inadmissible in court (and very embarrassing for the NSA).
See, technically the only thing that stops the police from tapping every phone (other than respect for the community) is that it's illegal to do so and any evidence gathered is wholly worthless.
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I'd rather be flamed than ignored.
Having done some evaluation of products like Centrifuge for data analysis, showing patterns of calls alone is likely not enough. You really want to tie additional associations (person_to_organization, person_to_person, person_to_building, person_to_events, etc...) in order to derive intelligence. If they are looking for patterns without additional information, I'm not sure what NSA hopes to accomplish. I'm sure if they tracked calls from my cell phone, they'd find odd patterns when my kids get a hold of it (repeated calls to my wife's phone in order to annoy her).
We are at a crossroads, and we need to take a step back from the emotion of September eleventh (nearly 5 years later) and really look at what we want to see in the future.
I won't stand on a soapbox here and force my opinion on others but I think it is time for a very serious debate over what is acceptable to give up in the name of security, what secrets we will let our government keep from us and what checks and balances need to be in place.
I think we are in trouble of letting "terrorism" be the ultimate excuse for any unpopular move by the government and it sadens me to see that the events of 2001 have changed us so much.
P.S.
The latest Justifications I have heard for the NSA wire taping are indicative of the problem... saying "we havent had a terrorist atack because of this program" is like saying "the wolly mammoth repelant is working" unless you can show proof that attacks have been thwarted .
I don't give a damn for a man that can only spell a word one way.
Mark Twain
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html
Adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948
Article 12.
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.
Article 30.
Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.
Member -- (Date of Admission)
United States of America -- (24 Oct. 1945)
There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
As long as you wear a paper bag over your head, the Feds should be able to explore your body cavities!
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