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CIA, FBI Push Social Networking for Spies
node7 writes "The FBI, NSA, and CIA are jointly supporting a newly created 'MySpace' for the intelligence community. Named 'A-Space,' the site will contain highly classified material, so naturally, it won't be available to the public. From CNN: '[Michael Wertheimer, assistant deputy director of national intelligence for analysis] demonstrated the program to CNN to show how analysts will use it to collaborate. "One perfect example is if Osama bin Laden comes out with a new video. How is that video obtained? Where are the very sensitive secret sources we may have to put into a context that's not apparent to the rest of the world?" Wertheimer said. "In the past, whoever captured that video or captured information about the video kept it in-house. It's highly classified because it has so very short a shelf life. That information is considered critical to our understanding."'"
It's not clear from the article whether it's actually on the web, or whether it's on a private network. I'd hope the latter.
On another note, I can imagine some of the standard social networking tropes: "Current Music: Mission Impossible Theme."
They have been up to some interesting things. Sharing information really isn't the CIA or NSA's normal routine.This is a organization that still calls spies "collaborators" after all.
I do know that they also have a Wiki system up for sharing information. It's going to make tracking down leaks much much harder, but it will help eliminate the kind of intellegence gotcha's that hurt us on 9/11. Some of the other restrictions - thoose in laws will still be a issue, but hopefully this well help address things.
Don't look for the domestic groups to get too involved though - the chain of evidence rules would restrict them too much, which is a shame.
I believe "it's a trap" is appropriate here.
This isn't a tool for spies. It's a tool to catch morons.
Lets apply the most basic logic... would the intelligence community announce anything of the sort to the public?
Like the last dozen or so technological or organizational strides they announced.... but wait.... no.
Not the idea itself, which, I suppose, is OK. Life tends to imitates fiction, anyway (esp. in tech).
But why exactly is USA Spooks, Inc. publicizing this thing? Does not seem prudent to me....
sig has been sent away for a few small repairs...
Probably because...let's face it. The intelligence community has an image problem. 9/11 and other incidents made them look like dinosaurs. They need to convince people that they're changing, and for the better. Both internally as well as externally.
Shai Schticks:"You don't make peace with friends, you make peace with enemies"