Google and NSA Teaming Up

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Posted by samzenpus on Thursday February 4, 2010 @02:28AM from the meet-my-big-brother dept.

i_frame writes "The Washington Post reports that 'Under an agreement that is still being finalized, the National Security Agency would help Google analyze a major corporate espionage attack that the firm said originated in China and targeted its computer networks, according to cybersecurity experts familiar with the matter. The objective is to better defend Google — and its users — from future attack.'"

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Re:Conversation between Google and NSA by biryokumaru · 2010-02-04 02:33 · Score: 3, Insightful

Nah, they prolly just left Google a post-it note.

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Really it means... by Cornwallis · 2010-02-04 02:41 · Score: 3, Insightful

The objective is to better defend Google — and its users — from future attack.
The objective is to better defend Google — and its users — from future attack by someone other than NSA and...
Re:Conversation between Google and NSA by Anonymous Coward · 2010-02-04 02:57 · Score: 2, Insightful

I usually don't comment on mods - but holy shit how the hell is this insightful? There have been rumors (always denied) of "NSA backdoors" brought up by tinfoil hatters forever but most people take them for the silly rumors that they are. Insightful? For shame... Funny maybe.
Re:IDK... by Zen+Hash · 2010-02-04 03:08 · Score: 4, Insightful

The NSA has probably captured additional communications related to the attack, aside from what went through Google's network. I'd imagine they generally have far more extensive resources and experience than Google, when it comes to capturing/analyzing communications.

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Re:IDK... by el_tedward · 2010-02-04 03:09 · Score: 4, Insightful

Google probably knows more than NSA when it comes to things like search, but when it comes to breaking into a computer that doesn't belong to you, you're not going to find anyone much more knowledgeable than the NSA.
Re:Conversation between Google and NSA by elrous0 · 2010-02-04 03:17 · Score: 5, Insightful

Are those the same sources that used to say the NSA doesn't tap domestic phone calls--before a whistleblower outed them for doing exactly that?

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SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
Anonymous Coward Trolls by happy_place · 2010-02-04 03:26 · Score: 3, Insightful

Funny how this topic breeds anonymous coward trolls, and isn't it strangely coincidental that they're all of the same meme. Google is evil. US Government is a bad guy. China is a victim.
I'm sure it's only a coincidence.

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1. Re:Anonymous Coward Trolls by dintlu · 2010-02-04 04:50 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  The NSA and Google are in the same business: information.
  They may have different motivations and methods, but at their core they are both organizations that collect huge amounts of information and use that information as a means to an end.
  Google's "don't be evil" is a tacit acknowledgment of the power information wields, and seeing them team up with a disreputable organization like the NSA makes the parallels between the two very obvious, generating a flurry of AC comments to capitalize on the memetic opportunity.
Re:No evil by mcgrew · 2010-02-04 03:57 · Score: 2, Insightful

The motto isn't "don't do evil", it's "don't BE evil". Not a human alive has lived without doing evil, although some of us try very hard to not do evil.

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why NSA hate? by Lord+Ender · 2010-02-04 04:15 · Score: 1, Insightful

The NSA are experts in systems security. We use their hardening guidelines to secure our servers. They really contribute good stuff to Linux security. They really do want to keep US systems secure. I don't think anyone has ever seen them doing something truly shady, like injecting backdoors into popular software. As far as I can tell, they break codes in one department, and help secure systems in another department. These are the good guys (unlike the FBI, who are media-whoring, civil-rights-abusing porno-police).

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1. Re:why NSA hate? by Beezlebub33 · 2010-02-04 05:05 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  They wiretapped US citizens in the US without a warrant. That's illegal and immoral, and goes against their charter and policies.
  
  Some people may think that it is not a big deal, but really it is. First, it means (IMHO) that they think they can do anything they want. Based on the lack of political and legal fallout, apparently they are right. So, they have carte blanche to do whatever they want in terms of wiretapping, email reading, decrypting, etc. and there is nothing you can do about it. Second, even if they say they don't do X any more, you have no reason to believe that they do not do X any more.
  
  Yes, SELinux is great, thanks, we do appreciate it, but the betrayal of the laws of the US and the lack of control on this organization overwhelms it.
  
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2. Re:why NSA hate? by Webster9 · 2010-02-04 05:08 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  These are the good guys
  Sure. As long as your definition of "Good Guys" includes domestic warrantless wiretapping.