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Belgium Investigates Suspected Cyber Spying By Foreign State
First time accepted submitter julf writes "The Belgian newspaper De Standaard reports that in an internal investigation, Belgacom, the mostly state-owned telecoms operator in Belgium, discovered evidence that the NSA has been listening in (Dutch) on the Belgacom network since 2011. From the Reuters article: 'Belgium said on Monday it was investigating suspected foreign state espionage against its main telecoms company, which is the top carrier of voice traffic in Africa and the Middle East, and a newspaper pointed the finger at the United States. Federal prosecutors said in a statement that the former state telecoms monopoly Belgacom had filed a complaint in July about the hacking of several servers and computers. "The inquiry has shown that the hacking was only possible by an intruder with significant financial and logistic means," they said.'"
Story at 11. *Yawn.*
And it stopped when the Noble Peace winner came into office.
They can't really mean this started in just the last couple years, under Obama's direction. That's unthinkable.
...since only 2011?!? Consider yourselves lucky. I remember hearing about Echelon decades ago.
In C++, your friends can see your privates.
Belgium was the home of the most notorious super villains EVAR.
And the last thing the US needs is to be blackmailed again for *dum-dum DAH* ONE HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS!
This is an interesting development.
Having said that, the Germans, French, and other European states have publicly denounced NSA spying. Yet, they all quietly continue to work as normal with the US. So... what gives? Are they politically motivated to put limits on NSA spying or is it all for public show?
...discovered evidence that the NSA has been listening in (Dutch) on the Belgacom network since 2011.
Meanwhile, the French, British, Iranians, North Koreans, Chinese, Russians, several major drug cartels, Iceland, New Zealand, Germans, Australians... their taps on the same wires were left alone and unnoticed. Because everyone on the internet knows that only the NSA and those pesky American's ever spy on anyone else, because they're all signals intelligence virgins who just don't see the point in espionage when we're all just one big happy carebear family.
Now if you'll excuse me, I think I need to start treatment immediately... because writing that much snark just gave me cancer.
#fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
We did it.. Everyone knows we did it. We don't even bother to hide we did it anymore.
The real question to be answered tho is.... What are you going to do about it?
Sue? lol
Good luck with that.
One world, one nation, under God and Jesus Christ who died on the Cross for all of our sins and then rose on the third day, indivisible, with liberty and justice for most.
We should shut down every relations with such hostile and aggressive country.
Try the translated page
Who will come to your aid the next time you're occupied? You're going to have a real problem in 30-50 years.
Why is this post tagged with 'netherlands'? Belgium hasn't been part of the netherlands since 1830 ... I know you lot are a bit retarded when it comes to history, but nearly 200 years is a pretty long time ..
The USA has got form here. Remember the Greek Vodafone hacks in 2004 - technically sophisticated and never traced, but available evidence pointed to the geographic region of the US Embassy in Athens. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_wiretapping_case_2004–05
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled"
Seriously, what do they expect, giving their country a name like that? Of course they're going to piss people off!
It's one thing when the local news uses the word 'cyber' when talking about things like cyberbullying or cyberattacks, but it feels like a punch in the stomach when a tech site does the same. To me that is a word that should not be synonymous with the Internet. I mean, it's not like we're all walking around with VR helmits on here.
It's not so much that the NSA spied but the message this sends out...the US sees not only its own citizens as enemies but now also Europeans
Belgacom is a main global provider of GRX and IPX connectivity, in layman's terms, the private IP networks that are used to transport voice, messaging and data traffic between Wireless network providers when their subscribers roam abroad. If they can hack into Belgacom, they can probably get access to upwards of 50% of global romaing traffic that they otherwise wouldn't see on the public internet taps they have around the place.
any doubt: FrreBSD Survival prospects
Def: Oh Belgium
A galacticly frowned upon word, it is used when no other word can describe the circumstance in which on is in. Coincidentally it is also the name of a country on the entirely insignificant planet Earth. The word "Belgium" is often used by people such as Zaphod Beeblebrox, former galactic president, in many situations.
"Man you're hanging off the edge of that bottomless pit again and this time I don't think I can really be bothered to help."
"Oh Belgium man! Belgium! Belgium! Belgium! Help me you zarking zark! Holy Zarquon singing fish."
"Hang on a second, what does "Holy Zarquon singing fish" mean?"
"I really don't want to go into it right now thanks"
discovered evidence that the NSA has been listening in (Dutch) on the Belgacom network
So French speakers should be fine, right?
Repetition does not transform a lie into the truth. - FDR
If you are using american operating systems (Windows, notably), and Israeli products (Checkpoint, NetApp), what are you expecting? That the Mossad and CIA won't take advantage of it? Seriously? Using Huawei too? Are you they so delusional, naive, or are they just covering the tracks of their own stupidity? China got it in the right direction with red flag Linux and Loongson.
I also presume US government will extradite these criminals who were breaking all kinds of international (and domestic) laws, and were waging cyber warfare against another sovereign country.
After all, this is what US expects from others, so it would only be nice that they start following what they preach, eh?
United States of Corruption. That's what USA has became. Any 'moral high ground' that US had, on pretty much *any* issue, is simply gone.
It is beyond sad, a country we all looked up to some 20 years ago. Turned into complete shit :(
When is the US going to realize that under traditional definitions THIS IS AN ACT OF WAR!
The US needs to put a leash on the NSA or eliminate those B@#$%^&* entirely.
The Belgian government commented on the situation a few days ago, saying that they will take "certain measures" if it turns out to be cyber espionage.
As a Belgian and a heavy user of a lot of American online services, I actually hope it doesn't turn out to be the NSA. I really don't want Belgium to become the next Iran or China and some websites are already DNS-blocked here (thepiratebay for one).
Something needs to be done to make the internet open and secure again, or the internet will soon have geographical borders. The problem is we can't do much, it's up to you, Americans, to tell your government to get its shit back together.