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NSA Infected 50,000 Computer Networks With Malicious Software

Posted by Unknown on from the pretty-sure-that's-illegal dept.

rtoz writes "The American intelligence service — NSA — infected more than 50,000 computer networks worldwide with malicious software designed to steal sensitive information, documents provided by former NSA-employee Edward Snowden show."

16 of 264 comments (clear)

  1. Act of war. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Wasn't this exactly what the USA declared to be considered an act of war, that would justify retaliation with conventional weapons?

    1. Re:Act of war. by NoKaOi · · Score: 5, Informative

      Wasn't this exactly what the USA declared to be considered an act of war, that would justify retaliation with conventional weapons?

      And the people with political power are the ones who stand to get even richer if it does start another war (digital or conventional). They don't care who else dies or if the economy as a whole goes down the shitter as long as they make money. The US's defense budget is HUGE, how much of that goes to private contracts? In 2011, $374 billion went to private contracts, 15 times greater than any other US federal agency.

    2. Re:Act of war. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Wasn't this exactly what the USA declared to be considered an act of war, that would justify retaliation with conventional weapons?

      Exactly, all members of the NSA are guilty of high treason. Think about it, over the last several decades they have worked quietly behind the scenes to deliberately weaken all encryption algorithms and computer/electronic security.

      Every time a hospital or the electrical grid gets hacked and taken out of service, every time a rival hacks in and steals classified information from a government computer or trade secrets from a corporate one, every time someone's identity gets stolen, every time someone's computer gets infected by a virus, the NSA directly contributed to the ease by which this was done. That is IMHO directly supplying aid and comfort to enemies of the people.

  2. Re:Business is business by khasim · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's reasonable to expect every intelligence agency to spy on anyone they can.

    Why is that "reasonable"? Shouldn't they be focusing their resources of groups/nations that present some threat to us?

    Business IS business, and trusting anyone, even "allies" (whatever that means) can be childish especially if they are penetrated by enemy operatives.

    Except that this hurts US businesses because now there will be more incentive for other nations (even friendly nations) to use something other than our products.

    Not to mention that "penetrated by enemy operatives" sounds more like a movie synopsis rather than a rational approach to international diplomacy.

  3. These are the spasms before the end of empire by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The US is choosing the path of aggression instead of the path
    of civilized behavior.

    This is a strategy designed by fools. If the fools responsible were the
    only ones who would pay for their crimes that wouldn't be so bad.

    But every American will pay for what a tiny minority of American swine have done.

    By the way, before you start in with your xenophobic redneck moron responses, I AM an American,
    and I see what is coming and I do not like it one bit. When the rest of the world has had enough
    of the US overstepping its bounds, all the US military power won't make a bit of difference.
    Economic sanctions alone can and will bring the US to its knees. If you don't believe this is
    possible, you need to read more history.

    .

    1. Re:These are the spasms before the end of empire by Thor+Ablestar · · Score: 5, Insightful

      As a Russian citizen I doubt. You know, the strength of US Dollar is based on the fact that it's the only currency exchangeable to petroleum, and every country that uses any other currency for this purpose becomes democratic. (Saddam sold oil for Euros, and his country became democratic, Lybia sold oil for Euros and became democratic too, Iran sold oil for gold and will surely become democratic immediately after Syria).

      And I fear that China will become democratic too.

  4. Re:Belgium is a NATO member by Angeret · · Score: 5, Informative

    Didn't stop them from scaring seven shades of shit out of the Russians before, during and after WWII though.

  5. Re:Belgium is a NATO member by larry+bagina · · Score: 5, Informative

    You are aware that the Director of the NSA is Keith Alexander, an active duty 4-star general in the US Army, right? If you look at the previous NSA Directors, you'll probably notice a curious pattern.

    --
    Do you even lift?

    These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.

  6. don't be grandiose by rewindustry · · Score: 5, Insightful

    these people are not warriors - they are parasites, and should be treated as such.

    it's simply criminal, they should go to jail, like all the rest.

  7. Re:Belgium is a NATO member by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    New Yorkers do that to people all the time.

  8. Re:Belgium is a NATO member by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    If you look at the previous NSA Directors, you'll probably notice a curious pattern.

    They're all white men?

  9. Tell that to Gary McKinnon by Alain+Williams · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The USA pursued Gary McKinnon for a decade for cracking some USA military and NASA computers, mainly those where incompetent sysadmins had not changed default passwords. What Gary McKinnon was wrong; but this is also wrong and worse by an order of magnitude.

    Do we assume that the USA gov't will hand over those responsible as it wanted the UK to hand over Gary McKinnon ? I would eat all of my hats if the USA gov't even talked about the possibility.

  10. Re:The U.S. government is EXTREMELY corrupt. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The response of SOME U.S. citizens is to make foolish jokes.
    --there, fixed for you
    Regrettably, I cannot fix your bigotry.

    A large percentage of U.S. citizens are glad that the Guardian published the information that Snowden took. While he broke the rules, the news media has a responsibility to publish these documents to highlight any improprieties and illegalities going on in the U.S. Federal Government. That's what the news media did with "Watergate" and the Ellsburg Paper. It resulted in the resignation of POTUS Richard M. Nixon. There is no reason for these documents to be withheld now. Regrettably, the U.S. news media did not take the lead in this particular story or other stories during the current regime.

  11. Re:The U.S. government is EXTREMELY corrupt. by jjp9999 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I enjoyed the response of Europeans a lot more when they learned their governments were doing the exact same thing. Americans care about this stuff. When people in other countries learn their governments do the exact same things, they try to excuse it then turn the conversation back to America.

  12. Re:The U.S. government is EXTREMELY corrupt. by The+Grim+Reefer · · Score: 5, Interesting

    That's what the news media did with "Watergate" and the Ellsburg Paper. It resulted in the resignation of POTUS Richard M. Nixon.

    I've thought about that a lot lately. I remember how the country was at a standstill during that time. I wonder if Watergate would even merit being published currently, let alone force a resignation.

  13. Re:Belgium is a NATO member by davester666 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I didn't think the NSA considers US citizens as "allies". More like "terrorists with no known links to proven terrorists".

    --
    Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!