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NSA: Others Implicated in Making Snowden Data Leaks Possible
NBC News reports that "A civilian NSA employee recently resigned after being stripped of his security clearance for allowing former agency contractor Edward Snowden to use his personal log-in credentials to access classified information, according to an agency memo obtained by NBC News. In addition, an active duty member of the U.S. military and a contractor have been barred from accessing National Security Agency facilities after they were 'implicated' in actions that may have aided Snowden, the memo states. Their status is now being reviewed by their employers, the memo says." You can read the memo for yourself.
It has been obvious to me for a while that Snowden did not act alone, and that he probably represents a surface manifestation of deep divisions within the intelligence community.
I can easily imagine a situation where he calls up someone with access to classified info, and says something like, "this is Snowden from IT; we're having problems restoring the backup of your encrypted data files on such-and-such server; can you loan me your login information so we can properly validate the checksums? You can change your password right afterward."
“At Snowden’s request,” the civilian NSA employee, who is not identified by name, entered his password onto Snowden’s computer terminal, the memo states.
“Unbeknownst to the civilian, Mr. Snowden was able to capture the password, allowing him even greater access to classified information,” the memo states.
Snowden lied to the other employee in order to steal classified information.
It's not vindictiveness -- it's procedure. Anyone with a TS-SCI clearance gets the "we'll ruin your life if you screw up" speech when they accept the status. And, given how often you're required to review training on how not to screw up, these people have zero room to complain about any proverbial ton of bricks.
I guarantee you Snowden really did no "social hacking" at all.
If you have EVER been someone who solves people's computer problems (sysadmin, DT support, phone support, etc.) you know that LOTS of people will just flat out tell you their passwords when they contact you. They'll put their passwords on post-its, in e-mails, even in the trouble ticket itself. Or they'll just tell you on the phone or in person. No matter how you try to tell them "I don't want or need that information" they still do it. Upper management and C-levels are the worst about doing this, and their accounts can usually access anything in the organization.
Hell, I don't even do support any more, but people still leave me notes or tell me their passwords if they want me to help them with something IT won't do.
HSPD-12 says that since 2006, they are REQUIRED (**SHALL**) to use them.
Doesn't mean they do. Just sayin'.
These are my friends, See how they glisten. See this one shine, how he smiles in the light.
My immediate thought was: They fire, Investigate and prosecute everyone involved except those in power that systematically broke our laws on a massive scale and violated our constitution. If ever there was an example of how far we have sunk into a corporate fascist dictatorship hiding behind words like "freedom", "democracy", then this must be it.
Yes it is. The people looking up their girlfriends info and obviously violating FISA warrants don't get fired. The ones sending information to the FBI with "don't tell anybody we are doing this and make sure to claim your "investigation" started with some other evidence don't get fired.
Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
unless every single LOVEINT target was not a US citizen, the law was broken [as the NSA isn't permitted by law to spy on US citizens]
and a FISA judge [he should know] said the NSA violated his warrant for YEARS.
How more illegal do you need to get?
Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!