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The NSA Uses the Same Chat Protocol As Hackers
rossgneumann writes NSA documents obtained by Edward Snowden and reported on by Der Spiegel on Sunday reveal that the agency communicates internally with Jabber, an open source messaging service used by hackers and activists trying to skirt the NSA's internet surveillance dragnet. A document outlining the NSA's Scarletfever program—a "message driven cryptologic exploitation service" designed as part of the larger Longhaul initiative, a program that collects data and finds ways to break its encryption—contains a curious point buried near the end: "Jabber Chat Room: TBD."
Whatsapp is a jabber client as well. I fail to see why this is surprising connection. Seems more like click bait.
The force that blew the Big Bang continues to accelerate.
They probably use the same email system hackers do!
NSA employees enjoy the same daily disturbing bodily functions as hackers; they poop...
Yup. The difference is the internal NSA's systems are air-gapped so those sons-of-bitches at the GCHQ can't listen in.
Well, it's not like they're gonna use Windows and be pwned by third-graders, is it?
Both the NSA and Hackers are using Keyboards to input data into computers.
Seriously, Jabber/XMPP are well known standards for implementing internet messaging.
This whole article smells like misinformation to work the media up into a frenzy. I don't see how these revelations can accomplish anything positive.
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
“Shocking revelations have come out today that the NSA is using the same kind of computers and Internet technologies as hackers, criminals and even paedophiles! The NSA are known to use PCs and operating systems such as Microsoft Windows - a paeophiles favourite - and even Linux - beloved by hackers. The NSA even has spent money on making Linux more secure, which may help thwart law enforcement from investigating computers used by criminals. Further reports suggest the NSA also regularly use TCP in a variety of ways. TCP is known to be heavily deployed by many criminals worldwide. We contacted the NSA and asked them to comment, but their spokesperson responded only with a sneering "Oh for fucks sake" before hanging up the phone.”
I use Friend/Foe + mod-point modifiers as a karma/reputation system.
And slashdot has sunk to new lows in terms of article quality.
And despite that, I bet they still haven't reached their full downward potential.