Some Hackers Unknowingly Gathering Intel For the NSA

itwbennett writes As reported Wednesday by the news website The Intercept, the U.S. National Security Agency and its intelligence partners are sifting through data stolen by state-sponsored and freelance hackers on a regular basis in search of valuable information. A page from an internal wiki used by the intelligence agencies of the U.S., Canada and the U.K, which was last modified in 2012 and was among the files leaked by Edward Snowden reads: "Hackers are stealing the emails of some of our targets... by collecting the hackers' 'take' we 1) get access to the emails ourselves and 2) get insights into who's being hacked."

Comments

The Real Reason...

[TheCastro1689]

For all of these hackers and hacker groups getting arrested by the FBI. The FBI really wants to read Scarlet Johannson's emails not look at her pics.

heck even I do most of that

[raymorris]

I little ole me does most of what TFA describes UK intelligence doing. OF COURSE you pay attention to open sources like Twitter and blogs.

TFA is silly in asserting that the government said Anonymous is a threat "but" their own memo says the threat is small COMPARED TO THE THREAT FROM NATION STATES. Duh, China is a bigger threat than Anonymous. That doesn't mean hacktivists aren't a threat.

Not just unofficial hackers

[gmuslera]

Other world governments that are increasing their internal population surveillance (in some cases, because they suspect NSA intervention in their internal affairs) are also surely giving that collected information to NSA in a silver platter by that same reason.

And now for something completely different...

[Anonymous Coward]

This story reads like a Monty Python movie credit - "Those responsible for hacking the people who have just been hacked have been hacked."

What I want to know is?

[Anonymous Coward]

Why aren't more Americans stepping up and demanding that the government grant Clemency to Snowden?

Snowden did the right thing, and we all benefited from it, so we all owe him a favor.

Re:What I want to know is?

[Anonymous Coward]

As Americans, there are some values we cherish above others, which you Eurotrash with your lack of a Bill of Rights or the fire of the Declaration of Independence, would never understand.

And among those American values that we try to live our lives by, and teach to our childen through constant example, there is only one that we hold higher and more idealistic esteem than cowardice. And that premiere value is apathy. If you care about anything, that's not cool, and so, you aren't cool. And if you care and are willing to speak up about it, that's even not-cooler.

Re:What I want to know is?

[CaptainDork]

That's your opinion .

The American justice system is based upon law -- not opinion.

The Snowden story is unfolding precisely as it should.

The US government has the responsibility to mitigate and litigate leaks. Snowden could have used the whistle-blower route. He says he has good reason for not doing that. Whether he is guilty of treason or other crimes has yet to be determined. Until such time, he is presumed to be innocent.

He's in Russia and they will not give him up. That's Russia's call. Snowden's documents are still being released and that's expected.

--

Clemency is not granted by popular vote. It is granted via due process. Snowden is avoiding due process, and, because he is working within the legal framework of a complicated mixture of US and Russian law, his situation is still legal when judged in his current context. Russia will not extradite, and that's their business. US cannot extract him and that is what it is.

Until America or Russia or Snowden chooses to make a move to change things, the legality of each party is in equilibrium.

Until due process is applied, no one is guilty ... all are innocent.

Public opinions have no legal standing in the matter.

So it is written, so let it be done.

Re:What I want to know is?

[mrchaotica]

Because most of those of us with the courage to post under our own /. ID...

Speak for yourself, fascist!

Snowden did nothing whatsoever to "damage" the USA; the NSA did all the damage itself. Snowden is a hero, period.

That said, the government should not "grant clemency" to Snowden because doing so still implies that he did something wrong and the government is merely being "merciful." Instead, what the government should do is exonerate Snowden and go after the real criminals, i.e., the treasonous fuckwads at the NSA.

Re:What I want to know is?

[mrchaotica]

You assertion that America's signal intelligence organization should be criminally prosecuted for doing what Congress explicitly authorizes, directs, and pays it to do, is precious beyond words. I'm also sure you think that the United States is the only nation on the planet with such an operation.

First, Congress does not have the authority to direct any entity to act unconstitutionally.

Second, by implying that you believe the NSA acted properly, you are conflating the NSA's legal actions against foreigners with its illegal actions against Americans. You are furthermore conflating the NSA's legal collection of military intelligence with its illegal collection of evidence used for law enforcement purposes.

Third, the spying other countries do is entirely irrelevant, both because (unlike the NSA) they are not bound by the Constitution and because nothing they learn about any American is actionable in an American court of law (except to the extent that it's being shared with the US government, which acts on it unconstitutionally). I expect the NSA to protect Americans from foreign espionage, not collude with the foreigners against Americans!

Fourth, the fact that your entire post is an ad-hominem attack is even more "precious beyond words."

Re:What I want to know is?

[steelfood]

The American justice system is based upon law -- not opinion.

That is incorrect. The American justice system is based upon the opinions of judges on the laws written by the legislature with respect to their adherence to the Constitution, the Declaration, other founding documents, British common law, and the founding principles.

That having been said, a case like this would have to reach the justice system first before it could be subject to American justice. And in this situation, just as in say, Assange's situation, there's good reason to believe that these people would never be subject to the American justice system. Instead they would probably be first subject to the American vengance and punitive systems, namely the military and civilian law enforcement. They'd be lucky to face justice alive and mentally and physically whole.

More than likely, Snowden would end up like an American Alan Turing: one who did a great service to his country, only to be driven to an unjust end by its government.

How is this Canada ?

[Crashmarik]

Really

Shouldn't there be an octopus strangling the globe or maybe a man in black icon for this

Re:How is this Canada ?

[RelaxedTension]

Because we're the only country that doesn't have any oversight at all. Who do you think is really in charge of five eyes? It's always the quiet, polite ones that you need to be worried about.

Letters of Marque

[Meditato]

How long until the NSA/FBI/DHS/CIA begin issuing Letters of Marque and Reprisal to hackers and (online) pirates, to do the surveillance dirty work for them?

When you monitor everything...

[turp182]

When you monitor everything, you get everything.

I'd be more interested in what they aren't/can't monitor. As would evil people, but I'm not evil. You can take my word for it...

You mean like trolling PASTEBIN?

[teambpsi]

I'm sure there is a whole set of robot eyes watching for pastebin urls on IRC / Twitter et al