As NSA Pairs With Banks To "Fight Hackers", Will It Also Gain Access To Every American's Financial Secrets?
Just because there was not enough encroachment by the government into virtually every corner of private life, here is another "collaboration" that will further enmesh big brother into every aspect of private life, in this case private financial life, because as the WaPo reports, "major U.S. banks have turned to the National Security Agency for help protecting their computer systems after a barrage of assaults that have disrupted their Web sites, according to industry officials. The attacks on the sites, which started about a year ago but intensified in September, have grown increasingly sophisticated, officials said. The NSA, the world’s largest electronic spying agency, has been asked to provide technical assistance to help banks further assess their systems and to better understand the attackers’ tactics."
And while we salute the great diversionary pretext that "Iranian hackers" pose a greater risk to the stability of the US financial system than, say, the ongoing monetization of US debt at a pace of $85 billion per month, which has made the Fed's DV01 rise to a mindboggling $2.75 billion, or idiot pundits who claim all American problems can be resolved with one coin, we can't help but wonder what happens when the most intrusive of US spy agencies, one which as reported last year is free "to intercept, decipher, analyze, and store" virtually every electronic communication in the entire world, now has full explicit access to all bank data, and, incidentally, every American's financial snapshot at any given moment?
More on the official spin:
The cooperation between the NSA and banks, industry officials say, underscores the government’s fears about the unprecedented assault against the financial sector and is part of a broader effort by the government to work with U.S. firms on cybersecurity. Nonetheless, the assistance is likely to dismay privacy advocates, who say that the NSA has no business peering inside private companies’ systems, even if for the strict purpose of improving computer security.
U.S. intelligence officials said last year they believe the attacks against the banks and other companies have been carried out by Iran, although some experts have cautioned that it is difficult to accurately determine who is behind them.
The banks whose Web sites have been disrupted include Bank of America, PNC Bank, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, HSBC and SunTrust. In recent weeks, attackers have targeted up to seven banks a day, but only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
So Monday and Friday are holy days for Iranian hackers we take it?
It appears that the private anti-hacker sector is completely powerless to withstand this massive onslaught of millions of Iranian hackers hell bent on seeing just how much money the average American has in their Bank of America online account page:
The banks whose Web sites have been disrupted include Bank of America, PNC Bank, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, HSBC and SunTrust. In recent weeks, attackers have targeted up to seven banks a day, but only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Enter the NSA, which has generously agreed to provide its expertise in learning all there is to know about everyone's finances thwarting evil Iranian hacks.
The government’s willingness to engage “is emblematic of how these cyber-related risks are evolving,” the bank official said. “Agencies like the NSA have tremendous expertise for very sophisticated types of information-security programs.”
In general, it can provide assistance to private-sector companies when their systems are seen as critical to national security, said Richard George, a former computer security official at the NSA. The request must come from a government agency, such as the Treasury Department or the Department of Homeland Security, that has authority to work with the company.
But don't worry - the NSA is with the government, and it is here to help:
“The dual mission of the NSA, to promote security and to pursue surveillance, creates an intractable privacy problem,” said Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center.
Former NSA officials say privacy concerns are overblown and note that requests for NSA assistance are denied when there is no national security interest at stake. George said that, over the past decade, the agency has aided about 10 companies a year after their networks were compromised.
“If NSA is involved [with the banks], it’s because they would love to see what’s happening on the victim’s side,” a second former defense official said. “There’s probably more for the government to learn than to give.”
In conclusion:
The NSA declined to comment for this article beyond a statement saying that the agency provides assistance “in full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.”
Enlighten us, please, which applicable laws and regulations are these? The same ones that give the government the right to detain citizens indefinitely. Or the one granting it the right to spy and monitor all Americans' emails and calls without a warrant? Because we are confused.
(24 votes)
- advertisements -
»
- 19913 reads
- Printer-friendly version
- Send to friend
Similar Articles You Might Enjoy:
- Guest Post: Analysis of the Global Insurrection Against Neo-Liberal Economic Domination and the Coming American Rebellion
- What Part Of Bernanke's Secret FCIC Interview Constitutes A Disclosure Of National Secrets?
- H. Rodgin Cohen's (Failed?) Quest To Backstop Every Bank... Ever (And Usurp Geithner's Throne)
- Guest Post: Extend And Pretend Is Wall Street's Friend
- Why Was Paulson's June 2008 Meeting With Goldman's Board Purposefully Kept Secret By The Treasury?
Big Brother strikes again.
Crash & Burn bitchez!... [some will understand the reference]...
time for a blue pill and victory gin chaser. this round's on me, boys!
Down with Emmanuel Goldstein!
Iranian hacker pose a greater risk to the stability of the US financial system..
Let me correct it. American bankers pose a greater risk to the stability of the US financial system...
The Feral Gubmint poses the greatist risk to the US financial system. The bankers could not be doing what they are doing without the legal constructs set in place by the Feral Gubmint.
"The Feral Gubmint"
I see what you did there.....
Globally there have ben over 120,000 arrests from the use of post 9/11 anti-terror laws resulting in 35,000 convictions.
Mostly for peaceful demonstration BTW.
Does anyone truly believe that the NSA won't violate your personal privacy?
Does anyone still believe that Bernanke's QE does not amount to printing money?
http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x948303724/AP-35-000-worldwide-co...
Anybody else notice that a prominent activist and coder (and alleged hacker) Aaron Swartz, was found hanged in is apartment?
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/01/aaron-swartz/
+1 The subterfuge is thick..
The NSA, the world’s largest electronic spying agency ...
... that couldn't even detect 19 arabs with boxcutters planning to hijack 3 commercial airliners.
Exactly!!
"In recent weeks, attackers have targeted up to seven banks a day, but only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays."
I'm all for three day work weeks, mainly because a partime job is all I could get. Fight Club, bitchez.
Regardless of the circumstances surrounding his death we lost one of the best and brightest 'good guys' last Friday.
He will be dearly missed.
The NSA, the world’s largest electronic spying agency, has been asked to provide technical assistance to help banks further assess their systems and to better understand the attackers’ tactics."
Translation:
The NSA, the world’s largest electronic spying agency, has been providing technical assistance to help banks further assess their systems and to better understand the attackers’ tactics."
The Fasciat's have been busy little Criminals.
My NSA subcontractor friend assures me at every opportunity that they have massive amounts of training and strict rules prohibiting them from even peeking at a US citizen's information. "One slip and the mistake goes directly to Congress".
When asked why all electronic communications by US citizens are being archived, he begins to mumble and says "just don't go to the 'wrong type' of sites and you have nothing to worry about".
You are being watched. You are being spied upon. You are being photographed and filmed as you drive. Your actions are being archived.
You are being turned into a criminal/felon.
The only unknown is when they will pick you out, and what "crime" you will be nailed to a cross for.
(God damned paranoid fucker I've become)
You're only paranoid if it turns out they're NOT out to get you...... so far the evidence is mounting that 'they' are - unless you are a mindless subservient, unquestioning servant of the state (and even then you can be declared an 'enemy' if it suits some larger 'purpose' defined by the state).
Every siongle person who stood at Lexington and Concord, every person serving the COntinental Cogress would be considered a 'terrorist' - and all the actions taken by the British would be considereed 'lawful and appropriate' in the world we now live in. The concept that government CAN do WRONG and should be held accountable for its actions is now lost.
Paranoia loves company. :)
Yes, they can! :)
The paranoid love to know your companions!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBp-1Br_OEs
Haven't finished watching the whole vid yet, but thanks so far.
I'm thinking that ZH isn't on their white list.
Yes, Buckaroo, I did.
I can't imagine the grief his parents must feel. It's not right to have to bury your child.
But... this is an opportunity for the nominally opposed political fanbois and ragebois of all strikes to learn that we all hang together, or we all hang separately.
First they came for the {Commies, Libtards, Occupiers, Libertards, Paulbots, Teabaggers, Neocons}, but I did nothing, because I was not a...
Very sad. He seems to have been an exceptional person. Exactly the kind of person TPTB hate and fear.
Buckaroo Banzai,
also coincidence ..... John Noveski - prominent gun builder and manufacturer (high quality, very accurate military grade weapons ideal for sniping) was killed in a mysterious car accident, after drawing a link between drugs (psychotropic?) and the Adam Lanza. I heard of another unusual "suicide" or "death", but for the time being my alzheimer's kicked in.
I pledge allegiance to the NSA, and the United Banks of America.
And as for the Public, on which it stands,
Subjugation,
under Skynet,
Invisible,
Providing security and data collection for all...
important high net worth clients.
All this story does for me is confirm that stacking Phyzz is the only way to go.
The infrastructure of fascism is nearly complete.
Who was last seen hiding out in obscure African nations. He appears to be criss crossing the continent; we have him on the run.
Cash and Gold bitchez! And I mean real CA$H and physical gold, personally held. As the article above shows, it is getting harder each day to trust the banks.
Good advice...and fine for semi-prepper semi-retirees like myself. But millions of people are paid by direct deposit linked to credit and debit cards & are trapped...
There's always a choice.
it would be more advantageous and profitable for our insolvent ponzi government to have the NSA help where it is actually needed: THE SEC. But then again, it would defy the self-serving corrupt nature of Washington DC (ie Wall St) to actually have the NSA facilitate the SEC in order to even start to do their work, rather than watch porn all day.
What fucking secrets? They are not even close to bleeding us dry. They will go after "secrets" when it becomes more difficult to fleece the herd.
The socialists and neocons are loving this police state
It's their baby. Problem is they're all suicidal.
You guys are aware that the NSA writes the majority of the backbone and database code for the banks already, right? They've been writing it siince the before mid-90's.
government must obey its master.... the banker cabal.
The Global Criminal Cabal Crime Syndicate. It has a nice ring to it.
Total Complete Full Spectrum Dominance is their goal through Divide and Conquering the masses.
Linking the Criminal Intelligence, Bankster, Governmental, Economic, Political system through PsyOp, , BlackOps, Espionage, Murder, Drug Trade, Blackmail, Racketering, Torture, Illegal Wars, Human/Child Trafficing, Rape all while keeping the Slaves Divided and Conquered.
@ NidStyles
Link? Thx!
Maybe this will help.
National Security Agency Kids Page.
No links, because I have friends that may have worked for some security agency in the past that probably should have not have said the things that I heard while drinking with him in the dorms at his school while he had his particular ident card sitting on the fridge where I put the beers I had brought.
Moar government!!
answer is yes.
But not to bitcoin.
OT
Internet's on fire with another great victory for Inverted Totalitarianism: Aaron Swartz has hanged himself over the government BS case.
http://www.techmeme.com/130112/p11#a130112p11
AKA assisted suicide.
They lie, they cheat, they steal, and they kill.
Perhaps indeed another fake US 'suicide' -
Article specifically charging that the recent death of 26-year-old hacker and Reddit co-founder, Aaron Swartz, already under legal persecution by the US In-'Justice' Department, was a murder, not a self-hanging ... Part of a US programme against the computer dissidents
Piece on an Irish often-bashed 'conspiracy' site, but makes sense ... how many young people would really *choose* a slow death by strangulation hanging, even if they were suicidal?
And now such a murder is *legal* under US law if Obama ordered it
'Obama Regime Orders Computer Genius Aaron Swartz Suicided'
http://www.whatdoesitmean.com/index1646.htm
You're right that many are suicided, but the article you cite is by Sorcha Faal -- a known disinfo agent.
"SORCHA FAAL AKA DAVID BOOTH IS A WELL KNOWN DISINFORMATION AGENT"
http://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/archive.cgi/noframes/read/172209
Aaron was bullied to death by the US gov for possibly liberating some academic papers. He was threatened with as much as 30 years of incarceration - an unreasonable punishment. There was no hacking involved. We lost this brilliant young man because our government is so terrified of that level of intelligence, and of the internet. Please read these:
http://lessig.tumblr.com/post/40347463044/prosecutor-as-bully
http://boingboing.net/2013/01/12/rip-aaron-swartz.html
http://boingboing.net/2013/01/13/expert-witness-describes-aaron.html
Large corporations, of course, are blinded by greed. The laws under which they operate require it — their shareholders would revolt at anything less. And the politicians they have bought off back them, passing laws giving them the exclusive power to decide who can make copies. There is no justice in following unjust laws. It’s time to come into the light and, in the grand tradition of civil disobedience, declare our opposition to this private theft of public culture.
- Aaron Swartz, July 2008, Eremo, Italy
http://sebsauvage.net/paste/?e59d72ee5e477ab6#TJSnuZAod0c4ZZeJZT3GIKqV5w...
. . . but other than that, they're perfectly lovely people!
so I guess the old "shot self 2x in back of head and then jumped from 10th floor" suicide is now being updated to something more believable
They wasted way too much shill time explaining how Vince Foster wiped his fingerprints off his gun after killing himself. The new crew is more "professional".