Spy Agencies Are Intentionally Destroying Digital Security
Top computer and internet experts say that NSA spying breaks the functionality of our computers and of the Internet [10]. It reduces functionality and reduces security by – for example – creating backdoors that malicious hackers can get through [10].
Remember, American and British spy agencies have intentionally weakened security for many decades [11]. And it’s getting worse and worse. For example, they plan to use automated programs to infect millions of computers [12].
Smart Phones Vulnerable to Spying
We documented [13] in 2013 that smart phones are very vulnerable to spying:
The government is spying on you through your phone … and may even remotely turn on your camera and microphone when your phone is off [14].
As one example, the NSA has inserted its code into Android’s operating system … bugging three-quarters of the world’s smartphones [15]. Google – or the NSA – can remotely turn on your phone’s camera and recorder [16] at any time.
Moreover, Google knows just about every WiFi password in the world [17] … and so the NSA does as well, since it spies so widely on Google.
But it’s not just the Android. In reality, the NSA can spy on just about everyone’s [18] smart phone.
Cell towers track where your phone is [19] at any moment, and the major cell carriers, including Verizon and AT&T, responded to at least 1.3 million law enforcement requests [20] for cell phone locations and other data in 2011. (And – given that your smartphone routinely sends your location information [21] back to Apple or Google – it would be child’s play for the government to track your location that way.) Your iPhone [22], or other brand of smartphone [23] is spying on virtually everything you do [24] (ProPublica notes: “That’s No Phone. That’s My Tracker [19]“). Remember, that might be happening even when your phone is turned off [25].
The NSA has gathered all of that cellphone location information [26].
“Encryption Doesn’t Matter In a World Where Anyone Can Plant Software On Your Phone and See What You’re Seeing”
John McAfee invented commercial antivirus software. He may be a controversial and eccentric figure … but the man knows his technology.
Earlier this month, McAfee told security expert Paul Asadoorian that encryption is dead. Specifically, he said:
- Every city in the country has 1 to 3 Stingray spy devices … Bigger cities like New York probably have 200 or 300
- When you buy a Stingray, Harris Corporation makes you sign a contract keeping your Stingray secret (background here [27] and here [28])
- Stingray pushes automatic “updates” – really malicious software – onto your phone as soon as you come into range
- The software – written by the largest software company in the world – allows people to turn on your phone, microphone and camera, and read everything you do and see everything on your screen
- Encryption doesn’t matter in a world where anyone can plant software on your phone and see what you’re seeing. Protecting transmission of information from one device to the other doesn’t matter anymore … they can see what you see on your device
- There are many intrusions other than Stingray. For example, everyone has a mobile phone or mobile device which has at least 10 apps which have permission to access camera and microphone
- Bank of America’s online banking app requires you to accept microphones and cameras. McAfee called Bank of America and asked why they require microphones and cameras. They replied that – if you emptied all of the money in your account and said “it wasn’t me”, they could check, and then say:
Well, it certainly looks like you. And it certainly sounds like you.
- In order to do that, B of A’s app keeps your microphone and camera on for a half hour after you’ve finished your banking
- In addition, people can call you – and have you call them back – and plant software on your phone when you call them back