American spy program uses Thai servers

[webfact]

American spy program uses Thai servers
By Coconuts Bangkok



MOSCOW: -- The American National Security Agency uses computer servers in Thailand to help run a massive collection of information about internet users, and to store and analyze the data.

Revelations about operation XKeyscore came Thursday from Edward Snowden, America's most-wanted fugitive. Russia granted Mr Snowden a one-year amnesty, and he finally left the Moscow airport yesterday.

According to secret information leaked by Mr Snowden through The Guardian newspaper, XKeyscore is a massive programme that sweeps up email, social media activity and all browsing history.

The data, according to NSA slides detailing the program, is analyzed, sifted and stored on servers around the world

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2013/08/02/american-spy-program-uses-thai-servers


-- Coconuts Bangkok 2013-08-02

[wealth]

here's the full scoop of Xkeyscore https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/743244-xkeyscore-slidedeck.html being declassified in 2032/01/08 and was distributed in 2007 to the five eyes USA, AUS, CAN, GBR and NZL.

Keith Alexander (NSA Chief) got caught lying again. After he appeared in public talking about two programs and only two - Prism and Tempora - the existence of this was revealed almost simultaneously.

Edited August 2, 2013 by wealth

[harrry]

here's the full scoop of Xkeyscore https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/743244-xkeyscore-slidedeck.html being declassified in 2032/01/08 and was distributed in 2007 to the five eyes USA, AUS, CAN, GBR and NZL.

Did anyone notice all the sites in Antarctica which I thought was supposed to be a demilitarised zone.

[lomatopo]

There is a lot of interesting detail in that Xkeyscore Powerpoint, and that's from five years ago (2008).

"Show me all VPN start-ups in Country X, and give me the data so I can decrypt and discover the users"

"Sometimes a delicate balance of mission and research" (no mention of privacy of course)

With over 4 million people in the U.S. with top-secret security clearance, 500,000 of whom are private contractors, many of whom have been vetted by private contractors, you can bet there will be a lot more leaks and mis-use of intelligence gathering apparatus, in the future unless an example is made of Mr. Snowden, i.e. terminating his life.

[gosompoi]

There is a lot of interesting detail in that Xkeyscore Powerpoint, and that's from five years ago (2008).

"Show me all VPN start-ups in Country X, and give me the data so I can decrypt and discover the users"

"Sometimes a delicate balance of mission and research" (no mention of privacy of course)

With over 4 million people in the U.S. with top-secret security clearance, 500,000 of whom are private contractors, many of whom have been vetted by private contractors, you can bet there will be a lot more leaks and mis-use of intelligence gathering apparatus, in the future unless an example is made of Mr. Snowden, i.e. terminating his life.

I had top-secret clearance in America, there are many different levels. Some take just signing a piece of paper and making a promise and others require interviews of family and persons of contact back to high school. Being a subcontractor, Snowden's level would have required nothing more plan a signing a promise and electronic criminal background check.

[cloudhopper]

Sorry Mr President but the ability of the state to retrieve every email, phone call, skype session and all the data I have ever sent or received via the internet or telephone at will is NOT a "modest" reduction in my privacy.

The Obama/Biden regime is just as corrupt as the Bush/Chaney regime and all before them that do the bidding of the military industrial complex.

[Credo]

First of all Obama/Biden are not as corrupt as their predecessors. They are simply traveling down a road that was paved for them by the previous administration.

Second, that information is out there and will remain out there. Did anybody really think that nobody would ever have access to it?

[wealth]

the five eyes representing New Zealand, Australia, England (UK), USA and Canada are not spied on and they share the informations from all other nations. Could say more about that, but that comes later.

There'll be lots more to come and hope Ed Snowden releases all industrial espionage activities as well. What we have gotten so far are just "ordinary events".

We also need to expose any other nations and spies.

[SinglePot]

According to wiki there are around 2.8 billion people in the world who use the Internet.

Me, SinglePot, is just one of those 2.8 billion.

I am not important.

Xkeyscore has no relevance to me and places no imposition on my life.

If it helps prevent terrorism, I am in favour.

What's all the drama about?

[Jingthing]

The drama is about drumming up anti-Americanism most likely.

[lowushatin]

probably at the embassy.

[SinglePot]

Let me tell you about insecurity and world domination Mr wealth.

When I lived and worked in Beijing I lived in constant fear of being visited by the Chinese Communist Party.

I have no fear in Thailand or the good old United Kingdom or the US of A.

[klauskunkel]

...ahhhh, that's why the internet connections are so crappy here!

[lomatopo]

probably at the embassy.

Nope. They're fully integrated into the NIXes and IIG in Bangrak, Nonthaburi and few other modest public server farms.

[connda]

The communication lines into the US Embassy in Bangkok probably make a huge sucking sound...sort of like a Hoover vacuum cleaner.

/sarc off

Edited August 2, 2013 by connda

[lomatopo]

I did not think the US was good at satire until I saw this.

Aaron Sorkin can get a bit schmaltzy, often.

The communication lines into the US Embassy in Bangkok probably make a huge sucking sound...sort of like a Hoover vacuum cleaner.

Probably no one at the Embassy is (likely) even aware of what is being done. "Plausible deniablility" and all that.

Plausible deniability is a term coined by the CIA during the Kennedy administration to describe the withholding of information from senior officials in order to protect them from repercussions in the event that illegal or unpopular activities by the CIA became public knowledge.

Edited August 2, 2013 by lomatopo

[IMA_FARANG]

There is a lot of interesting detail in that Xkeyscore Powerpoint, and that's from five years ago (2008).

"Show me all VPN start-ups in Country X, and give me the data so I can decrypt and discover the users"

"Sometimes a delicate balance of mission and research" (no mention of privacy of course)

With over 4 million people in the U.S. with top-secret security clearance, 500,000 of whom are private contractors, many of whom have been vetted by private contractors, you can bet there will be a lot more leaks and mis-use of intelligence gathering apparatus, in the future unless an example is made of Mr. Snowden, i.e. terminating his life.

I had top-secret clearance in America, there are many different levels. Some take just signing a piece of paper and making a promise and others require interviews of family and persons of contact back to high school. Being a subcontractor, Snowden's level would have required nothing more plan a signing a promise and electronic criminal background check.

------------------

Not necessarily true.

First of all their is a classification that allows access to SECRET material ONLY and a different classification that allows access to TOP SECRET material.

They have different levels of verification required and background checks.

On top of that there is another check required for those who have SI access ,,,, SI standing for Special Intelligence.

Snowdon would probably be have been at least a SI SECRET level clearance .... and that would have definitely required a background check at the very least.

I've had both a Secret and a Top Secret clearance at times .... depending on my job.

And those were both as a civilian contractor working for the U.S. government.

Just because you may only sign a form , please don't believe they don't do at least a records check and a background investigation if they think it required.

It's just that civilian contractors and military are cleared through different agencies.

I never needed an SI clearance, because I was never involved in that business.

Also, though I don't know the details, I know that the NSA and the CIA do their own separate clearances in addition to the normal military or contractor clearances.

So Snowdon, as a NSA contractor was definitely subject to some other clearance checks, or he wouldn't have been in that job.

Booz Allen probably was agent handling that matter (for which they had to pay the government if there was a background check required.}

[IMA_FARANG]

There is a lot of interesting detail in that Xkeyscore Powerpoint, and that's from five years ago (2008).

"Show me all VPN start-ups in Country X, and give me the data so I can decrypt and discover the users"

"Sometimes a delicate balance of mission and research" (no mention of privacy of course)

With over 4 million people in the U.S. with top-secret security clearance, 500,000 of whom are private contractors, many of whom have been vetted by private contractors, you can bet there will be a lot more leaks and mis-use of intelligence gathering apparatus, in the future unless an example is made of Mr. Snowden, i.e. terminating his life.

I had top-secret clearance in America, there are many different levels. Some take just signing a piece of paper and making a promise and others require interviews of family and persons of contact back to high school. Being a subcontractor, Snowden's level would have required nothing more plan a signing a promise and electronic criminal background check.

------------------

Not necessarily true.

First of all their is a classification that allows access to SECRET material ONLY and a different classification that allows access to TOP SECRET material.

They have different levels of verification required and background checks.

On top of that there is another check required for those who have SI access ,,,, SI standing for Special Intelligence.

Snowdon would probably be have been at least a SI SECRET level clearance .... and that would have definitely required a background check at the very least.

I've had both a Secret and a Top Secret clearance at times .... depending on my job.

And those were both as a civilian contractor working for the U.S. government.

Just because you may only sign a form , please don't believe they don't do at least a records check and a background investigation if they think it required.

It's just that civilian contractors and military are cleared through different agencies.

I never needed an SI clearance, because I was never involved in that business.

Also, though I don't know the details, I know that the NSA and the CIA do their own separate clearances in addition to the normal military or contractor clearances.

So Snowdon, as a NSA contractor was definitely subject to some other clearance checks, or he wouldn't have been in that job.

Booz Allen probably was agent handling that matter (for which they had to pay the government if there was a background check required.}

[SinglePot]

Let me tell you about insecurity and world domination Mr wealth.

When I lived and worked in Beijing I lived in constant fear of being visited by the Chinese Communist Party.

I have no fear in Thailand or the good old United Kingdom or the US of A.

are you aware that Mao was installed by the elite? David Rockefeller called it a huge success after 70 million people were starved to death or killed by other means?

Ask yourself, on what is the feeling of your "security" based on?

For the benefit of the expert on Chinese history the answer is simple.

In Thailand, the UK or the USA I can say whatever the hell I like on the Internet without any fear.

In China, I can't.

[Publicus]

Let me tell you about insecurity and world domination Mr wealth.

When I lived and worked in Beijing I lived in constant fear of being visited by the Chinese Communist Party.

I have no fear in Thailand or the good old United Kingdom or the US of A.

are you aware that Mao was installed by the elite? David Rockefeller called it a huge success after 70 million people were starved to death or killed by other means?

Ask yourself, on what is the feeling of your "security" based on?

Sanity.

[cloudhopper]

According to wiki there are around 2.8 billion people in the world who use the Internet.

Me, SinglePot, is just one of those 2.8 billion.

I am not important.

Xkeyscore has no relevance to me and places no imposition on my life.

If it helps prevent terrorism, I am in favour.

What's all the drama about?

Perhaps. But regimes change, and it's far from impossible that your financial, purchasing and health history, sexual orientation, substance use, religious practices and political views, even decades previous, suddenly become a matter of great interest to the state, should the definition of 'terrorism' be re-interpreted (by a Berkely law prof, say). It will always be there for them, just a few keystrokes away.

[cloudhopper]

In Thailand, the UK or the USA I can say whatever the hell I like on the Internet without any fear.

[moonseeker]

This can be very useful as shown in the story as follows.

An old Muslim from Naratiwat lives already more than 40 years in Chicago. He would like to plant some potatoes in his garden. His son is studying in London. So he writes an e-mail to his son:

Dear Ahmed,

it's sad. Now I'm too old to plant some potatos in our garden by myself. I'm sure if you would be here you would support me and dig over our garden.

I love you.

Your daddy

The son answers immediately:

Dear dad,

please don't do anything in your garden. There I've stashed "the thing".

I love you, too.

Ahmed

Only 6 hours later people of the US army, the FBI and the CIA surround the house of the old man.and started digging up each square metre with the result that they couldn't find "the thing" - and frustatedly left the old man's home.

In the late evening the old man received another e-mail from his son

Dear daddy,

almost surely your garden will be digged up completely. Now you can plant your patatoes. Sorry, it was only way I could help you from far away.

I love you.

Ahmed

You made my day........Great.....

[lomatopo]

Dead Among Those Interviewed in Faulty Background Checks

By Chris Strohm & Nick Taborek - 2013-07-08T17:01:08Z

Anthony J. Domico, a former contractor hired to check the backgrounds of U.S. government workers, filed a 2006 report with the results of an investigation.

There was just one snag: A person he claimed to have interviewed had been dead for more than a decade. Domico, who had worked for contractors CACI International Inc. (CACI) and Systems Application & Technologies Inc., found himself the subject of a federal probe.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-08/dead-among-those-interviewed-in-faulty-background-checks.html

Dozens of Security Clearance Reports Falsified

Office of Personnel Management IG Investigates Top Contractor

By Eric Chabrow, June 24, 2013.

Dozens of Security Clearance Reports Falsified

The federal government has identified dozens of cases of alleged falsification of reports submitted by investigators examining individuals being considered for security clearances.

In testimony at a Senate hearing June 20, the inspector general of the Office of Personnel Management said there are 20 cases in which investigators - federal employees and contractors - were either found guilty or were about to plead guilty to falsifying security clearance reports. The office also is investigating dozens more cases, he said.

http://www.bankinfosecurity.com/dozens-security-clearance-reports-falsified-a-5853/op-1

[Netizen]

First of all Obama/Biden are not as corrupt as their predecessors. They are simply traveling down a road that was paved for them by the previous administration.

Second, that information is out there and will remain out there. Did anybody really think that nobody would ever have access to it?

I argue that Obama and Biden are more corrupt than their predecessors because they did nothing despite their knowledge and their political beliefs.

Obama has shown himself to be a deceitful person with no morals. He is an egotist whose every action serves himself.

[slipperylobster]

There are quite a number of people in just about any country that can access your computer and gather information. Probably most people who buy a computer in this part of the world have a pirated copy of Windows, complete with hidden subroutines to :phone home. I am sure the ISP's here in Thailand are already providing any information regarding your internet history to the police, when asked to do so. Sniffing software is free, and with very little training, packets of data can be snatched and read by a "man in the middle". I wrote a simple keylogging program that would snatch an id and password, mail it to me, and then delete itself. (for personal use only). Realizing that there never has been anything private concerning the internet, this news is kind of dull.

[SinglePot]

According to wiki there are around 2.8 billion people in the world who use the Internet.

Me, SinglePot, is just one of those 2.8 billion.

I am not important.

Xkeyscore has no relevance to me and places no imposition on my life.

If it helps prevent terrorism, I am in favour.

What's all the drama about?

Perhaps. But regimes change, and it's far from impossible that your financial, purchasing and health history, sexual orientation, substance use, religious practices and political views, even decades previous, suddenly become a matter of great interest to the state, should the definition of 'terrorism' be re-interpreted (by a Berkely law prof, say). It will always be there for them, just a few keystrokes away.

So me and 2.8 billion other Internet users are right in the sh** aren't we.

I'll take my chances outside of China.

[wealth]

I did not think the US was good at satire until I saw this.

Aaron Sorkin can get a bit schmaltzy, often.

The communication lines into the US Embassy in Bangkok probably make a huge sucking sound...sort of like a Hoover vacuum cleaner.

Probably no one at the Embassy is (likely) even aware of what is being done. "Plausible deniablility" and all that.

Plausible deniability is a term coined by the CIA during the Kennedy administration to describe the withholding of information from senior officials in order to protect them from repercussions in the event that illegal or unpopular activities by the CIA became public knowledge.

plausible deniability was created under the biggest scam long before the CIA existed. I must admit that this agency has refined it a lot since then. You can download the document at freedompool.org or ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKXspt459LE 27:35 or download it here http://www.scribd.com/doc/114702104/Edward-Mandell-House it's in the last paragraph

[MobileContent]

Let me tell you about insecurity and world domination Mr wealth.

When I lived and worked in Beijing I lived in constant fear of being visited by the Chinese Communist Party.

I have no fear in Thailand or the good old United Kingdom or the US of A.

I worked two years in Beijing and Shanghai but didn't feared once the communists in China. The same for Laos and Vietnam. It all comes to the point in what business you are in.

[cloudhopper]

Realizing that there never has been anything private concerning the internet, this news is kind of dull.

Yes I imagine it would be for someone with those skills. Just curious - how long have you known now that all internet and telecommunications data have been intercepted and stored by the state for future retrieval? It's certainly news to me.