NSA in the Malware Biz?

[big_teee]

More Disturbing news about more privacy infringement from the NSA.
I recieved this from a friend, not sure of all the validity of it, but you can read for yourself.
The NSA is Going to Infect Millions of Computers With Malware Implants | The Daily Sheeple
See what you think and lets discuss it!
T

[Enzo]

I am given no reason to believe it. ANy more than if I visit Fender.com and they deposit a cookie and I should believe they are plotting with the Illuminati to take over all our computers.

I note the web site is all about paranoia, all the stuff is about the coming apocalypse, survival food, gold, self-defense. So I assume any story's germ of truth will be viewed through that filter.

The NSA is collecting dialing patterns, which the averaged unwashed American thinks means they sit there listening as we gripe about work and the girlfriend. So naturally, they want in on all the facebook fluff of cute pet photos and babble about work and boyfriends.

[g1]

While the web site linked does seem to be about paranoia and conspiracy, this story seems to be exploding.
It's more fallout from the Snowden leaks, and is based on what was published in "The Intercept" (who's article has been discounted as "inaccurate" by the NSA ).
More about the same from more mainstream sources:
NSA's plans reportedly involve infecting millions of computers with surveillance malware | PCWorld
NSA posed as Facebook to infect computers with malware, report says - latimes.com
Mark Zuckerberg voices frustration over government surveillance | CTV News

Edit: I'm inclined toward what Enzo mentioned as far as what is actually done with data. How many thousands of people would they need to actually filter through all this stuff? There are also basically camera's everywhere you go. And satellite photo's etc. I know I have pretty much zero privacy as soon as I walk out the door, but who's going to sift through that stuff? Same as skype, how secure is that? If anyone is foolish enough to think I'm worth wasting time "surveiling", well I just don't think there is the money or manpower to watch everybody.

[Leo_Gnardo]

NSA in the malware biz? Sure why not. Looks like CIA's been doing it for a while, considering the latest flap with them snooping Congress. Top CIA dude says "the President made me do it." I've heard better excuses from kindergartners. Who does he think he is, Flip Wilson? "The devil made me do it!" Nitwit deserves a spanking and no dinner, straight to bed sonny, until you learn to behave. And no you can't go out to play with your friends from the DIA, NSA, TSA, BSA, CSA, LSMFT, BBC or BB King. Grounded, you hear me?

Somebody did a malware coup on Iran with that Stuxnet virus. Who? Oh, not uuuuuuuuuussssssssss, couldn't be. We ALWAYS play fair, it's the American way. Must be those wacky Mossad guys. You know they're always up for a good game.

I wouldn't put it past any of 'em. Cop shop in this tiny burg asked for their annual present a couple years ago, and got it: $50,000 in computer gear for "surveillance." That would be a big pile of computers, enough $$ to buy each cop a top-flite system. For all I know they can pop in a Trojan when I visit the municipal website, and track all my yak yak yak with you-all. How boring for them. I'll bet they got their computers' bells set to ring when the donuts are ready at DD! All this time, so far they haven't even caught a cold with all that computo-snoopo-gear, besides it's all so obsolete by now they'll be demanding a half-mil $$$ system in the next budget. Heck we just bought 'em a "Mobile Command Center" without any public notice, except another bump in taxes. An armored paddy-wagon jammed with commo gear, computers, a couple of $1000/ea comfy office chairs and lots and lots and lots of guns. Just what every tiny village can't do without. What. Frickin'. Next. ??? Evabody wants to be a spy. Or Rambo. Or both.

[DrGonz78]

Visible Technologies, FMS and StreamBase are some of the companies that the CIA has invested in to sort through data taken from social networking. It is now obvious that they passed the torch of contacts to the NSA. Basically, my take is that all this information gathering is bogging down the net and it really is a future problem. Sure I don't care if there are entities reading the dumb stuff people post everyday on facebook or twitter. I don't even use that stuff anyhow so why would I care? What I do see as the real problem is that this is part of an operation of intelligence by the government against it's own people. If the government ever wants to shut down the Internet on command like they did in Egypt a while back, this is how they would enable that plan. Of course there is more monetary purposes for futures and trending data to make money in advertising etc. I just don't trust greedy power hungry governmental agendas that do not have "the people's" best interests at heart.

[Enzo]

Interesting how the OP premise instantly turns into monitoring what is on the web being malware infecting our computers. I don;t doubt they watch social media flow and other such, but it is a long step from there to a concerted effort to infect all our computers with something. Like the doomsday prepper who is convinced "the government" is following him and watching his every move as he foes shopping and does his laundry, we become convinced they care about us. What makes any of us think they have a staff with the job of keeping tabs of how much Velveeta we eat?

Hey Joe, drone 17AX5 just reported that Enzo character bought some new socks. I'll notify the boss and dispatch a couple more agents to follow up on that.

[big_teee]

The Malware aspect is what caught my attention.
If they can plant things on the computer or ipad, to track and aid them in their surveilance.
The scary thing is the huge capability of misuse.
It's kind of the Area 51 aspect of computing.
Basically I'm not a parinoid person, but not an overly trusting one either.
T

[Enzo]

How does anything on the internet find your computer or ipad? It has a unique internet address. They don;t need to install any malware on your device to track you, they can just keep track of where it goes and what it does from the system. Like tracking cell phones.

[big_teee]

The Malware would be more like bugging your Phone.
Like the article said they can manipulate your computer with the malware.
Keystroke tracking, turn the mic on and off of your computer.
Monitor your webcam built in to most Pads , laptops, and screen monitors.
Not just track your IP.
It's a high tech world out there.
I don't figure we even have a clue what all could be done, with the proper malware emplanted on your computer.
But, maybe the AV everyone is so proud of will catch it.
T

[Steve A.]

I searched for +nsa +malware and ran across this article from the PC World site with some details on the program (no paranoid hysteria at all! I was very disappointed... )

NSA's plans reportedly involve infecting millions of computers with surveillance malware | PCWorld

Steve

[big_teee]

So much for the need for search warrants.
If they are already logged into your machine.

[Steve A.]

So much for the need for search warrants.
If they are already logged into your machine.

Yeah, we all might as well turn ourselves in and plead for mercy...

[J M Fahey]

They donīt need to add new malware, itīs already built in Windows.

Have you ever read your Registry?

Go ahead, on a sleepless night run "Regedit" and enjoy.

Itīs *all* there, programs you installed (even if late uninstalled), pages you visited, probably all your passwords (encoded), the works.

Tons and tons of data, stored there "for your convenience", although I donīt understand how it can help you while coded and hidden , and in general uneditable.

And your computer communicates "outside", "somewhere", without asking, even when itīs idle .

How come you turn it on and it suggests updates?
Or even installs them without asking?
How does it know?
Even legit visible programs communicate on their own with their Head Office, imagine about hidden ones.

The only "safe" computer is one installed from, say, a CD, never connected to the Net, and where you bring new content with CDs or DVDs recorded on other computers.
And although Iīm quite certain about it happening on Windows, probably all other systems have something similar built in.

[big_teee]

They donīt need to add new malware, itīs already built in Windows.

Have you ever read your Registry?

Go ahead, on a sleepless night run "Regedit" and enjoy.

Itīs *all* there, programs you installed (even if late uninstalled), pages you visited, probably all your passwords (encoded), the works.

Tons and tons of data, stored there "for your convenience", although I donīt understand how it can help you while coded and hidden , and in general uneditable.

And your computer communicates "outside", "somewhere", without asking, even when itīs idle .

How come you turn it on and it suggests updates?
Or even installs them without asking?
How does it know?
Even legit visible programs communicate on their own with their Head Office, imagine about hidden ones.

The only "safe" computer is one installed from, say, a CD, never connected to the Net, and where you bring new content with CDs or DVDs recorded on other computers.
And although Iīm quite certain about it happening on Windows, probably all other systems have something similar built in.

Don't think Linux has all of these things running like windows.
I used to look at the registry on XP, and there were always scads of things running, and being checked.
Our company used to use the registry to fire employees for looking at Porn. lol
On linux, I run stripped down unbloated systems, with the auto updates turned off.
I have also discovered that Linux has free virus scan built in to most distrobutions.
It has to be loaded, and is called ClamAV.
On the Ubuntus you just go to the Ubuntu software manager and load it.
It also has a loadable Gui called clamtk.
Most Distros don't deem it necessary, so it doesn't come preloaded.
Facebook and Twitter seems to be the Weapon of choice to spy on the world, and the place to plant malware.
T