Topic: NSA hid spying software in hard drive firmware - page 2. (Read 6153 times)

that's my fav part, forget everything you saw, it's THE SHOW OF THE SWARM ().

So by giving CIA, NSA etc ultimate powers at least now the world is a safer place right? No terrorists, no wars, no threats, economic stability... I wonder who is going to save us from them.

Stasi is bad! China is spying our companies. North Korea is spying their people. Iran censorships the web. etc...

West democracy is the only way! oh wait....

This is when you start thinking 1984 was a mere fairytale.

this

Plenty of people will become pathologically paranoid from all this. I already curse the NSA when one of my systems runs slow 

US gov + US industry loves the NSA! They have gained huge advantages over the worldwide competitors due to the work of the NSA.

then I don't understand why the "billionaires" of America are allowed to do what they want, they are just tools, probes, or test of exploits ?... nothing to be afraid of? Or have gain a domination over the nsa and are using them like their slaves for their needs?

Never be scared, who is the Greatest? Who can you Trust? don't get fooled again. It's normal to die. Would you have trusted all along or just before the End? What's your relation with your coming crossing to the other side? Do you know yourself? Do you know your fears? Did you took the time to overcome them?

This is very orwellian
Scares the heck out of you when police and spy agencies can target individuals
When non violent peaceful activities get monitored by default that is a threat to all people especially if its in key storage infrastructure.

Recommend the Core Devs get checked as they were on the toplist
•    Companies developing cryptographic technologies

Isn't that similar to J Edgar Hoover and the FBI of yore?  They supposedly had dirt on everyone of consequence back then.  Real easy to turn the power tables.

Everyone seems to just gloss over the fact that the NSA is basically the biggest blackmail machine ever designed. They could easily subvert our government with it, or any other organization for that matter. Take out, discredit, or control those in key positions in any centralized organization, you own the whole.

the incorporation of the FED predates the Incorporation of the NSA, we can only hope for a take over of the FED and affiliates by the NSA and affiliates, for the better, don't forget that the NSA is just a part of the Military Industrial and Intelligence Complex, and as such has seen how systematic the horrors of wars are, stealth (ctrl+p) or plain visible. What ever darkness of man doings seems unstable in it's nature, furthermore exacerbates when the "adversaries" are on the Path.  

interesting quotes :


add marketable digital profiles to use for " targeted ads attacks".    

I don't understand why those holding the triggers, would serve against their interests known liars. Stupidity? A Master Plan, Who Knows . But those who don't, and are on the "tricks" shall be aware, they know. ahaha. What sum of money can erase the blood, sweet and tears of a dying fallen? Guess, pen holders. But I agree the Mastery of the Arts of Wars aren't very "sexy" . who cares, anyway. When the SWARM gravitates inwards, primitive parasitism is restored (on'a entropic lvl  (ΔSBTC$,S)   ), some times, or all ways, who knows...  

The civilian admin occupying the (R)ecless and white house buildins since a little too long is very not conducive for business, to come back to your first point...  

Looks like U.S. goverment lost controll and NSA is now in charge. I am not conspiracy theory fanatic but how to explain all that. Land of the free is becoming land of slaves and drones infecting whole world with their controll freak shit.

IF Bill sold out to others than the US, this would make part of the US foreign policy. Means, the NSA still would have the power to access every computer worldwide.

I doubt that agents would even attempt to make such a deal unless they already had leverage on someone.  The consequences of alerting the target, and causing increased security measures would be too severe.  Leverage could come from allegations or knowledge of corporate or individual income tax evasion, insider trading, or other human foibles such as infidelity.  And agents would not want such an arrangement to be documented in writing.  Alternatively, access to firmware code could be obtained as part of a large government purchase or certification of hardware, and compliance with MILSPECs.

Thank you for this interesting perspectives. It will sound ironic or naïve but I trust more the NSA than the marketers (1 THE NSA CAN "PRINT"). And here is why, the NSA can do infinitely more damages in all aspects to anyone than a "marketer" (because, who is really behind those buying), anyway, However, don't fool the NSA. Snowden, Binner... are few, don't forget they spoke against something that was against their own consciousness, however "exploiting" the nsa, that's another story, that ends more than often very silently... As such when a marketer "exploits" nsa people in their daily civilian lives, I believe it's the duty of those more versed in real combat operation (SF) after consultation with the "exploited" to take the lead and bring the Enemy (foreign or domestic) to his end. Naïve or stupid? Who cares . I see a lot of possibility of exploits (zeroday real life attack, not very clever not to discuss it, it's called hiding) in those marketers... and contrary to nsa agents aren't really aware of what a betrayal (should) implies, once upon a time...

No the NSA does not force this on manufacturers. The manufactures do this because they believe they can get away with spying on their customers and selling the fruits of their spying for profit to marketers. Another very common motivation for manufactures to spy on their customers is DRM and "intellectual property protection". Agencies like the NSA come in much later. They realize the manufactures have valuable data and make a deal with the manufactures for access to that data.  

As for blocking the outgoing traffic yes on can do this but one must take over control of one's network and computing devices. The best way to do this is using Free Software. What actually happens is that one can build a Free Software jail around the propriety software "appliance". This can allow the owner to then use the appliance while blocking or controlling the malicious features in the appliance’s propriety software. It then becomes a battle for control between the owner and the appliance with each one trying to control the other.

Edit1: This process is completely voluntary. The iSheep for example provide data to Apple on a voluntary (they clicked I agreee on Apple's EULA) basis. Apple also provides the data to the NSA on a voluntary basis to the NSA via the PRISM program. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PRISM_%28surveillance_program%29. This is why many libertarians simply do not understand the real nature of the threat.

Edit2:

Bill Gates did not just sell out to the United States. He also sold out to China and Russia among others. Ever wonder where all that Chinese hacking of Windows that has been traced back to the PLA came from? It is hardly surprising that Microsoft Windows has become such a cesspool of malware.

And people thought I was being "too paranoid" when I created a QR code system for doing offline Bitcoin tx signing (whereas Armory still uses a USB stick).

Yep...

+1

Block outgoing traffic? Well if were talking about dan hard drives that come with malware embedded, i wouldnt be surprised if the very software were using to defend us against such threats
would be compromised to some extent also. Maybe thats why two antivirus programs recognize each other as infections :]

cheers