The NSA's Big Brother Machine - The Narus 6400

[iconoclastNYC]

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/4/8/14724/28476

All About NSA's and AT&T's Big Brother Machine, the Narus 6400

Earlier today we found out that the EFF had sued AT&T over their secret work with the NSA on surveillance of millions of US citizens without wiretaps. We learned that paragraph 65 of this complaint shows EFF is trying to turn it into a nationwide Class Action suit covering all current and former customers (any after 9/2001) of AT&T. And we learned that a retired AT&T technician had stepped forward and disclosed the installation of secret NSA spy equipment in the San Francisco trunk facility. As well as the belief that similar equipment is in place in Seattle, San Jose, Los Angeles and San Diego.
(snip)

How powerful is this? OC-192 carries about 10 gigabits of data per second. Ten billion bits per second, monitored in real-time. That is stunning. This is one damned powerful machine, one of the most powerful I've ever heard of in 25 years in IT.
(snip)

You really wonder why BushCo doesn't want to talk about this stuff? It's the biggest invasion of privacy in history by several orders of magnitude.

Imagine how great a tool "instant compliance" with the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act could be with this kind of reach and detail. Especially if a secret Presidential Directive allows it to be used without the warrants required under the Act.

That's what it appears we are up against, folks. Real-time semantic data monitoring on a huge scale. A scale beyond what most of us can even comprehend. It's scarey.

[EVDebs]

1. This is all great and good but NSA doesn't have enough human analysts

to reasonably screen the information apparently. James Bamford tells us in his Body of Secrets (and earlier Puzzle Palace) that NSA's computers went down for three days after the Y2K date; and during the 9-11 incidents were days late in deciphering phone traffick, remember the leak traced to Sen. Shelby ?

Investigators Concluded Shelby Leaked Message
Justice Dept. Declined To Prosecute Case

By Allan Lengel and Dana Priest
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, August 5, 2004; Page A17
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40886-2004Aug4.html

Maybe Sibel Edmonds is correct. The human side of our elint has been compromised beyond repair. In that case, it lends credence to the conspiracy theorist point of view ... if they've got the time to go after YOU and YOUR information in a vacuum-cleaner mode, how can they (NSA) possibly blow it in important 9-11 type attacks ? Begging the question, isn't it ?

[rman]

2. Artificial Intelligence has come a long way

It's nowhere near achieving human-like intelligence, but it's good at pattern recognition. It can be used ti automatically fill databases, which can then be data-mined (making cross references etc). Eventually humans are involved but a lot of the dirty work can be done automatically and very fast. Certainly accuracy leaves to be desired but the people who abuse these systems to undermine civil rights don't really care a lot about accuracy - they don't mind casting a wide net. They're more worried about false negatives then they are about false positives.

[iconoclastNYC]

4. You need to understand data mining.

The reason they didn't connect the dots on 9/11 wasn't because we didn't have the manpower, it was because the NEOCONS wanted 9/11 to happen.

This program is laying the foundation for censorship of the internet either covertly or overtly.

Dating mining technology can enable them to filter out 99.9% of stuff that they are not interested in.

What these articles tell us is that the NSA has a gate on all the major points of the internet. If they decide to start filtering out "subversive" information, then freedom on the internet dies. And if the past is any indication we won't even know they flipped the switch.

[Pavulon]

5. Thats a stretch

First this is nothing more than a stateful packet inspector. If you work for a large company you probably have one filtering your internet traffic. Good for boneheads who use proxy to surf porn or hate sites.

It is not a FILTER is a patten matcher. The NSA has been doing this for years at one point all western union traffic was copied to them.

Data mining algorithms are based on pattern matching at their core. There are better than boolean search tools but are no better than the persons who created them.

I am more concerned with telecoms throttling of content. And content neural transmission.

[EVDebs]

11. TIA has already been offshored and the datamining takes place in Bahamas

Bahamas Firm Screens Personal Data To Assess Risk
Operation Avoids U.S. Privacy Rules

By Robert O'Harrow Jr.
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, October 16, 2004; Page A01

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36853-2004Oct15.html

The problem is they rely upon other databases provided by ChoicePoint et al, which are notoriously inaccurate in and of themselves. Add the human element (neocons seeking to destroy their domestic opposition, say) and VOILA ! You have a domestic terror program with the datamines offshored electronically. Jurisdiction of the DOJ ? Piece of cake, there isn't any DOJ jurisdiction in another country, you fool !

Add the elements of RFIDs and "background checks" and you have a very effective political harassment tool. See

Total Surveillance
http://www.motherjones.com/interview/2005/12/albrecht.h ...

Couple this insidious technology with purposely erroneous background checks

Who is checking the background checkers?
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1128/p13s02-wmgn.html

[Scout1071]

3. k&r

[DemInDistress]

6. Recently an AT&T customer service lady said when I commented

AT&T is spying on its customers,she replied"no sir,we don't spy on our customers" we don't have that ability
and we respect your privacy,unless we are ordered to review certain callers "WE DON'T SPY." I suggested she go to the internet and review several class actions underway.
I need to cancel my service with AT&T but who should I trust? any suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks.
DemInDistress

[FULL_METAL_HAT]

7. Hoovering Democratic Politicians Is the REAL point, no?

First of all this program has been going on since AT LEAST 2002.

You ever notice how the Dems get a good idea or plan together and before they even can get it out there's a wall of anti-talking points knocking them down?

We all know how much the present administration cares about 'terrists' -- look at how easily they caught Bin Laden...

The reason they didn't want to get warrants was because no court (even a kangaroo court) would grant them access to every democratic politician's private communications.

[FogerRox]

8. Damn straight,,,, Full Metal Hat

[bvar22]

9. You are assuming that this will be used for National Security.

It's primary use will be to attack and destroy American Citizen targets the Overlords have already identified.
They won't need any sophisticated AI filters. All they need to do is plug in a name.

The Democratic Party is a BIG TENT, but there is NO ROOM for those
who advance the agenda of THE RICH (Corporate Owners) at the EXPENSE of LABOR and the POOR.

[hootinholler]

10. Encrypt everything and flood spam...

The only real defense is to force them to break so much noise that the signals get lost.

-Hoot