You Won’t BELIEVE What’s Going On with Government Spying on Americans

Zero Hedge ^ | August 17, 2013

[DuncanWaring]

Of course his administration’s transparent; can’t you see right through him?

[butterdezillion]

I’ve had an answering machine message that got delivered a day later.

[butterdezillion]

What do you mean by closed-source operating systems and software?

Seems like malware is probably the most likely way.

[Darksheare]

Yeah, there’s a government spy Trojan called white lantern.
Anti virus won’t find it as it is listed as a “law enforcement tool”.

[butterdezillion]

If the NSA is using keylogging, would they be doing it through malware? Making it difficult to prove who was actually doing it? Is our government engaging in computer hacking on normal (non-military, non-espionage-type) people?

[familyop]

"Me, too. I have no qualms about going to zero hedge. Which is why I was surprised. Could not it have been compromised by a third party?"

If you have reason to believe that it came from Zero Hedge, the systems administrator (or web administrator at least) there would probably appreciate a detailed report from you on what you saw. Yes, servers connected to the Net (often web servers) are sometimes compromised by remote crackers.

Running Windows with anti-virus software would probably be the easiest way to detect it while visiting Zero Hedge. Maybe someone else reading the thread with a Windows system and whatever browser you're using will give that a try and report back to the thread.

[Darksheare]

Windows remote procedure call, and remote desktop can be hijacked by government patty fingers...

[butterdezillion]

What more can you tell me about this? Or can you direct me to information about it?

Do you know if it disables Rkill?

[butterdezillion]

You mean like automatic updates from Windows, or how does that work? Can Windows do remote procedures on our computers without asking or receiving permission?

[Darksheare]

Not much I’m afraid.
There are people on FR far more knowledgeable than I on this.
I have remote desktop etc disabled, but that only means the windows api thinks it is disabled.
It is possible to have things report they are disabled when they are not by monkeying with the registry and certain values in there.
So, it’d be better if our resident fur teeth chimed in.

[Darksheare]

No, think of it more like the remote help built into windows being used instead to mess things up.
Yes, it can operate without permission and somewhat hidden.
Except for when the remote operator moves your cursor.
It can be used for bad things, many virii do make use of remote desktop and the like to compromise your system.
Whether or not that is the case currently...do not know.
Could be browser helper objects, Trojans, JavaScript baddies, ActiveX baddies...
Or white lantern.
I have not heard solid info on what that does.

Thing to keep in mind: no machine is fully secure except one that is unplugged and not connected to anything.

[familyop]

Closed-source software is delivered in files other than plain text (e.g., binaries). Windows is one example of a closed-source operating system. Open-source software can be audited and re-audited by developers and users to prevent “back doors” and the like (examples, Linux, *BSD systems). A couple of the *BSD systems’ kernels are isolated, in ways, from user software, lending to even more security and stability. Encryption can be used in operating systems, user software and communications for increased security.

[Darksheare]

Correction: the “law enforcement tool” Trojan is called magic lantern.

[butterdezillion]

So basically you’re saying that if you use Windows, Windows can secretly do whatever they darn well please on your computer (more or less)?

[LucyT]

Who here is shocked by this?

And yet there are still some at FR who believe Snowden is a "traitor" because HE "jeopardized OUR 'security.'

Needs repeating.

[familyop]

"Is our government engaging in computer hacking on normal (non-military, non-espionage-type) people?"

I doubt it, except maybe due to a rare mistake here and there (and maybe some cases of big business/public corruption here and there). For governments, taking control of others' personal computers costs money and time, and it could be risky. But according to the news, yes, some offices have been recording communications sent through the Net.

But there are criminals who don't work for the government--those trying to steal money from others, for example. That's one good reason for personal security with computers and communications. Some of those criminals might even be local to one or both of us--a good reason for also encrypting communications (see VPN hosting services).

[Nifster]

thanks for always keeping us informed.....the enumeration of it is sickening

[sargon]

We can gripe all we want about all these alphabet agencies spying on us, but the sad fact is that our elected representatives, and judges, from BOTH parties have utterly betrayed us, and are using the Constitution for toilet paper.

And what are WE going to do? Bitch about it online, and nothing more.

The President should be impeached, and the Congress almost totally replaced, save for a few TEA party and libertarian-type Patriots.

Slavery is in the forecast. Resistance will be seen as futile.

Calling our Congressmen hasn't worked so far.

And We the People bear much of the responsibility for letting things get so far out of hand. It's almost too late to do anything about it.

[CodeToad]

“KEYSTROKE LOGGING may not have been mentioned....but Im fairly certain that they are using it!”

No need. Everything between your computer and anyone else is logged, decrypted, and cataloged.

[MeshugeMikey]

I use comcast cable for my net connection and one email account.

whether the email is as secure as I would prefer it to be I dont know.

Google...has announced that their gmail accounts are not....