New Zealand: Snowden exposes NSA facilities during ‘Moment of Truth’ – Video


New Zealand: Snowden exposes NSA facilities during #39;Moment of Truth #39;
Video ID: 20140915-026 W/S People arriving on stage for the panel discussion M/S Kim Dotcom blows kisses to the crowd, cheering SOT, Julian Assange, Wikileaks editor-in-chief (English): "The...

By: RuptlyTV

View original post here:

New Zealand: Snowden exposes NSA facilities during 'Moment of Truth' - Video

Posted in NSA

NSA snooping furor continues

The logo of Deutsche Telekom is pictured on the TV tower in the German city of Cologne.(REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay)

The National Security Agency is facing more allegations of cyber-snooping after reportedly targeting German telecom networks Deutsche Telekom and Netcologne as part of a sophisticated program to map the Internet.

Citing top-secret documents provided by NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden, German newspaper Der Spiegel reports that the NSA and its British counterpart, GCHQ, have targeted the firms as part of a program dubbed "Treasure Map." Described by Der Spiegel as the mandate for a massive raid on the digital world, Treasure Map aims to make every single device connected to the Internet visible to the agencies, including computers, smartphones and tablets.

The report notes that employees of the so-called FiveEyes intelligence agencies -- Americas NSA and its counterparts in the U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand, can install the Treasure Map program for monitoring purposes. The program can also help with Computer Attack/Exploit Planning, according to the report.

Der Spiegel cites red markings on the documents denoting networks that agents claim to have accessed. Global telecom powerhouse Deutsche Telekom and German regional provider Netcologne are both reportedly marked in red.

With German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the center of a controversy over an alleged NSA phone tap, Der Spiegels report comes at a time of heightened sensitivity in Germany over the agencys operations.

Michela Menting, cybersecurity practice director at the tech analyst firm ABI Research, told FoxNews.com that targeting telecom firms could offer intelligence agencies an easier path to information than targeting individuals and groups. Deutsche Telekom is a Tier One operator, which means that both its scale and customer base is huge global, of course a goldmine for any national security agency, she said. Since Germany is clearly not part of the five eyes, they are a target, despite being allies.

Deutsche Telekom provides a range of network, TV and mobile services to more than 60 million customers in Germany. Globally, the company has nearly 130 million customers.

However, Deutsche Telekom told FoxNews.com that it could not find any evidence that its networks were manipulated, even after weeks of investigation with experts from Der Spiegel.

Right now, there is nothing more than a circle around a part of our network in a document provided by Edward Snowden, explained Deutsche Telekom spokesman Philipp Blank, in a statement emailed to FoxNews.com. Nevertheless, we take every hint very seriously and we have informed German security authorities. Any access by foreign intelligence services to our networks would be totally unacceptable.

Read the rest here:

NSA snooping furor continues

Posted in NSA

Yahoo Releases Documents Proving NSA Forced Them To Violate User Privacy – Video


Yahoo Releases Documents Proving NSA Forced Them To Violate User Privacy
"The US government threatened to fine Yahoo $250000 a day if it refused to hand over user data to the National Security Agency, according to court documents unsealed on Thursday. In a blogpost,...

By: The Young Turks

View post:

Yahoo Releases Documents Proving NSA Forced Them To Violate User Privacy - Video

Posted in NSA

NSA snooping furore continues

The logo of Deutsche Telekom is pictured on the TV tower in the German city of Cologne.(REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay)

The National Security Agency is facing more allegations of cyber-snooping after reportedly targeting German telecom networks Deutsche Telekom and Netcologne as part of a sophisticated program to map the Internet.

Citing top-secret documents provided by NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden, German newspaper Der Spiegel reports that the NSA and its British counterpart, GCHQ, have targeted the firms as part of a program dubbed "Treasure Map." Described by Der Spiegel as the mandate for a massive raid on the digital world, Treasure Map aims to make every single device connected to the Internet visible to the agencies, including computers, smartphones and tablets.

The report notes that employees of the so-called FiveEyes intelligence agencies -- Americas NSA and its counterparts in the U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand, can install the Treasure Map program for monitoring purposes. The program can also help with Computer Attack/Exploit Planning, according to the report.

Der Spiegel cites red markings on the documents denoting networks that agents claim to have accessed. Global telecom powerhouse Deutsche Telekom and German regional provider Netcologne are both reportedly marked in red.

With German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the center of a controversy over an alleged NSA phone tap, Der Spiegels report comes at a time of heightened sensitivity in Germany over the agencys operations.

Michela Menting, cybersecurity practice director at the tech analyst firm ABI Research, told FoxNews.com that targeting telecom firms could offer intelligence agencies an easier path to information than targeting individuals and groups. Deutsche Telekom is a Tier One operator, which means that both its scale and customer base is huge global, of course a goldmine for any national security agency, she said. Since Germany is clearly not part of the five eyes, they are a target, despite being allies.

Deutsche Telekom provides a range of network, TV and mobile services to more than 60 million customers in Germany. Globally, the company has nearly 130 million customers.

However, Deutsche Telekom told FoxNews.com that it could not find any evidence that its networks were manipulated, even after weeks of investigation with experts from Der Spiegel.

Right now, there is nothing more than a circle around a part of our network in a document provided by Edward Snowden, explained Deutsche Telekom spokesman Philipp Blank, in a statement emailed to FoxNews.com. Nevertheless, we take every hint very seriously and we have informed German security authorities. Any access by foreign intelligence services to our networks would be totally unacceptable.

Read this article:

NSA snooping furore continues

Posted in NSA

NSA facilities in NZ: Snowden

Fugitive whistleblower Edward Snowden claims there is a US National Security Agency facility in Auckland and another north of the city.

The former NSA analyst made an appearance at Internet Party founder Kim Dotcom's "moment of truth" event at the Auckland Town Hall on Monday night via a video link from Russia.

The capacity crowd was on its feet and cheering as Mr Snowden's face was beamed onto a big screen.

Hours before the event, in an article posted on The Intercept website, Mr Snowden said that any statement that mass surveillance isn't carried out in New Zealand is "categorically false".

"If you live in New Zealand, you are being watched," he wrote.

In the course of his work at an NSA facility in Hawaii, Mr Snowden said he routinely came across New Zealanders' communications using a mass surveillance tool the NSA shares with the GCSB, called XKEYSCORE.

"It allows total, granular access to the database of communications collected in the course of mass surveillance. It is not limited to or even used largely for the purposes of cybersecurity, as has been claimed, but is instead used primarily for reading individuals' private email, text messages, and internet traffic."

Mr Snowden told the Auckland audience there are NSA facilities in New Zealand that "the GCSB is aware of and that means the prime minister is aware of".

One of those facilities is in Auckland and there is another north of Auckland.

While he was working at the NSA, Mr Snowden said using XKEYSCORE he could see records of conversations of people around the world.

Original post:

NSA facilities in NZ: Snowden

Posted in NSA

Snowden: NSA collecting data on New Zealanders

Published September 15, 2014

Sept. 15, 2014 - Former NSA systems analyst turned leaker Edward Snowden appears via video link from Russia to hundreds at the Auckland, New Zealand Town Hall. Snowden says the NSA is collecting mass surveillance data on New Zealanders through its XKeyscore program and has set up a facility to tap into vast amounts of data.(AP)

WELLINGTON, New Zealand Former National Security Agency systems analyst turned leaker Edward Snowden said Monday that the NSA is collecting mass surveillance data on New Zealanders through its XKeyscore program and has set up a facility in the South Pacific nation's largest city to tap into vast amounts of data.

Snowden talked via video link from Russia to hundreds of people at Auckland's Town Hall.

Shortly before he spoke, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key issued a statement saying New Zealand's spy agency, the Government Communications Security Bureau, or GCSB, has never undertaken mass surveillance of its own people. Key said he declassified previously secret documents that proved his point.

"Regarding XKeyscore, we don't discuss the specific programs the GCSB may or may not use," Key said. "But the GCSB does not collect mass metadata on New Zealanders, therefore it is clearly not contributing such data to anything or anyone."

Snowden, however, said Key was carefully parsing his words, and that New Zealand agencies do collect information for the NSA and then get access to it.

"There are actually NSA facilities in New Zealand that the GCSB is aware of and that means the prime minister is aware of," Snowden said. "And one of them is in Auckland."

He said Key was avoiding the main issue by not talking about XKeyscore.

"To this day, he's said I won't talk about this. I won't talk about this because it's related to foreign intelligence," Snowden said. "But is it related to foreign intelligence if it's collecting the communications of every man, woman and child in the country of New Zealand?"

Read more:

Snowden: NSA collecting data on New Zealanders

Posted in NSA

NSA whistleblower Snowden says kiwis are 'being watched'

By Fiona Rotherham

Sept. 15 (BusinessDesk) - Fugitive spying whistleblower Edward Snowden put in an appearance via the internet at tonight's Internet Party Moment of Truth event to back up his claims that mass surveillance of New Zealanders is already taking place despite government denials.

Snowden had earlier posted an article on The Intercept website entitled "New Zealand's Prime Minister isn't telling the truth about mass surveillance", where he said any statement that mass surveillance isn't performed in New Zealand, or that internet communications are not comprehensively intercepted and monitored, is categorically false.

"If you live in New Zealand, you are being watched," he said. He also told the event there were two US National Security Agency facilities in New Zealand - one in Auckland and one further north.

Prime Minister John Key released declassified documents just before the Moment of Truth event, where 800 people had to be turned away from the packed Auckland Town Hall while more than 22,000 viewers watched on the YouTube livestream. Key again denied the claims by Snowden and American journalist Glen Greenwald concerning the operations of the Government Communications Security Bureau.

Greenwald also released a story today on The Intercept website which said New Zealand's spy agency, the GCSB, worked in 2012 and 2013 to implement a mass metadata surveillance system as top government officials publicly insisted no such programme was being planned and would not be legally permitted.

Both he and Snowden didn't add any new revelations beyond what was in the articles they published just before the event, although they both questioned why Key could release previously classified documents simply to defend his own reputation rather than in the national interest, and whether the documents should have been classified in the first place.

Greenwald said documents provided by Snowden show that the New Zealand government worked in secret to exploit a new internet surveillance law enacted in the wake of revelations of illegal domestic spying to initiate a new metadata collection programme that appeared to be designed to collect information about New Zealanders' communications.

Snowden accused Key of misleading the public about GCSB's role in mass surveillance.

"The prime minister's claim to the public, that 'there is not and there never has been any mass surveillance', is false," the former National Security Agency analyst wrote. "The GCSB, whose operations he is responsible for, is directly involved in the untargeted, bulk interception and algorithmic analysis of private communications sent via internet, satellite, radio and phone networks."

See the original post:

NSA whistleblower Snowden says kiwis are 'being watched'

Posted in NSA

New Zealand spying row: Snowden as election wildcard?

Former US National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden today accused the New Zealand government of spying on its citizens, just days before the country goes to the polls in national elections.

If you live in New Zealand, you are being watched, he wrote in an opinion piece for the Intercept, an online news site run by journalist Glenn Greenwald. In it, he said that he regularly saw data from New Zealand when he was working for the NSA.

His allegation threatens to upend what has so far been a predictable campaign a poll three days agoshowed Prime Minister John Key as the choice of 61.6 percent of voters, compared to 17.9 percent for his closest challenger, according to the New Zealand Herald.

Snowden's charges drew a quick rebuttal from Mr. Key, who vigorously denied that New Zealands Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) runs a mass surveillance program.

There is not, and never has been, mass surveillance of New Zealanders undertaken by the GCSB, he said in a statement.

In his op-ed, Snowden urged New Zealanders to vote, writing that come Sept. 20, New Zealanders have a checkbox of their own.

If you live in New Zealand, whatever party you choose to vote for, bear in mind the opportunity to send a message that this government wont need to spy on us to hear: The liberties of free people cannot be changed behind closed doors. Its time to stand up. Its time to restore our democracies. Its time to take back our rights. And it starts with you.

Snowden says Key's government, through the GCSB, funnels mass surveillance data into the NSA's XKeyscore program. He writes:

The GCSB provides mass surveillance data into XKEYSCORE. They also provide access to the communications of millions of New Zealanders to the NSA at facilities such as the GCSB station at Waihopai, and the Prime Minister is personally aware of this fact. Importantly, they do not merelyuseXKEYSCORE, but also actively and directly develop mass surveillance algorithms for it. GCSBs involvement with XKEYSCORE is not a theory, and it is not a future plan. The claim that it never went ahead, and that New Zealand merely looked at but never participated in the Five Eyes system of mass surveillance is false, and the GCSBs past and continuing involvement with XKEYSCORE is irrefutable.

Key went on New Zealand television programs over the weekend to say that New Zealand intelligence agencies considered setting up a mass surveillance system, but ultimately decided against it.

More here:

New Zealand spying row: Snowden as election wildcard?

Posted in NSA

MoneyWatch: Yahoo lost lawsuit over NSA surveillance; Pre-orders begin for new iPhones – Video


MoneyWatch: Yahoo lost lawsuit over NSA surveillance; Pre-orders begin for new iPhones
Unsealed court documents revealed that Yahoo went to court to prevent the NSA from collecting data on its users and lost the case. Plus, customers can pre-or...

By: CBSNews.com Web Extras

Excerpt from:

MoneyWatch: Yahoo lost lawsuit over NSA surveillance; Pre-orders begin for new iPhones - Video

Posted in NSA

Edward Snowden didn't raise concerns internally: National Security Agency

WASHINGTON: The National Security Agency was unable to find evidence that leaker Edward Snowden ever raised concerns internally about its sweeping surveillance programs, after an exhaustive search that included deleted emails, court documents showed.

NSA Associate Director for Policy and Records David Sherman said that the agency had launched a "comprehensive" investigation after media reports were published about classified NSA spy programs based on information leaked by Snowden.

As part of last year's probe, the NSA collected and searched Snowden's "sent, received and deleted email," including that "obtained by restoring back-up tapes" Sherman said in a sworn declaration filed yesterday.

"The search did not identify any email written by Mr Snowden in which he contacted agency officials to raise concerns about NSA programs."

Searches for the emails included the records from the agency's Office of General Counsel, Office of the Inspector General and Office of the Director of Compliance.

The findings contradict Snowden's claim in an interview with NBC News in May that he did raise concerns through "internal channels" within the NSA and was told to "stop asking questions" before ultimately deciding to leak the secret files.

Sherman, who has worked with the NSA since 1985, has the authority to classify information as "top secret."

The NSA made its declaration in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by VICE News against the NSA earlier this year.

The only relevant communication uncovered was a previously released email between Snowden and the Office of General Counsel inquiring about material in a training course he had completed.

Senator Dianne Feinstein, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, said at the time that the exchange "poses a question about the relative authority of laws and executive orders -- it does not register concerns about NSA's intelligence activities."

More here:

Edward Snowden didn't raise concerns internally: National Security Agency

Posted in NSA

NSA Academy – Video


NSA Academy
Get to know your NSA Academy Faculty for 2014 - 2015. Find how they found their way to Professional Speaker, the best (and worst) advice they received starting out, and why it is so important...

By: National Speakers Association

Continued here:

NSA Academy - Video

Posted in NSA