Daily Archives: May 9, 2017

NSA Director Michael Rogers said his agency warned French authorities that Russian hackers were targeting that countrys computer infrastructure in the run-up to Sundays pivotal presidential election, a revelation likely to intensify speculation that Moscow was responsible for a dumping a huge trove of hacked documents days before the election.

Rogers, testifying Tuesday before the Senate Armed Services Committee, did not specify exactly when his agency had delivered the warning to French authorities. But he said it came before Fridays dump of 9 gigabytes of hacked emails, which included contracts and other internal campaign documents, of aides to the winning candidate, Emmanuel Macron.

Were watching the Russians. We are seeing them penetrate some of your infrastructure, Rogers said, describing his warning to his French counterparts. Rogers added that he offered NSA assistance to France.

Rogerss carefully worded remarks before the Senate panel confirmed what U.S. officials had been warning about for months: Russia would likely attempt to intervene in the French election by hacking into the computer systems of its political organizations. But Rogers stopped short of explicitly blaming Moscow for the Macron hack. A spokesman for NSA declined to elaborate on Rogerss remarks.

Private security researchers poring over the stolen Macron documents caution that it is too early to determine if Russia was responsible. Hackers working for Russian intelligence are for now the leading suspects in an operation that injected a measure of uncertainty before Sundays vote, which threatened to catapult the Kremlin-friendly far-right candidate Marine Le Pen into Frances highest political office.

Since the NSA has unrivaled abilities to keep tabs on the global internet and observe the actions of foreign hackers, Rogerss remarks will be closely scrutinized by those researchers.

There are many methods by which the NSA could have eyes on Russian hacking activity, one former intelligence official told Foreign Policy. For one, NSA frequently maintains access to the so-called hop points, or staging grounds, that foreign adversaries use to launch cyber attacks. Additionally, NSA might be watching for specific signatures used by Russian hacking groups. Such signatures can include pieces of malicious code or the use of a particular server.

The release of stolen emails fits a pattern of behavior by hacking groups tied to Russian intelligence, which have been observed targeting Macrons email system, said Matt Tait, a former information security specialist for GCHQ, the British signals intelligence agency, and now CEO of Capital Alpha Security.

Some metadata in the files point toward Russia, but researchers have so far been unable to make a strong case tying the Macron hack to the Kremlin hackers dubbed Fancy Bear and Cozy Bear in some circles responsible for the penetrations of the Democratic National Committee and other American political organizations during the 2016 election.

Thus far, the available evidence does lean conspicuously towards Moscow, Tait wrote in a blog post Tuesday. It is worth noting, however, that the level of technical attribution in the Macron case doesnt hold a candle to the volume and quality of sources and evidence in DNC hack attribution after nearly a year of multiple investigations.

Last month, the security firm Trend Micro said it had identified a series of email domains used by Fancy Bear in an attempt to break into Macron aides email accounts. The Macron camp insisted the attempted break-in was unsuccessful.

Throughout the hearing, Rogers treated as a given that Russia has mounted a campaign to undermine the French government. Sen. Tim Kaine (D.-Va.), Hillary Clintons running mate in last years presidential election, asked Rogers whether he was aware of the significant evidence tying Russia to efforts destabilize the government of an ally and whether the United States should take that seriously.

Rogers offered a clipped answer: Yes, sir.

American intelligence officials say hacking groups working on behalf of Russian intelligence in 2015 and 2016 broke into the computer systems of the Democratic National Committee and the email accounts of political operatives and released the stolen files in a bid to boost the electoral chances of President Donald Trump.

Intelligence officials have repeatedly warned that Russian operatives would likely attempt to repeat those exploits by targeting elections of American allies that feature Kremlin-friendly candidates.

On Tuesday, Rogers said that Russian operatives may use similar tactics to target next years congressional elections.

FP staff writer Jenna McLaughlin contributed to this report.

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NSA Director: Russia Hacked French 'Infrastructure' Ahead of Vote - Foreign Policy (blog)

NSA Received Around 2000 Requests to Unmask Americans' Names in 2016 CNSNews.com Rogers said yes if the unmasking was based on information gathered by the NSA. He noted that the FBI also picks up incidental collection. OK, so we could either ask the FBI or you, Graham said. OK. So somebody took that information that we gained ...

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NSA Received Around 2000 Requests to Unmask Americans' Names in 2016 - CNSNews.com

Glens Falls Post-Star

NSA chief: France warned about Russia hacking Glens Falls Post-Star NSA chief: France warned about Russia hacking. May 9, 2017 Updated 1 min ago; 0. National Security Director Adm. Mike Rogers said the NSA gave France a heads-up about Russian hacking attempts during the French elections.

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NSA chief: France warned about Russia hacking - Glens Falls Post-Star

The leader of the NSA and Cyber Command on Tuesday said the U.S. alerted France to possible Russian involvement in their election.

Admiral Mike Rogers treaded carefully in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, but said the U.S. knew of Russian activity before the emails of French president-elect Emmanuel Macron leaked onto the internet.

"If you take a look at the French elections again unclassified hearing, not going to get into specifics we had become aware of Russian activity," said Rogers.

Friday evening, days before the Sunday's French election, emails and other files from the campaign Macron leaked onto the internet. No formal attribution has been made by either the U.S. or France. While Rogers alluded to the leaks, he stopped short of identifying Russia as the culprit.

Though he did not say if he contacted the French in regards to leaks or to other hacking, Rogers said he had told the French the U.S. was "watching the Russians penetratingsome of your infrastructure" and offered U.S. assistance.

Trend Micro,a cybersecurity firm, reported before the election that it had found evidence that one of the same groups that attacked the systems of the Democratic National Committee also attacked the Macron campaign. It did not, however, mention what if any files the group spirited access to.

Some of the files within the releases had a name written in Russian within their metadata listing the last person to open them.File metadata is easy to manipulate and is considered weak evidence.

The files also appear to have been originally uploaded by someone with a German free webmail account; Russian groups have been known to use free webmail accounts from Europe in the past.

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NSA director hints that Russia leaked emails in French election - The Hill

The National Security Agency has decided to halt onecontroversial surveillance programthat wasthe tip of an iceberg of government abuses of privacy and due process.This is a good start toward restoring balance inAmericans right to privacy.

The NSA said last week that it will no longer engage in warrantless spying on Americans digital communications that merely mention a foreign intelligence target, referred to in the intelligence community as about communications.

The NSAhad claimed thisauthority under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows it to target non-U.S. citizens or residents believed to be outside the country, although Americans communications are often swept up as well.

NSA will no longer collect certain internet communications that merely mention a foreign intelligence target, an agency statement said. Instead, NSA will limit such collection to internet communications that are sent directly to or from a foreign target.

It is a significant departure from previous assurances that the program was vital to national security. Its effectiveness has always been difficult to gauge because the NSA has provided little information about it.

Its a welcome swing toward better privacy protection even if, as widely speculated, it is less an acknowledgement of Americans right to privacy than a result of communications byDonald Trumps people before the election being swept up in NSA data collectionn.

Our enthusiasm for the decision requires a reality check, however. The NSA has repeatedly lied about its spying activities and violations of Americans constitutional rights, so announcing a new policy doesnt necessarily mean it will be followed.

Rememberthe public testimony of then-National Intelligence Director James Clapper at a March 2013 Senate Intelligence Committee hearing.At one point, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., asked Clapper plainly, Does the NSA collect any type of data at all on millions, or hundreds of millions of Americans? Clapper then lied to his face, and the faces of all Americans, saying, No, sir, and then, Not wittingly.

Just months later, news stories based on information from the Edward Snowden leaks would reveal the NSAs bulk collection of Americans phone metadata and internet communications.

New technology makes our communications quicker, more convenient, more easily recorded and stored andmore easily accessed without our knowledge. But the Fourth Amendment is quite clear: Government searches require a warrant issued by a judge based on probable cause and describing the specific place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

The law was written to deal with filing cabinets and safes rather than the cloud. But the fundamental principlestands and should always stand.

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Editorial: NSA's move to cut data collection a first step - The Mercury News

The National Security Agency has decided to halt a controversial surveillance program, but this was just the tip of an iceberg of government abuses of privacy and due process.

The NSA said last week that it will no longer engage in warrantless spying on Americans digital communications that merely mention a foreign intelligence target, referred to in the intelligence community as about communications. The agency had claimed the authority to engage in such surveillance under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows it to target non-U.S. citizens or residents believed to be outside the country, although Americans communications are oftentimes swept up as well.

NSA will no longer collect certain internet communications that merely mention a foreign intelligence target, the agency announced in a statement. Instead, NSA will limit such collection to internet communications that are sent directly to or from a foreign target.

Even though NSA does not have the ability at this time to stop collecting about information without losing some other important data, the Agency will stop the practice to reduce the chance that it would acquire communications of U.S. persons or others who are not in direct contact with a foreign intelligence target, it continued.

It is a significant departure from previous assurances that the program was vital to national security, though many have forcefully disputed that claim. Its effectiveness has always been difficult to gauge, however, due to the lack of information the NSA has provided about it.

The agencys decision is certainly welcome, though we must make the perhaps generous assumption that it will do or not do, in this case what it says it will, and that it will not simply change its mind in the future. Our enthusiasm is also tempered by the realization that this is an agency, along with various other government intelligence agencies, that is built on deception and has repeatedly lied about its spying activities and violations of Americans constitutional rights.

We are reminded of the public testimony of then-National Intelligence Director James Clapper at a March 2013 Senate Intelligence Committee hearing. At one point, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., asked Clapper plainly, Does the NSA collect any type of data at all on millions, or hundreds of millions of Americans? Clapper then lied to his face, and the faces of all Americans, saying, No, sir, and then, Not wittingly.

Within a matter of months, news stories based on information from the Edward Snowden leaks would reveal the NSAs bulk collection of Americans phone metadata and internet communications.

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Then there is the matter of the backdoor search loophole, by which the FBI or other agencies may search NSA databases for information about Americans collected under Section 702 without having to go through all that pesky business of obtaining a warrant. The loophole is sure to be a bone of contention during congressional debate over the reauthorization of Section 702, which is scheduled to expire at the end of the year.

Given the governments repeated abuses of Americans privacy through its snooping activities, those looking to reauthorize Section 702 have some serious questions to answer about how many Americans have been swept up in this supposed foreign surveillance, and how useful this intelligence actually is.

The Fourth Amendment is quite clear: Government searches require a warrant issued by a judge based on probable cause and describing the specific place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. New technology may make our communications quicker and more convenient as well as more easily recorded and stored but it does not alter that fundamental principle.

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NSA stops one abuse, but many remain - Los Angeles Daily News - LA Daily News

The last may not have been heard about the about $43.4 million, 27.800 pounds and N23.2 million found in an apartment at Osborne Towers in lkoyi, Lagos, as the major characters involved in the probe of the source of the money,on Tuesday,shunned the House of Representatives committee onNational Security andIntelligence probing the mystery.

Those who shunned the committee include the suspended Director General of NIA, Professor Ayo Oke, the National Security Adviser to the President, Babagana Monguno, the Acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crime Commission(EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, and Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele.

However, the committee chaired by Hon. Aminu Sani Jaji up till today to appear before it.

The committee lamented that it was very shameful that the incidence was happening at a time when the Federal Government was fighting corruption to a stand still as nobody has come out clearly to claim true ownership of the money.

The committee members in their contributions expressed displeasure over the absence of the absence of the invitees without communicating ahead to the committee and resolved to issue fresh summon to all of them to enable the committee complete its assignment on time, saying that a week out of the two weeks giving to its had elapsed.

The operatives of the EFCC had last month uncovered local and foreign currencies totalling about $43.4 million, 27.800 pounds and N23.2 million.

This came just as a member of the House, Hon. Wole Oke, representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency of Osun state called for caution in handling the probe since it bothered on the nations security.

In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, Hon. Oke drew the attention of the committee to a three man panel constituted by President Muhammadu Buhari and chaired by Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbanjo and the general public to the sensitivity of the matter, so as not to expose the nations security to the outside world.

According to him, I wish to draw the attention of the investigative committee and the general public to the sensitive nature of above investigation, particularly because it bothers on our National Security. We must take note of the fact that the activities of the NIA relates primarily to handling Nigerias foreign intelligence and counter-intelligence operations.

This therefore requires that the investigative hearing, its reports, findings and recommendations should be treated with utmost confidentiality. This will reduce or totally eliminate that risks of inadvertently revealing highly classified national security information to the public, foreign intelligence and counter-intelligence agents within and outside Nigeria which could significantly hurt our National Security.

We must always avert our minds to the sacred provisions of Section 45(1) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered), which treats interest of defence, public safety and public order with utmost primacy. We must in the course of pushing a good cause not inflict self damage our National Security interest.

I must commend the Federal Government of Nigeria on the successes it has recorded in the fight against corruption and the resolve with which it is handling anti grant war. I must equally commend the National Assembly for the complementary role it has played so far in this regard,he stated.

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Ikoyi $43m: Suspended NIA DG, NSA, CBN Gov, EFCC boss shun Reps' invitation - NIGERIAN TRIBUNE (press release) (blog)