It’s getting to where if you can think of a way for the NSA to snoop on you, no matter how looney it sounds, they’ve probably done it.

Buried in a Brazilian television report on Sunday was the disclosure that the NSA has impersonated Google and possibly other major internet sites in order to intercept, store, and read supposedly secure online communications.
[…]
In what appears to be a slide taken from an NSA presentation that also contains some GCHQ slides, the agency describes “how the attack was done” on “target” Google users. According to the document, NSA employees log into an internet router—most likely one used by an internet service provider or a backbone network. (It’s not clear whether this was done with the permission or knowledge of the router’s owner.) Once logged in, the NSA redirects the “target traffic” to an “MITM,” a site that acts as a stealthy intermediary, harvesting communications before forwarding them to their intended destination.

The brilliance of an MITM attack is that it defeats encryption without actually needing to crack any code. If you visit an impostor version of your bank’s website, for example, the NSA could harvest your login and password, use that information to establish a secure connection with your real bank, and feed you the resulting account information—all without you knowing.

And in a vaguely unrelated topic



  1. Tim says:

    Shun them. And then, after their kids leak who they are, piss in their food. And then, egg their car. And then write ‘adversary’ in their lawn with Monsanto FuckUp, as that is really who they work for. That, and keeping tabs on anyone who may spout off with proof of who did 911 — hint (who writes their checks?)

    • Accremonious says:

      Naw, just quadruple the cyber babbled and drown the bastards!

    • bobbo, the pragmatic existential evangelical anti-theist says:

      Timmy–you are focused on the fact that this is a covert operation of the NSA having nothing to do with Google except they are a victim too?

      Who did 911? Could these be the same miscreants behind Anthropomorphic Global Shenanigans?….. Sure seems to fit.

  2. MikeN says:

    So that’s why all the comments are disappearing on this site.

    • Tim says:

      Could there be something between google and this site??

      That’s pretty unlikely but I’ve noticed a change in when stuff gets ‘Googleable’ —

      I went slinking around trying to find cached pages of those misplaced comments only to discover that they weren’t to be found at all; Even when including the quotes such as “where’s my fucking google fuckbag comment, dammit!”

      To test, I’ll be using that phrase to check the timeliness of their crawling and caching.

      I would not think it strange except that in the past, when I’ve googled a phrase from time to time, I’d be surprised to find it just hours later already indexed to this site and at the top of the list.

      It’s probably spam filters as Unc Dave has stated, but perhaps the frequency of the crawling has also changed as it doesn’t seem to be catching them younger than six days now.

      • Tim says:

        7. Google’s cache copy is illegal:
        Judging from Ninth Circuit precedent on the application of U.S. copyright laws to the Internet, Google’s cache copy appears to be illegal. The only way a webmaster can avoid having his site cached on Google is to put a “noarchive” meta in the header of every page on his site. Surfers like the cache, but webmasters don’t.

  3. AdmFubar says:

    the cloud is a trap… in more ways than one

  4. Yankinwaoz says:

    There is a FireFox plug in called Certificate Patrol that monitors the SSL certs of the sites you visit. It will alert you when a cert changes. If a MITM inserts itself in the SSL chain, this will notice and alert you. You can then examine the chain and decide if you want to proceed.

  5. Conspiracy Nut in a UFO says:

    If you think that the NSA and all their sock drawer snooping is nothing but a bunch hooey and that there’s nothing to worry about then think about this: WHO OWNS THEM?!

    Eventually, you might come to the conclusion that whoever bought your Congressman probably also owns s little control with the NSA too. So, do you think those owners might be people with money? Could those people be with the sue happy RIAA and/or MPAA and possibly be coming after you and your illegal collection of Lawrence Welk shows? Or do you think they only do that to fans of the Butthole Surfers?!

    What do you think the Wall Street / Banking owners are going to do after all this spy crap subsides? Or are you so ignorant to think that Wall Street doesn’t own Washington? (If you voted for Mayor Bloomberg then don’t be so quick to answer.)

    Now, guess who Google is playing with! Or do you need to re-read the headlines about more top level executives within Google unexpectedly leaving in order to get a hint?

    Just a little food for thought – for those of you who can think, that is.

  6. bobbo, the pragmatic existential evangelical anti-theist says:

    As I sit here peacefully sucking up beer No 4, it occurs to me several unintended consequences ultimately are going to merge. The Unintended Singularity I will now First Call —DIBS—- on.

    As the RICH have won the class war taking all reasonable jobs off shore from America leaving the middle class on its last leg of credit inflation/collapse syndrome, one must seriously consider what ultimately will the American Public be worth spying on? One dirt poor jobless jack-a-lope is pretty much like any other…. know what I mean???

    Ha, ha…… I laugh. What does Big Brother do when it has destroyed the middle class? Nobody…. I mean NOBODY….including the rich, the RICH, the gubment, and NSA and other metastasizing malignancies will have anything to do. Its like the March of Dimes: what do you do when your Disease of Choice has been conquered.

    Pros and Cons to all we do.

    Silly Malignant Gubment Programs.

    • Tim says:

      Typically, they then marry their horses, rate and trade each other’s farts, and sell each other overly priced and exquisitely ornate guilded burger scanners for that special night out slumming at the fema camps and executing proles who shit on their meat-cakes.

      • bobbo, the pragmatic existential evangelical anti-theist says:

        Tim whose every tangent is not necessarily nonsense says:
        9/13/2013 at 7:10 am

        Typically, they then marry their horses, /// that is popular among the RICH and empowered. Caligula, Queen …forget/English type, even Washington in some minor rumor

        rate and trade each other’s farts, /// well…. that is life at court….

        and sell each other overly priced and exquisitely ornate guilded burger scanners /// that is exactly how the RICH create and cream a market. See the Rockefeller creation of Fine Art Market for African Masks for such an example. It goes on more than we plebeians recognize

        for that special night out slumming /// Yes, its what armored cars and guest lists and cover fees are all about

        at the fema camps and executing proles who shit on their meat-cakes. /// I gotta admit……. you lost me there. I bow to your more intimate knowledge of shitting.

  7. Stinger says:

    Apple keeps Siri voice clips for two years. Plenty of time to voice-print and geo-locate everyone who asks for the weather report. Once Obamacare records get integrated, data aggregation and mining will reach new heights of possibilities.

    Maybe this is the Voter ID solution? You say “Hello” to the voting kiosk linked to Siri. It says, “Hello John Dvorak. … Sorry, but you’ve already voted once today. Thank you and have a nice day. By the way, it’s raining at your house.”

    Technology product privacy statements are meant to make you feel good (because the first statement always says, “we value your privacy”). Few read on to page 73, where the exceptions really kick in.

    Thanks NSA, our benevolent friend and protector.

  8. Dallas says:

    This is an outrage. I’m with Teapublicans in that we need Putin to save us from NSA.

    • MikeN says:

      He’ll get on that right after he takes the chemical weapons away from Syria. Perhaps he’ll really rub Obama’s nose in it, by bringing in rockets to send all the weapons to Chechnya.

      • bobbo, the pragmatic existential evangelical anti-theist says:

        MikeN appearing to rotate out of control says:
        9/13/2013 at 7:40 am

        He’ll get on that right after he takes the chemical weapons away from Syria. /// The solution on the table is that the UN will destroy the weapons. Russia has no interest in doing so. What private dog whistle are you responding to?

        Perhaps he’ll really rub Obama’s nose in it, by bringing in rockets to send all the weapons to Chechnya. /// Can you rephrase this so that is makes any f*cking sense at all?

        Poor Mickey. I “REALLY” need to reevaluate why I think you have any grounding at all in the climate science issues. Amazing how much credibility a PARROT can mimic.

        A lesson for us all.

        • MikeN says:

          Again, lacking in reading comprehension. You think destroying chemical weapons is easy? Now doing so in a war zone by the UN? Why don’t you use your vaunted google and dictionary skills and get back to us to how they would destroy the chemical weapons.

        • Dallas says:

          Good points, B.

          Mikey is angry because this outcome doesn’t appear to be a huge cluster fuck opportunity for a class A outrage.

      • Dallas says:

        Putin is playing Teatards like a fiddle. he’s only interested in keeping Assad in power. My comment above was a teatard test.

  9. bobbo, the pragmatic existential evangelical anti-theist says:

    For those who favor the Brewski over more alcoholic endeavors:

    I have long been a devotee of the BEER SLUSH. The most exquisite example of which is liquid beer in the bottle that stays liquid on opening but as you pour it into your mouth, the agitation causes the sub 32 degree liquid to crystallize on your tongue causing a most rewarding sensation.

    I’ve been doing this all morning. Figuring out where in my freezer to place room temp beer so that they reach the above OPTIMAL in regular good drinking order. In my fridge, its weird. The bottles at the top freeze before those at the bottom: just the opposite of everything I read. >>>>> BOW DOWN TO THE SCIENTIFIC PROCESS. You test and measure rather than accept old shibboleths.

    There is no better than the beer crystalizing as it hits your tongue…………WONDERFUL.

    In a very close second place however is the metal can that actually freezes the beer. It has a longer “target zone” that allows the beer to be opened and SQEEZED into the mouth. It is already frozen and slushy so you miss the transition effect, but it is still quite nice.

    Beer.

    Never had a bad one…………………. except that half drank 16 oz beer off the truck in Moscow. I actually stopped drinking it half way done. A very bad beer. Like warm budweizer it was. Could have even been re packaged?

    Ha, ha. I kid Budwiezer. Who doesn’t like horse shit in their beer?

    • LibertyLover says:

      I was ignoring your post, as usual, but during the run over I noticed the word BEER.

      Curious, I read your post.

      I have to say, we have found common ground. I, too, like the slushy beer taste/feeling and have yet to find a beer I truly don’t like (except for the ones someone put cigarette butts in). The worst I have found was “I can do without it, but hell there ain’t nothin’ else around.”

      • bobbo, the pragmatic existential evangelical anti-theist says:

        Cigarettes in beer: why god created mustaches.

        Thank you for your honesty LL. I don’t trust a man who doesn’t like beer. I can work with all other failures.

    • Tim says:

      “”The bottles at the top freeze before those at the bottom: just the opposite of everything I read

      I can think of two reasons that this may be the case.

      1.) You are in an accellerating frame of reference in the downward refrigerator direction causing the cooler, denser air to pool at the top — If approaching earth, that means that your downward accelleration is > 1g and I think you should flick an indicator or kick a thruster or something. If you are leaving earth, your refrigerator is upside down.

      2.) Wind chill effect. The air is much more stagnant at the bottom and the moving air is from top-down — Also, the air coming out of the vent will be very much colder than the overall temp of the freezer.

  10. bobbo, the pragmatic existential evangelical anti-theist says:

    Speaking of failures, I am the student of the idiomatic expression and this one keeps wrankling me each time I try to ignore it:

    “And in a vaguely unrelated topic…” /// No… just the opposite. The topic is vaguely RELATED.

    THINK of the kiddies trying to learn Engrish from this websink.

    Yea, verily.

  11. JimD says:

    NSA’s former Motto – Never Say Anything! – now changed to “All your Data are belong to us!” !!!

  12. Captain Obvious says:

    Good ol’ Mother Jones.

  13. sargasso_c says:

    Huawei executives are probably laughing themselves silly, right about now.


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