Docs show FBI tracks cell, phone, email, and IM extrajudicially

Washington Post reports today on documents obtained by the Electronic Frontier Foundation that depict a FBI communications dragnet consisting of open circuits from telecom companies:
The circuits — little-known electronic connections between telecom firms and FBI monitoring personnel around the country — are used to tell the government who is calling whom, along with the time [...]

‘Fusion centers’ amass personal info

Washington Post obtained a document describing state-run, federally funded intelligence installations known as ‘fusion centers.’ The document itemizes open-source tools these centers use to collect and analyze the data of millions of Americans. We don’t know the full extent of their capabilities since those are still classified.
The list of information resources was part of [...]

‘One of the neat things about this network is…’

A cartoon character on the NSA’s web site for kids — Cryptokids — describes his ‘favorite computer project’ as setting up a LAN for his family and then monitoring its use. [Sarcasm] ‘Listen kids, internet spying is fun, but it’s also necessary to win the War on Terror…’ [/Sarcasm].

(Click for screencap.)

WSJ brings NSA data-mining to page 1

NSA’s Domestic Spying Grows As Agency Sweeps Up Data
By SIOBHAN GORMAN
March 10, 2008; Page A1
According to current and former intelligence officials, the spy agency now monitors huge volumes of records of domestic emails and Internet searches as well as bank transfers, credit-card transactions, travel and telephone records. The NSA receives this so-called “transactional” data from [...]

Whistle-blower describes NSA back door to telecom’s cell phone data

Another whistle-blower has come forward claiming that he has witnessed the NSA’s back door access to a telecom’s cellular data stream. The witness refuses to identify the telecom involved. It is known that he works for a network security firm which provided consultant work for this telecom starting in 2003. Here are the talking points [...]

Are We Rome?

The following is a timely passage from the book Are We Rome? by Cullen Murphy.

In 68 B.C. a pirate attack on Rome’s port of Ostia prompted the terrified Romans to cede far-reaching powers to one man, Pompey. There would be no turning back. The need to act boldly and react quickly; to ferret out enemy [...]

Almost Legal?

Image compliments of Electronic Frontier Foundation. Splitter and NSA room described here.