Thursday, January 16, 2014

NSA can track computers even when they are not connected to the internet...

A new report on the NSA shows that the controversial agency can access computers even when they’re not connected to the internet.

The New York Times reported Tuesday that the NSA has placed software on over 100,000 computers around the world allowing agents to conduct surveillance on the machines using radio frequency technology.

Here’s a breakdown of how the James Bond-esque technology works.

Field agents first insert USB plugs containing tiny transceivers into the target computer. The transceiver then communicates with a briefcase-sized NSA field station that can be placed up to eight miles away from the computer. This station then relays information back to the NSA’s Remote Operations Center. The field station can install malware on the computer as well as import and extract any information agents wish to on the target computer.

NSA spokesperson Vanee Vines described the technology as an “active defense” technique that has not been used on American computers. Among the groups targeted by the technology are the Chinese and Russian militaries, drug cartels, trade institutions at the European Union, and occasionally U.S. partners near war zones like Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and India. Full story...

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