The NSA is building the country's Biggest Spy Center

At least according to this article.

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/03/ff_nsadatacenter/5/

Basically, the National Security Agency is building the Machine. They're building a center that can look into emails, phone calls, the Internet, everything. It will be able to crack any public encryption. It's also aparently designed to read American data.

Is the government really that paranoid? Is this even legal?

This is somewhat troubling. I'm not exactly sure I want the government monitoring everything I do.

Any opinions? More info?

edited 16th Mar '12 9:46:12 AM by TheProffesor

If that's true, the part I'm most worried about is the breaking public encryption thing. Because if the NSA can do it, then the Chinese Army probably can as well.

Blind Final Fantasy 6 Let's Play

More like: "Because if the NSA can do it, then the Chinese Army could do it five years ago."

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Actually it sounds like what they are doing is storing old data until they figure out how to break the encryption.

Blind Final Fantasy 6 Let's Play

Encryption systems used at present make it relatively easy to upgrade the processing time taken to crack them - far, far easier than it is to crack them. (Adding an extra digit to the encryption key requires a computer several times as powerful to crack in the same amount of time). The most sensitive information uses keys large enough to take lifetimes to brute-force. This centre appears to be focused on cracking the codes of several years or decades ago, when encryption keys were more vulnerable and that the technology has now caught up to. They couldn't just tap your internet connection for your bank details or what have you. At least, not using a supercomputer.

edited 16th Mar '12 11:47:10 AM by Tenebrais

Everything is best in moderation.

Or as long as they did not find a vulnerability in RSA, either in the algorithm (extremely unlikely: any scientist who discovered something like that would publish the proof and get ridiculous amounts of recognition) or in the coding (still unlikely, but far less so. Bugs do happen).

But they seem to know where they are going, the ones who walk away from Omelas.

I suppose its a sign of the times that the first thing that popped into my head when I read this was: "Are they hiring?"

Still, the country's Biggest Spy Center is probably no different that having a CIA HQ or the Pentagon (for the Military) or even a White House (political)

The are several annoyances/Cons I can think of though.

1) It is not cost efficient.

The amount of time, money and resources may not actually give much back in terms of better intelligence than say, some kid in his mother's basement. (Probably NOT true, basement dwellers normally don't have super computers to play with...).

2) It means even more invasion of privacy by the government on EVERYONE.

While I doubt 99.99% of us have anything worthwile to spy upon, it would probably irk a few to have their mail searched, phone tapped, location tracked via GPS/Spy satalites etc.

Then there are the Pros:

1) It will (hopefully) signigicantly improve the country's Intel capabilities. Everything from the President's shoe size to the name of the niece of Fidel Castro's tailor could be discovered.

2) It means more invasion of privacy TO the government.

In the same vein as Wiki leaks, I am hoping this means a step towards a future where spy tools will become more invasive, wide spread and inescapable to the extent that the public at large can get information on the President's shoe size, the name, address and contact details of the niece of Fidel Castro's tailor.

That, and I suppose getting Clinton/Lewinski sex tapes on the internet (old news, but it is/was rather historic and more relevant that Pamela Anderson's/Paris Hilton's sex tapes.)

edited 16th Mar '12 7:01:12 PM by Natasel

Well, I'm sort of resigned to the end of privacy.

The issue at hand, in my view, is whether the government is using this data to fight crime, and not simply to harass people that don't personally like.

I'm a skeptical squirrel

Also, can we use this to harass the government somehow?

Not just some 3rd world government but the USA government.

edited 17th Mar '12 6:59:45 AM by Natasel

As long as it is symmetrical, I might even be OK with that. What I strenuously object to is governments keeping secrets from it citizens; if the government wants to keep track of me, I don't really have a problem with that — as long as I do know what they are saying about me, and as long as I get to keep track to the same level of accuracy of politicians, policy-makers and everybody else.

But they seem to know where they are going, the ones who walk away from Omelas.

On that I agree.

Speaking of privacy, why does the West value it, whereas Japan doesn't, see https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ValuesDissonance/Anime for what I'm talking about.

edited 2nd Jul '14 3:56:09 AM by HallowHawk

Hawk, why the heck are you Necro-ing a two-year old Thread?

"Please crush me with your heels Esdeath-sama!

Sorry. Found this thread and decided to say something here.

Use the Privacy thread.

Thanks