Blackhacker

Before we where consumed with Elliot Spitzer’s sexual appetites, and is apparent indiscretions, the following was the top story of the day running page one, column one above the fold of the WSJ:

NSA’s Domestic Spying Grows As Agency Sweeps Up Data - WSJ.com
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Five years ago, Congress killed an experimental Pentagon antiterrorism program meant to vacuum up electronic data about people in the U.S. to search for suspicious patterns. Opponents called it too broad an intrusion on Americans’ privacy, even after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

But the data-sifting effort didn’t disappear. The National Security Agency, once confined to foreign surveillance, has been building essentially the same system.

This is the kind of thing that keeps me up at night. If there is such thing as a scary Government Agency, none fit the profile better than the NSA. Its entire reason for existing is eavesdropping. But it was created to spy on our enemies. Not us. But not anymore:

Two former officials familiar with the data-sifting efforts said they work by starting with some sort of lead, like a phone number or Internet address. In partnership with the FBI, the systems then can track all domestic and foreign transactions of people associated with that item — and then the people who associated with them, and so on, casting a gradually wider net. An intelligence official described more of a rapid-response effect: If a person suspected of terrorist connections is believed to be in a U.S. city — for instance, Detroit, a community with a high concentration of Muslim Americans — the government’s spy systems may be directed to collect and analyze all electronic communications into and out of the city.

So they ID A possible terrorist and they monitor the and ENTIRE CITY.

That’s not only a flagrant a total side step of the constitutional rights, it is also the STUPIDEST way to to find the related terrorist. As programmer who has written a program or two that needed to process large amounts of data: the easiest way to find a needle in a haystack is ID the hay and get rid of it, not pile on more hay.

Anyway in case you have for gotten this is the law of the land:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Just to be clear I consider who I talk to, on the phone, and the Internet also part of my effects. I just wish the supreme court agreed with me.

Supreme Court declines to hear NSA wiretap case
The most direct legal challenge to the controversial program of warrantless National Security Agency wiretaps authorized by President George Bush after the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, hit a wall on Tuesday when the Supreme Court declined to review whether a group of plaintiffs represented by the American Civil Liberties Union have a right to sue the government.

Few things in this world get me to cussing. When a grown man gets into my personal business is one of them.

AT&T rewrites rules: Your data isn’t yours
AT&T has issued an updated privacy policy that takes effect Friday. The changes are significant because they appear to give the telecom giant more latitude when it comes to sharing customers’ personal data with government officials.

Let’s understand. Who I call is only the business of me the person I call and those entities THAT I HIRE make the call possible. Being that I am the customer I feel those ENTITIES in my employ are are obliged to keep that information to themselves. THEY ONLY exception to this rule is when ordered by a court to do otherwise. I expect that their policies and practice to reflect these ideal. Anything less is a betrayal.

I suppose it is a good thing I am not a customer if AT&T. Verizon, this is for you TOO.

In case you hadn’t heard yet.

USATODAY.com - NSA has massive database of Americans’ phone calls
The National Security Agency has been secretly collecting the phone call records of tens of millions of Americans, using data provided by AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth, people with direct knowledge of the arrangement told USA TODAY.

The NSA program reaches into homes and businesses across the nation by amassing information about the calls of ordinary Americans — most of whom aren’t suspected of any crime. This program does not involve the NSA listening to or recording conversations. But the spy agency is using the data to analyze calling patterns in an effort to detect terrorist activity, sources said in separate interviews.

I understand that this kind of data mining (and that is what it is, in spite of what the President says. He either doesn’t really understand what data mining is or is lying) is necessary to uncover and apprehend loosely couple decentralized organization like Al Qaeda, but there was NO OVERSITE. Where was the check? Where was the balance? The President says, “I can do This cause that is how I interpret the constitution. I Don’t have to do that ’cause that’s how I interpret the constitution. ”

Well Mr. Bush, IT AINT YOUR JOB TO INTERPRET THE CONSTIUTION. THAT IS THE JOB OF THE COURTS.

Kudos to QUEST for telling the government NO. Thanks for having a spine.

Bob Cringly

Talked about the NSA wire tap program and gave a interesting revelation at the end.

“Here’s one more tidbit on wire-taps: They get you free phone service! The feds tapped the phone of the Sisters of Mercy in Washington D.C. because of some anti-war stance or something they took in the 1980s. The good sisters noticed some kind of clicking on the phone at times, and finally decided that someone must have tapped into their phone. Their solution: Don’t pay the bill so the phone company will have to shut off the phone. The phone never went dead, and they quit sending them bills! The Feds wouldn’t let Ma Bell shut them down, and probably began paying the bills. The sisters talked long and free with their friends across the country!”

Drug Dealers, Dissidents, Terrorist that dime is ours !!

Spy Court Judge Quits In Protest
Jurist Concerned Bush Order Tainted Work of Secret Panel

By Carol D. Leonnig and Dafna Linzer
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, December 21, 2005; Page A01

A federal judge has resigned from the court that oversees government surveillance in intelligence cases in protest of President Bush’s secret authorization of a domestic spying program, according to two sources.

If they don’t need you … might as well go home.

The 4th Amendment states:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

yet …

Bush Lets U.S. Spy on Callers Without Courts - New York Times
WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 - Months after the Sept. 11 attacks, President Bush secretly authorized the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on Americans and others inside the United States to search for evidence of terrorist activity without the court-approved warrants ordinarily required for domestic spying, according to government officials.

Authorizing the the NSA to violate the rights and civil liberties of Americans in my book is impeachable. The only thing is if that happens and he is removed, Cheny becomes President. 6 of one 1/2 a dozen of the other.