13 March 2014

NSA massively uses malware

The Snowdon files have revealed that the TURBINE project of America's USA was used to install and manage millions of malware installations. The system was operated from a distributed worldwide network of servers. GCHQ, the British intelligence agency was a very active collaborator. GCHQ is famous for hacking Belgians premier telecom operator Belgacom in Operation Socialist  (Belcacom management is closely linked to the reigning socialist party). Belgacom was an interesting target for tapping and hacking mobile phones and networks (with, among others, the European Institutions as customers) .
TURBINE contained an expert system to compose the optimal cocktail of malware to obtain the desired information, control, modification or cripling.
The system is operational from 2010 on and according to the documents controlled about 100.000 machines and growing.
Malwares in the catalog include tapping of all computer devices (data, microphone, camera, screen, browsing and communications, passwords, Skype...), but also of VPN routers.
Distribution techniques include SPAM mails an man in the middle attacks of popular websites like facebook and linkedin.
We all knew that all these things were possible. What is really worrying is the wide targeting and scale at which this is taking place.
More info...

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