Are Reports About The Government Having A Direct Line Into Tech Company Servers A Hoax?

[FarCenter]

On of the suspicious characteristics of the WaPo and Guardian stories:

Twitter users have noted two inexplicable differences in the PowerPoint slides posted online by the Post and the Guardian. On a slide with the header “Dates When PRISM Collection Began For Each Provider,” there is a red box behind the PRISM logo on the Guardian version that is not present in the Post version. And the green arrow running diagonally across the slide is noticeably different in shape and spacing.

Of course, whoever is in charge of the presentation may make slightly varying copies of the presentation, so that if one leaks, they know who leaked it...

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/is-the-nsa-prism-spying-program-a-hoax-2013-6

But I doubt that NSA systems are directly connected with Microsoft et al. NSA would not want to provide such a pathway for attacking its systems.

[Robb]

1. That would be something, wouldn't it.

[uponit7771]

2. Did America's M$M report it?! Then yes, I'll put my money on hoax...US M$M is REALLY sloppy with...

...stories

[FarCenter]

3. The three reporter would be subject to a large confirmation bias

This would tend to make them gullible.

[notadmblnd]

4. Here's an article that claims

there has been a NSA key on every version of Windows since 1999 from what I have been reading.

Snip: To use cryptographic applications in Windows, users must load its cryptography architecture in a standard called CryptoAPI.

A year ago, researchers discovered there were two keys, or digital signatures, that allowed the loading of CryptoAPI -- Microsoft had one but the identity of the other keyholder was a mystery.

snip: Microsoft denied that the key belongs to the NSA, saying instead that the "_NSAKEY" label simply means the cryptography architecture meets the NSA's standards for export.


snip: "So no, the government cannot spy on your computer using Microsoft software. We don't intentionally leave backdoors. Microsoft has consistently opposed key escrow because we feel it is no good for the consumer, for Microsoft and no good for the government."

Fernandes said the NSA key would allow the intelligence agency to load services on users' machines without their authorization, an option it more likely would use against a corporation than an individual.

Snip: Fernandes posted a "fix" to the key on his Web site Friday, along with a press release announcing his report on the second key. The NSA failed to return comment on the key.

http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9909/03/windows.nsa.02/


The bold is mine I highlighted it because it stood out to me.

[FarCenter]

6. The _NSAKEY is more than likely either for testing or for the export versions

Recall that during the '90s there was a lot of controversy over what cryptography would be permitted and where, largely controlled by the Commerce Department using the Arms Export Control Act.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Export_of_cryptography_in_the_United_States

[Coyotl]

5. YES, the story is not true. Is it an intentional false flag? Not necessarily. It is ...

likelier that the story is more complex and the authors of the idea are not technically sophisticated enough to understand how it is done.

Read this thread:
HELLO WORLD! George W. Bush illegally spied on American citizens. Read all about it.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022963663

[on point]

7. Misunderstanding? You don't need access to the destination if you tap the route

If they are camping on AT&T, Verizon, Comcast etc lines, they can intercept anything sent to destinations like google, apple, yahoo etc.

The end points don't need to participate if the pipes are compromised......

[FarCenter]

8. That depends on whether the traffic is encrypted or not -- e.g. HTTP or HTTPS