Microsoft let NSA get encrypted data

[questionmark]

Microsoft has collaborated closely with US intelligence services to allow users' communications to be intercepted, including helping the National Security Agency to circumvent the company's own encryption, according to top-secret documents obtained by the Guardian.

The files provided by Edward Snowden illustrate the scale of co-operation between Silicon Valley and the intelligence agencies over the last three years. They also shed new light on the workings of the top-secret Prism program, which was disclosed by the Guardian and the Washington Post last month

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[MissMelsWell]

So here's the deal... Microsoft doesn't like working with governments or government agencies of any kind. They don't cave in to them easily. Since they caved, they must have no way around it. If I know my former fellow Microsoftie employees, they aren't necessarily making it a cake walk for the NSA. LOL

[LTsmarti]

Folks its called a "Subpoena". When the courts/law enforcement/govt agency hand your boss one you can pretty much guarantee that it will be complied with and quickly. Microsoft did not just say, "Ahh, what the Hell, you can have at, boys."

[Raptor Witness]

Whose job is it to alert the people that the Constitution is being subverted? We clearly cannot expect US business to care. They're gathering at least as much data on U.S. as the NSA.

The US military are more than co-conspirators in this process, they are the driving force behind the subversion.

Edited July 14, 2013 by Raptor Witness

[Babe Ruth]

It's been a long time coming.

They were talking about "back doors" and such years ago, well enough that even I understood it.

I'm not surprised, in this day and age.

[pallidin]

It's been a long time coming.

They were talking about "back doors" and such years ago, well enough that even I understood it.

I'm not surprised, in this day and age.

True. "Back doors" have been around for a long time. The original intent(well, published intent) was to allow selected technicians access to computer HD information, router settings, etc... that for whatever reason stopped being able to be gained entry in a normal way, in order to fix problems.

I've seen 'simple" backdoors consisting of nothing more than a special, secret username/password that overides consumer authentication, to a more elaborate scheme that uses that, but, also requires a special set of keystrokes to open-up a special screen to enter that info.

"Keystrokes" meaning either by an actual keyboard, or over the internet., and the "screen" can be totally invisible.

There are so many ways to create back doors it's boggling. Malware does this all the time.

And like i said, most if not all commercial OS's have secret manufacturer back doors.

This subject is so vast and complex that I will just leave it at that.

Now, for the NSA to acquire back doors, either through court order or otherwise is no surprise at least to me.

I guess I would advise that anyone using a computer should consider the computer to either be already "compromised" or if it isn't, easily comprimised at any given online moment from many sources including but by no means limited to, the NSA. This would include foreign governments and private financial hackers.

Facebook, porn sites, and peer-to-peer sites(think file sharing, such as music, illegal program downloads etc..) are well known havens for viruses and other malware.

YouTube, which touts it's virus-free environment is not immune either. With YouTube, the problem doesn't often come with the vid at all(YouTube claims to scan them) rather with commentor links(which are not scanned)

For all us YouTube users, NEVER click a commentors link.

Ever heard of a "drive-by" install? This is clever. You don't even have to click on ANY link, rather just visiting the homepage, or moving your mouse pointer over a link on that homepage can install malware. This is especially true with porn sites.

Another clever trick is this: You know those annoying pop-ups? Sure, you can disable pop-ups, but, NOT ALL ARE DISABLED !!!

Anyway, some are program coded to where if you click "I Decline" or the red X, it's coded to say that you agree!!!! And you will never know it.

Never, ever, close a pop-up that way.

Rather, use CTRL-ALT-DELETE, choose Task Manager, highlight the offensive listing and click "End Task" This may take more than one time for stubborn pop-ups, but this will prevent getting infected by the few that purposely mis-code the red X and "I Decline" button.

Ok, enough of my rambling for now. Be safe, my computing friends!!

Edited July 14, 2013 by pallidin

[Babe Ruth]

Thanks for the tip and the advice, Pallidin.