Panopticon of global surveillance

[Magda Hassan]

A Running List of What We Know the NSA Can Do. So Far.

Friday, January 17, 2014 - 09:20 AM

By Jody Avirgan : Associate Producer, The Brian Lehrer Show



National Security Agency (NSA) (Chris Hardie/flickr)

The trove of documents leaked by Edward Snowden has revealed the elaborate tricks the NSA can use to monitor communications and data around the world. Here, a running list of things we now know the NSA can do, based on media reports and other publicly available documents -- so far. If we missed any, let us know in the comments page or by tweeting @brianlehrer.
→ Note: Analysis, audio, and video of Obama's Thursday NSA speech is available here.

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• It can track the numbers of both parties on a phone call, as well location, time and duration. (More)
  
• It can hack Chinese phones and text messages. (More)
  
• It can set up fake internet cafes. (More)
  
• It can spy on foreign leaders' cell phones. (More)
  
• It can tap underwater fiber-optic cables. (More)
  
• It can track communication within media organizations like Al Jazeera. (More)
  
• It can hack into the UN video conferencing system. (More)
  
• It can track bank transactions. (More)
  
• It can monitor text messages. (More)
  
• It can access your email, chat, and web browsing history. (More)
  
• It can map your social networks. (More)
  
• It can access your smartphone app data. (More)
  
• It is trying to get into secret networks like Tor, diverting users to less secure channels. (More)
  
• It can go undercover within embassies to have closer access to foreign networks. (More)
  
• It can set up listening posts on the roofs of buildings to monitor communications in a city. (More)
  
• It can set up a fake LinkedIn. (More)
  
• It can track the reservations at upscale hotels. (More)
  
• It can intercept the talking points for Ban Ki-moon's meeting with Obama. (More)
  
• It can crack cellphone encryption codes. (More)
  
• It can hack computers that aren't connected to the internet using radio waves. (Update: Clarification -- the NSA can access offline computers through radio waves on which it has already installed hidden devices.) (More)
  
• It can intercept phone calls by setting up fake base stations. (More)
  
• It can remotely access a computer by setting up a fake wireless connection. (More)
  
• It can install fake SIM cards to then control a cell phone. (More)
  
• It can fake a USB thumb drive that's actually a monitoring device. (More)
  
• It can crack all types of sophisticated computer encryption. (Update: It is trying to build this capability.) (More)
  
• It can go into online games and monitor communication. (More)
  
• It can intercept communications between aircraft and airports. (More)
  
• (Update) It can physically intercept deliveries, open packages, and make changes to devices. (More) (h/t)
  
• (Update) It can tap into the links between Google and Yahoo data centers to collect email and other data. (More) (h/t)
  

http://www.wnyc.org/story/running-list-w...do-so-far/