Transcript - Julian Assange Interview - Hamish & Andy, Oct 2015

ꕤ Assange Transcript Source Hamish & Andy Audio - Oct 2015 http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/e/c/f/ecf7164bb3b333a5/Julian_Assange_Interview.mp3?c_id=9990803&expiration=1444478324&hwt=a6576deb465d02a68cbd40bd7149d0c3 JULIAN ASSANGE ꕤ  Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- TRANSCRIPT [for quotation purposes, confirm audio] Updated Assange Interview Hamish & Andy Show Podcast http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/e/c/f/ecf7164bb3b333a5/Julian_Assange_Interview.mp3?c_id=9990803&expiration=1444478324&hwt=a6576deb465d02a68cbd40bd7149d0c3 [skip intro] Hamish Blake Hamish & Andy Hello. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks G'day, this is Julian Assange here. Hamish Blake Hamish & Andy Hey, Julian, this is Hamish from the Hamish & Andy Show. Mate, thank you so much for taking the time. I'm just about to put you through to Andy. You'll just be talking to Ando. This is actually part of a segment where each of us tried to find a person that the other person would love to interview. Julian Assange WikiLeaks Uh-ha. Hamish Blake Hamish & Andy I'm brining you to Andy as the gift. Julian Assange WikiLeaks I see. I see. I've gotcha. Hamish Blake Hamish & Andy He got me Jeff Probst from Survivor. Ummm, absolutely no offence to you. I think your story's fascinating. But I've already used my interview up. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks The other one has to do the leg work. Hamish Blake Hamish & Andy Yeah. That's right. He got me Jeff. I've had a great time. Available for download [ skip ] ... But I won't chew up any more of your time. I'm going to pop you through to Andy. And best of luck. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Julian. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks G'day Andy. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Hey, thanks for taking the time. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks You're welcome. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Ummm, I'd imagine you've had a lot of in-depth political conversations with extremely informed interviewers. Ummm, I'm just letting you know that this is probably not that interview. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Rarely. Rarely. [Laughter] Andy Lee Hamish & Andy OK. Good. Good. [Laugher] But I am certainly fascinated about your story, and also obviously the new book, The WikiLeaks Files, which is out now -- which we'll cover off. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Yes. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy But I want to start, if I may, with the asylum thing and the fact that you are there in the Ecuadorian embassy. What is the set up? What is the set up, where do you live and what's the set up there? Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks So, right now, I'm in the Ecuadorian Embassy of London, in a police siege -- the longest running police siege ever -- surrounded by a hundred (100) full-time equivalent police from the British government. I've been detained (without charge in any country) in the United Kingdom, for five (5) years. And there's a series of court cases proceeding. Criminal court cases, civil court cases, in different countries: in the UK, in the United states, in Sweden, in Saudi Arabia, in Germany, in Australia, Denmark [and] Iceland. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Mmmm-mmmm. And they're the one-- --and so, I suppose that's the reason why you sought asylum. You obviously don't want to face those charges at the moment. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks I have not been charged. It's an important thing to remember. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yes, I'm sorry. They want you for questioning. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Well, there's quite a large number of cases. The serious one is the US case, where there's a pending prosecution for espionage; in relation -- you were talking the Swedish case -- in relation to the Swedish case, I have already been cleared in that quote 'preliminary investigation' unquote. The state of play now is it's still a 'preliminary investigation'. They have refused to take my statement in five (5) years. Nothing has happened in the case in five (5) years. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy So, how long do you plan to wait, if those investigations around the world and those case -- like you mentioned, the one for espionage? Did you you have a plan when you sought asylum? Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks My plan was to-- It was a very dangerous and difficult environment outside the embassy. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yep. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks And, so, yeah. There was a strategic plan, which is to-- Andy Lee Hamish & Andy [interjects] Avoid them [laughter]. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks --seek and receive asylum, both in a legal sense and in a practical sense -- and get into a country that was safer. The first part of that has been successful. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yep. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks So, I've won the asylum case. Ummm, and that then changes a little bit the legal and political character of everything else that happens, because it has been a formal founding that I have been politically persecuted by the United States. But we still now have to achieve the practical component. The UK's in violation of international law. But so was the Iraq war, right? Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yes Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks So, it's a bit hard to force a big state to obey the law. That's a matter of politics. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy So, on that point, how does one go about trying to seek asylum? Was Ecuador your first choice? Do you ring around a number of embassies? Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks We looked at about twenty (20) different countries and we were negotiating with a variety of them. Ecuador just got its boots on the ground first, as a kind of practical measure. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yep. And as you mentioned, I mean, British police have been out the front of that building for so many years. Ummm, they're waiting for you to come out in-- Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks [interjects] Well, they've been around the building and in surrounding buildings, which are owned by Harrods, which they have struck a deal with. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yep. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks They've been inside the building. They hide behind the toilet on the exit stairwells. On the rooftops they have surveillance teams all over the place. It's a big operation. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy So where do you think-- Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks -- They admit that they've spent more than twelve (12) million pounds on it so far. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Wow. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks More than fifteen (15) million Australian dollars. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy And, so, where is safe for you within that building, and what's your sleeping arrangements like? Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Within the building? Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yeah. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Well, nowhere is safe. They have managed to gain control from time to time of the floors above and below. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yeah, wow. And, and-- Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks And they've been caught doing that. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yeah, OK. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Ummm, they've even planted bugs in the ambassador's office. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Could they release [???] to us now? 6:57 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Almost certainly. I mean, the United Kingdom -- it's come out in the Snowden revelations -- intercepts everything passing in and out of the UK automatically, regardless of whether it was me or not. But, specifically, the GCHQ, the UK's electronic spy service was revealed to be spying on us. Yes. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Wow. I mean, you're probably used to that now, but that seems quite exciting -- err, for me [laughter]. Ummm, lets-- 7:30 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks I mean, it is exciting, generally speaking. But it's, you know, it's a bit difficult on my family and a bit -- well, frankly, it's bloody unjust being detained without charge for five (5) years-- Andy Lee Hamish & Andy And intrusive, I'd imagine. Well, talking of your family-- Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks -- it's just not right. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy --how do you get a chance to meet with family and friends? Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks With extreme difficulty. Because of the surveillance operation, people who come to the embassy run the risk of being exposed. Very likely to be exposed. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yep. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks So, people who I don't want the UK government being able to -- and its allies to have some pressure on -- obviously can't come to the embassy. 8:12 Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Of course. For their own safety. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Yeah. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yeah. So how do you pass your days? Do you have the internet in there? I imagine it would be tapped as well. Is there a gym? Is there sunlight? Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Well, it's-- it's very interesting that people have that question. It actually reveals something about the way people think about what people do and that doing is somehow coupled to progressing through the physical environment. There's that assumption, but-- Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yep. 8:40 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks --you know, I'm a -- which I like to do. But I do intellectual work, so I write books and I manage an organisation that's spread out all over the world, and its involves really serious stuff, and is fighting all these court cases and banking blockades and so on. So, actually, there's more work to do when you're stuck in an embassy than when you're not stuck at an embassy. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy [laughter] I understand that. But, I mean, a lot of people to do their work -- and need to be stimulated, you know, by some things -- the idea of exercise can stimulate the brain. These things, I mean, do they come readily to you every day, or are there ways that you can tune out? 9:20 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Well, I mean, it's like being on a submarine, right? Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yep. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Maybe Australian navy people [???] submarines-- It's very-- Well, they don't go down for three years. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy No, three (3) years would be a long dive [laughter]. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Three (3) years, no sun. They don't do that. But on the other hand, they don't have such interesting visitors, either. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yeah. I mean, WikiLeaks the website, a global phenomenon. It's divided people, as you are well aware and I think all our listeners would be well aware. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Not really. [Laughter] Not really. It's divided some bullshit commentators. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy [Laughter] 9:55 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks It's certainly divided the Pentagon and it's divided some politicians that have been exposed, but we have global polling across twenty-four (24) countries, so it's not really divided. We have overwhelming support across twenty-four (24) countries. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy No doubt. And amazing that you've obviously been able to win these awards, even though there's allegations against you of espionage, or at least an interest in that area from the US government. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Yeah. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy But, you know, it is a divisive topic. Explain to our audience-- 10:22 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Well, even in the US -- we have forty percent (40%) support in the US. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Well, explain to our audience then why you think it must exist. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Why WikiLeaks must exist? Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yeah. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Well, it's existed nine (9) years now. We actually have the most effective argument -- not the best argument, the most effective argument -- which is: it's now part of the status quo. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yes, it is. 10:44 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks That the world has a place for WikiLeaks, simply by the fact that we've been around for nine (9) years. But in terms of something more interesting than that: well, look the results. We've published ten million (10,000,000) documents now, about every country in the world. And it's about basic education. That if you don't know what's happening in the world -- you can't escape reality, you can't stick your head in the sand -- sooner or later, reality will catch up with you, just like it did, say for example, in the Iraq war. And while often it is because it happens to someone else, eventually, it will happen to you. I mean, we're seeing that, for example, with this terrible mess that has been produced in Syria, which is starting to affect Australia now. So it's not just something that can happen over there. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy No, I understand that and I think people would understand that freedom of information means that people will hide less and be better informed to make decisions. Ummm, are there issues, do you think-- Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Well, it's the risk. It's also the risk. Ummm, that if people in governments and major corporations can't be certain that they can keep their plans secret, that has a really powerful deterrent effect. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yes. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Even if they think the chance of their stuff -- you know, of us getting hold of their stuff is maybe only one in ten thousand, say -- that one in ten thousand chance really does have a deterrent effect. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yeah, it will probably hold people to kind of a higher moral code. But do you think there are issues that need hiding? If I threw an example to you, and I'm sure you've had this question before, but if you came across a document that's outlining a way to stop a terrorist plot and by posting it that might alert terrorists, is that where something where WikiLeaks would show discretion there? 12:41 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks We have got a lot of experience. We've done thousands of cases and ten million (10,000,000) documents, and we have a record of never having got it wrong in relation to a single document, in terms of its accuracy, and no-one being physically harmed as a result; that even the US government has been able to find, and it was forced to say that -- the Pentagon was forced to say under oath in court. So there are decisions to be made in relation to -- Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Well, this one wouldn't be people [skip] ... Like, this would be potentially alerting people so we don't catch them, I suppose. 13:22 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Yeah, it's something that's on people's minds. But there's a reason it's on people's minds, which is because every time the press exposes the Pentagon or, you know, an equivalent agency, killing people, they try to distract on the issue; and they try to change the topic and start talking about what journalists have done. But there's, you know, a long history in the press of -- I'm not aware of a single case where the press has published national security related information and this has led to retribution that has resulted in physical harm of anyone ever. Now, of course, one can theorise that maybe there are some cases. But, in practice, it doesn't happen. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yep. Well, many people agree with you. You've won so many awards for your work while being in the Ecuadorian embassy. Who accepts those awards for you on your behalf -- at the actual events? I mean, do you do a little 'piece de video' [??], or send in someone along with a note? 14:29 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Sometimes we send someone along, sometimes they bring things back here. Sometimes it's, you know-- it's really the whole team that deserves the award. It's why I am most prominently getting the lightning, there's quite a big team of people who do the actual work. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Do you feel there are days where the cause that you're fighting-- You know, it's obviously taken over your life in every extreme because you are confined to the embassy. I mean, there would be days you yearn for normality. What are the key things you miss, do you think? Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Well, I often get that question. I'm not going to give the bastards the pleasure of saying what I miss. They want very much to turn me into some kind of deterrent. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yep. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks I'm someone who has not even been charged, so I'm not going to get into the business of deterring people from following in my footsteps. I want to encourage people to follow in my footsteps. But, ummm-- Andy Lee Hamish & Andy I appreciate that. 15:35 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks -- so [inaudible]. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yep. Let me play on then. Like you mentioned, there are so many cables and documents on WikiLeaks, it makes sense to me to put them in a book. I'll tell you why. It's because I don't know where to start sometimes. If I went to WikiLeaks the website, there's just so much information. So if it's a little bit easier to consume, potentially more people are going to do that. Is that where you see the benefit of The WikiLeaks Files? Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Well, we ended up with so much information. Now we've done what Google has done. We have a sophisticated search engine which is on the front page. So you can put in some guy that your sister is about to go out with, or something, in the name. We see quite a lot of that. Yeah, so there's that way of doing things and that's fast. But in terms of something more nuanced, yeah, that's why we wrote this book. Because we wanted to see something much more in depth, in terms of looking at the structural relationships between countries. Not just a little nugget here and there, but, you know, what's happening in Syria, for example, as far as our material is concerned -- does it give an insight into what is happening? And it does. I mean, it shows very clearly that we have, if you like, part of the plan the US started erecting from at least 2006 to overthrow the Syrian government. Well before the problems in the Arab Spring. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Is the book available in the US? 17:15 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks It's available in the US, it's available in the UK, yeah. The US is an interesting country. In some ways it's better than the United Kingdom. OK, it's a militarised country, which is problematic; a very large and powerful country. On the other hand, if you look at concentrations of power, there is New York, Washington, California, broadly speaking, and the South. Texas. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yes. 17:49 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Now, to make that more concrete, seventeen percent (17%) of corporate registrations are in New York, whereas if you look -- and that's the max -- the city with the most. Whereas, if you look at the United Kingdom, more than eighty percent (80%) of corporate registrations are in London, [inaudible ???] are in London. Just imagine how bad the US would be, if for the past four hundred (400) years, Washington was in the same place as New York, as LA, as Houston. UK's a very tightly integrated society, with a conformist, controlling social structure. So we see, in the US, a lot more support for me and WikiLeaks than we do here in the UK, because there's more freedom to be your own thing in the US -- somewhere in the US. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy OK. And in their Constitution. And they feel that and fight for those rights vehemently. 18:54 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Well, they're rapidly eroding. But, yeah, part of the social make-up has the idea that there should be such a thing as free speech. Obviously, it's being very quickly eroded, but yeah we have-- In practice that is translated to on the ground support -- significant support for us -- within the United States. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy You used to be (or, I read) -- and whether you like the term, I'm not sure -- a hacker. And I read that you were hacking for good, not evil; and that's why authorities were lenient back in the day. What type of -- again, the term 'hacking' -- Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks No good deed goes unpunished, right? Andy Lee Hamish & Andy [Laughter] Yes. What type of hacking did you get up to and what made it good? I couldn't really quite understand that bit. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Well, there's-- I don't like this term. I mean, it's used as a propaganda term. Steve Jobs was also a hacker. Bill Gates was also a hacker. At the same age -- which is, you know, when I was a teenager. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Is there another term you'd like to replace it with? Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks No, I don't. I think it's a perfectly nice term. It's been bastardised because now you've got these, you know, Eastern European mafia hacking your grandmother-- Andy Lee Hamish & Andy [Laughing] Yeah. 20:12 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks So people don't like it. But in terms of exploring the early internet, before, you know, normal people were allowed on the internet, while it was still a military and research object, yeah, I was there, you know, reading Pentagon generals' e-mails each night when I was seventeen. And it starts to give you a-- You know, Australia's a pretty isolated place, so it starts to -- it allows you to, sort of, see a little bit about how the world is actually structured from the inside. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Can you remember that feeling, when you first got in and you realised that you could go in and read the Pentagon's e-mails? Can you remember that feeling? 20:56 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Yeah, it's a sort of buzz that you get that is like, you know, like any kind of -- like parachuting or something like that. The same adrenalin producing activity-- Andy Lee Hamish & Andy --exhilarating. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks --but -- but, also has an intellectual and political side. So it's also a buzz associated with learning, not just the risk of the experience but, you know, that you're learning about the world in some important way. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy For someone so-- Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks It is a-- it is quite an amazing thing to be involved in, especially then. Now everyone can go onto the internet. You know, you can get half that. Half that. But, you know, reaching out into the world and understanding information. You know, we can all log onto the internet and do a lot of that now, but back then the internet in Australia was only available to computer hackers and a couple of research institutes. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy [Laughter] Which is incredible. For someone so well informed about the cyber world, do you think our society is too exposed online and, you know, the lay person here and people that aren't super into it -- and our audience may or may not be -- but, from my perspective, I never really know how exposed we are. What do you see the threats there for just everyday people? 22:12 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Look, it's really serious in the long-term. For everyday people, there's a practical reality. The big American internet companies -- Google, Facebook etc -- are constantly recording and intercepting what you're doing. Because if you think you're just using Google when you go to Google search pages, it's not true. It has trackers embedded in most websites, because it has deals with most websites to supply the ads of those websites, or tracking software that the websites use to collect statistics and so on, and it powers most smartphones. So the activity on your smartphone goes to Google. It collects all that. And then the National Security Agency ('NSA') and the FBI in the United States then stick their fangs into Google's data repositories and Facebook's as well, and they also have their own massive surveillance operation, and the Australian government through the ASD -- the Australian Signals Directorate -- also intercepts a lot of information as it goes in and out of the country -- in bulk -- and then exchanges this through what is known as the Five Eyes alliance, which is the alliance of intelligence agencies led by the United States, the NSA, in the Anglo-Christian countries. It's probably, you know, unfamiliar with your listeners, but one of the great structuring principles of the world is what the relationships are between the deep states of various countries. So between the intelligence agencies of the countries. 24:03 And there's a really intimate integration between Australia, the United States, the UK, New Zealand, and Canada, that has been around for -- well, essentially, since post World War II -- that has developed an ever stronger bond as time has gone by. So, in some sense, we should look at those five countries on a geopolitical level as the one country. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yeah, I understand that. So everyday use of our smart phones is essentially writing files on us and giving it straight to them. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Well, yeah, either because the traffic from your phone is going through these mass interception points that these various countries have set up, where data ingresses or egresses a country, goes across some fibre optic cable under the ocean, or because -- and the second factor, is starting to become more of a problem than the first one -- or because, Google is running your smartphone or you're using Facebook services. And those large data repositories are accessible, not only by those companies and their affiliates, but by those jurisdictions. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Ah, Julian, I know I've gone over time but I just want to warp it up. A couple of things. Has your Spanish improved being there at the embassy? Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks A bit. But, you know, I'm someone who, unfortunately, is constantly working in English. So it does distract your language ability when you're focused in one so heavily. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy And, I know that you were at North Queensland, when you were in Australia -- when you grew up -- ummm, are you aware that the North Queensland Cowboys won the NRL final? Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks I am not. I am not, but I'm pleased. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy They did on the Weekend. On Sunday. So I thought -- I was hoping I'd be the first person to tell you. I know you're not number one ticket holder, but congratulations to you and your people up there. [Laughter] Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Thanks. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Julian, thank you, mate. The WikiLeaks Files, out now everybody. Published by Verso and available at Booktopia and also in good bookshops. Have a great day, and you're a very fascinating man. I can very much appreciate how you've stuck to your guns. It's inspiring. Well done. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks OK. Thanks, Andy. Bye, Bye. Take care. --- end: 26:25 --- ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Other UKUSA Agreement multi-lateral secret treaty between intelligence agencies https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UKUSA_Agreement LATEST BOOK Assange, Co-Author The WikiLeaks Files (2015) | here POLITICAL PERSECUTION  JULIAN ASSANGE Australian Journalist FAQ & Support https://justice4assange.com/  JULIAN ASSANGE Transnational Security Elite Carving Up the World Using Your Tax Money (2010) | here ꕤ

Western Prisoners of Technotyranny of Shadow Governments in the Service of Corporate Elites

ꕤ Article SOURCE https://www.rutherford.org/publications_resources/john_whiteheads_commentary/the_nsas_technotyranny_one_nation_under_surveillance The NSA’s Technotyranny: One Nation Under Surveillance By John W. Whitehead May 26, 2015     “The ultimate goal of the NSA is total population control.”—William Binney, NSA whistleblower We now have a fourth branch of government. As I document in my new book Battlefield America: The War on the American People, this fourth branch came into being without any electoral mandate or constitutional referendum, and yet it possesses superpowers, above and beyond those of any other government agency save the military. It is all-knowing, all-seeing and all-powerful. It operates beyond the reach of the president, Congress and the courts, and it marches in lockstep with the corporate elite who really call the shots in Washington, DC. You might know this branch of government as Surveillance, but I prefer “technotyranny,” a term coined by investigative journalist James Bamford to refer to an age of technological tyranny made possible by government secrets, government lies, government spies and their corporate ties. Beware of what you say, what you read, what you write, where you go, and with whom you communicate, because it will all be recorded, stored and used against you eventually, at a time and place of the government’s choosing. Privacy, as we have known it, is dead. The police state is about to pass off the baton to the surveillance state. Having already transformed local police into extensions of the military, the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department and the FBI are preparing to turn the nation’s soldier cops into techno-warriors, complete with iris scanners, body scanners, thermal imaging Doppler radar devices, facial recognition programs, license plate readers, cell phone Stingray devices and so much more. This is about to be the new face of policing in America. The National Security Agency (NSA) has been a perfect red herring, distracting us from the government’s broader, technology-driven campaign to render us helpless in the face of its prying eyes. In fact, long before the NSA became the agency we loved to hate, the Justice Department, the FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration were carrying out their own secret mass surveillance on an unsuspecting populace. Just about every branch of the government—from the Postal Service to the Treasury Department and every agency in between—now has its own surveillance sector, authorized to spy on the American people. Then there are the fusion and counterterrorism centers that gather all of the data from the smaller government spies—the police, public health officials, transportation, etc.—and make it accessible for all those in power. And of course that doesn’t even begin to touch on the complicity of the corporate sector, which buys and sells us from cradle to grave, until we have no more data left to mine. The raging debate over the fate of the NSA’s blatantly unconstitutional, illegal and ongoing domestic surveillance programs is just so much noise, what Shakespeare referred to as “sound and fury, signifying nothing.” It means nothing: the legislation, the revelations, the task forces, and the filibusters. The government is not giving up, nor is it giving in. It has stopped listening to us. It has long since ceased to take orders from “we the people.” If you haven’t figured it out yet, none of it—the military drills, the surveillance, the militarized police, the strip searches, the random pat downs, the stop-and-frisks, even the police-worn body cameras—is about fighting terrorism. It’s about controlling the populace. Despite the fact that its data snooping has been shown to be ineffective at detecting, let alone stopping, any actual terror attacks, the NSA continues to operate largely in secret, carrying out warrantless mass surveillance on hundreds of millions of Americans’ phone calls, emails, text messages and the like, beyond the scrutiny of most of Congress and the taxpayers who are forced to fund its multi-billion dollar secret black ops budget. Legislation such as the USA Patriot Act serves only to legitimize the actions of a secret agency run by a shadow government. Even the proposed and ultimately defeated USA Freedom Act, which purported to restrict the reach of the NSA’s phone surveillance program—at least on paper—by requiring the agency to secure a warrant before surveillance could be carried out on American citizens and prohibiting the agency from storing any data collected on Americans, amounted to little more than a paper tiger: threatening in appearance, but lacking any real bite. The question of how to deal with the NSA—an agency that operates outside of the system of checks and balances established by the Constitution—is a divisive issue that polarizes even those who have opposed the NSA’s warrantless surveillance from the get-go, forcing all of us—cynics, idealists, politicians and realists alike—to grapple with a deeply unsatisfactory and dubious political “solution” to a problem that operates beyond the reach of voters and politicians: how do you trust a government that lies, cheats, steals, sidesteps the law, and then absolves itself of wrongdoing to actually obey the law? Since its official start in 1952, when President Harry S. Truman issued a secret executive order establishing the NSA as the hub of the government’s foreign intelligence activities, the agency—nicknamed “No Such Agency”—has operated covertly, unaccountable to Congress all the while using taxpayer dollars to fund its secret operations. It was only when the agency ballooned to 90,000 employees in 1969, making it the largest intelligence agency in the world with a significant footprint outside Washington, DC, that it became more difficult to deny its existence. In the aftermath of Watergate in 1975, the Senate held meetings under the Church Committee in order to determine exactly what sorts of illicit activities the American intelligence apparatus was engaged in under the direction of President Nixon, and how future violations of the law could be stopped. It was the first time the NSA was exposed to public scrutiny since its creation. The investigation revealed a sophisticated operation whose surveillance programs paid little heed to such things as the Constitution. For instance, under Project SHAMROCK, the NSA spied on telegrams to and from the U.S., as well as the correspondence of American citizens. Moreover, as the Saturday Evening Post reports, “Under Project MINARET, the NSA monitored the communications of civil rights leaders and opponents of the Vietnam War, including targets such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Mohammed Ali, Jane Fonda, and two active U.S. Senators. The NSA had launched this program in 1967 to monitor suspected terrorists and drug traffickers, but successive presidents used it to track all manner of political dissidents.” Senator Frank Church (D-Ida.), who served as the chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence that investigated the NSA, understood only too well the dangers inherent in allowing the government to overstep its authority in the name of national security. Church recognized that such surveillance powers “at any time could be turned around on the American people, and no American would have any privacy left, such is the capability to monitor everything: telephone conversations, telegrams, it doesn’t matter. There would be no place to hide.” Noting that the NSA could enable a dictator “to impose total tyranny” upon an utterly defenseless American public, Church declared that he did not “want to see this country ever go across the bridge” of constitutional protection, congressional oversight and popular demand for privacy. He avowed that “we,” implicating both Congress and its constituency in this duty, “must see to it that this agency and all agencies that possess this technology operate within the law and under proper supervision, so that we never cross over that abyss. That is the abyss from which there is no return.” The result was the passage of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), and the creation of the FISA Court, which was supposed to oversee and correct how intelligence information is collected and collated. The law requires that the NSA get clearance from the FISA Court, a secret surveillance court, before it can carry out surveillance on American citizens. Fast forward to the present day, and the so-called solution to the problem of government entities engaging in unjustified and illegal surveillance—the FISA Court—has unwittingly become the enabler of such activities, rubberstamping almost every warrant request submitted to it. The 9/11 attacks served as a watershed moment in our nation’s history, ushering in an era in which immoral and/or illegal government activities such as surveillance, torture, strip searches, SWAT team raids are sanctioned as part of the quest to keep us “safe.” In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, George W. Bush secretly authorized the NSA to conduct warrantless surveillance on Americans’ phone calls and emails. That wireless wiretap program was reportedly ended in 2007 after the New York Times reported on it, to mass indignation. Nothing changed under Barack Obama. In fact, the violations worsened, with the NSA authorized to secretly collect internet and telephone data on millions of Americans, as well as on foreign governments. It was only after whistleblower Edward Snowden’s revelations in 2013 that the American people fully understood the extent to which they had been betrayed once again. What this brief history of the NSA makes clear is that you cannot reform the NSA. As long as the government is allowed to make a mockery of the law—be it the Constitution, the FISA Act or any other law intended to limit its reach and curtail its activities—and is permitted to operate behind closed doors, [relying] on secret courts, secret budgets and secret interpretations of the laws of the land, there will be no reform. Presidents, politicians, and court rulings have come and gone over the course of the NSA’s 60-year history, but none of them have done much to put an end to the NSA’s “technotyranny.” The beast has outgrown its chains. It will not be restrained. The growing tension seen and felt throughout the country is a tension between those who wield power on behalf of the government—the president, Congress, the courts, the military, the militarized police, the technocrats, the faceless unelected bureaucrats who blindly obey and carry out government directives, no matter how immoral or unjust, and the corporations—and those among the populace who are finally waking up to the mounting injustices, seething corruption and endless tyrannies that are transforming our country into a technocrized police state. At every turn, we have been handicapped in our quest for transparency, accountability and a representative democracy by an establishment culture of secrecy: secret agencies, secret experiments, secret military bases, secret surveillance, secret budgets, and secret court rulings, all of which exist beyond our reach, operate outside our knowledge, and do not answer to “we the people.” What we have failed to truly comprehend is that the NSA is merely one small part of a shadowy permanent government comprised of unelected bureaucrats who march in lockstep with profit-driven corporations that actually runs Washington, DC, and works to keep us under surveillance and, thus, under control. For example, Google openly works with the NSA, Amazon has built a massive $600 million intelligence database for the CIA, and the telecommunications industry is making a fat profit by spying on us for the government. In other words, Corporate America is making a hefty profit by aiding and abetting the government in its domestic surveillance efforts. Conveniently, as the Intercept recently revealed, many of the NSA’s loudest defenders have financial ties to NSA contractors. Thus, if this secret regime not only exists but thrives, it is because we have allowed it through our ignorance, apathy and naïve trust in politicians who take their orders from Corporate America rather than the Constitution. If this shadow government persists, it is because we have yet to get outraged enough to push back against its power grabs and put an end to its high-handed tactics. And if this unelected bureaucracy succeeds in trampling underfoot our last vestiges of privacy and freedom, it will be because we let ourselves be fooled into believing that politics matters, that voting makes a difference, that politicians actually represent the citizenry, that the courts care about justice, and that everything that is being done is in our best interests. Indeed, as political scientist Michael J. Glennon warns, you can vote all you want, but the people you elect aren’t actually the ones calling the shots. “The American people are deluded … that the institutions that provide the public face actually set American national security policy,” stated Glennon. “They believe that when they vote for a president or member of Congress or succeed in bringing a case before the courts, that policy is going to change. But … policy by and large in the national security realm is made by the concealed institutions.” In other words, it doesn’t matter who occupies the White House: the secret government with its secret agencies, secret budgets and secret programs won’t change. It will simply continue to operate in secret until some whistleblower comes along to momentarily pull back the curtain and we dutifully—and fleetingly—play the part of the outraged public, demanding accountability and rattling our cages, all the while bringing about little real reform. Thus, the lesson of the NSA and its vast network of domestic spy partners is simply this: once you allow the government to start breaking the law, no matter how seemingly justifiable the reason, you relinquish the contract between you and the government which establishes that the government works for and obeys you, the citizen—the employer—the master. Once the government starts operating outside the law, answerable to no one but itself, there’s no way to rein it back in, short of revolution. And by revolution, I mean doing away with the entire structure, because the corruption and lawlessness have become that pervasive. https://www.rutherford.org/publications_resources/john_whiteheads_commentary/the_nsas_technotyranny_one_nation_under_surveillance ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- COMMENT I switched my attention to another topic because the mass non-European invasion in Europe was seriously freaking me out, while the events in Israel were also beginning to do my head in.  But reading this is just as depressing. What applies in the US, applies elsewhere.  It's just different nations and different agencies, operating in much the same way and in cooperation with their US counterparts and allies (see Five Eyes & note the German BND cooperation with US spying, along with the Five Eyes partners). It sounds like all ordinary people are doomed to being controlled by shadow unelected governments, that are operating in the service of the corporate elite's interests, and evidently a law unto themselves. Can't see a revolution coming any time soon, so we're all prisoners and the entire Western democratic government edifice is a lie. ꕤ

Latest CyberSec News & Related

ꕤ Article SOURCE as indicated Universal Music abusing the DMCA ie #Copyright Act rightsholders MUST consider FAIR USE prior take-down issues http://boingboing.net/2015/09/14/eff-scores-a-giant-victory-for.html #India IT security =  1.2 billion in 2016 http://www.consultancy.uk/news/2591/indian-IT-security-market-reaches-12-billion-next-year #Microsoft signs landmark agreement with #NATO re govt #cybersecurity / solidification relationship http://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-signs-agreement-with-nato-to-bolster-government-cybersecurity Intel in #cybersecurity - auto-mobiles auto security board set up: Automotive Security Review Board (ASRB) Intel Security (formerly McAfee) published a whitepaper re automotive security best practices http://forexreportdaily.com/2015/09/14/6873-intel-in-cyber-security-driving-seat-sets-up-connected-auto-security-board/ NSA Recruiting / Scholarships USA Colleges vie to entice w. NSA cyber program scholarship stipulation = NSA job on degree http://fedscoop.com/colleges-vie-to-entice-students-with-nsa-cyber-program USA + China meet re #cybersecurity - White House Kerry, Rice + Homeland Sec. Jeh Johnson > comm. competition blocks USA whining that the following  stop US competing on level playing field in China: fines opaque regulatory system http://www.lidtime.com/u-s-chinese-officials-meet-on-cyber-security-issues-white-house-5652/ University of Texas at San Antonio grant puts city on centre #cybersecurity stage emerging cybersecurity + tech hub / expressnews (subscipt) #cybersecurity #hacker Millennial Gen / Gen Y born post 1980 social media over-sharing / lax security http://www.afr.com/technology/a-third-of-millennials-warned-by-employers-over-social-media-posts-norton-20150914-gjlw1h Cybersecurity Bill  |  CISA   |  USA Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) Light on Security legal immunity for sharing cyber-intel with govt PRIVACY implications / poised to pass http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/09/14/a-cybersecurity-bill-light-on-security-heavy-on-corporate- Jeb Bush wants USA Internet gov. against transfer of  ICANN oversight to multistakeholders Following Presidential candidates also get a mention re cybersec: Rubio - Marco Rubio Fiorina - Carly Fiorina http://fedscoop.com/jeb-bush-unveils-cybersecurity-plan Clinton appears to be  the CYBERSEC & MILLENNIAL candidate #Clinton2016 'Best Choice' Cybercrime Wakefield Research poll - 42% over half millennials Dems better http://www.inc.com/will-yakowicz/poll-hillary-clinton-most-qualified-presidential-candidate-for-cyberattack.html Hackers hit the Kremlin  #Russia target: election commission website sounds like DDoS http://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/253609-hackers-hit-the-kremlin #cybersecurity #banking #cloud x4 US banks agreement w/ regulators re 'guaranteed data deletion' issues Symphony = service created thru consortium of 14 financial instutions Goldman Sachs Deutsche Bank Credit Suisse Bank of New York Mellon = guaranteed data deletion / hinder regulators + prosecutors to investigate misconduct? Does use of Symphony re communications = regulators avoidance? [ I'm not clear on that] http://www.stockhouse.com/news/newswire/2015/09/14/four-us-banks-reach-agreement-with-regulators-on-guaranteed-data-deletion-issues #Russia Yuri Ushakov fmr career diplomat fmr deputy Foreign Minister PhD:  history 2008 appointment Putin deputy chief staff foreign-policy + international economics [various sources - incl. Foreign Policy] #cybersecurity DECEPTION SOFTWARE  / HONEYPOT SOFTWARE Deception to Catch #hacker fake network component, server or database to study their behaviour DECEPTION cybersecurity aims: 1. ID intruders / share info 2. drains hacker resources until aware duped 3. study hackers Deception has long been part of the art of war WWII, USA & British armies set up fake camps to dupe Germans / Penny Crosman {cybersec} Honeypot software = fake system = sits on network = exposes fake or real services to the attacker new gen. honeypot software = called 'deception software' centrally managed, integrated w/ other security software deception software popular with:  financial services x4 layers  (ie "deception stack"): network endpoint application data each layer of x4 deception software = has deception capabilities deception layers: eg. fake credentials in browser caches of decoy workstations, phony files & data sets. deception layers: eg. endpoint set up to look like it runs eg Windows, when is a Linux machine. deception layers: eg. fake OS = deceive malware into attacking vulnerabilities OS does not have. deception strategy: once intruder detected / continue to 'entertain' *find out what intruder knows re system decoy documents eg fake 'new product designs' = embedded w/ tracking element = knowing when & where opened deception software hidden tech in documents = beacon calling 'home' = info re intruder DECEPTION software providers: Attivo Networks TrapX Security Allure Security Technology CyberTrap Cymmetria ForeScout GuardiCore Hexis Cyber Solutions LogRhythm Percipient Networks Rapid7 Shape Security Specter TopSpin Security DECEPTION software LIMITATIONS If the hacker: 1) obtained correct credentials re system 2) knows where to look ie ... if not rummaging, knows where to go & where to get it, deception software ineffective Deception software = not foolproof = but significantly raises odds of detection & lowers false positives http://www.americanbanker.com/news/bank-technology/deception-may-be-the-best-way-to-catch-cybercriminals-1076667-1.html #cybersecurity US Dept Commerce rethinking proposed rule controlling  EXPORT of hacking TOOLS / intrusion software b/c stifles research source (subscription) http://www.law360.com/articles/702478/commerce-to-revise-cyber-rule-said-to-hamper-research #cybersecurity #hacker Cisco routers vulnerable to new attack attacks replace OS used in network Cisco equip. Cisco router attacks = x14 instances of router implants found in: India Mexico Philippines Ukraine http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/15/us-cybersecurity-routers-cisco-systems-idUSKCN0RF0N420150915 Malvertising #cybersecurity #hacker Malvertising Campaign Rages Undetected For 3 Weeks / manipulate ad networks' chain of trust Malvertising = number of new tactics to make attackers harder to track down eg use domain names registered years ago w/ BBB #Hacker = look like legit bus. using real-time bidding = ads clean = ads redirected to point for download malicious code ads  thru encrypted HTTPS channel = lets third party directly serve up content + encrypt comm. / no inspect. Malvertising attackers used Google URL shortener in redirects Malwarebytes + Google working to solve Malvertising hits, incl: http://ebay.co.uk  http://drudgereport.com  http://answers.com Malvertising compromised various small ad networks + major ad networks, incl DoubleClick, AppNexus + ExoClick Malvertising hits, adult, incl: nuvid.com upornia.com eroprofile.com very low-cost intro packages = attacker opportunity for short campaigns w/ small investments http://www.darkreading.com/attacks-breaches/malvertising-campaign-rages-undetected-for-3-weeks/d/d-id/1322169 #cybersecurity National Cyber Security Hall of Fame 2015 INDUCTEES Thu 29th Sept x5 - listed http://news.sys-con.com/node/3456101 #cybersecurity - REPORT - Insurance PWC Insurance 2020 & beyond: Reaping the dividends of cyber resilience http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/industries/financial-services/insurance/publications/insurance-2020-cyber.html #cybersecurity #insurance market to reach $7.5 billion annual premiums by end 2020 & min.  $5 billion by 2018 insurance co's may MITIGATE risks by partnering w/ technology co's + data sharing b/w insurance co's Insurer mitigation also by: conditional regular risk assessments of client ops & required remedies re reviews http://www.pymnts.com/in-depth/2015/cyber-insurance-market-to-thrive-triple-by-2020/ #military DOD - Overhaul of Military Ground Systems in favour of single UNIFIED system for satellite networks Satellite networks multiple siloed ground systems aka “stove-piped” =  inhibits security, resiliency, agility & affordability stovepiped / single ununified systems =  op systems each functioning w/ unique proprietary software from contractors #military ground systems - USG wants to move away from reliance original contractor / own tech baseline / free up competition DOD overhaul aim: *control interfaces + standards *no limits interface / proprietary s/w *no contractor control architecture DOD overhaul of military ground systems goals  *agility  *automation  *security  *resilience  Cost savings = inherent result cybersecurity = too many interfaces + incongruous software: *multiple cyber attack surfaces *must be defended individually Enterprise Ground System (EGS) / DOD interested in using #cloud tech for EGS / type undecided / Airforce favours private (b/c physically reside w/in operation centres) http://www.satellitetoday.com/regional/2015/09/14/dod-prepares-for-overhaul-of-military-ground-systems/ NYSE STUDY by Veracode 2015 Survey #cybersecurity in the Boardroom - 8pg PDF https://www.veracode.com/sites/default/files/Resources/Whitepapers/cybersecurity-in-the-boardroom-whitepaper.pdf Associated article: Boardrooms and cyber security http://thetandd.com/news/boardrooms-and-cyber-security/article_5edccb5b-aed1-5e88-b2e4-0dd396d5540d.html Twitter hired a trio of firms / first outside lobbyists to work DC spent $160K / first-half http://www.odwyerpr.com/story/public/5332/2015-09-14/twitter-enters-dc-lobbying-fray.html quantum encryption quantum random number  generator | Entropy Engine / 200 million random Nos. http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/health_and_science/science-on-the-hill-for-cybersecurity-in-quantum-encryption-we/article_2ce4c8bb-78fa-5dbc-826f-ffdd33501ae3.html WEBINAR - cybersecurity Former NSA Tech. Dir. Jim Penrose cyber ops expert subtle traces compromise detection http://www.bankinfosecurity.com/webinars/view-from-inside-intelligence-driven-approaches-to-cyber-detection-w-764 #Germany #cybersecurity new IT Security Law July 24, 2015 foresees admin fines 4-yr evaluation *overview & links http://www.natlawreview.com/article/what-you-need-to-know-about-germany-s-cybersecurity-law #cybersecurity #hacker 9 FBI Warnings / risks posed by Internet of Things ('IoT') x10 device examples http://www.defenseone.com/threats/2015/09/fbi-department-homeland-security-warnings-internet-connected-everyday-objects/120905/ IronNet fmr  NSA Director Keith Alexander raised $7.5 million in equity re IronNet #Cybersecurity pt  $25-m Trident Capital financing IronNet Cybersecurity funds to go to: *cybersecurity products *building the company’s workforce http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/blog/cyberbizblog/2015/09/keith-alexander-led-ironnet-cybersecurity-raises-7.html #cybersecurity digital tax fraud  skyrocketed over last year / data breaches PROPOSED bill re notices ID theft almost half USA states = reported spikes in electronic filing fraud = Minnesota stopped accepting some electronic returns http://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/253542-senate-committee-will-mark-up-digital-tax-fraud-bill #cybersecurity new chip developed by Xerox = self-destruct on command Gorilla Glass / shattering chip Potential use:   storage device for encryption keys https://www.siliconrepublic.com/enterprise/2015/09/14/self-destructing-chip-xerox Korean-based SK Telecom + Greenville USA co. to develop vehicle cybersecurity /  Quantum Cryptography ... securely distributes a secret key to legitimate parties. Here, a key is a table of random numbers shared by legitimate users in such a way that the information is known only to them, and secure means secure against any possible eavesdropping, which is the highest level of security. The system is expected to enhance security of critical network infrastructure. Currently, most systems, including the connected vehicle ecosystems, use software-based pseudo-random number generators for encryption, meaning that they can fall vulnerable to hackers who decrypt the sequence of digits. Once developed for commercial use, SK Telecom’s technology will eliminate such concerns for security as it generates true random numbers based on hardware. http://gsabusiness.com/news/55654-greenville-center-korean-firm-to-develop-vehicle-cybersecurity #cybersecurity E-ZPass vulnerable to hackers, ID thieves + govt spying / not using encryption E‑ZPass = electronic toll-collection system =  tolled roads, bridges, & tunnels USA http://www.whdh.com/story/30022568/report-e-zpass-vulnerable-to-hackers-identify-thieves #SouthAfrica #law proposed bill too broad consequences beyond remit / state cyberwarfare / warrantless seizure #SouthAfrica /  penalties - to 25 years in prison /  has until Nov 30 to submit comment on proposed bill. http://www.zdnet.com/article/south-africa-gets-first-look-at-cybercrime-bill-that-comes-with-25-year-jail-terms/ #Tor .onion domain = formal recognition granted security certificates available to site admins http://www.cbronline.com/news/cybersecurity/business/regulators-give-tors-onion-domain-name-special-use-status-4669709 USA Dept Energy DOE REPORT linked US #Energy Tech Exports = cybersecurity risks - b/c rely on digital tech http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1751096-global-energy-growth-could-disrupt-americas-grid-security-doe-report-says/ ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- COMMENT Bunch of random stuff I looked at. It all seemed very exciting ... at the time.  Now, I'm not so sure.  lol The onion domain news and the self-destructing chip is exciting, I guess. I'm no techie, so the 'internet of things' doesn't bother me.  I like everything manual, if I can help it.  lol Twitter hiring Washington lobbyists is kind of exciting.  Wonder why? The US military proposed overhaul of ground satellite communications (if I understand correctly), is pretty cool. Surprise that it has taken them until 2015 to come up with those ideas, when they're in the business and should know what they're doing when it comes to multiple contracts and software applications etc. It doesn't sound too efficient at the DOD. Digital tax fraud sounds boring.  I don't even know what the point of it is.  lol  People pretend to be someone else ... but then what? Oh, the best news it the Ninth Circuit Court ruling regarding copyright! Take that, Universal Music a#@!@#s! ꕤ