National Security Agency (NSA)

The NSA Confronts a Problem of Its Own Making

Recent cyberattacks show what happens when America’s secret-keepers can’t keep their secrets.<p>It is hard to imagine more fitting names for code-gone-bad than WannaCry and Eternal Blue. Those are just some of the computer coding vulnerabilities pilfered from the National Security Agency’s …

Surveillance

Wikileaks dump reveals how the CIA can track your exact location

New documents released as part of WikiLeaks' series of CIA hacking revelations detail a method the agency uses to geolocate computers and the people …

Wi-Fi

Laura Poitras on her WikiLeaks film Risk: ‘I knew Julian Assange was going to be furious’

The Oscar-winning director made her name with the Edward Snowden revelations. In turn, that led to the opportunity to closely film Assange. But the more she filmed, the more critical she became<p>Laura Poitras wants to make one thing absolutely clear. She still admires Julian Assange despite …

Surveillance

Ex-CIA: Media leaks put lives of US foreign agents -- and Americans -- at risk. Is that worth a scoop?

For the past year, Americans have read a barrage of stories related to Russia’s role in the 2016 election. The latest comes from the Washington Post, which recently gossiped about how President Obama did – and did not – respond to Moscow’s propaganda operations aimed at thwarting America’s …

Opinion

Chelsea Manning to show exhibit of self-portraits constructed from DNA

The former US soldier, who in 2013 was imprisoned in violation of the Espionage Act, will premiere a collaborative series of 3D portraits in New York<p>Chelsea Manning is to showcase an exhibition at New York’s Fridman Gallery in collaboration with the artist Heather Dewey-Hagborg.<p>Manning, who was …

Chelsea Manning

Office of the Director of National Intelligence admits its employee held down 15 other jobs and played games all day

Jason Leopold (previously -- Buzzfeed's public records activist, once branded a "FOIA terrorist" by the US government -- has secured records of an …

Office of the Director of National Intelligence

Shadow Brokers Group Leaks Stolen National Security Agency Hacking Tools

Last August, hacking tools were stolen from the National Security Agency. Now, those tools are being used in a number of cyber attacks around the world, and there's mounting pressure on the NSA to do something. NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Nicole Perlroth, who has been covering this for <i>The New</i> …

Surveillance

Another malware attack stalks the world’s computers

Little green malwareAnother malware attack stalks the world’s computers<p>A supposed piece of ransomware is not what it seems<p>print-edition iconPrint …

Business (UK)

Director Laura Poitras on Death Threats: 'Some Things Are Possible Only Because You Take Risks' (Video)

Oscar-winning documentarian Laura Poitras acknowledged that she has sometimes taken her life into her hands to make films like “Citizenfour” and the …

Hollywood

Shadow Brokers' new message gloats about Petya with threat to dox former NSA EquationGroup hacker

The hacker group also boasted about having 'many many subscribers' to their monthly cyberweapons dump.<p>As the rest of the world grappled with the …

Security

Roughly Speaking podcast: A battle royal in cyberspace (episode 266)

<i>Listen to the episode in the player below, or through your favorite podcast app.</i><p>Tech expert Sean Gallagher says what's happening in cyberspace is a …

U.S. Dept. of Defense

China's controversial new intelligence law goes into effect, aimed at cracking down on foreign spies

A controversial new intelligence law went into effect on Wednesday aimed at allowing the Chinese government to even further crack down on foreign …

Surveillance

Rice to have closed-door meeting with House Intel: report

Former national security adviser Susan Rice has agreed to meet with the House Intelligence Committee sometime next month as they continue to look …

Susan Rice

Beijing accuses Australia of spying on embassy and 'harassing' Chinese citizens

Australia reportedly demanded that the Chinese provide intelligence about their country.<p>China has accused the Australian government of spying on the …

China

Opinion: Spying made easy

Germany's foreign intelligence service was hardly innocent in the NSA spying scandal. The consequences drawn from that fact are dubious and no …

Surveillance

A Lawyer Who Helped Write The Patriot Act Is Trump’s Pick For A Top State Department Job

As the Trump administration vows to strengthen Washington's counterterrorism tactics, President Donald Trump plans to nominate a former George W. Bush administration official and architect of the Patriot Act to be the top lawyer at the State Department, three current and former US officials told …

Patriot Act

NSA director frustrated Trump won't accept Russia interfered in election: report

National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers is frustrated that he has not yet convinced President Trump that U.S. intelligence indicates Russia …

Russia

Petya: The poison behind the latest ransomware attack

Unpatched Windows machines are getting hammered again by a new ransomware attacker.<p>First things first. If you're running Windows. Patch your systems! …

Information Security

Opportunities In Cyber Security After Growing Number Of Ransomware Attacks

A new sophisticated ransomware mimicking WannaCry is causing havoc across the world.<p>Many high profile companies have been infected, including …

Cybersecurity

Report: German politicians under surveillance by Turkish intelligence

Turkey's intelligence agency has been increasingly gathering information on German politicians, according to a report. Prosecutors already launched …

World News

Alleged NSA leakers capitalize on ransomware scare based on their wares

The group that released two vulnerabilities used in Tuesday's ransomware outbreak - one of which was also used in the similarly devastating Wanna Cry …

Security

Can Law Firms Sue NSA for Data Breaches? Lawyers Say Good Luck

Cogan Schneier reports: Hackers may have used NSA tools to execute this week’s global cyberattack, but lawyers say it would be nearly impossible for …

Surveillance

In Praise of the Intelligence Oversight Process: Our New Anti-Populist Paper

Years ago, when <i>Lawfare</i> was still in its infancy, the two of us made an entirely serious video (well, maybe not <i>entirely</i> serious) for YouTube about the …

Judiciary

NSA spying scandal committee presents controversial final report

A German investigative committee has presented its findings to the Bundestag on US spying on Germany - and Germany's spying on its allies. The report …

World News

Hacks Raise Fear Over N.S.A.’s Hold on Cyberweapons

Twice in the past month, National Security Agency cyberweapons stolen from its arsenal have been turned against two very different partners of the United States — Britain and Ukraine.<p>The N.S.A. has kept quiet, not acknowledging its role in developing the weapons. White House officials have …

Cybersecurity

In aftermath of Petya, congressman asks NSA to stop the attack if it knows how

Today Democratic Congressman Ted Lieu of California wrote to the NSA in an appeal for the agency to do anything in its power to stop the spread of the global ransomware (or potentially just disguised as ransomware) attack that began yesterday.<p>Lieu seeks to hold the NSA accountable for its leaked …

Technology (India)

Once Reserved For Spies, Espionage Act Now Used Against Suspected Leakers

A hundred years ago this month, President Woodrow Wilson signed the Espionage Act to deal with spying against the U.S. in World War I.<p>Historically, the most notorious U.S. spy cases have been tried under the act, like the one against Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were convicted in 1951 of giving …

Surveillance

The latest ransomware attack used an alleged NSA exploit

An alleged NSA hacking tool has again surfaced to haunt the world.<p>Organizations across the globe — including Boryspil International in Kiev, Ukraine, a Russian oil company and an advertising company in the United Kingdom — have stalled out on Tuesday as a type of ransomware known as Petya has …

Information Security

Spy agencies seek permanent authority for contested surveillance program

The intelligence community is seeking permanent authority for a contested surveillance program at a time when senators in both parties are increasingly frustrated in their attempts to learn how much information spy agencies collect on American citizens — and even on senators themselves.<p>At a Senate …

Surveillance

N.S.A. Warrantless Surveillance Aided Turks After Attack, Officials Say

WASHINGTON — The National Security Agency used its warrantless surveillance program to help Turkey find the suspect in a terrorist attack at an Istanbul nightclub on Dec. 31 that killed 39 people and wounded dozens more, including an American who was shot, a senior F.B.I. official said Tuesday.<p>The …

Surveillance