NationStates Jolt Archive

CIA Researching Automated Chat Room Spying

Slashdot.com
CNet News is reporting that the CIA has been quietly investing in research programs to automatically monitor Internet chat rooms.

In a two year agreement with the National Science Foundation, CIA officials were involved with the selection of recipients for research grants to develop automated chat room monitors.

Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute received $157,673 from the CIA and NSF for their proposal of 'a system to be deployed in the background of any chat room as a silent listener for eavesdropping ... The proposed system could aid the intelligence community to discover hidden communities and communication patterns in chat rooms without human intervention.'

How soon until all IM conversations are monitored by Big Brother? The abstract of the proposal is available on the NFS website.

And a month later somebody will have developed PGP for chatrooms, the CIA is defeated, once again, by computer hackers they are powerless to stop.

CIA Researching Automated Chat Room Spying

Slashdot.com
CNet News is reporting that the CIA has been quietly investing in research programs to automatically monitor Internet chat rooms.

In a two year agreement with the National Science Foundation, CIA officials were involved with the selection of recipients for research grants to develop automated chat room monitors.

Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute received $157,673 from the CIA and NSF for their proposal of 'a system to be deployed in the background of any chat room as a silent listener for eavesdropping ... The proposed system could aid the intelligence community to discover hidden communities and communication patterns in chat rooms without human intervention.'

How soon until all IM conversations are monitored by Big Brother? The abstract of the proposal is available on the NFS website.

I know of a certain network I wont mention here which blocks out all US IPs regardless. This is not necessarily a bad thing.

And a month later somebody will have developed PGP for chatrooms, the CIA is defeated, once again, by computer hackers they are powerless to stop.
whats PGP?

I know of a certain network I wont mention here which blocks out all US IPs regardless. This is not necessarily a bad thing.
I dont want Big brother staring at me

I know of a certain network I wont mention here which blocks out all US IPs regardless. This is not necessarily a bad thing.

I'm sure the CIA can figure a way past that, really.

I'm sure the CIA can figure a way past that, really.
I guess what hes really saying is for every action theres a reaction?

I know of a certain network I wont mention here which blocks out all US IPs regardless. This is not necessarily a bad thing.

I'm sure the CIA can figure a way past that, really.

Ya like having Bush buddie Johnny Howard have his ppl do it for them, does the network stop Austrailian IPs?

How soon? Never. The CIA doesnt have enough people to monitor all the traffic it recieves already. Expanding to the internet scares me like the boogieman scares adults. Big brother is one of those boogiemen that will never really exist because our society has gotten to big for everyone to be monitored at once. Its not going to happen. The CIA doesnt have the manpower to monitor nearly 300 million people.

I'm sure the CIA can figure a way past that, really.

Yah duh, but the point was that there are havens for potential plotters. IRC isnt 100% innocent of radicalism and insurgence.

Yah duh, but the point was that there are havens for potential plotters. IRC isnt 100% innocent of radicalism and insurgence.

Yeah, well, nowhere is 100% free of 'radicalism' or 'insurgence' or 'potential plotters', for that matter. You really want to live life in a bubble, always under someone's observation?

Just the mere thought of that makes me want to shed my nonviolent skin and KICK IT OVER, finally.

CIA Researching Automated Chat Room Spying

Slashdot.com
CNet News is reporting that the CIA has been quietly investing in research programs to automatically monitor Internet chat rooms.

In a two year agreement with the National Science Foundation, CIA officials were involved with the selection of recipients for research grants to develop automated chat room monitors.

Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute received $157,673 from the CIA and NSF for their proposal of 'a system to be deployed in the background of any chat room as a silent listener for eavesdropping ... The proposed system could aid the intelligence community to discover hidden communities and communication patterns in chat rooms without human intervention.'

How soon until all IM conversations are monitored by Big Brother? The abstract of the proposal is available on the NFS website.
KEWL! Maybe they'll findally lock your azz up! LOL! :D

Seriously, what is PGP?

KEWL! Maybe they'll findally lock your azz up! LOL! :D

See, another example of how this will never happen..we would NEVER be that lucky :D

Seriously, what is PGP?PGP = Pretty Good Privacy I think, its an encryption standard that is fairly common now. Used in email between people who know each other a lot ... I can't remember all the priciples of how it works but its fairly simple to use and I remember something to do with " keys " ...

Try google or How Things Work etc to learn more ...

See, another example of how this will never happen..we would NEVER be that lucky :D
Damn! ROFLMAO!!!

PGP uses a public and private key system. Your public key is an encryption key. You share that with anyone you want to communicate with. The private key is for decryption, and you keep that for yourself. Clever algebra tricks mean that the private key cannot be determined from the public key without resorting to brute force methods (that is, just simply trying lots and lots of keys that might work), which would take too long with today's computers.

This will prove useless for the CIA.

At least, until they can speak the language of the l33t d00ds :p

This will prove useless for the CIA.

At least, until they can speak the language of the l33t d00ds :p

Have a look at the l33tspeak dictionary thread. As soon as the CIA's team of translators has got it all worked out, people will start speaking in UPSIDE DOWN l33tspeak, thus foiling their evil plot.

What? So I won't be able to discuss my plans to bomb the White house? Aww dammit.

AHHH! They're on to me! *Runs*

How soon? Never. The CIA doesnt have enough people to monitor all the traffic it recieves already. Expanding to the internet scares me like the boogieman scares adults. Big brother is one of those boogiemen that will never really exist because our society has gotten to big for everyone to be monitored at once. Its not going to happen. The CIA doesnt have the manpower to monitor nearly 300 million people.

That is what AI is for. Man-/womanpower is not a problem.

Doesn't matter. I'm sure the CIA and ASIO already have tons of pages on me

Echelon System, anyone?

Shhhh, type quietly, they could be listening to us right now.

All you people who don't like the president stand up. I deny any involvement with the CIA.

perhaps this NS thing is only a device to collect data on the world. Preparing for the revolution. US gov buys the data.

perhaps this NS thing is only a device to collect data on the world. Preparing for the revolution. US gov buys the data.

Hmm....collecting information on how people see politics, religion and threads that start "Ask a...." and end "...explain yourselves"

Yes, thought so. Patent office says the idea is already taken.

I think a few people have already discussed PGP.
THat being said, somebody finds a way to impliment it on Chatrooms or makes a similar program. You give the key out to your fellow arch-consipiritors (or anybody who provides an E-mail that isnt NOTcIaAgent@CIAhome.gov) of the Illuminati and *poof*, the CIAs plan is foiled.
Of course, this means you cant talk about how great that whole Lincoln thing was in a public chatroom, but generaly they are too full of, say, Pornbots to actually talk about anything, if you dont know what Im talking about go on AIM and look in one of their chatrooms.
After a few year at most the CIA would give up, or their computers would have mental breakdowns due to Stupidity Error Overload.

MKULTRA, this happened as far back as the 80s - YOU'RE 20 YEARS LATE!!

Oh, and don't you know what 1337 was originally invented for?

Seriously, what is PGP?
www.justfuckinggoogleit.com
has all the answers

MKULTRA, this happened as far back as the 80s - YOU'RE 20 YEARS LATE!!

Oh, and don't you know what 1337 was originally invented for?

I may be slipping into conspiracy mode terrority, but...

In that case the information resurfacing as "news" has really disturbing implications - like it is a purposeful scare tactic in order to curb free speech.

The internet is where the organization for a great number of lawful (but unliked by the government) protests occurs. During the elections the feds visited quite a few people who were organizing peaceful protests to be held during the Republican convention in an effort to scare them away. Perhaps they are hoping "news" of the monitering will stop people from trying to organize.

Also, things posted online that no sane person would be considered a threat are now being investigated by the Feds, using the excuse of increased vigilance. Again if "news" gets out then how many more people are going to curb their criticisms out of fear. Less criticism, more chance for the government to get away with even more shit.

Or lets go even further and say news of this becomes very well published. General conception will be that it is nearly impossible to moniter that much data and to follow up on possible leads. Everyone already knows about how touchy the feds are becoming about remarks. How long before the feds start accusing people who show honest, but legal dissatisfaction with the government or its policies of "obstruction of justice" for "knowingly making remarks" that they "have to investigate" even though it takes them away from their supposedly "real" objective of tracking terrorist.

The idea that disagreeing with the president is "supporting terrorists" or "anti-American". Once thoughts like that get implanted into the general public's mind it is easier to act on them without generating a massive outcry.

:) Good, so we can start really stupid topics to confuse the CIA and crash their computers? :p

Hang on, we do that here!

Once again, a chance to prove my moderate creds:

A chatroom is a public forum, unless it requires a password. If you tell me the G is making software to snoop on PMs, then I will be concerned.

This similar to the CARNIVORE thingy?

This is old news and I do think the CIA knows its like pushing a boulder up a hill.

This similar to the CARNIVORE thingy?

This is old news and I do think the CIA knows its like pushing a boulder up a hill.

Well that's certainly better than having your liver pecked out and grown back every day.

Considering the topics of vast import :rolleyes: I see on IRC, I'm not worried.

MKULTRA, this happened as far back as the 80s - YOU'RE 20 YEARS LATE!!

Oh, and don't you know what 1337 was originally invented for?
No--Im a computer retart :D

Once again, a chance to prove my moderate creds:

A chatroom is a public forum, unless it requires a password. If you tell me the G is making software to snoop on PMs, then I will be concerned.
well that would be next of course...

I dont want Big brother staring at me
Then what the fuck are you doing on the net??? To quote the CEO of Sun Microsystems: "There is no privacy - get over it"

And a month later somebody will have developed PGP for chatrooms, the CIA is defeated, once again, by computer hackers they are powerless to stop.

Eh, who'll use it?

The overwhelming majority of email users send their messages the ordinary easy to intercept and search way.

There isn't even a decent (ie lots of content, good speed, and reasonably popular) near-anonymous filesharing technology out there. Bittorrent is one of the most popular ones, and it is about as far from anonymous as you can get.

And as far as the "yet again" goes, has the CIA ever been thwarted in any meaningful manner by technological progress spearheaded by hackers?

NOTE: It may be that your original post was meant to be sardonic. If that is the case I humbly awknowledge your surperior sense of humor.

well that would be next of course...

Then that's the time to draw the line.

And as far as the "yet again" goes, has the CIA ever been thwarted in any meaningful manner by technological progress spearheaded by hackers?


PGP pretty much spearheads them this time, unless they have insane amounts of computing power for brute force tactics. (INSANE!)

CIA Researching Automated Chat Room Spying

Slashdot.com
CNet News is reporting that the CIA has been quietly investing in research programs to automatically monitor Internet chat rooms.

In a two year agreement with the National Science Foundation, CIA officials were involved with the selection of recipients for research grants to develop automated chat room monitors.

Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute received $157,673 from the CIA and NSF for their proposal of 'a system to be deployed in the background of any chat room as a silent listener for eavesdropping ... The proposed system could aid the intelligence community to discover hidden communities and communication patterns in chat rooms without human intervention.'

How soon until all IM conversations are monitored by Big Brother? The abstract of the proposal is available on the NFS website.

Is this a surprise to anyone? how many of you our not working for any kind of government? it doesnt take a lot of techno gee-wizz all you need is a few people joining a chat room and monitoring...and silent monitoring?... if any of you think the internet is a truley SAFE place to express anything just say it now!!! Their always was and always WILL be people watching. The only thing determining if you get put in cuffs or not is on the severity of what you said

Hey, you know, when you're in a public chat room, PEOPLE CAN SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING *gasp shock horror*. It's like... *shock* cameras in PUBLIC AREAS!

OMG PRIVACY RIGHTS INFRINGEMENT!

Maybe you'll end up needing licenses to operate internet connected computers in the future. And there'll be thorough background checks before the license gets approved. Who knows?

Ya, thorough background checks and an English test. Thats the ticket.

The happy thing is, anything involving digital information can have that information encrypted to a standard which the CIA could not break in a million years.

Modulated prime-number keys are literally uncrackable in any appropiate amount of time (ie. less than several thousand years), even if the CIA magically appropiated all the computing power on earth. That's right; you can install a chip on your phone that encrypts your calls, you can download a program that codes your emails. And the government can't do jack shit to stop you.

Enjoy the privacy revolution.

Then what the fuck are you doing on the net??? To quote the CEO of Sun Microsystems: "There is no privacy - get over it"
the CEO of sun microsystems is clearly a pervert

You mispelled "realist".

Ya, thorough background checks and an English test. Thats the ticket.

Yes, thorough background checks and an English test. That's the ticket.

Sorry, Macrosolid.... ;)

Well, I.....uh....you see....it was an example.......I was trying to....STFU!!!!!!!

How soon? Never. The CIA doesnt have enough people to monitor all the traffic it recieves already. Expanding to the internet scares me like the boogieman scares adults. Big brother is one of those boogiemen that will never really exist because our society has gotten to big for everyone to be monitored at once. Its not going to happen. The CIA doesnt have the manpower to monitor nearly 300 million people.

This is why the monitoring will likely be automated. It will likely look for keywords, just like the old days when hackers invented l337 sp33k to get around computers looking for keywords. And seriously, does anyone think this is big news? It's been around since there were networks to be monitored.

If you want some less-known privacy-invading stuff, do a quick google on "Menwith Hill". If you want a conversation to be private, don't do it electronically.

MKULTRA, this happened as far back as the 80s - YOU'RE 20 YEARS LATE!!

Oh, and don't you know what 1337 was originally invented for?

I really should have read this far before sticking my oar in.

Yeah, wot he says.

This is why the monitoring will likely be automated. It will likely look for keywords, just like the old days when hackers invented l337 sp33k to get around computers looking for keywords. And seriously, does anyone think this is big news? It's been around since there were networks to be monitored.

If you want some less-known privacy-invading stuff, do a quick google on "Menwith Hill". If you want a conversation to be private, don't do it electronically.

They already use automatic monitoring for messages they monitor and still get bombarded with more crap then they can read. Even with specific word filters they have to deal with a lot of crap to read. This is just basic sewage given by our favorite paranoid creep Mkultra.

They already use automatic monitoring for messages they monitor and still get bombarded with more crap then they can read. Even with specific word filters they have to deal with a lot of crap to read. This is just basic sewage given by our favorite paranoid creep Mkultra.
paranoia is just total awareness you globo-corporatist poverty pimp

paranoia is just total awareness you globo-corporatist poverty pimp

Right..paranoia in moderation is total awareness...thinking the CIA is going to monitor what you say night and day is unhealthy..

McCarthy was paranoid...

Bush is paranoid..

If paranoia is total awareness then they are both totally aware...and I know how much you'd hate to agree with Bush on anything..so your either right or wrong on this..either way I win with a quote in the end I'll always shove into your face in the future.

Here is an experiment:

Send an email from one hotmail account to another with the words Bush, Terrorism and Assassination in the title and in the body text of the email.

I was told that the email account that sent it would get shut down, and if the receiver opened the message, that account would also get shut down.

I live in New Zealand, so I though it would be fun and see what happened... I set up two new email accounts, and gave it a go. I must admit I was kind of nervous when I clicked send... :eek: :sniper:

What happened? NOTHING! You would think that IF the CIA was monitoring the web, they would have Hotmail locked down.

Stop being so paranoid and free up your speech today!


:p

Here is an experiment:

Send an email from one hotmail account to another with the words Bush, Terrorism and Assassination in the title and in the body text of the email.

I was told that the email account that sent it would get shut down, and if the receiver opened the message, that account would also get shut down.

I live in New Zealand, so I though it would be fun and see what happened... I set up two new email accounts, and gave it a go. I must admit I was kind of nervous when I clicked send... :eek: :sniper:

What happened? NOTHING! You would think that IF the CIA was monitoring the web, they would have Hotmail locked down.

Stop being so paranoid and free up your speech today!


:p


Where exactly in New Zealand do you live?

First, as pointed out, the CIA gets so much info it already can't sort through I just don't see how having hell only knows how many chatrooms worth of tons of additional info to sort through is going to make their jobs any easier.

Second, also as pointed out, the internet has been pretty much wide open to those with the know how to mine tons of data from and on its users for years.

Third, anyone who really wants to keep their plots and plans secret, that isn't a complete dumbass, shouldn't be using electronic methods but something totally destroyable like flash paper and face to face communications in undergound locations like caves or sewer tunnels.

These things being said, the idea of governmental monitoring of my email communications/phone converstaions/etc. is disturbing, but with as much as they screw up I just can't be all that concerned. I've heard the arguement that we only hear about the failures and not the successes, but they've been responsible for some pretty big SNAFU-FUBAR's over the years.

Lastly, it's always possible that MKULTRA is right and the rest of us just aren't paranoid enough. Maybe the Illuminati really is moving us all towards their endgame plan and the CIA is a front for the real black project agency that has been using organic brain-based AI developed at Area 51 back in the fifty's and amassing huge files of everything we've ever said or done that might mark us as enemy's of the state. Then again, maybe MKULTRA is working for THEM and secretly ammassing a huge database of all posts ever made in this forum. I'm on to you now, man! :D

(Dman! Should have put this in the thread about conspiracy theories awhile back.)

Right..paranoia in moderation is total awareness...thinking the CIA is going to monitor what you say night and day is unhealthy..

McCarthy was paranoid...

Bush is paranoid..

If paranoia is total awareness then they are both totally aware...and I know how much you'd hate to agree with Bush on anything..so your either right or wrong on this..either way I win with a quote in the end I'll always shove into your face in the future.

Bush isn't paranoid. If he were paranoid he'd be claiming things like we need to pre-emptively attack Great Britain. Bush is only "paranoid" about the nations and people he already wants to attack.

Maybe the Illuminati really is moving us all towards their endgame plan and the CIA is a front for the real black project agency that has been using organic brain-based AI developed at Area 51 back in the fifty's and amassing huge files of everything we've ever said or done that might mark us as enemy's of the state. Then again, maybe MKULTRA is working for THEM and secretly ammassing a huge database of all posts ever made in this forum. I'm on to you now, man! :D
I knew it! :D

Here is an experiment:

Send an email from one hotmail account to another with the words Bush, Terrorism and Assassination in the title and in the body text of the email.

I was told that the email account that sent it would get shut down, and if the receiver opened the message, that account would also get shut down.

I live in New Zealand, so I though it would be fun and see what happened... I set up two new email accounts, and gave it a go. I must admit I was kind of nervous when I clicked send... :eek: :sniper:

What happened? NOTHING! You would think that IF the CIA was monitoring the web, they would have Hotmail locked down.

Stop being so paranoid and free up your speech today!


:p


What may have happened:

Somewhere in an intelligence centre, three floors underground, a light corresponding to your local router blinks. Your message is shuffled into a "To Be Analyzed" pile with a rating according to how serious the computer determines it to be. Someone finally gets to it, peers at the message, thinks "another fucktard", and chucks it in the virtual bin.

Meanwhile, someone else sends a mail supposedly to their grandmother thanking them for the flowers and telling them they should come over for the new year. This happens to be code for "good job in New York. Attack the infidels in January".

Ho hum.

http://homepage.mac.com/leperous/.Pictures/eyeballs%20copy.jpg