10 Ways The Government Watches You

[tia travels]

http://www.securitynewsdaily.com/10-...ches-you-1103/
Aug 30, 2011 | 8:41 AM ET | By Sue Marquette Poremba, SecurityNewsDaily Contributor

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In the decade since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the size and scope of the U.S. national-security apparatus has greatly expanded.
The trigger of that growth was the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 — more commonly known as the Patriot Act — which Congress overwhelmingly approved in the weeks following 9/11.

Since its inception, the Patriot Act has been controversial, and some argue that it is an attack on the freedoms protected in the Bill of Rights. In May of this year, two Democratic members of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee said "Americans would be appalled if they knew how broadly the Justice Department has interpreted what the law allows government snoops to do."

Nevertheless, President Barack Obama and Congress extended several key provisions in the Patriot Act until 2015. While some in Congress want to overturn the provisions or require the government to be more honest about how it spies on its citizens, chances are we will remain under the watchful and secretive eye of federal agencies for the foreseeable future.

State and local governments also have surveillance measures in place. Many products that make life a little easier, such using an E-Z Pass card to zip through toll booths, feed information back to the government.

Here are 10 ways government agencies watch us:

Roving John Doe wiretaps.
One of the controversial Patriot Act provisions reauthorized this past spring permits roving John Doe wiretaps, which follow a "person of interest" within a broad search warrant.

For example, instead of getting a warrant to tap into a single phone line, the roving John Doe wiretap allows law enforcement to tap any and all communication lines — cellphone, landline, email, text messaging — a person of interest may be using.

FBI monitoring of email and electronic communications.
The FBI implemented a system in the late 1990s known as Carnivore, which scanned emails en masse looking for keywords. It's since been replaced by even more sophisticated software.

"Carnivore uses a list of FBI-supplied keywords to sift through email (maybe everybody's email) to find suspicious references to call FBI attention to possibly nefarious conversations going on across the Internet," explained Joe B. Vaughan, Jr., author of "The Suburban Manifesto: How To Get City Hall To Do Exactly What You Want" (CreatePress, 2010).

"The FBI would use this program to track terrorists, drug traffickers, etc.," Vaughan said. "I had a conversation with an FBI agent about this. He said that this technology is necessary because of the impossible task of monitoring all of the email traffic occurring daily by federal authorities. Carnivore sifts email and when it finds matching keyword references, the FBI can zero in on the sender and receiver and monitor their email conversations more effectively."

License-plate cameras at intersections.
In order to crack down on drivers running red lights or committing other traffic transgressions, many municipalities have installed cameras at intersections.

The camera snaps a picture of the offending vehicle, and based on license-plate information, the photo and an accompanying traffic ticket are sent to the car’s owner.

"The offense, by the way, is usually never entered in the driver's record, so their insurance rate usually will not increase for the violation — just a way for cities to make more revenue from drivers' mistakes,” said Vaughan.

Surveillance cameras in public places.
In August, Detroit officials announced that the city would be operating 350 security cameras in the central business district, joining dozens of American cities that use surveillance cameras to help prevent crime.

Cameras are installed in areas that have a history of criminal activities or in areas where crowds regularly gather — downtown, public parks or subway stations, for example. The cameras also record the everyday activities of law-abiding citizens, many of whom are unaware they are being watched.

Geolocation tracking on cellphones.
GPS on a smartphone is one of life’s greatest inventions — in the palm of your hand, you can get directions from Point A to Point B, or let friends know your current location.

But that same GPS also lets law enforcement officials know where you are. The American Civil Liberties Union has requested information from 31 states for details about how law enforcement uses cellphone location data and how frequently it is gathered. The federal government has also admitted that it has the authority to track citizens using cellphone data.

Electronic toll collectors.
For those who frequently drive on toll roads on the East Coast, getting an E-ZPass saves both time and the need to have a cup holder filled with quarters for the commute to work. The same is true of similar systems, such as TxTag in Texas or FasTrak in California.

All of these, as well more than a dozen other systems in North America, work using radio frequency identification (RFID). The passes communicate with readers at tollbooths, and the readers both debit the passes' prepaid balances and keep a record of when and where the transaction occurred.

However, that recordkeeping raises privacy and security concerns. Police can use electronic toll-collection information to track a person’s whereabouts. Divorce lawyers can also use the records in court.

"It's an easy way to show you took the off-ramp to adultery," one divorce lawyer told the Associated Press in 2007.

Business records.
Section 215 of the Patriot Act allows the FBI and other federal law-enforcement entities to subpoena a business or person for any "tangible thing" related to an authorized terrorism investigation. The FBI can ask for bank statements, library records, medical records, business papers — any paper trail left by the person or business. Law enforcement does not have to have to show any probable cause to request the information.

The "Lone Wolf" provision of the Patriot Act.
The government recognizes that terrorists, such as the Pakistani man who tried to blow up Times Square in 2010, do not always operate as part of a larger group, and such "Lone Wolves" are currently considered one of the top terror threats. A "Lone Wolf" provision was added to the Patriot Act in 2004 and permits the government to conduct intelligence investigations without the traditional burden of proof.

The "Secure Communities" initiative.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency works with state and city law enforcement to share resources on noncitizens who have committed crimes. According to the ICE website, Secure Communities "uses an already-existing federal information-sharing partnership between ICE and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that helps to identify criminal aliens without imposing new or additional requirements on state and local law enforcement.

"For decades, local jurisdictions have shared the fingerprints of individuals who are booked into jails with the FBI to see if they have a criminal record. Under Secure Communities, the FBI automatically sends the fingerprints to ICE to check against its immigration databases.

"If these checks reveal that an individual is unlawfully present in the United States or otherwise removable due to a criminal conviction, ICE takes enforcement action — prioritizing the removal of individuals who present the most significant threats to public safety as determined by the severity of their crime, their criminal history, and other factors — as well as those who have repeatedly violated immigration laws.”

However, a number of states and cities tried to opt out of Secure Communities because of the concern that people would be deported without criminal proceedings and that the program might infringe on civil liberties. The federal government vetoed their efforts.

Biometric identification.
Biometric identification uses a scan of a part of the body — a fingerprint, the iris of the eye, or the voice, for example — as a verification tool. Instead of typing in a password or swiping a card to log into a computer or enter a building, you would use your body.

Many security experts believe this is the most secure type of authentication available, and governments are taking advantage of this technology. The Department of Homeland Security has developed a standard for biometric identification for visitors to the United States, and the Department of Defense is providing the Army with a toolkit to do biometric identification in the field.

[daratu1]

While I was aware of every one of these ways, not everybody is as paranoid and informed as me. Thanks for sharing Tia.

On the biometric security, some members here may remember a movie "Minority Report." Two of the things shown in that movie (the iris scanners and face relaxer) are not that far off. In the movie, a camera scans your eyes and presents you with custom ads. Homeland Security wants to use iris scans combined with facial recognition software at all airports. Even out past security. What's more, they already have the tech to do it. There have been a few articles on it. The other part, where tom's face just goes limp may or may notbe plausible.

Tia, thanks again. Folks, be well aware you are watched.

[CuteOldGuy]

Well, shit. Now I REALLY won't be able to get to sleep.

[Liliana]

Originally Posted by daratu1

While I was aware of every one of these ways, not everybody is as paranoid and informed as me. Thanks for sharing Tia.

Pretty much. Staying UTR is a lot harder than you think.

[daratu1]

For a slightly different list, check out wired's "9 Reasons Wired Readers Should Wear Tinfoil Hats."

Http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/201...r-tinfoil-hats

[daratu1]

Originally Posted by Liliana

Pretty much. Staying UTR is a lot harder than people think.

FTFY

I know how very difficult it is to remain UTR. I am painstakingly aware of all the avenues available to watch me. It is for this reason I don't have a social network (facebook, myspace, google+, etc) account. It's why I use a VPN provider for my internet traffic, and one who does not keep logs of usage. It's why I take every effort to not stand out in a crowd. Not because I like crowds, but because by blending in, I can accomplish more than if I stood out as a single point of reference.

I know I'm seen as paranoid, but I am not ignorant of the things used to violate my privacy and freedoms. Ignorance is truly bliss in this matter.

[tia travels]

Originally Posted by daratu1

...It's why I use a VPN provider for my internet traffic....

HOW A VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK CAN BOOST YOUR SECURITY
http://www.securitynewsdaily.com/vpn...security-1408/
Dec 12, 2011 | 12:43 PM ET | By Sue Marquette Poremba, SecurityNewsDaily Contributor

Ask any security professional about strengthening your computer's security, and he or she will advise setting up a VPN. It's right in your PC's settings, you'll be told.

That's great advice — if you're a security professional or are otherwise pretty computer-savvy. But what about the rest of us, who don't have a clue what VPN even stands for, let alone how it works?

"VPN stands for ‘virtual private network,'" said David Gorodyansky, chief executive office of AnchorFree, a Mountain View, Calif., company that makes Hotspot Shield, VPN software for the average user. "It is a connection between a secure server and your computer, through which you can access the Internet."

A VPN lets you secure your Web session, transmitted data, financial transactions and personal information online, no matter where you are. Security experts warn against using public Wi-Fi hotspots, such as in a coffee shop, airport or hotel lobby, due to the risk of your connection being hijacked or snooped upon. A VPN eliminates those risks.

A VPN also helps to protect you from identity theft; hides your IP address, making it harder for third parties to track you; accesses all content privately without censorship; and bypasses firewalls.

Send a check, not cash

"Think of it along the lines of sending a payment to a company," said Brian Monkman, technology programs manager at ICSA Labs, a network-security testing and product-assurance company based in Mechanicsburg, Pa. "You could put cash in an envelope and send it — which, assuming no one got to the envelope prior to its arriving at its destination, would work.

"Or you could write a check and send it," Monkman explained. "That simple step increases security. VPN strengthens security by making it harder for eavesdropping or interception of your connection. And if your connection is intercepted, it makes it difficult to actually decipher what is being transmitted."

To put it simply, a VPN is essential for anyone who regularly uses a laptop from outside the office to connect with the company computer network. And if you think your company doesn't need one, think again.

"People seem to be largely unaware of the risks of browsing the Internet unprotected, or mistakenly believe that their anti-virus [software] protects them while browsing," Gorodyansky said. "We need to raise awareness of Internet security concerns, and make sure that people connect with a VPN, ensuring their protection."

If a VPN is set up properly, said Scottie Cole, a server engineer with Gulf Breeze, Fla.–based online-security provider AppRiver, it's as if all the network users, whether on site or in a remote location, are in the same building.

"Client VPNs allow individual users to connect to a central location via their mobile device or computer," Cole said. "Once authenticated, they then have access to the main location's infrastructure. Remote offices use VPN so that they connect to their main location securely by encrypting all the traffic through a VPN tunnel."

VPN technology has been available for regular PCs for almost two decades, and during that time, it's diversified.

"It is useful to know that there isn't just one type of VPN," Monkman said. "There are SSL [secure socket layer] VPNs, IPSec [Internet Protocol security] VPNs, hybrid VPNs. All have characteristics unique to the implementation, and some have very specific purpose-built uses."

Not just for laptops anymore

And now the use of mobile VPN technology on devices such as smartphone and tablets is becoming increasingly common. With the rollout of mobile banking apps, and with corporate email and authentication programs such as RSA's SecurID tokens being pushed to mobile devices, secure communication is even more important than ever before.

Many of us use our smartphones and tablets to conduct sensitive transactions, but rarely think about whether or not the information is secure. For that reason, Monkman pointed out, everyone should have the VPN capabilities on their mobile device activated.

How you activate a VPN client will depend on the device, the mobile network-access provider and the application developer.

For example, the current versions of Android OS, BlackBerry OS and Apple's iOS all have VPN capability built in. On an Android, for instance, the VPN settings are found under the Wireless and Networks menu. On an Apple mobile device, it's under Settings --> General --> Network.

Older versions of these operating systems may not have the same functionality, and might require third-party applications to be installed.

"Connecting to a VPN concentrator with a client VPN is usually done with a username/password, a security certificate, or two-factor authentication like a token and username/password," Cole said. "Connecting VPN clients depends on how the authentication is setup on the VPN concentrator."

But the average user doesn't need to know all that. Several different VPN clients — the end-user software — are available in Apple's iTunes App Store, and there are dozens in the Android Market. For laptops and desktop computers, all modern operating systems have VPN capabilities, and there are countless VPN applications, both free and paid.

[Likinikki]

Thanks for all the info!

[daratu1]

Thanks for that info Tia!

[KlassyKelliAnn]

Thank you!


KKA
XOXO

[Roothead]

Please do watch the movie Minority Report - the films creators were more accurate than they could even imagine (I would bet) This is a timely topic - I work in the field of "Analytics", which is a simple way of saying that I help clients make sense of the massive amounts of data that is generated by everything and every body.... the genie is out of the bottle and will never, ever go back in

A key factor noted in the initial posting is the we, the willing, are giving up our right of anonymity and the right to control our own data, for perceived convenience(s) that we are offered in exchange

From the aforementioned toll collection, to allowing auto insurance companies to track your driving habits for what they is the promise of lower rates, to the forthcoming move to personal electronic based payments (good by credit cards and any need to "swipe" something... hello to you smart device, also know as a smart phone, that will, in the very near future, become and extension of you, in ways you might not have ever imagined. Mobile apps like google pay will allow you to quickly send to another party (person, store clerk, etc) a direct payment from your account (bank or credit), via NFC - near field radio communications - move over, once this is the new standard, just like in "Minority Report", going into a mall/restaurant, etc, will result with you and your smart device being sent customized advertising and promotional offers.... every where you go, everything you do, will be tracked, recorded, analyzed and stored....

BIG BROTHER is IN and OUT OF THE HOUSE - he is all of us lol

[daratu1]

NFC payments is something to watch. Not only is it in your smartphone but some credit cards. (Older versions of this payment type are cards with "paypass" which is an RFID chip embedded in the card. Also, way less secure than it should be.)

As was pointed out, people are willingly providing this information. Facebook is the largest and most convient to point out. Other less thought of items include linkedin, twitter, frequent shopper cards (grocery store cards), and Onstar.

Onstar deserves a very special point as they can remotely activate your microphone and listen in on your conversations. Very useful for police.

As for the point just brought up about personalized ads. It's in the beginning stages. Some stores around the globe have done SMS (text messaging) ads as you walk by their store. I've heard of it for Starbucks specifically.

For those who are interested, wired had a segment on managing your "digital profile" and I'd recommend looking into it.

As always, knowledge is power. You're informed so now use the knowledge to make decisions.

[Jadore Introductions]

Great share tia !!!!