China Used Stolen Data To Expose CIA Operatives in Africa and Europe (foreignpolicy.com) 56
The discovery of U.S. spy networks in China fueled a decadelong global war over data between Beijing and Washington. From a report: Around 2013, U.S. intelligence began noticing an alarming pattern: Undercover CIA personnel, flying into countries in Africa and Europe for sensitive work, were being rapidly and successfully identified by Chinese intelligence, according to three former U.S. officials. The surveillance by Chinese operatives began in some cases as soon as the CIA officers had cleared passport control. Sometimes, the surveillance was so overt that U.S. intelligence officials speculated that the Chinese wanted the U.S. side to know they had identified the CIA operatives, disrupting their missions; other times, however, it was much more subtle and only detected through U.S. spy agencies' own sophisticated technical countersurveillance capabilities. The CIA had been taking advantage of China's own growing presence overseas to meet or recruit sources, according to one of these former officials. "We can't get to them in Beijing, but can in Djibouti. Heat map Belt and Road" -- China's trillion-dollar infrastructure and influence initiative -- "and you'd see our activity happening. It's where the targets are." The CIA recruits "Russians and Chinese hard in Africa," said a former agency official. "And they know that." China's new aggressive moves to track U.S. operatives were likely a response to these U.S. efforts.
This series, based on interviews with over three dozen current and former U.S. intelligence and national security officials, tells the story of China's assault on U.S. personal data over the last decade -- and its consequences. But instead, CIA officials believed the answer was likely data-driven -- and related to a Chinese cyberespionage campaign devoted to stealing vast troves of sensitive personal private information, like travel and health data, as well as U.S. government personnel records. U.S. officials believed Chinese intelligence operatives had likely combed through and synthesized information from these massive, stolen caches to identify the undercover U.S. intelligence officials. It was very likely a "suave and professional utilization" of these datasets, said the same former intelligence official. This "was not random or generic," this source said. "It's a big-data problem." The battle over data -- who controls it, who secures it, who can steal it, and how it can be used for economic and security objectives -- is defining the global conflict between Washington and Beijing. Data has already critically shaped the course of Chinese politics, and it is altering the course of U.S. foreign policy and intelligence gathering around the globe. Just as China has sought to wield data as a sword and shield against the United States, America's spy agencies have tried to penetrate Chinese data streams and to use their own big-data capabilities to try to pinpoint exactly what China knows about U.S. personnel and operations.
This series, based on interviews with over three dozen current and former U.S. intelligence and national security officials, tells the story of China's assault on U.S. personal data over the last decade -- and its consequences. But instead, CIA officials believed the answer was likely data-driven -- and related to a Chinese cyberespionage campaign devoted to stealing vast troves of sensitive personal private information, like travel and health data, as well as U.S. government personnel records. U.S. officials believed Chinese intelligence operatives had likely combed through and synthesized information from these massive, stolen caches to identify the undercover U.S. intelligence officials. It was very likely a "suave and professional utilization" of these datasets, said the same former intelligence official. This "was not random or generic," this source said. "It's a big-data problem." The battle over data -- who controls it, who secures it, who can steal it, and how it can be used for economic and security objectives -- is defining the global conflict between Washington and Beijing. Data has already critically shaped the course of Chinese politics, and it is altering the course of U.S. foreign policy and intelligence gathering around the globe. Just as China has sought to wield data as a sword and shield against the United States, America's spy agencies have tried to penetrate Chinese data streams and to use their own big-data capabilities to try to pinpoint exactly what China knows about U.S. personnel and operations.
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There is no evidence the server was located in the Secretary's bathroom.
Overcomplicated (Score:2)
Re: Overcomplicated (Score:3)
You're forgetting that their economy depends on job-creation schemes and you can only build so many dams and empty cities... ;)
They should look up IBM and German bureaucracy though. Imagine the jobs you could create with an approval sinature management tensor tree of consultants following tax laws that would make the Vogons cry tears into their permit A38.
Deeper issue is the irony... (Score:2)
"Recognizing irony is key to transcending militarism "
https://pdfernhout.net/recogni... [pdfernhout.net]
"Likewise, even United States three-letter agencies like the NSA and the CIA, as well as their foreign counterparts, are becoming ironic institutions in many ways. Despite probably having more computing power per square foot than any other place in the world, they seem not to have thought much about the implications of all that computer power and organized information to transform the world into a place of abundance for a
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Well, better than the abusive FP, but still a weak start to the discussion. Oh yeah. You were in a rush to capture that FP slot, weren't you? (There was only the FP when I started writing, but my comment wound up around 7th place. That'll larn me not to type a hunderd wirds!)
The Chinese do have a large advantage in humint in that they have lots of recruitable humans in suitable locations. Especially graduate schools. However they also have a disadvantage in that it's getting harder and harder to hide the li
Re: Overcomplicated (Score:2)
Again, what you describe sounds very complicated compared to bribing or blackmailing someone working for a government agency to gain a list of operatives. I'm not saying they aren't doing this days analysis, but where is the evidence? Doesn't history show that most often it's just simple leaks which are also dismissed out of hand?
The first step would surely be for the US intelligence agencies to use the data they think China has (which surely they also have) and se
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Well, the main reply to your original comment is something like "Yes, that's obvious, but that's the first thing 'our side' tries to block." In concrete terms, that's why the financial information is so crucial to (legitimate) security clearances.
Regarding the capabilities of deep learning to spot the spies, I'm not in that loop, but I can point you at an old example of where they were headed about 5 or 10 years ago. https://personality-insights-d... [bluemix.net] is the entry point. I recommend clicking on the "Body of
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Easy, arrogance on behalf of many US agencies and their contractors, led to many shortfalls, for profit leaks and real clumsiness and once that incompetence was established, any action could be held off, until more links had been exposed and monitored. As the USA used organised crime gangs in other countries, so contact with those gangs, exposed US agents (criminals do not stay bought). Expose one and you expose all those they contact and they expose all those whom they contact. Arrogance and casual incompe
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Is your reply a form of Hanlon's razor? If so, I'm not sure how to interpret it for this context. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org] Perhaps something like "Don't blame on Chinese malice what can be adequately explained by American incompetence"?
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That seems like a complex explanation. How do they know the Chinese spooks aren't just using the tried and true method of bribing someone to pass on the names of CIA operatives?
Because they have prior form in it and they were in possession of a good starting point data set - the Office of Personnel hack.
From that they can just do continuous data trawling and only top it up with some stolen data from time to time.
USA has tried to counter it. In fact, you can guess who is an obvious spook easily now - they have a social network profile, but it is unbelievably devoid of details, especially anything related to their "official" professions. Facebook, Google, etc are all providing t
So thank you China for exposing criminals! (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: So thank you China for exposing criminals! (Score:2, Insightful)
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Yup, this article basically reads as "how dare those damn Chinese spy on us spying on them!"
The article doesn't read like that at all. It reads as someone stating how Chinese espionage is getting better and the CIA is less able to act with impunity as they were in previous decades. The article is quite clear that the US also tries to steal data from China too. There is no moral high ground here, which is appropriate when national security is being discussed. Just a description of the new reality the US and western nations are becoming accustomed to as China continues its rise in prominence.
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What does this actually refer to? What would be some instances where the US was not competitive in some industry because the technology was only available overseas, and we couldn't figure it out, and exercised moral restrai
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Re: Good. (Score:5, Insightful)
How naive. Spying has been documented since the dawn civilization. It's part of human nature.
Trust but verify. Trust without verification is surrender. These principles are relevant at all levels of human civilization - a perfect example of an old married couple doesn't just trust each other, they provide each other with the means of verification daily.
The problem between the US and China, and probably between China and everyone, is not the spying, it's the lack of trust. The foundation of our relationship is to catch each other in a lie, or to lie with such conviction that the lie becomes reality. For that, spying is essential.
The spying between the US and Canada is very real, but very different, because of trust.
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Sun Tzu, on the use of spies:
https://web.mit.edu/~dcltdw/AO... [mit.edu]
Re: Good. (Score:1)
Note how you do not even realize you imply the casual normality of warmongering and psychopathic behavior, so primitive, calling it "medeival" would be an insult to the dark ages.
Your culture is truly a rotten cancer of boundless psychopathy and murder. No humanity left. You are Daleks.
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Some Sun Tzu quotes:
“There is no instance of a nation benefiting from prolonged warfare.”
“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”
“The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.”
“To win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.”
“The general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose o
Re: Good. (Score:2)
Thanks, Slashdot. "It has always been done" == "not a crime".
So since chimpazees eat the enemy tribe's babies on a raid, and our ancestors did the same, I guess it's back to baby eating for us... --.--
The problem with the Internet is, that assholes, complete morons and mentally underdeveloped children get equal treatment. Case in point: You and those "moderators".
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You are equating spying with eating babies, really?
Your response is a mix of Ad Hominem and false dichotomy. I'm sure you can do better - not because this is a competition or popularity contest, but because the debate and dialectic [wikipedia.org] of open discourse thrives on a little more insight - which attracts the scrutiny of moderators in any forum. It's not about being right or winning an argument, it's about elucidating your point clearly, agreeing to hear (or read) an alternate point (and not calling people you d
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"Spying is always a capital crime agaimnst humanity."
Citations needed. Under what statutes is espionage a crime against humanity? You made the legal assertion so you must have the legal background to effortlessly cite supporting law.
Espionage is often PRAGMATICALLY given the death penalty as a sentencing OPTION in order to bargain with captured agents (where useful) and permit their discretionary disposal afterwards (as done by the Brits in WWII, "The Double Cross System by J.C Masterman is a good read),
It'
This is a job for Cyberspace Force! (Score:3)
I can't get the "Space Force" earworm out of my head. And I'm pretty sure I've never seen the movie, but only heard that snippet a few times.
Anyway, there are also some good books on why we need a coherent cyberwar strategy. Richard Clarke wrote a good one a few years back, mostly summarizing offensive and defensive capabilities while considering relative vulnerability. A bit dated, but still describes the situation well. Short summary is that China appears to be the leader in cyberspace defense, largely because it meshes well with their objectives for controlling the Chinese population, while the United States, Israel, and Russia were the national leaders in offensive capabilities. Main changes since that book was published appear to be offensive improvements in such places as North Korea and Iran. But perhaps the most important part of the book was considering the vulnerabilities, as in America is #1 in weakness. Heavily dependent on computers, but without the ability to threaten ye olde MAD against the adversaries. It's not like anyone in Putin's Russia is sure his network will be working today.
I think that this situation would actually justify a centralized Cyberspace Force. But that would have taken imagination lacking in "He whose name need not be spoken". And unfortunately the people with that sort of imagination in America are much too busy grubbing for money to help out.
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Why would anyone want America to win?... How exactly are we the better choice?
Well, that depends. Are you American?
NOC list? (Score:3, Insightful)
They got the NOC list after all?
Those damn incompetent IMF bastards! Ethan! You're fired... get out.
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There's a Network Operations Center in San Jose, another outside Chicago, another in Ashburn... don't renew the International Monetary Fund's contract!
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There's a Network Operations Center in San Jose, another outside Chicago, another in Ashburn... don't renew the International Monetary Fund's contract!
Impossible Mission Force. Come on man. Lighten up. It's Christmas. :)
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According to LinkedIn, Ethan Hunt now works for the International Monetary Fund.... At least I got NOC right! (*ducks*)
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Ah. Missed that. I consider that a demotion. Unless of course it's all a front to throw the Russians off.
You never know with these guys...
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I think you're injecting your own opinion... or you're a paid internet troll.
Re:waitwhat!? (Score:4, Informative)
Where was it mentioned that China spying is bad but US spying is good?
It doesn't need to be mentioned first. It depends entirely on where one's loyalty resides or if one has got any at all. However the moment they've started calling it an "assault on personal data", when this is what Facebook & Co. is doing every day without anyone shouting assault, is obviously meant to create drama and an image of good vs. bad. What follows is the same old squabble.
Re: waitwhat!? (Score:1)
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Of course, it's a western-based publication. The same story in the Beijing Press would probably have the opposite slant. Welcome to tribalism in the 21st century.
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too bad we can't get to Fang Fang and hang her for screwing our wonderful, brilliant, gas emitting CA congresscritter.
Stolen? (Score:2)
I'd venture a guess that they bought location and call metadata fair and square from local telecoms and ISPs.
decadelong... (Score:1)
umm - is that a word now?
Where is the LOL ??? (Score:2)
I think the author left it out.
It should read Country 'illegally' spying on other country like all countries do 'stole' something that helped them do it better LOL !
I mean seriously where is the news in the fact that China Spy's on our Spy's and we return the favor. I guess it is a bit interesting that all the 'big data' out there makes it harder to hide your spies. Maybe that is why Washington needs full control over all our large corporate DB's correct?
This is why so many trolls here (Score:2)
Obviously, those are a combination of paid Chinese trolls as well as far lefties that are in DIRE need of more lithium.
Didn't the fed leak the personnel records? (Score:2)
I seem to recall, a few years back, an item about the federal government's personnel operation leaking their whole database, including the names, SS numbers, and departments of all the federal employees - CIA spooks and all.
Does anyone remember that well enough to dig out a link?