NSA Tucks Away Backdoors in HDD firmware

Discussion in 'Frontpage news' started by Hilbert Hagedoorn, Feb 17, 2015.

  1. Fender178

    Fender178 Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    4,194
    Likes Received:
    213
    GPU:
    GTX 1070 | GTX 1060
    I can relate to this. I have seen work computers that had the P2P program Limewire on there and I was like what the heck? No company's computers should have that on there. To me that Is one example of misusing a system. I have seen some YouTube Videos of vintage computer collectors and this person got a computer that was used to download all kinds of stuff form BitTorrent sites and it didn't even have virus protection on it. Yeah misusing a system very badly can lead to things that you had hidden to not having them hidden.
     
  2. Mineria

    Mineria Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    5,540
    Likes Received:
    701
    GPU:
    Asus RTX 3080 Ti
    I have seen the same at work, coworkers don't understand when the admin (me in that case) comes down and tells them to remove such.
    I also heard about a case which was much worse, a customers employee got dismissed and was turned in to the police for that.
    The "bad" thing is, that even as admin you will hear things like "so big brother is watching us?", instead of understanding that we protect our company.
    But usually they get it when they get told that the company will get blamed besides that it can lead to infections on the network.
    But even in your own company an admin can misuse the security system, so I don't blame them for being worried.
     
    Last edited: Feb 17, 2015
  3. stevevnicks

    stevevnicks Guest

    Messages:
    1,440
    Likes Received:
    11
    GPU:
    Don't need one

    hence the very important need to monitor your network making sure everything is what it should be.

    in away your spying on there computers and telling them to remove software big brother for the network as such lol
     
  4. scheherazade

    scheherazade Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    2,050
    Likes Received:
    0
    GPU:
    fullHDs
    The real issue is that govt prosecutors have to prosecute - that's how they get paid.

    Police have to arrest - that's how they get paid.

    Jails have to jail - that's how they get paid.

    Institutions are engineered to do tasks, and charge their time to those tasks, and get paid. They need work, or else they will get downsized (people get fired). No one wants to lose their job.

    So there is a lot of effort spent on finding 'criminals' - so that there are people to feed into the system to keep it running.

    1 in 18 men in the U.S. is in the system (in jail, on parole, or getting tried), most of them in for crimes that never involved a victim of any sort - and the system is always looking to find more people to bring into the loop.

    Simply try to imagine how vast this population is. There are 300 ish million people in the U.S., about half are men.

    There are 5000 ish federal laws, and a few thousand more per state/county/city/etc. Anywhere you stand, there are on the order of 10k laws.
    A lot of these laws do not require INTENT in order for there to be a crime.

    There are countless laws that apply to mundane everyday events in the most vague way, but serve as hooks to bring people into the system.

    For example, federal waterway protection laws make it a felony to put waste in an area where it will be exposed to runoff and carried to a body of water.
    In practice, that means most road surfaces (they have drainage, and it leads to waterways) - which means that any oil that drips from your car makes you a felon (granted no one will watch you that closely).
    But folks can see you do an oil change in the parking lot of your apartment, and if a neighbor doesn't like that you spilled some oil, and complains, and the cops come, and they aren't quite busy enough (or are in a particular mood), you could end up spending thousands on lawyers and many days off of work to deal with the hassle of making your way 'less than all the way' through the system (you can always choose to save the lawyer fees and let the system give you the complete tour).

    Point is, everyone has things to hide. Any time someone says "I have nothing to hide", they are declaring how unaware they are of the criminality of day to day normal life.

    Alternatively, in as a pure privacy question, I could say : If there's nothing to hide, then would you mind someone installing video cameras in every room of your house (bedrooms/bathrooms included), and loggers/streamers on your computers/phones, and publishing it all onto the internet for anyone to see?

    -scheherazade
     
    Last edited: Feb 17, 2015

  5. fantaskarsef

    fantaskarsef Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    15,696
    Likes Received:
    9,574
    GPU:
    4090@H2O
    So what do you want to do now? The only ones that could be protesting are our governments (those not the US government), and they are just as happy to steal privacy from their citizens as the US government is. As it was stated later, the government only wants to protect itself, not the people living inside the country. The only logical reason would be to revolt.


    Sure, we're all terrorists!
    And you certainly don't have any little bit of data that you shouldn't have, shouldn't have seen, or shouldn't have downloaded. As you see it's not the problem to have others scan your computer, you're probably a fan of freedom, and thus helping the NSA to find those evil people, correct? If so, where did your freedom go?


    So everybody looking for privacy is a criminal? Certainly :rolleyes:


    That's what I call common sense. If they'd have a key and would just drop buy, they'd probably check your posessions to see if you're avoiding tax. The very thing that started the revolution of the 13 colonies... nice to see they're now taking away freedom instead of protecting it.


    Well, now they do, as they'd easily get access to all steam data, to all origin data, to addition to all the data they already have from google and facebook ;)
     
  6. stevevnicks

    stevevnicks Guest

    Messages:
    1,440
    Likes Received:
    11
    GPU:
    Don't need one
    private prisons do give cause to worry in that department, how many of inmates are really crim's who should be locked and how many are just cash crop investments.

    the more stock/inmates you have the more money you will make kind of thing.


    lol at quote master fantaskarsef
     
  7. cyclone3d

    cyclone3d Master Guru

    Messages:
    419
    Likes Received:
    1
    GPU:
    ASUS R9 390
    I take it that the regular users have admin access then? Why? That is just a bad idea security wise, and is asking for all sorts of infections.

    What about a web filter and firewall set up to block stuff like that?
     
  8. SirJamesDTech

    SirJamesDTech Guest

    Messages:
    17
    Likes Received:
    0
    GPU:
    2x Asus Strix GTX 970 4GB
    Anyone who says you have nothing to hide...okay, let me have your email password then. Why do you close your shades at night? That gigantic NSA hub was built in Utah for a reason.
    Privacy is the foremost right, not privilege, but right that we have.
    And don't discount things being planted on your hard drive. You may have done nothing wrong, but these people have ways of making you appear to have done anything.
     
  9. Mineria

    Mineria Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    5,540
    Likes Received:
    701
    GPU:
    Asus RTX 3080 Ti
    Web developers :)

    There are barriers to the more sensitive networks though.
    Enterprise firewalls and central administration of virus scanners and so on is in place too, plus that we can see what the users install and even get alerts when "certain" software is installed.
    They need local admin access, if it was possible they wouldn't have it.

    Customers and none developers on the other hand is a different story.
     
    Last edited: Feb 17, 2015
  10. EspHack

    EspHack Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    2,795
    Likes Received:
    188
    GPU:
    ATI/HD5770/1GB
    I wonder if they can really justify rewriting all HHD firmwares from all makers worldwide, I think its only the US getting the nefarious drives

    As far as I know they can put a bug inside your PSU, but we can argue forever about what is possible and what is actually probable
     

  11. Athlonite

    Athlonite Maha Guru

    Messages:
    1,358
    Likes Received:
    52
    GPU:
    Pulse RX5700 8GB
    HAHA :stewpid: that statement just beggars belief their reach is as far and wide as they want it to be whether or not your in another country is meaningless to the likes of the NSA or DOD or CIA or FBI or DHS or whatever three letter acronym they want to call themselves by... If they want you looked at it is going to happen regardless and you wont even know they've done it until a knock at the door at 3am :cop:
     
  12. tsunami231

    tsunami231 Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    14,725
    Likes Received:
    1,854
    GPU:
    EVGA 1070Ti Black
    would not be surprised,, then again if u on the internet any privacy your think you have it nothing more then a lie
     
  13. FarCryDX

    FarCryDX Member

    Messages:
    21
    Likes Received:
    0
    GPU:
    EVGA Ref GTX 980
    Before too long this will no longer be the internet we are so fond of... R.I.P. :wanker:
     
  14. Fender178

    Fender178 Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    4,194
    Likes Received:
    213
    GPU:
    GTX 1070 | GTX 1060
    Not at all because it is software that cause the company big problems if they download something they shouldn't. Software piracy can cost a company big time.
     
  15. Reddoguk

    Reddoguk Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    2,660
    Likes Received:
    593
    GPU:
    RTX3090 GB GamingOC
    People seem to forget how deep this shiz goes. Right to the top trust me.

    Trending Data would be like having future sight. This data is powerful enough to put presidents in the white house.

    NSA, CIA and all the other organizations are meant to be there to protect democracy and freedoms allowed to us.

    I can see it coming, the next war. The war on cyber crime.

    The internet is a tool for good or bad. The bad guys want the good stuff and the good guys want the bad guys.

    We are the bad guys even if we didn't do anything wrong.

    The Jihads would love to attack the internet and ISIS is known to be trying to hack everything. They will succeed too most likely, in what fashion or strength i don't know.

    The governments will use this as an excuse to pass new laws that they personally put into place. Executive orders.

    The more detailed the data the more valuable it is to governments, this info could be used to save lives maybe or used against you if you ever find yourself in a law suit against a government for example. They will fight tooth and nail against you whether you are right or wrong. Of course they will "dish the dirt" on you and use any little misdemeanors or secrets against you.

    The problem is always corruption and we all know our computers aren't 100% safe we just have to trust those who may want to harm us.
     
    Last edited: Feb 17, 2015

  16. stevevnicks

    stevevnicks Guest

    Messages:
    1,440
    Likes Received:
    11
    GPU:
    Don't need one
    pmsl okie dokie because thats your job is it? working for NSA?
    i would trust them with my email password before you fella lol
     
  17. Licaon

    Licaon Member Guru

    Messages:
    140
    Likes Received:
    0
    GPU:
    Gigabyte GTX660Ti-OC
    Yep, that's the plan: http://blog.thinkst.com/p/if-nsa-has-been-hacking-everything-how.html or not :-|
     
  18. Hirantha

    Hirantha Master Guru

    Messages:
    254
    Likes Received:
    1
    GPU:
    EVGA 980ti Hybrid (BEAST)
    My only concern is how much game lag is that causing. Otherwise i'm golden. :)
     
  19. cyclone3d

    cyclone3d Master Guru

    Messages:
    419
    Likes Received:
    1
    GPU:
    ASUS R9 390
    Dell makes a package that allows you to give users elevated privileges to specific programs. It used to be called Privilege Authority by Quest before Dell bought them out.

    http://software.dell.com/products/desktop-authority-management-suite/
     
  20. Vandrell

    Vandrell Guest

    Messages:
    37
    Likes Received:
    0
    GPU:
    8GB
    Who knows how prevalent these low level hardware backdoors are? Last year there was that report about the USB firmware loophole, and what lurks in BIOS' these days.......
     

Share This Page